[Winchester]

I've got a few questions about ammunition choices....
I recently purchased a new model 70 win featherweight in 270win. I'm looking to find a factory round that is suitable for whitetail but can also be used for moose as well. Most of the animals I have taken have been at 100 yards or less however, I have recently found some places I like to sit where I could shoot out to 400 yards. I'm thinking of trying out the Hornady Superformance SST in 140gr because of it's flat trajectory and its downrange energy. Would this be a good choice? My other question is will a round such as this be effective at shorter ranges as well? One final question.... The "old timers" in my family, who have been hunting for years, have always made comments such as: "you won't kill anything with those pricked ended bullets." They have always used remington core-lokt round nose soft point bullets. They say that the bullets with "pointed tips" won't go through the brush like the round nose will. Is there any truth to this, or is this just an old fashioned way of thinking? The reason I ask is because like I said earlier, I take most my shots in fairly wooded areas inside 100 yards and that will most likely continue to be the case, so this is a factor for me as well. Any and all suggestions for an all around ammo that might work in this situation are welcome.
Thanks! Looking forward to your comments!

 

[WisconsinDeer]

For moose I would recommend a good strong bullet, and the heavier the better. Those SST's "might" not fit the bill for that. Something like a Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX (preferably) or most any bonded bullets. About the pointed spitzer style bullet not being able to shoot through brush....well that's true. NO bullet will make it through brush, whether it be a pointed, round or flat nose bullet.

 

[Karl.Luhr]

I agree with the post above...

For moose you really need a controlled expansion bullet. Remington core-locks were one of the first that made a good reputation for staying together on a tough animal. I would recommend that you look at Federal Premium line using Nosler Partitions. Another thing to consider is for Deer usually hunters will stay at 130 or 140 grains for a 270 bullet. If you are considering Moose with the same load go right to 150grain. The extra weight will aid in penatration. I also don't think that the old round nose bullets are the way to go, they may have aided in expansion with bullets flying at slow velocities. Your 270 is a modern round that deserves modern bullets.

Karl

 

[Hunting Man]

all the above! This is one case where I would have given the 30-06 the nod over the 270 win just to shoot the 165-180 gr bullets on moose. However, he has the 270 and I would shoot the 150 gr also.

 

[BruceBruce1959]

all the above! This is one case where I would have given the 30-06 the nod over the 270 win just to shoot the 165-180 gr bullets on moose. However, he has the 270 and I would shoot the 150 gr also.

I also agree but I wouldn't attempt using the .270 with 150gr bullets for any long range shots out to 400 yards.
For Moose, You're probably okay out to approx. 150 yards with the .270 but I'd never consider any shots further than the 150 yard range....

 

[Winchester]

Thanks for all the info! Sounds like I may need to consider using two separate rounds..... One for Deer season and one for moose season. Since I don't reload, it appears that choices for 150gr factory ammo in 270 win are fairly limited. That being the case, I'd still like to be able to find a good factory round for whitetail that is reliable at short ranges, but that I can still be confident with if a three or four hundred yard shot presents itself. Any suggestions? I know I'll have to see what shoots best in my gun, but maybe just some suggestions on where to start, from some of your own experiences?
130gr or 140gr? I think I'll save the 150's for Moose season. I'd like try the Hornady superformance SST. Anyone have any experience with them?
Thanks!

 

[Hunting Man]

I just purchased 2 boxes of those sst's in 150 gr for my win 88 in 308 and haven't shot them yet, box says additional 200 fps without increase in pressure. For your 270 either 130 or 140 gr will work for deer. I'd get a box in each and see which one it likes.

 

[Hunting Man]

I'm going to disagree a bit about the 150 gr in 270, I took my Rem 700 Mountain rifle in 270 win loaded with 150 gr as a back up rifle out west for elk and sighted it in at 200 yds and wouldn't have hesitated on shooting 300 yds. BB, why the low yardage for the 150 gr? Heck a 30-30 win will shoot a 170 gr that far. I'd shoot my Weatherby 270 mag out to 400 yds in 150 gr, I know its a WM but. I have some Rem 270 win loaded with 140 gr swift-A-frames wouldn't hesitate to shoot out to 400 yds with really good optics. Son shoots 130 gr with it for PA deer hunting. That's another point I try to steer people to, purchase the best optics you can afford, you won't ever look back and say why.

 

[BruceBruce1959]

no, no, no, I guess I didn't explain myself well enough, I only meant avoiding long range shots for Moose using the .270 with 150gr loads,
I don't think any ammo manufacturer recommends any .270 loads for moose hunting,
Personally, I would use a .270 with 150gr, loads for moose but only for close range shots.
But yes a .270 will absolutely handle 400 yard shots accurately all day long...

 

[Hunting Man]

got you, I knew I was missing something there, most likely sleep. :wacko:

 

[Karl.Luhr]

Pick your shot using a 270 Win on Moose

I think you are making a smart move seperating your load requirements for Deer and Moose. Your 270 may not produce great accuracy with the 150gr loads. If you are limiting yourself to less then 150 yards a group of 1.5 inches or even 2 inches would be fine for Moose. Your target is huge, just take your time. I would also recommend that you pick a heart/lung shot initially and not ask your bullet to break the front shoulder. You may have to shoot it again in the shoulder to anchor it before it gets to water.
I have not shot a Moose but it is 2 to 4 times the size of the Elk that I shot and the bullet had to work to penetrate the Elk's shoulder.

Karl

 

[Guest]

I think you are making a smart move seperating your load requirements for Deer and Moose. Your 270 may not produce great accuracy with the 150gr loads. If you are limiting yourself to less then 150 yards a group of 1.5 inches or even 2 inches would be fine for Moose. Your target is huge, just take your time. I would also recommend that you pick a heart/lung shot initially and not ask your bullet to break the front shoulder. You may have to shoot it again in the shoulder to anchor it before it gets to water.
I have not shot a Moose but it is 2 to 4 times the size of the Elk that I shot and the bullet had to work to penetrate the Elk's shoulder.

Karl

moose are one tough animal. brucebruce is right. the 270 is really too light for a huge tough animal like a moose but it will kill it if one maximises the energy of a lighter round like the 270. meaning shorter ranges.

 

[Winchester]

There's a lot of helpful info here. Thanks to everyone who chimed in. I'm going to buy a few different 150gr rounds to try out in the event that I draw a moose tag. In the meantime I think I will set the gun up for whitetail. I'm going to try out the 140's. On paper they appear to have a flatter long range trajectory than the 150's. I was also reading up on the 130's and there seems to be a lot of reports of greater meat damage with them. Alot of people seem to believe that when a bullet reaches the 3000 FPS + mark it can make a mess in comparison to a lower velocity / heavier bullet. Not sure about any of this really. I can't imagine that there would be a "great" loss of meat with a properly placed shot, but then maybe that was the problem and not the bullet? Either way, I figure the 140gr is right in the middle and would be a good place to start. Oh yeah....... One more question...... Is it possible to get any higher than 150gr bullets if you reload, or is 150gr as big as it gets for the 270?
Thanks again for all the info guys!

 

[WisconsinDeer]

Nosler makes 160 grain Partitions, and Woodleigh makes 180 grain "Protected Point" bullets. The thing that I don't like about the Partitions, is that sometimes the front half of the bullet basically "blows up", which then limits your penetration.

Nosler Partition Bullets 270 Caliber (277 Diameter) 160 Grain Semi-Spitzer Box of 50 - MidwayUSA

Woodleigh Bullets 270 Winchester (277 Diameter) 180 Grain Protected Point Box of 50 - MidwayUSA

 

[Karl.Luhr]

Twist rates for standard loads

Your 270's optimum bullet weight for accuracy is going to be either 130 or 140grains according to the books. Some 270s will still shoot decent with 150s as you go heavier then 150gr all bets are off. There is a formula that I don't have memorized but it takes into account bore dia, bullet wt, and velocity to calculate the ideal twist rate for a round. One of the guys I Elk hunted with wanted to take his 270Win and ordered special 180gr bullets for it. He was unable to get them to group with a darn in his rifle, yours may perform better. I compare it to asking my 30-06 to group with 220gr bullets, I wouldn't have very high expectations.

Karl

 

[guppy11]

heavier bullets are longer and won't stabilize if the barrel twist rate isn't fast enough. So it all depends on your barrel as to how accurate a heavy bullet will be. all that aside, the talk of a larger bullet for larger game is B.S. Each cartridge will launch a certain grain bullet at a certain speed and creating a certain amount of energy. This energy, measured in ft/lbs, combined with how well a bullet is constructed is what is important. A well accepted standard is 1000 ft/lbs for deer and 1500 ft/lbs elk. (I will tell you though a good lung shot placement needs a lot less ft/lbs than this standard) Pointed bullets retain energy further down range than round or flat nosed bullets. An average 140gr 270 Win. load will produce 1500ft/lbs at 300yds and 1100 at 500yds. The average 150gr load produces almost identical numbers. Why? The heavier bullet is moving slower. The difference is the 140 drops 1/2 inch less at 300yds and 5 inches less at 500 yds. BUT, a light constructed bullet like the SST of Nosler ballistic tip will NEVER penetrated the shoulder of a moose(it's not designed too) you will need a tough bullet such as a Partition, x-bullet etc to do this. Even if you don't reload, buy a reloading manual and learn about ballistics. This way when your buddy tells you his 7mag is dead on at 100yds and drops only an inch at 400 you can tell him hes a big fat liar! LOL:wink:

 

[rdrader2002]

"I was also reading up on the 130's and there seems to be a lot of reports of greater meat damage with them. Alot of people seem to believe that when a bullet reaches the 3000 FPS + mark it can make a mess in comparison to a lower velocity / heavier bullet. Not sure about any of this really. I can't imagine that there would be a "great" loss of meat with a properly placed shot, but then maybe that was the problem and not the bullet? "

I used a Remington Core-Lokt .300 Savage 150 grain on the first doe I shot this year. It came out of the brush no more that 40 yards in front of me as I was in the process of departing my open blind. One shot to the ribcage and the bullet went straight through taking out both lungs leaving all the meat untouched. It ran maybe 40-50 yards before dropping.

Second doe taken a couple weeks later was with Remington Core-Lokt 6mm Remington 100 grain. Again, one shot to the ribcage, but this time the bullet caught one of the ribs going in, coming out the other side sideways after tearing through the liver and a couple other vitals. This one ran 60-70 yards before finally dropping.

.300Savage leaves the barrel at ~ 2600 fps with ~ 1850 ft-lbs of energy at 100 yards while the little 6mm Remington leaves the barrel at ~ 3100 fps with ~ 1780 ft-lbs of energy at the same 100 yards. The lighter/faster bullet is far more prone to ricochet off of anything it hits (whether brush/branch/leaves/etc. in between or ribs at the end) over something a little heavier/slower. Yes, there are two different calibers in use here, not comparing the same caliber just two different weighted bullets. I used this as an example of what can happen.

Bottom line is that you just have to get out there yourself to find the results that you're looking for. Oh, there are plenty of folks in here that have far more experience in these types of things than I do. They've probably forgotten more about bullets/ballistics than I'll ever learn and this is a great spot for gleaning information like this from them. For the most part, Remington Core-Lokt (for me) have proven pretty hard to beat for the vast majority of the rifles/calibers that I have. I just know what works pretty darned well for the range and terrain conditions that I hunt in. It's not much(15 acres), but it's what I call home.

And oh, BTW, shot placement also plays a lot into losing meat or not as you suspected. Putting the round through the ribcage leaves all the meat undamaged. The deer may run, but it ain't going to run very far. Can't run if you can't breathe. Other folks may say different things about shot placement, but again, I know what works best for me.

Best of luck with your new rifle and hope that we've been a help instead of a hindrance here.

 

[Hunting Man]

Those that shoot through the shoulders to drop them on the spot waste 20% :yucky: of the meat,when a high lung shot behind the shoulder catches both lungs, almost no meat loss and a deer that goes no where. :yes:

 

[WisconsinDeer]

When it comes to deer, when you aim high shoulder you can expect that deer to fall in its tracks. I think its kind of foolish not to aim high shoulder.

 

[spiker]

X2 with HM &WISCONSIN THATS GOOD ADVICE