.270 bullet and grain recommendations

[Hock3y24]

I have good luck with hornaday interlocks in 308, and 25.06. Switching from 12ga sst to the American whitetail interlock slug this year also.

[Doc]

So far, I have successfully used the 150 grain, .270, Winchester Powerpoints on deer. They do the job and group well at 100 yards. However when they are finally shot up, I will not be buying any Winchester ammo again because of a problem that I had with 2 boxes of them. Given that it took them a long time to respond, and it cost me an exorbitant amount of postage to send them to the factory (which was not reimbursed), I won't be doing Winchester ammo again. I don't like surprises when I open the box, and I have absolutely no tolerance for the sloppy quality control that let these visibly messed-up cartridges through to the consumer.

 

 

I now have a couple hundred bullets all built up that I believe will do the job, and probably better. I am having good results off the bench with these:

 

Hornady 150 grain SST bullets

50.4 grains of Hodgdon H4350 powder

Remington 9-1/2 primers

 

I have no doubt that these will do in a deer just fine, and probably over-achieve in terms of destructive power. If I were to do anything different, I might back off a little on powder and bullet size (maybe to 130 gr). There was some loss of meat that probably wasn't necessary. I will say that the two deer that I got with my .270 were not exactly challenging shots. One was at just under 100 yards and the other was at about 15 yards. I honestly believe that in the kind of woods that I hunt, anything over 100 yards is an unlikely shot opportunity. We do not have ag fields or long open areas where you can shoot long distances.

[ants]

I have always shot the plain Jane stuff. Winchester Power Points and mostly Remington core Lokt. They are both accurate, perform very well on deer and are inexpensive. About $20. Federal Fusions and Hornady inter locks (red white and blue box) are getting good reviews and their right around $20-$25. Any of these will work fine.

[Pygmy]

ALL available 130-150 grain bullets will do a good job on game..

From point blank to 300 yards, there isn't enough difference in factory loads, in terminal performance or trajectory, to quibble about.

Find the cheapest 130, 140, or 150 grain factory load that groups well in your rifle, sight it in 3" high at 100 yards and hold center ribcage on any deer or similar sized game out to 300 yards, and you'll have meat on the table.

[ATbuckhunter]

Cant go wrong with a Barnes 130 grain TTSX bullet. 

[Curmudgeon]

Cant go wrong with a Barnes 130 grain TTSX bullet. 

 

I'm with AT - I find the Barnes devastating, and absolutely lead-free - TSX or TTSX. There will be no eagles dead from eating the gut pile - unlike like this golden found just outside Cobleskill when the snow melted in the spring. I like Federal Trophy Copper also. My Dad uses Hornady GMX loads. 

 

I met a new foodie last week. About 35, female, relatively new hunter. She hunts with a .270 also, and lead-free ammo. Her boyfriend offered to drag her first deer but she refused. She had to do it herself. I have noticed that younger hunters - and especially foodies- are very aware of lead toxicity issues.

 

This death was confirmed as lead poisoning.

 

 

Edited July 18, 2015 by Curmudgeon

[Pygmy]

 All of my hunting loads ( except those for my M1 garand) feature Barnes TSX or TTSX bullets...

 

However it has nothing to do with eagles...

 

The damn things are deadly accurate in my rifles and they  kill as well as well as any other bullet I have used..They also nearly always exit, and I like an exit hole...Two holes are better than one.

[Mr VJP]

I have noticed that younger hunters - and especially foodies- are very aware of lead toxicity issues.

 

This death was confirmed as lead poisoning.

 

T of Seward Golden Winter 2015 (1).JPG

 

 

 

But was it confirmed as lead poisoning due to ingestion of a bullet used for deer hunting?

[Curmudgeon]

But was it confirmed as lead poisoning due to ingestion of a bullet used for deer hunting?

 

No, it could have a coyote carcass. It didn't get the lead from lead paint. Both eagles switch to scavenging as a primary feeding activity in the cold months.

 

Commercially ground vension showing lead (while spots) after being put through a CT scanner.

 

 

Anyone want to submit some samples for X-raying? I think I can get it done for free. PM me. I would be especially interested in commercially processed meat. Those who cut their own are usually much better about trimming the bad stuff out. Cutting out the bloody stuff doesn't preclude lead fragments. They can travel up to 14" from the entry hole.

 

Edited July 18, 2015 by Curmudgeon

[ants]

Many deer die from lead poisoning, every fall.

[Mr VJP]

No, it could have been a coyote carcass. It didn't get the lead from lead paint. Both eagles switch to scavenging as a primary feeding activity in the cold months.

 

Actually, it could have been from any unrecovered animal carcass that was killed by a gunshot, as any lead projectile used on an unrecovered rabbit, squirrel, grouse, turkey, fox, beaver, woodchuck, porcupine, etc., could be consumed by an eagle.  

 

What about lead in fish?  Could it have ingested some lead split shot swallowed by a fish it ate?

 

How long does it take for an eagle to die from lead poisoning after it ingests lead?

 

Seems to me, preventing bird deaths from lead would require a total ban on all lead for hunting and fishing, and then there may still be some other sources of lead in the environment that would still pose a threat to them anyway.

[Curmudgeon]

Actually, it could have been from any unrecovered animal carcass that was killed by a gunshot, as any lead projectile used on an unrecovered rabbit, squirrel, grouse, turkey, fox, beaver, woodchuck, porcupine, etc., could be consumed by an eagle.  

 

What about lead in fish?  Could it have ingested some lead split shot swallowed by a fish it ate?

 

How long does it take for an eagle to die from lead poisoning after it ingests lead?

 

Seems to me, preventing bird deaths from lead would require a total ban on all lead for hunting and fishing, and then there may still be some other sources of lead in the environment that would still pose a threat to them anyway.

 

VJP -

 

True, it could have been the carcass of another species. However, woodchuck is unlikely given the seasonality of golden eagle presence. Porky is unlikely for other reasons - though not impossible. Somewhere in my computer is a photo of a golden with quills in it. That case was written up in a scientific paper.

 

Goldens don't eat fish as a rule but balds do. Fish is an unlikely source in the case of the bird in the photo. As you probably know, you can no longer buy lead split shot in NY because of the poisoning of loons and other species that acquire grit on the bottom of water bodies.

 

The time it takes to die depends on the dose, which is also dependent on volume and surface area of the lead. Since almost every avian scavenger in the east is chronically exposed to lead, the current levels in its body could have an effect. Many lead fragments - such as are found in a gut pile from a deer killed with a high powered rifle - are more effective at poisoning than a single piece of equal mass. A good dose could impair a bird within in a day. They often die of secondary causes - primarily starvation - since they cannot function. Often when they are found alive, they are badly compromised neurologically and cannot be released. Two eastern goldens that were lead poisoned, rehabilitated, and released last year were tracked by telemetry. Neither survived long, even though they seemed well when released.

 

You are probably right that preventing all bird deaths from lead would require a ban. It is also true that preventing all eagle deaths from electrocution might require a ban on power poles. Stopping car collisions might require a ban on cars. I'm just being flip now but there is a lot that can be done to reduce car deaths - moving roadkills away from highways quickly gets the birds off the shoulder. To minimize electrocutions power poles are being redesigned and retrofitted. To reduce eagle deaths hunters can choose to hunt with bullets that were designed to be better bullets - copper bullets. Their lack of toxicity to birds and people was an unintended benefit. This is so unlike the change that took place for waterfowl hunting. Use lead at the range. Use the copper in the field. Simple and voluntary.

 

[Bowguy]

A guy in a gun shop by me had two Ducks. He feed them each day n put some lead shot in the food. They both lived over 8 years. More Eagles kill each other by far than prob most other man made things. I believe the lead poisoning thing is ridiculous. How many guys grew up chewing on lead split shot, certainly ingesting some.

[jim335]

All this talk reminds me of time back in my teens working at a local grocery store. One Sunday afternoon a guy walks into the store with a cooked beef roast still on the serving platter and marched right back to the meat counter complaining his roast was full of lead pellets! LOL  Boy was he ticked!  I guess it could happen.

[Curmudgeon]

All this talk reminds me of time back in my teens working at a local grocery store. One Sunday afternoon a guy walks into the store with a cooked beef roast still on the serving platter and marched right back to the meat counter complaining his roast was full of lead pellets! LOL  Boy was he ticked!  I guess it could happen.

 

How many guys have skinned deer to find bird shot in them?

 

[Curmudgeon]

A guy in a gun shop by me had two Ducks. He feed them each day n put some lead shot in the food. They both lived over 8 years. More Eagles kill each other by far than prob most other man made things. I believe the lead poisoning thing is ridiculous. How many guys grew up chewing on lead split shot, certainly ingesting some.

 

Bowguy -

 

If you expect us to believe that, have him write it up and send it to a peered reviewed journal.

 

This is some older raw data from DEC - no analysis, just numbers. Note the waterfowl numbers. I think if you click on it, it will get bigger. The geese were feeding on a skeet field picking up pellets as grit.

 

 

 

 

 

[DirtTime]

I always liked Rem 150gr. Shot well from a Rem 7400.

[Dinsdale]

ALL available 130-150 grain bullets will do a good job on game..

From point blank to 300 yards, there isn't enough difference in factory loads, in terminal performance or trajectory, to quibble about.

Find the cheapest 130, 140, or 150 grain factory load that groups well in your rifle, sight it in 3" high at 100 yards and hold center ribcage on any deer or similar sized game out to 300 yards, and you'll have meat on the table.

 

 

WTH kind of advice is this?

 

Next you'll be tellin' folks to own a lame ass 30-06 cause' you can hunt anything in NA with one.

 

Hmmmm.....Need to find me some Prvi Partizan 270 loads for like 12 bucks a box now to try out.

 

 

 

 

As to the lead in my deer meat?

 

I don't worry too much.....

 

 

I don't grind the head.

[Pygmy]

A guy in a gun shop by me had two Ducks. He feed them each day n put some lead shot in the food. They both lived over 8 years. More Eagles kill each other by far than prob most other man made things. I believe the lead poisoning thing is ridiculous. How many guys grew up chewing on lead split shot, certainly ingesting some.

Heck, I'm in my 60's, and I STILL bite my lead split shot...

That stuff doesn't affect me....affect me....affect me....affect me...

[Lawdwaz]

Heck, I'm in my 60's, and I STILL bite my lead split shot...

That stuff doesn't affect me....affect me....affect me....affect me...

 

Some day they'll do a study (yea, another study) and find that it stunts your growth.

 

 

[Curmudgeon]

 

 

I don't grind the head.

 

You shoot them in the head?

 

[mike rossi]

A guy in a gun shop by me had two Ducks. He feed them each day n put some lead shot in the food. They both lived over 8 years. More Eagles kill each other by far than prob most other man made things. I believe the lead poisoning thing is ridiculous. How many guys grew up chewing on lead split shot, certainly ingesting some.

 

I guarantee that is BS.  

[eagle rider]

Aren't the power shok Sierra Gameking bullets?

Federal is owned by ATK which also own Aliant Powder and Speer Bullets.  Everything they load is with these components.  Power Shocks use Speer HotCor bullets which are roughly the equivalent to Core Locks construction wise.  They probably are (Federal as a company), better manufacturers of commercially loaded ammo.  I wouldn't hesitate to use their products hands down over everyone else.  I load a lot, but when I shoot commercial / factory ammo I almost always use I use Federal Fusion almost exclusively.  

[JimMac]

probably the same study DEC is using for the Deer pop issue ..

 

37 yr study , 489 cases .. so thats a whopping 13.2 cases a year .

 

9000 people out of 10,000 got cancer , all the 9000 people ate carrots ...

dang them carrots are bad for you ...