270 WSM deer load (if anyone is interested)

[eagle rider]

Two years ago I posted about a 5 pointer I shot on our land.  He was 95 yds from my ladder to where I hit him.  He took about three or so steps and fell over.  The bullet (from my Weatherby 270 WSM) was a 130 gr Sierra Gameking on top of 70.1 grains of RS Mag powder and Win LRMP.  The round was just over 3150 FPS.  The shot was head on at the base of the throat (deer was walking uphill towards me).  I leveled the cross hairs and squeezed off the round.  The heart was jelly. There was no exit wound and no real meat damage which was great.  To my surprise the tough little Gameking completely disintegrated.  

 

Got me thinking....  I called the good Bulletsmiths at Sierra and talked it over with them.  They also had been hearing the 130 gr at over 3000 FPS in close wasn't holding up from other shooters, and hunters.  They put me in another direction and talked me into tying the 140 grain .270 Gameking Hollow Point.  The bullet is said to be of tougher construction.  So on their word I ordered up two boxes from Cheaper Than Dirt and loaded them up.  After the ensuing hoarding of components in January of this year I needed to change powders because RS was in short supply.  Calling my friends at Sierra again, they put me on to Winchester 780 Supreme which was locally available.  Its also a spherical magnum rated powder.  After four different formulations of powder charges were range tested, I can tell you that the new load is 66 grs of 780 Supreme between the WLRM primer and the 140 gr GKHP.  

 

The results on paper are awesome, and far better than I ever expected.  3 shot groups are averaging  .25", and two five shot groups we're .33" and .5".  The Supreme 780 is much cleaner than the RS Magnum is and the overall pressures are a shade under the RS powder.  The difference in MV is is only 85 FPS with lower pressure.  No big deal because we're stilling talking magnum velocities regardless.  

 

Now I know there's some that are saying this guy is hunting a stand with a setup like that in the Catskills at dropping deer at 35 Rem ranges with a 270 WSM.  Suffice it to say all but two of eight of our ladders offer a multitude of shots.  The deer we expected to filter in that night should have been coming through a lower pasture and been 250 yds out when first visible.  This buck cut through a thicket sideways between an upper and lower field (rare but it happens).  So I used a missile at slingshot range (no disrespect to the 35 Rem, love it in the thick cover). 

 

We also hunt Western Virginia ranch land.  The 270 WSM is perfect for the wide opened cattle pasture shooting we hunt deer across there.  It has become my go-to caliber / rifle combo for just about everything I hunt and everywhere I hunt.  

 

I'll let you know how it works out this November God willing.  Sorry for all the detail but I there's a few of you that might be interested.  ER

[d-bone20917]

I love my 270 WSM.  It's a Winchester Model 70 and it's all I've used since I bought it about 9 years ago.  I'm shooting 140 grain Accubonds over 59.5 grains of IMR 4350.  

[Pygmy]

Sounds like you have a winner there, Eagle...

 

We rifle loonies are always in interested  in reading  shooting/reloading details, even if they don't  involve a chambering that we happen to use ....

 

BTW...I've had similar results to yours with the Gamekings , except it was the 160 Grain  in my .280..They kill well, but tend to disintegrate at  magnum velocities.  They work better at slightly lower velocites..

 

Since I started using Barnes X, TSX and TTSX bullets for all of my hunting loads( except for my M1)  I no longer worry about bullets holding togather, even at magnum velocites.

[eagle rider]

Pygmy, the only thing thats held me away from Barnes or GMX Hornady's is the cost.  The monolithic metal designs are 100% the way to go.  I will likely bite the proverbial bullet (that was awful) for 30 cal this year because its pretty much all that's available.