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  1. #1
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    Default help with .270 reloading

    i'm kind of stuck on what to do next with my .270 reloading. I am loading for a remington sps .270. I'm shooting hornady SST boattails. I've tried both 130 and 140. for powder i've tried both IMR4350 and H4831sc.

    i can not seem to get a group closer then 2 inches at 100yds.

    I can shooting factory corelocks at around 1inch at 100yds.

    I don't have the data with me. but i took the max load in the hornady book and backed down .5 grams x5. so if it was 62 i did, 62, 61.5, 61, 60.5, 60. for each powder (with their proper max charge).

    not sure what to do next, help?!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: help with .270 reloading

    You did it bass-ackwards.. Start at the minimum and work your way up.

    Many guns do not like near-max pressures and velocities. H&R/NEF guns are one of them. You get wider groups with them and near max loads.

    Factory loads are generally nowhere near the max loads due to liability and unknown factors like what quality of gun the ammo is going to be shot through.

    Since you can get 1" groups with factory loads, I wont advise you to inspect the scope, mounts, and muzzle/crown first. ..but you really should load from the bottom of the charts first, then work your way up until groups start opening up, then back it down to the last "best" group.
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  3. #3
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    Default Re: help with .270 reloading

    Quote Originally Posted by knight0334 View Post
    You did it bass-ackwards.. Start at the minimum and work your way up.

    Many guns do not like near-max pressures and velocities. H&R/NEF guns are one of them. You get wider groups with them and near max loads.

    Factory loads are generally nowhere near the max loads due to liability and unknown factors like what quality of gun the ammo is going to be shot through.

    Since you can get 1" groups with factory loads, I wont advise you to inspect the scope, mounts, and muzzle/crown first. ..but you really should load from the bottom of the charts first, then work your way up until groups start opening up, then back it down to the last "best" group.
    Yes, Knight has it right. You start at a lower charger and work your way up. Be sure your COL is correct for the gun also. You want to be sure the bullet is sitting just off the lands of the barrel. I like those Hornady 140 grain projectiles!

  4. #4
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    Default Re: help with .270 reloading

    Reloading books like the Lyman #49 have loads highlighted that are usually accurate loads in their data. I agree start low and work your way up. I would also try different bullets. You may find a certain bullet works best in your gun.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: help with .270 reloading

    Well if the rifle will shoot Rem factory loads into an inch your rifle has the ability to shoot good . maybe it just dont like that Bullet. Try a different one or even a different brand. I had a Rem 7 in 308 and it just would not shoot any hornady hunting bullet worth a hoot. Tried Speers and it went sub moa.You can also try different powder and primer combos of what you have if your dead set on using those SST's . But first I would do as the others stated start at the minimum load and work up to what you already tried.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: help with .270 reloading

    How do the groups look? Any stringing horizontal? Have you measured your chamber to seat the bullets just off the lands? http://forum.pafoa.org/ammunition-re...ding-jump.html
    Also have good results with Sierra bullets.
    It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: help with .270 reloading

    On most rifles I've loaded for accuracy Sierras and Noslers have most often been the most accurate. Keep trying different bullets.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: help with .270 reloading

    The first thing I want to ask is are you actually working with grams or grains? There's a huge difference between the two in terms of measurement. I'm guessing that you backed off .5 grains, because backing off 1/2 a gram would be something like 7.5 grains, and then you'd be spreading out your loads 7.5 grains. That's a huge difference, so I just wanted clarification.

    I'm not trying to be a jerk, but you need to start reloading CORRECTLY. The way you're going about working up loads can get you or someone else hurt or killed. If you get the measurements a bit off at or around max loads, the pressure can change pretty significantly. Some powders are much more sensitive to temperature than others, and the load that was safe or fine on a 50-60 degree day, may be WAY overpressure on a hot day in the 90's or hotter. You seriously need to stop doing what you've been doing, and DO IT RIGHT. I'm telling you this to try to save a LOT of problems. Even if you're not hurt or killed, it's pretty easy to KABOOM! a perfectly good rifle. It won't be covered under any warranty, and you'll be out a rifle, and probably a scope; that's IF you get lucky and don't get seriously injured. Work up from the bottom, seriously.

    There's quite a few other problems with the methodology that you're using to find your load. It sounds like you're trying to do what we refer to as a "ladder test" or an "Optimum Charge Weight" test. It's definitely a good way to work up a load, but from what you've said, we're still not sure if you're doing it properly. One of the first glaring problems with your method is the increments that you're using. .5 grains is just getting to be a bit too much. With different powders, you can get away with larger or smaller increments, but it's generally excepted that for finding some consistent 1 moa or less accuracy, .5 grains is just way too much of a spread. Honestly, I wouldn't advise using much over about .3 grain increments. With the slow burning powders that you're using, there's no way that you're going to get away with much larger increments than that. Just .1 or .2 grains can have a pretty significant effect with the slow burning powders (which you're using). I realize that it's more loads, powder, bullets, etc. than you may want to spend, but that's what it's going to take to do it right. You're going to have to use .3 grain increments. The other thing that is important in the type of tests that we're talking about is the distance that you're doing the test at. You can't just do these tests at 100 yards, most people recommend 300 yards or further. It's one of the only ways that you'll get enough vertical dispersion to actually find the node of the barrel.

    Another thing that is important to consider is the rate at which you're firing the shots, and you need a way to account for the standard deviation of the shooter, fatigue, etc. Basically, if you're doing the test to the highest standards that it can be done, you don't just sit down and shoot several rounds of the same charge weight. You shoot one of a particular charge weight, go down to the target and mark it. You go back, load a round of a different charge weight, hold same point of aim without adjusting your turrets, and fire that round. You then go down to the target and mark it a different way so that you can differentiate it from the others. Then you go back to the rifle and shoot your next charge weight, mark it differently, etc. Basically you should fire one of every charge weight, then start back at the top or bottom and work your way the other direction. What this does is help eliminate certain phenomenon that you see related to shooter error. Sometimes as a shooter gets fatigued, or recoil sensitive, the groups will open up with later loads in the test simply because of the shooter; NOT because of differences in the loads.

    Yes, it's a very painstaking and time consumer way to run the test. It's still the best way to run the test so that you have to do it once and only once. Keep track of your results, and what is close to nodes so that you can identify the edges of the node, or a second node. You can then make the increments even smaller if necessary, so that you can really find the sweet spot of the node, the center, which will give you a bit more wiggle room for temperature differences, slight misthrows of your powder, etc. As long as it's within that node charge weight, it'll still shoot in the group and close to the same velocity. It's probably not what you want to hear, but that's how it's done RIGHT. If you're doing it at other distances, not waiting in between shots and marking, shooting loads of the same charge weight, etc; you're just not going to always get consistent and accurate results from the test. Best of luck to you, and be safe, start from the bottom man.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: help with .270 reloading

    +1 on what Tomcat said. Also what is the twist of the barrel? If you try to push too short or too long a bullet accuracy could go out all the way to keyhole the bullet. Try another bullet like Sierra. The 270 is normally a very accurate round. I also recommend trying other medium powders like H414. I loaded some for a neighbor with Sierra bullets in his Savage and it shot great.

    Before you give up on any powder, have some one else shoot your rifle. If they better results - it could be you.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: help with .270 reloading

    A few comments.

    For a big game rifle, I start with a seating depth that will fit in my magazine. Ammo must fit the magazine so I don't worry about 'off the lands'. No sense turning a repeater into a single shot because your ammo doesn't fit.

    Once I set the overall length, I will 'smoke' a bullet to check that it's not hitting the lands.

    I generally start 1 grain above starting load and jump 0.5 grain at a time. I load 3 shots of each load and shoot them. I take the smallest group and load more of that charge, plus the ones above and below and add 2 more loads by splitting the difference between my most accurate and the ones above and below.

    Say 53 grains is best, I load 52.5, 52.7 53, 53.3 and 53.5 and test again.

    I have found that best accuracy is often around 2/3 of the way between low and hi charges. (44-50 grains, best at 48 for example). But not always, I have a Tikka in 7mm-08 that just gets better the more IMR 4320 I stuff in it. I'm over Lymans current max but 0.3 grains under an old Sierra manual and things are fine.

    If groups show 2 shots together and one out, try seating deeper (quarter turn on the seating stem for each group), they should tighten up.

    I just finished working up a load with 140 Hornady BTSP and Reloder 17, it's shooting just a touch over 1 inch average.

    Dale

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