The 270 Winchester is a great dual purpose cartridge it can be used for varmints sending a 100 gr. bullet out the muzzle at a sizzling 3,500 feet per second or it can be used as a big game cartridge sending 130 grain bullets out the muzzle at speeds of 3,100 feet per second with sufficient power out to the 400 yard mark for deer sized game plus using 150 grain bullets at 2900 feet per second it will flatten an elk out to about 250 yards.

 While much has been written about the 270 Winchester cartridge it truly is a great North American, Big Game Cartridge. My own personal favorite bullet weight is 130 grains as it does offer milder recoil with a lot of down range energy for almost any animal walking in the woods of North America.

 If you were looking to buy a new rifle just to hunt in North America and you were going to hunt white-tailed deer for the most part the 270 Winchester offers plenty of range and energy for that. If you were going to hunt elk and moose some of the time, well the 270 Winchester offers enough bullet weight and energy for that also.

 The 270 Winchester with the power it offers down range will recoil somewhat to the shooters shoulder with heavier bullets in the 150 grain range but is still tolerable to shoot. If the recoil bothers you to much just find a quality gunsmith in your area and have a recoil pad installed on your rifle.

270 Winchester Specifications:

270 Winchester Barrel Specifications:
Common Barrel Twist Rate - 1 in 10".
Bore Groove Diameter - .277".

270 Winchester Cartridge Specifications:
Bullet Diameter: .277 Inch.
Neck Diameter: .308 Inch.
Shoulder Diameter: .441 Inch.
Shoulder Angle: 17 Degrees.
Base Diameter: .470 Inch.
Rim Diameter: .473 Inch.
Case Body Length: 1.948 Inches.
Case Shoulder Length: .209 Inch.
Case Neck Length: .383 Inch.
Case Overall Length: 2.540 Inches.
Cartridge Overall Length: 3.340 Inches.

270 Winchester Reloading:
270 Winchester Reloading Specifications:
Bullet Diameter - .277".
Maximum Case Length - 2.540".
Trimmed Case Length - 2.530".
Primer Size - Large Rifle.
270 Winchester Loading Data Hints:
The 270 winchester responds well to IMR powders such as 4064, 4350 and 4831 ignited by remington 9 1/2 primers in almost all bullet weights.
(90-110 Grain Bullets) - Varmint. (130 Grain Bullets) - Deer.
(140 Grain Bullets) - Elk. (150-180 Grain Bullets) - Moose.
270 Winchester Reloading Data:
Hodgdon Reloading Data Center.

270 Winchester Reloading For Accuracy:
 Reloading for accuracy in the 270 Winchester is not all that difficult. I have written a nice little guide for rifle cartridge reloading that will solve any issues you may have reloading your empty 270 brass into fully loaded accurate rifle cartridges.
 Some of the most important issues when reloading for the 270 Winchester is case capacity as this is a variable in reloading not a constant. Just using brass from different manufacturers will show considerable variance in case capacity and when done wrong extreme jumps in chamber pressure will occur, so read well the part on case capacity and load density of powder.
AccuracyBrassPrimersPowderBulletsLoad TestingRun-Out

270 Winchester Accuracy:
270 Winchester Rifle Accuracy:
Most 270 Winchester rifles are more than capable of excellent accuracy when set up properly and shot from a benchrest. Usually the trigger on most factory produced rifles will need some adjustment to aid in rifle accuracy, of these the Winchester Model 70's are the easiest to adjust. To achieve maximum accuracy from your 270 Winchester Autoloading or Bolt Action rifle there are several other things you need to do that will increase your rifles overall accuracy capabilities.
 1. Properly mount your rifle scope.
 2. Properly break-in your rifle barrel.
 3. Properly sight-in your rifle.
 4. Use this free target designed for accurate sight-ins, follow the instructions.
 Note: If you follow all of the directions in the above guides that I have written, you will achieve the maximum accuracy that your 270 rifle pocesses. If you encounter a rifle that just doesn't group well despite your best efforts, try swapping out the scope as this is the most common fault of rifle accuracy issues.
 Note: I have never had an accuracy problem with any Leupold rifle scope.

270 Winchester Ballistics And Hunting Applications:
270 Winchester Ammunition:
 Ammunition manufacturers for the 270 Winchester cartridge have really begun to extract the full potential of Winchesters 270 in the last ten years or so bringing it up in performance, via, felt recoil reduction and flatter trajectories.

 Some of the top ammunition manufacturers such as Hornady, Remington and Winchester have accomplished this with special gun powders that change the time frame in rifle recoil to reduce perceived felt recoil.

 These same gun powders used in center-fire rifle ammunition manufacturing coupled with controlled expansion bullets with high ballistic coeffecients really flatten the trajectory curve of the 270.

 Below are several ballistics charts for 270 ammunition that categorize this ammunition to its practical use on various game animals for hunting and always remember the fastest way to reduce felt recoil in any rifle is to shoot a lighter weight bullet type ammunition.

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 270 Winchester cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Varmint and Predator Size Game: such as Bobcat, Cougar and Coyote. Deer Size Game: such as Antelope, Black Bear, Black-Tailed Deer, Hogs, Javelina, Mule Deer and White-Tailed Deer. Elk Size Game: such as Caribou, Elk and Sheep. Moose Size Game: such as Brown Bear, Grizzly Bear and Moose. 270 Winchester XP3 Factory Ammunition: Bullet Diameter: .277 Inches. Bullet Weight: 130 Grains. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .436. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 3,050 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 2,685 Foot Pounds.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 1.4	0	- 6.5	- 19.0	- 38.0	Inches
Bullet Energy	2311	1982	1691	1434	1209	Ft. Lbs.
Varmint	+	+	+	+	+	-
Deer	+	+	+	+	+	-
Elk	+	+	-	-	-	-
Moose	+	-	-	-	-	-

270 Winchester Ballistics For Moose Size Game:
The 270 Winchester chambering is more than capable of taking out moose and big bears. Here we are at the outer limits of the usefulness of the 270, for the most part you want to have some distance between you and a big bear. Having said that Winchesters 270 cartridge will work, but the best possible energy range for this round on these large game animals is right around a 100 yards with standard ammunition, so your shots will be up close and personal.

 The 270 Winchester will work at this range using only 130 grain bullets of the right bullet construction, myself I prefer a 150 grain loading. On a standing broadside shot the 150 grainer will fully penetrate this size animal and exit going through the ribs. It is my firm belief for these animals you need almost a ton of bullet energy to be effective for a clean kill.

 The winchester XP3 cartridges in 270 Winchester, 130 grain bullet weight, deliver 1,982 foot pounds of energy at 200 yards and 2,311 foot pounds of energy at 100 yards. The winchester XP3 cartridges in 270 Winchester, 130 grain bullet weight are rated by winchester for use on the following game animals: Antelope, White-Tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Caribou, Elk, Moose, Grizzly Bear and Brown Bear. Winchesters 270 cartridge is more than capable of taking all of the game animals that roam in North America.

270 Winchester Ballistics For Elk Size Game:
The 270 Winchester chambering is more than adequate for elk hunting in open and wooded elk country. The 270 is good for elk out to about 250 yards with most factory 130 grain ammunition, windy days or areas with a lot of wind to consider, a slightly heavier bullet weight of 140 grains may work better. While the handloader does have an advantage by tailoring his or her own loads, the selection of factory ammo is more than abundant for elk hunting for those who use factory ammo. The 270 Winchester has accounted for a lot of elk kills over the years and maybe has more so than any other rifle chambering out there.

 Jack O'Connor, who adopted the .270 as his favorite hunting round shot everything from javelina to moose with it. His experiences spanned 40 years, and O'Connor preferred the 130-grain bullet to heavier ones, even for elk. He truly understood the cartridge intimately and knew what he and it were capable of, the key here for elk hunting is keeping those shots at elk under 250 yards.

270 Winchester Ballistics For Deer Size Game:
The 270 Winchester chambering is an excellent choice for deer hunting. This cartridge has been written about by anybody and everybody that has ever picked up a deer rifle and probably some that haven't. This is a very good deer cartridge no doubt, so I would rather just get to the mechanics of this, while many writers talk of bullet weights and what not, the simple fact is this, their is no need in deer hunting with this cartridge to use a bullet weight heavier than 130 grains, which recoils to the shooters shoulder less.

 The selection of factory loaded 130 grain 270 Winchester rounds is endless just pick one that your rifle likes and stick with it. This is one of the few cartridge rounds that one bullet weight is rated for use on all of North America's game animals. The factory loaded 130 grain 270 Winchester ammunition offers excellent ballistics in open country and in the northern wooded area's as well, for all deer hunting.

 For the recoil sensitive 270 user, Remingtons 270 Winchester managed-recoil centerfire ammunition delivers deer hunting performance out to 200 yards with half the recoil as they use a specialized new bullet that provides 2x expansion with over 75% weight retention.

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 270 Winchester cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Deer Size Game: Antelope, Black Bear, Black-Tailed Deer, Hogs, Javelina, Mule Deer & White-Tailed Deer. 270 Winchester Remington Managed Recoil Factory Ammunition: Bullet Diameter: .277 Inches. Bullet Weight: 115 Grains. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .295. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 2,710 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 1,875 Foot Pounds.  Note: This loading requires a 150 yard zero, sight-in.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 1.0	-2.7	- 14.2	- 35.6	- 70.1	Inches
Bullet Energy	1485	1161	896	683	519	Ft. Lbs.
Deer	+	+	-	-	-	-

 As you might imagine the above Remington ammunition for the 270 Winchester recoils considerably less than the standard loading, so lets look at the ballistics of what the 270 Winchester cartridge is truly capable of when bullet and powders are used that are very specialized for distance and recoil reduction.

 Hornady's Superformance 270 Winchester ammunition is faster than conventional ammunition, and achieves this performance, without increases in felt recoil, muzzle blast, temperature sensitivity, fouling or loss of accuracy. Hornady's Superformance ammunition uses ultra progressive propellants, that impart all useable energy to the bullet while maintaining accuracy and still increasing velocity.

 The ballistics table below will show that the 130 grain, SST, 270 Winchester loading, will give extra range out 275 yards for moose size game, 350 yards on elk size game and beyond 500 yards for deer size game with excellent penetration.

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 270 Winchester cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Varmint and Predator Size Game: such as Bobcat, Cougar and Coyote. Deer Size Game: such as Antelope, Black Bear, Black-Tailed Deer, Hogs, Javelina, Mule Deer and White-Tailed Deer. Elk Size Game: such as Caribou, Elk and Sheep. Moose Size Game: such as Brown Bear, Grizzly Bear and Moose. 270 Winchester, Hornady SST Superformance Factory Ammunition: Bullet Diameter: .277 Inches. Bullet Weight: 130 Grains. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .460. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 3,200 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 2,965 Foot Pounds.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 1.2	0	- 5.7	- 16.7	- 33.7	Inches
Bullet Energy	2570	2228	1924	1653	1414	Ft. Lbs.
Varmint	+	+	+	+	+	-
Deer	+	+	+	+	+	-
Elk	+	+	+	-	-	-
Moose	+	+	-	-	-	-

270 Winchester Ballistics For Varmint Size Game:
The 270 Winchester was never intended to be a varmint cartridge, however with the excellent bullet selections today the 270 can get a good work-out through the summer months as well. Loaded with light-weight bullets the 270 can add a lot to the rifle hunters quest by simply calling in and shooting coyotes that just seem to be everywhere these days.

 The 270 Winchester offers a lot in the varminter arena for the simple fact on very heavy windy days when a smaller caliber bullet will move many feet in a cross-wind the .270 bullet offers enough more weight with good velocity to settle the shot down with way less wind drift to factor into the shot.

 Truly, Is there any better way to stay conditioned for deer hunting than to use the same 270 Winchester rifle year round as a varminter and then as a deer rifle when season opens. Learning how to dope the wind better varmint hunting just may help you tag out that trophy animal of a lifetime for the simple fact you used old betsy as a varmint rifle through the summer sharpening your shooting skills to make that once in a lifetime shot. The 270 Winchester can be used as a true dual purpose cartridge.

 The Hornady .277 diameter, 110 grain V-Max bullet performs quite well for varminting with the 270 Winchester, this load is quite accurate for me using IMR 4831 powder with 9 1/2 Remington primers for ignition.

This is a down range trajectory chart for the 270 Winchester cartridge with the scope mounted 1.5 inches above the bore center line and this loads effective hunting bullet energy range with well placed shots on the following wild game. Varmint & Predator Size Game: Bobcat, Cougar & Coyote. 270 Winchester Handload, Hornady V-Max Bullet: Bullet Diameter: .277 Inches. Bullet Weight: 110 Grains. Bullet Ballistic Coeffecient: .370. Bullet Muzzle Velocity: 3,300 Feet Per Second. Bullet Muzzle Energy: 2,659 Foot Pounds.
Range	100 yds.	200 yds.	300 yds.	400 yds.	500 yds.	+
Bullet Drop	+ 3.0	+ 3.8	0	- 9.2	- 25.1	Inches
Bullet Energy	2337	1874	1560	1289	1056	Ft. Lbs.
Varmint	+	+	+	+	+	-

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