Seating depth in .270

[Trstall]

Ok, new to reloading and hitting a few dilemmas. Trying to load 110gr Hornady V-MAx 0.020 off the lands in my .270 R61 SAKO. Measured the COL bullet to the lands and it averages 3.200( got from 3.213 to 3.198) SO, wanting to set the bullet .020 off the lands I should set the COL to 3.180. Hornady book says COL is 3.164. Any problems there seating over the book, which I assume is SAAMI generics and not specific guns?
Second, seating to the above depths won't get the 110gr down to the canulure. Is that a problem, by not crimping on the canulure(?) or do I have to seat way off the lands to the canulure. Finally, a side reason I ask all this is the once fired brass I'm using is from 2 different manufactures and EVERY one of the cases were burned/discolored at the case mouth and after 12 hours of tumbling and even some steel wool "elbow grease" couldn't get it all clean. All the factory ammo is measured at the 3.16 COL range. Could the burned case mouths be from the bullet being so short of the lands. THanks in advance!! HOpe I have all the pertinent info in there!

 

[Reloader222]

Ok, new to reloading and hitting a few dilemmas. Trying to load 110gr Hornady V-MAx 0.020 off the lands in my .270 R61 SAKO. Measured the COL bullet to the lands and it averages 3.200( got from 3.213 to 3.198) SO, wanting to set the bullet .020 off the lands I should set the COL to 3.180. Hornady book says COL is 3.164. Any problems there seating over the book, which I assume is SAAMI generics and not specific guns?
Second, seating to the above depths won't get the 110gr down to the canulure. Is that a problem, by not crimping on the canulure(?) or do I have to seat way off the lands to the canulure. Finally, a side reason I ask all this is the once fired brass I'm using is from 2 different manufactures and EVERY one of the cases were burned/discolored at the case mouth and after 12 hours of tumbling and even some steel wool "elbow grease" couldn't get it all clean. All the factory ammo is measured at the 3.16 COL range. Could the burned case mouths be from the bullet being so short of the lands. THanks in advance!! HOpe I have all the pertinent info in there!

Crimping in the canular is in general not practiced by most reloaders on the .270Win - unless your sizing die does not size small enough to give you a proper crimp. If you can push the bullet in by hand it is advisable to take out the expander ball when you resize. This would then give a proper grip on the bullet. Reason why we do not crimp in the canulure is it cause the neck to make a small bubble at that area and it could contribute towards inaccuracy.

I never crimped in my 30 years of reloading on my .270 Win. Maybe if it was a Magnum then it could be advisable, but then I would rather go for the Lee Factory Crimp die.

Crimping in the canulare would also imply that you are not going to get the same OAL you would like. It is not a problem to be 0.020" off the lands but you must be cautious since it could result in higher pressure. However, if you do not load maximum charges, it should not be a problem. It usually improve accuracy.

The only other thing you need to look at is to have the bullet at least a calibre dept inside the case neck. This also helps with accuracy and getting a beter velocity. For instance a bullet seated only 0.200" inside the case would yield much less velocity than a bullet being seated at least 0.278" inside the case neck. Take a hack saw and saw the neck of a case up to the shoulder. This would give you a view of how much bullet is inside the case neck. You can use this same case to determine OAL of difference bullets. Remember different bullets can give you different OAL due to the ogive of the bullets being different. So when you change to another bullet, you need to measure the OAL again. Go to this site for instructions and then go to Reloading and Shooting Tech Tips and then to "the best OAL for accuracy":

Innovative Technologies - Reloading Equipment

 

[Trstall]

Thank you! I'm seeing the differences between the Hornady Manual and "reality" at almost every turn here and you guys have been invaluable. I plan on working up the load 3 down from MAX in the Hornady book and slowly go upwards on the .020 off the lands depth ( now that I don't have to worry about the canulure) and just watch for pressure signs. Part of getting into this, besides the $$, is to effectively use the versatility of the .270. A 110gr V-MAx with a BC of .370 ought to do very well for most varmint and even smaller game at distance. I used the .270 w/150gr in South Africa last year ( and will also reload 150gr here now) and it took everything up to Elk size. Kudu, Nyala, Wildebeest. I held back on Eland. THe PH said it was OK, but with that body mass closer to a large Moose I shoulda brought the .375 as well. .-- Next time.
Thank you again for the input and I'd appreciate any others chiming in.
I'm learning that there is a whole lot to learn and everyone does things a bit different. BUt the input here is FAR superior to the manuals!

 

[Reloader222]

There is one thing about the .270 Win which I did not tell you and that is that if you load the 150gr Hornady Interbond to run at +-2830fps and you load a 110gr Nosler Accubond to run at 3240fps, the point of impact is the same at 100yards. I never change my scope settings anymore. I use 110gr Accubonds for Springbuck and Mountain Reedbuck and then switch to 150gr Interbonds for Kudu. You will not get this with 140gr or 130gr. Only with the 110gr and 150gr at speeds indicated above. I think the 110gr makes up for the drop in the speed it is traveling at. I do not think O'Conner had know this when he developed the .270win. What a Great Gun!!

 

[Trstall]

LOL, wonder how many years it would have taken me to come across THAT one, if ever! THanks. Don't have a Chrony so 'll be guessing via the Hornady manual on charge weight to hit those velocities using IMR 4831 and IMR 4350.
Yeah, Good 'ol .270 O'connor. I started reading him before my voice changed in the mid '60s. THanks again for adding yet another dimension to this reloading experience!!

 

[Sully2]

Old Jack adored the .270...and his wife bear hugged the 7 x 57 caliber.

 

[Shootin4fun]

There is one thing about the .270 Win which I did not tell you and that is that if you load the 150gr Hornady Interbond to run at +-2830fps and you load a 110gr Nosler Accubond to run at 3240fps, the point of impact is the same at 100yards. I never change my scope settings anymore. I use 110gr Accubonds for Springbuck and Mountain Reedbuck and then switch to 150gr Interbonds for Kudu. You will not get this with 140gr or 130gr. Only with the 110gr and 150gr at speeds indicated above. I think the 110gr makes up for the drop in the speed it is traveling at. I do not think O'Conner had know this when he developed the .270win. What a Great Gun!!

With such high velocity and low weight with the 110 AB, do you get much bloodshot meat? Will that AB open up on a broadside / boiler room shot? I have some 130 ABs and started to do load development for them but I got the impression that they are a bit hard for deer unless you hit a shoulder bone or something presenting significant resistance.

 

[Shootin4fun]

Finally, a side reason I ask all this is the once fired brass I'm using is from 2 different manufactures and EVERY one of the cases were burned/discolored at the case mouth and after 12 hours of tumbling and even some steel wool "elbow grease" couldn't get it all clean. All the factory ammo is measured at the 3.16 COL range. Could the burned case mouths be from the bullet being so short of the lands. THanks in advance!! HOpe I have all the pertinent info in there!

I get that...burned/discolored for most of the neck but have never worried about it too much. This is out of an auto loader so I don't know if that contributes to it. But I see it on shells from an accurate bolt action rifle in another caliber as well. I don't know of any way to stop that from happening and I don't know if it contributes to inaccuracy at all. I don't worry about my brass always looking brand new so I don't tumble. I clean the resizing lube off with a paper towel and rubbing alcohol and that gets them pretty clean.

 

[alcesgigas]

As a teenager in the late '50s I was "O'Connorized;" there just wasn't any reason for "more" gun for the game I planned to hunt in North America. He reasoned that if it were dead by 270 how much deader would it be if shot with a (then all the craze) belted magnum? Got my first M70 in '66 and had at least one ever since; the first was a 270 and I suspect the last will be one of the 270's I'm shooting today. The largest game I shot--and still do--is/was moose. Of them I claimed 13 with the 270; it's my standard everyday carry gun. I suppose it's safe to say that the 270 owned me since adolescence.

I handload and have since the late sixties. When Barnes came out with their fist handloading text I noted some receipes unknown to me. One was RL22 and in that first Barnes loadbook the max load for the 140 grain (now TSX) was 61gr. I worked up as always from the lighest to that level. It was the most accurate load for that rifle, but bolt lift was a tiny bit stiff; I backed off, backed off some more and to this day i shoot 59gr of RL22 in that 1942 (made from pre-war parts prior to 100% military commitment) M70. If I remember right it averaged 3027fps as checked on a friends 35P. I ate lots of venison and some bear stew as well.

In '92 I picked up my M70 dream rifle; a stainless classic sporter in 270. I'd keep it if it could match or better the old boy. It wouldn't using the H4831 I had at the time. So I moved into RL22 and remembering that max load and keeping my brass separated, worked up to that max. What a racket! What recoil! But, what groups--and only with the 61gr of RL22. Since then the old boy keeps on with those consistent sub-MOA groups and the "young upstart" attempts to better the former.

I tried other calibers, rifles, and excuses to get them. However, it wasn't until '08 that I shot anything labelled big game with any other caliber. That was a griz in a cabin. Still, it was a M70--in 375 H&H. When I know I'm more than likely stepping into a hornet's nest wherein death must happen quickly or it could be me--I'll opt for something bigger than a 270. Or when the moose is over 400 yards--then I use the Edge, but alas, it too has a M70 action.