.270wsm build specs

[Buddro]

Hello, I have several questions revolving around a sheep gun I am planning to build soon. I'll try to run down what I am looking for and why I've made my choices so far. I want to set up a packable mountain gun with low enough recoil that i can spend serious range time with it without punishing my shoulder. After much research and soul searching .270 wsm with a 24ish inch barrel seems to be my best option. 6.5s just dont do it for me, I considered a 300wsm and really loaded with light for caliber bullets it would probably be the best option but it just doesnt seem like enough of a divergence from the 7 mag that I already own. I would much prefer a .270 win on a wood stock but I dont have the time or space to work my own stock so I'll save that build for later.
I plan to design this gun around shooting 130 grain tsx bullets. I intend to use it mainly as a mid range <500 yard sheep gun and as such I want to run a bullet perfectly capable of blowing out shoulders and anchoring game before it can get to bluffs. Also I am a biologist and really want to foray into non toxic bullets, I've never met a person in real life who has been disappointed with the performance of barnes bullets. (I've seen plenty of online posts from disappointed customers and I am fully aware that these bullets are ineffective at slow speeds and must hit bone to be counted on at more than moderate ranges.) To accommodate long for weight copper bullets I intend to order reamers with longer than standard throats. A barnes rep also recommended a longer throat as their bullets tend to like a little extra freebore

That brings the build to model 700 short action, mcmillan edge stock, ~24 inch 1 in 9 barrel.

Here is where the questions begin. I know .270 wsms are already designed to use all the space the model 700 has to offer. I have looked into using a wyatt mbe-4 extended box mag to allow for longer coal but I dont know If it will be enough. Does anyone here have experience with extended throats in .270 wsm? If so, have you ever loaded for tsx bullets and how did they perform? How much longer is your throat, I am sure you designed your gun around vld performance, how does it do with those and how do they feed?

I am open to other cartridges and may have to change my build all together if I cannot chamber the longer .270 wsms

 

[sedancowboy]

Nothing wrong with the 270 WSM I have built a rifle around that cartridge and to address its length needs. So I suggest a MRC short action with a mag length of 3.125 and they now make Al bottom metal. I would suggest you explore Hammer Bullets for your monos. In my opinion they are much better suited for your purpose. I have seen barns bullets fail. Contact Steve at Hammer Bullets and he will direct you to what ever bullet will work best in your situation.
Good luck with your adventure.

 

[graywolf]

I've used exclusively copper bullets with my Tikka 270 WSM (129 Barnes LRX and 130 cutting edge MTH). The Tikka has a relatively long throat. The MTH is 2.885 COAL to lands, and I seat it 2.84 and get great accuracy and velocity with RL26.

 

[Buddro]

I'll check into mrc actions a little more but they will probably be cost prohibitive, my brother is a smith and will do the labor for free so as of now it makes more sense to run with a 700. He also prefers 700s for acurizing. But if I end up running into too many headaches and expenses I may opt for the mrc

 

[sedancowboy]

MRC actions are $600 with good trigger and Bottom metal. By the time you buy a R-700 action, trigger. bottom metal and true it up you will have more in it than the MRC.

 

[Buddro]

At those prices I would seriously consider it, I just looked at a price sheet that quoted it at 8 something.

 

[Buddro]

After a little research what I am seeing is that the short action mrc will weigh more than a long action model 700. Which in its self is prohibitive to me. Losing some weight in the action that I will move into a slightly longer barrel is a major factor in my decision to go with a wsm. For the weight of the mrc I could simply build my wsm on a long action or move to a .270 weatherby on a long action. Which may be what I learn I will have to do anyways. Also while I respect model 70s I just dont feel they make as good of a platform for accurized rifles as 700 actions.

 

[bigngreen]

The 270 WSM is one of my favorites, hands down the two best ways to build one right now without buying custom stuff is the MRC and the Tikka. For Sheep I'd push to the Tikka, lighter than the Rem, WAY better quality, WAY better feeding, no extra gunsmithing just a barrel if you start with a magnum doner rifle. The MCR is heavier but one of my favorites and excellent feeding with little to no tuning. If you try the Rem short action you will need a Bainey box then some serious tuning to the feeding cycle or a long action with a DBM but you'll be doing more work to any Rem than the Tikka would need and if feeds like BUTTER! If I do them for mono bullets the Hammer 156 would be my first and only choice after years of shooting copper bullets, the Barnes lack significantly regardless of hitting bone or not I just go Hammers and just worry about shooting!!

 

[Capt RB]

Hammer 117grn 270 would be a better option for what you describe. You would be in the lazer beam realm for speeds. Because of your desired platform a 10tw works fine. A good side discharge brake and good electronic muffs. The gunwerks action is 850 with lug. It has all the cool options and will need a barrel they have shilens but no 270 blanks. Pick your pleasure here. A proof if your wallet can stand it. Carbon six but idk if they are as high in consistency. All steel in a #2 or 3 would make your weight. This is where a cut rifled barrel should be a better choice because of how quickly the heat accumulates.
Stocks I'm a wood guy a good laminate looks and feels good but won't be as light as a carbon fiber/glass stock. I have a m70 lightweight with the laminate from the factory. 27yo gun has not changed 0 in all those years. Has the tablespoon of bedding compound in the lug area and the pressure pad.
Good luck sounds like a fun project

 

[Buddro]

In terms of smithing I am not concerned, my brother is a well trained smith with a brand new shop, the action will be blue printed and worked to the 9s. The 700s are capable of terrific feed characteristics and one of the most accurizable actions out there his r-700 300wsm is a tack driver with a break that helps it kick like a 308.
I will look into tikka actions but I am pretty set on a 700 s/a if I can manage the magazine situation while seating bullets further out of the cases.
I will also do my homework on hammer bullets, likely looking into the lighter end of things, I would prefer to maintain higher velocities with lighter weights if I stick with solid coppers.
I much prefer classic guns, in a perfect world where I had more space and traveled less i would get over the lightweight notion and have my brother inlet a walnut stock for either a sako or one of a few k98 donor actions I have access to. And shape the stock myself However it's not a perfect world so in stead of putting a fine action in a plastic stock I will be sticking with more a more modern set up for now.

 

[Buddro]

And thank you all for the advice so far, it is much appreciated!

 

[WeiserBucks]

Tikka won't need to be blueprinted or whatever 9's you're considering. They're strait , smooth and ready to go. They'll acomadate whatever WSM length you desire.

I also love hearing the words "sheep hunt" and "budget" in the same conversation.

 

[pburton]

If you are set on the 700 SA, you should be able to easily run the 270 wsm. Especially since you are talking about running lighter bullets. Open up the bottom of the action, shorten your bolt stop, and go with a Wyatt's center feed metal. You can load up to a COAL of around 2.990. For mono bullets I would definitely look at the Hammer bullets. They are not sensitive to seating depth. I am building a short action .27 at the moment and Hammers are what it is going to shoot.

 

[MtPockets]

http://hammerbullets.boards.net/board/30/hammer-bullets