270 win build

[FEENIX]

Thanks everyone. Like I said " this is my first " so I am wanting to not have any regrets a year or two later. The 30" barrel is long. But the throat is the first to go right. Once it is burnt I could re chamber and have a nice barrel and a new throat correct? This gun is gonna be seem pretty long, as I am only 5'6 when I wake up.

There's nothing wrong with 5'6" guys like us with long barrels! I also shoot a Marlin 120XR 12G shotgun with a 40" barrel.

C&P from Lilja Barrels website ...

Almost all of the caliber and twist combinations in the rifle barrels we make are available with 6 lands and grooves. A few years ago we started to make barrels in a 3 groove configuration too at the request of some varmint hunters who were looking for longer barrel life. They were chambering barrels for hot 22 caliber varmint rounds and shooting the throats out of conventional 6 groove barrels fairly fast. We reasoned that if we reduced the number of grooves to 3 but kept the ratio of land to groove width the same (ie. the lands are twice as wide in a 3 groove barrel as compared to a 6 groove) that there would be more land area to resist heat erosion.

Well, it turned out that barrel life did increase and that accuracy stayed at least the equal of comparable 6 groove barrels. It is hard to put a percentage increase on barrel life but a conservative estimate might be 20%.

Benchrest shooters are always experimenting and looking for a competitive edge. Before long a few shooters, including Dan Lilja, were putting 3 groove barrels in 6PPC and 22 Waldog on their light varmint and heavy varmint class benchrest rifles. And these barrels proved to be very accurate. They started winning benchrest matches and soon became popular among the benchrest shooters. .

And we found that as a side benefit the 3 groove barrels seemed to foul very little and clean up quickly. We attributed this to the reduced number of corners inside collecting powder and copper fouling.

This answer to 3 groove - 6 groove question is not meant to discredit the 6 groove barrels. They have consistently shoot extremely well over the years. Dan continues to shoot both 6 and 3 groove barrels on his benchrest rifles. But if you haven't tried a 3 groove you might consider one the next time you need a barrel. We do not offer them in all of our caliber and twist combinations. Our page with caliber and twist listings indicates if a 3 groove barrel is available. And we are frequently adding 3 groove buttons to our offerings. If you don't see that a 3 groove version is offered in the caliber and twist you're looking for, ask, we might soon be making it.

 

[bigngreen]

I have not found setting back a barrel worth it, you need to plan so much extra length to get into the better lands and you don't get the same life you will with the first chamber yet you've shanked even more into the barrel to pull just a little more life from it hoping the same load hooks up, I gave up on it and just took care of my throat to maximize the accurate life and been much happier.

A barrel 26in to 28in is perfect for this kinda of case. The three groove barrels have not impressed me as much through their life, I've gone to the 5R and been soooo much happier and much less jacket fatigue.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I am in...I got the barrel ordered from Hart. Just a magnum taper for a Rem 700.

I am new to reloading-2009. My interest is peaked in this 270 AI. I heard the Sherman, but I am not that much of a tinkerer so I think I will let that one rest.

Do I just tell the gunsmith to cut the chamber to 270 AI?
What about fire forming? I have quite a few loads for the rifle as it sits, do I just shoot those to form the AI necks?
Do they make AI dies or do you have to order custom dies?

Help, I want to squeeze as much out of this as possible, but not sure the juice is worth it.

Shane

 

[Trever]

I had originally wanted 5r rifling. I didn't plan on getting the same life after the the cut back but it would suffice quite nicely (in theory) while waiting on a new barrel. What die set will I need if I go the Ackley route?


I have a browning bps special steel 10ga that is pretty large. But, once I get tired of carrying it I can prop up on it like DOT does with shovels.

 

[FEENIX]

I have a ...

 

[Trever]

Thanks. Being I want to shoot vld's, what length throat should I have?

 

[MudRunner2005]

Thanks. Being I want to shoot vld's, what length throat should I have?

I have never used a special throated chamber to shoot Bergers before, so just out of curiosity, I asked my smith his thoughts on people using specially throated reamers and stuff, because he shoots alot of Bergers, too.

And he said, "You've been watching YouTube and reading on the internet too much...Standard throat is perfectly fine, nothing special has to be done to shoot Bergers in a regular rifle. The benchrest guys do it because they seat them WAY out there because they have little cases and long bullets."

And he was 100% right. My 7RM he just finished building for me LOVES the Berger 168 VLD's and he used a standard reamer.

 

[Trever]

Even with berger 170's? I do read a lot, but like you I was unsure so I asked someone with more know how.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Even with berger 170's? I'm not saying I will shoot berger. I'm not saying I wouldn't. I will shoot whatever groups the best and gives me a performance I am happy with. I don't have any personal experience with "heavy for caliber" bullets. But he was half right I do read a lot, but don't do too much you tub in.

I shoot 180's in my 7mm STW with a standard throat...They're considered heavy-for caliber bullets. I've had excellent success and didn't need a special reamer.

 

[bigngreen]

I am in...I got the barrel ordered from Hart. Just a magnum taper for a Rem 700.

I am new to reloading-2009. My interest is peaked in this 270 AI. I heard the Sherman, but I am not that much of a tinkerer so I think I will let that one rest.

Do I just tell the gunsmith to cut the chamber to 270 AI?
What about fire forming? I have quite a few loads for the rifle as it sits, do I just shoot those to form the AI necks?
Do they make AI dies or do you have to order custom dies?

Help, I want to squeeze as much out of this as possible, but not sure the juice is worth it.

Shane

The Sherman is no more work than the AI really, but it give you the best case design possible in the 270 Win while not leaving anything on the table.

IMO, if your just wanting to extend your hunting range and shoot for fun the straight 270 Win is fine, if you want to maximize your range then the Improved designs or WSM are the way to go. We'll shoot elk with the straight 270 with a 165 Matrix to 800 ish yards with no problems, an improved version or WSM I'll push it 1100 yards.

Here is some 270 Sherman info. http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/270-sherman-109255/

 

[FEENIX]

Even with berger 170's? I do read a lot, but like you I was unsure so I asked someone with more know how.

I shoot primarily 165s and 175s Matrix VLD through my .270 AI with a standard throat without any issues.

 

[Trever]

Thanks for all the info guys, it has really relaxed my mind on this thing. The last question I have for right now is, if I have a 1-8 twist, will it shoot 130s and 140s also? Or would a 1-9 fit my needs better at my elevation.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Thanks for all the info guys, it has really relaxed my mind on this thing. The last question I have for right now is, if I have a 1-8 twist, will it shoot 130s and 140s also? Or would a 1-9 fit my needs better at my elevation.

This one I cannot answer, as I don't own or shoot any .277 caliber guns. I'll leave that one up to the others to answer.

 

[bigngreen]

Generally you can shoot the lighter stuff even in a fast twist it's just not optimal, I set up my WSM's for the heavier bullets like the Matrix but then I shoot the 110TTSX at 3600fps for varmints and it's a great combination for me. Your elevation is low, I would honestly be tempted to go with the 1-8 if you want to shoot the 175 Matrix or the 170 Berger, if not then a 1-9 would be good.

I throat everything a little longer for the most part so that I can utilize the full case capacity with as slow a powder as I can run, the Matrix shoot well seated deep but I don't like to if I don't have to. Really just make sure the reamer uses a 1-30 lead angle to work better with VLD style bullets.