Choose One: 130- Or 150-Gr. Bullets In The .270 Win.?

by
posted on April 24, 2014
Ammunition WInchester Hornady .270 Win. ballistic tip ammo cartridge boxes containers packaging

Having used various .270 Win.-chambered rifles since I was a teenager, I find myself intermittently switching between 130- and 150-gr. loads-for seemingly no rhyme or reason. Both have proven equally effective on game animals, and each offers benefits. For example, given the numerous advancements in projectile designs, after expansion a lightweight, controlled-expansion bullet will likely outweigh its heavier cup-and-core brethren. Depending on its frontal diameter, it could penetrate deeper, too. Do realize, however, that material "lost" during expansion serves to further disrupt vital organs, so reduced recovery weights aren't necessarily bad things. Given their higher muzzle velocities, 130-gr. bullets have traditionally yielded flatter trajectories as well. That being said, streamlined, 150-gr. bullets, such as Nosler’s 0.277”-diameter AccuBond Long Range (ABLR), which has a ballistic coefficient of .625, quickly reduce that “out-of-the-gate” edge; in fact, at the outer limits of realistic hunting distances, the difference in drop between the two is negligible, and the ABLR exhibits notably less wind deflection and delivers more energy on-target-ample reasoning for me to go with the heavyweight bullet, at least for now. A handloading recipe for the aforementioned bullet can be found in the upcoming June 2014 issue of American Rifleman in “Latest Loads.” What bullet do you use in your .270?

Latest

Precision Rimfire Christensen Arms
Precision Rimfire Christensen Arms

Review: Christensen Arms Modern Precision Rimfire Rifle

The Modern Precision Rimfire from Christensen Arms builds upon time-honored blueprints and is crafted from its maker's flash-forged carbon-fiber technology to create an accurate and fun-to-shoot repeating rifle.

New For 2025: H&K MR A4 Series

Building on its existing commercial line of MR556 and MR762 rifles, HK USA now offers A4 versions of both rifles, as well as large-format pistol variants.

Gun Of The Week: Smith & Wesson Model 1854

Welcome to another American Rifleman Gun Of The Week video, and this time we have a modernized American lever-action to take to the range. Meet the Smith & Wesson Model 1854.

New For 2025: Kimber 2K11

With its new 2K11, Kimber now has a dedicated design based on the 2011 concept that comes loaded with a number of added features.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 22, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

While the Browning .50-cal. M2 machine gun has been unequaled for more than a century, John Moses Browning’s genius design has had one significant 12.7 mm competitor: the Soviet DShK.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.