First load results - The Firearms Forum

SFW · 11-30-2008, 07:28 PM

Hello all. I'm just getting into the world of reloading. I have an old RCBS setup that my father has passed on to me. I primarily will be using this setup for my .270 and my son's 30-30.

My first "test" load was for my .270WIN. I wanted to be able to do some varmit hunting with the rifle, so I chose the Sierra 277 dia. 90 gr. HP Varminter bullet. I used 55 grains of H380 powder and CCI 200 primers. Loads were all hand weighed to make sure that they were as consistant as possible. Here are the results from the range"

Eight rounds on the paper at 100 years (sighted 1.5 high to be on at 200 yards.) Seven of them can be covered with a US quarter. The eigth round was sent left when the guy shooting the 300 mag next to me fired as I was getting ready. So I jerked the round- not a fault of the ammo or load. I am quite please with my first attempt at a "new to me" load.

muddober · 11-30-2008, 09:15 PM

That is a very respectable group and I am suprised that you did it with such light bullets. Most 270's do very well with 130-150. I am going to have to try your load in my gun. Thanks for sharing.

artabr · 11-30-2008, 10:11 PM

Welcome to the forum.
Great group! Consistency is the key to tight groups.

Art

Bindernut · 11-30-2008, 10:56 PM

That's a pretty nice group for the 90gr Sierra HPs in your .270.
I have used that bullet in the past in my dad's Rem700 .270 when I took it along as a backup on a prairie poodle hunt a few years back. if I remember, I was getting about 1.25"-1.5" groups at 100yds pushing the bullet with IMR4064. I never did a lot of tweaking on the load though since it was just a backup rifle.
Dad has used that load as coyote medicine a few times as well...it's not the hot ticket for hide hunting since it did a good job of peeling one dog darn near inside-out.

But dad's not in it for the hides anyway, he's just keeping the yotes away from the cattle.

Crpdeth · 12-01-2008, 05:22 AM

Nice and tight... Very impressive for your first loads!

Welcome to the forums SFW.

Crpdeth

SFW · 12-01-2008, 06:08 PM

Thanks guys. A few things that I forgot to mention...

My rifle is a Remington 700. It has always shot very consistantly. So the grouping was what I expected from the load. I don't think that light rounds are hard to get accurate, as my father-in-law drives tacks with his 22-250, shooting 55 grain loads. I was attempting to mimick some of the properties of the 22-250 with this load. (Although it's not helping with my desire for a 22-250 of my own...lol!)

Normally for deer, I go with a 130gn Hornday SST. I'm just exploring some new options for this gun.

Thanks for the welcome!

FJF0311 · 12-01-2008, 06:28 PM

Lemme know what you come up with for the 30-30. I am thinking of buying my boy a winchester 94. I wouldn't mind letting you do some of the "Leg work"
Thanks!

Bindernut · 12-02-2008, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFW

Thanks guys. A few things that I forgot to mention...

I don't think that light rounds are hard to get accurate, as my father-in-law drives tacks with his 22-250, shooting 55 grain loads.

I'm pretty sure what muddober was meaning by light bullets is more specifically light bullets for the bore size. 90gr is a very light bullet for .277 and it's real easy to overspeed them given the barrel twist rate. If you push them too fast, you can make em "grenade" (disintegrate) shortly after leaving the muzzle or just plain cause some instability that will make for poor groups downrange.

I don't have that particular loading journal anymore (lost it in a fire), but I was using a fairly mild loadfor the 90gr in my dad's .270. Just a grain or grain+half over the starting load. Anything faster and the groups really opened up in that rifle.

It is kinda neat to explore the range of bullets to see how versatile you can make one particular rifle.

muddober · 12-02-2008, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bindernut

I'm pretty sure what muddober was meaning by light bullets is more specifically light bullets for the bore size. 90gr is a very light bullet for .277 and it's real easy to overspeed them given the barrel twist rate. If you push them too fast, you can make em "grenade" (disintegrate) shortly after leaving the muzzle or just plain cause some instability that will make for poor groups downrange.

Bindernut is 100% correct in what I meant and I will embellish. In order to stabilize a heavy bullet it takes a faster rate of twist. As an example a 130 grain bullet leaving the muzzle at 3,000 fps with a 1 in 12 twist is spinning at 180,000 RPM. A 90 grain bullet shot from that same barrel at 3,600 fps is spinning 216,000 RPM which is why sometimes the bullet won't even make it to the target before it literally flies apart. A small diameter bullet is less likely to fly apart than a large caliber bullet (bore size) of equal RPM because the surface speed of the larger bullet is much faster than the smaller one spinning at the same RPM.

SFW · 12-03-2008, 11:21 AM

Ah... got ya. Sorry for the confusion.

11-30-2008, 07:28 PM	#1
SFW Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 7	First load results Hello all. I'm just getting into the world of reloading. I have an old RCBS setup that my father has passed on to me. I primarily will be using this setup for my .270 and my son's 30-30. My first "test" load was for my .270WIN. I wanted to be able to do some varmit hunting with the rifle, so I chose the Sierra 277 dia. 90 gr. HP Varminter bullet. I used 55 grains of H380 powder and CCI 200 primers. Loads were all hand weighed to make sure that they were as consistant as possible. Here are the results from the range" Eight rounds on the paper at 100 years (sighted 1.5 high to be on at 200 yards.) Seven of them can be covered with a US quarter. The eigth round was sent left when the guy shooting the 300 mag next to me fired as I was getting ready. So I jerked the round- not a fault of the ammo or load. I am quite please with my first attempt at a "new to me" load. -->

11-30-2008, 09:15 PM	#2
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: First load results That is a very respectable group and I am suprised that you did it with such light bullets. Most 270's do very well with 130-150. I am going to have to try your load in my gun. Thanks for sharing.

11-30-2008, 10:11 PM	#3
artabr Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Iberia, Louisiana Contributor Posts: 7,859	Re: First load results Welcome to the forum. Great group! Consistency is the key to tight groups. Art __________________ God and the soldier we like adore, In times of trouble, not before. When troubles ended and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier is slighted. Francis Quarles 1592 - 1644 __________________ When asked for my race, I answer CauCajun. Hope is not a plan, and not all change is good. The resistance is here; the resistance is now. RESIST! These hands are neither cold nor are they dead!!

11-30-2008, 10:56 PM	#4
Bindernut Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: ND, USA Posts: 2,453	Re: First load results That's a pretty nice group for the 90gr Sierra HPs in your .270. I have used that bullet in the past in my dad's Rem700 .270 when I took it along as a backup on a prairie poodle hunt a few years back. if I remember, I was getting about 1.25"-1.5" groups at 100yds pushing the bullet with IMR4064. I never did a lot of tweaking on the load though since it was just a backup rifle. Dad has used that load as coyote medicine a few times as well...it's not the hot ticket for hide hunting since it did a good job of peeling one dog darn near inside-out. But dad's not in it for the hides anyway, he's just keeping the yotes away from the cattle.

12-01-2008, 05:22 AM	#5
Crpdeth Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Location: Location Contributor Posts: 8,247	Re: First load results Nice and tight... Very impressive for your first loads! Welcome to the forums SFW. Crpdeth __________________ Our greatest pretenses are built up not to hide the evil and the ugly in us, but our emptiness. The hardest thing to hide is something that is not there. ~Eric Hoffer

12-01-2008, 06:08 PM	#6
SFW Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 7	Re: First load results Thanks guys. A few things that I forgot to mention... My rifle is a Remington 700. It has always shot very consistantly. So the grouping was what I expected from the load. I don't think that light rounds are hard to get accurate, as my father-in-law drives tacks with his 22-250, shooting 55 grain loads. I was attempting to mimick some of the properties of the 22-250 with this load. (Although it's not helping with my desire for a 22-250 of my own...lol!) Normally for deer, I go with a 130gn Hornday SST. I'm just exploring some new options for this gun. Thanks for the welcome!

12-01-2008, 06:28 PM	#7
FJF0311 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mt. Airy, MD Posts: 269	Re: First load results Lemme know what you come up with for the 30-30. I am thinking of buying my boy a winchester 94. I wouldn't mind letting you do some of the "Leg work" Thanks!

12-03-2008, 11:21 AM	#10
SFW Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 7	Re: First load results Ah... got ya. Sorry for the confusion.