.270 WSM owners only need to apply please

[Buzzsaw]

This goes to all .270WSM owners only. I don't want to start a "which one is better" S.S. Please give me your experiences with this caliber, accuracy, recoil, load data, most of all any regrets going with the .270WSM
Thanks

 

[Hawkeye2005]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

I have one in Browning X-Bolt, light weight little package that will smoke antelope with ease. Using 130gr Accubond with IMR4350, recoil depends on the shooter, can be a little stout but tolerable. Just loaded some test loads of 90gr Sierra HPBT with Varget for some coyote hunting. Hoping they will be whistling. My father has the same rifle and had a Vias muzzle break put on it and is now a kitten, like shooting a 308. I tend not to regret calibers, I have regretted rifles. If you are looking for versatility the 7WSM or 300WSM is probably a better choice, if you're looking for a deer/antelope package it is great.

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

It's a great caliber. 270 bullets pack a heavy punch for big game, launched at magnum speeds this cartridge is also very flat shooting. It packs one heck of a lot of recoil in a sporter weight rifle but compare it to a rifle of equal weight and it will feel like it was chambered in a magnum caliber. Obviously it fits in a short action. We only ever used ours for hunting deer and with Hornady 140grn SST Bullets, it creates the right sized wound channel to put a deer down nice and fast. Poor thing didn't take a step after being shot, just crumpled to the ground where it stood. The maximum point blank range is pretty good on it too so you really don't need to make many adjustments in the field when hunting. I'm sure it'd be a great target gun too, but I'm unsure how many 270 cal. match bullets there are out there...

At 100 yards we were hitting the 3" shoot n' see targets pretty easily. This was out of my dad's Borwning A-Bolt, my personal rifle was a 300 WSM and they performed identically, although mine was usually shooting 175 SMK's and not hunting specific bullets. The recoil is a killer though, make sure to invest in a quality recoil pad and DO NOT get a scope with short eye relief. I couldn't shoot more than 20 rounds per range session honestly, anything beyond that got sloppy. If you aren't up for the recoil it will also take away from your accuracy as a shooter. The magnums induce alot of flinch into shooters. That's why investing in a good muzzle break would also be a very valuable tool to have.

My next 308 will transform into a 300 WSM but with a muzzle break and a heavy barrel this time. A light weight rifle and a magnum cartridge just don't have any use for me personally.

I don't remember his load data but if you wish, I will look it up for you.

Hope this helps but your mileage may vary...

-Dylan

 

[longshooter70]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

I've had two. Browning A Bolt and Tikka T3. Recoil was not bad, accuracy was great. I loaded the Barnes 110gr TSX over RL 19. It was a laser. My biggest complaint was the lack of selection of bullets. If you don't reload, they can get pretty expensive. Good luck...

 

[bjordan]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

I have a 700 bdl in 270wsm, and love it for a hunting gun. It packs a punch and is very versitile and easy to load for. Mine shoots about anything under 1 moa. I deer hunted with 110 accubonds over RL-19 running 3515 fps this year with very good results. I've shot 130 and 140 bergers, 135 smk's, 110, 130, and 140 accubonds, 130 and 140 nosler ballistic silver tips, 110 v-max's, and 130 SST's and they all shoot good with lots of powders. H4831sc, H4831, H4350, RL19, and RL22 all work good for me. I'm wanting to rebarrel it with a heavy barrel and try and use it more as a traget gun. I've shot mine out to 500 yards with great results and constantly under 1moa. The recoil is pretty hard but manageable, but recoil doesn't bother me,if you're sensitive to recoil it may not be for you. I've shot mine 60 times at one range session with no issues. If you don't reload it will get real expensive if you shoot alot. Good Luck with your decision.

 

[slg888]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

Had/sold a 270wsm built off a Stiller action/lilja barrel. Took a few different powder/loads to find it's potential, but H4350 seemed to be what it liked.

Was not impressed with the Stiller action & sold it.

 

[former naval person]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

As they say...watch your nose. It is a REAL magnum. JMHO

 

[hoosierswat]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

Great round, I've use my .270 WSM in a Kimber on Elk & Deer. As others have stated, when it goes off it will get your attention. A 140 grain bullet traveling 3200 feet per second is works well with deer size game. Many guys used them on Elk with great success.

 

[WDL]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

My Winchester 70 270 WSM easily nailed an antelope at 318 yards. And that is what I bought it for. The only limitation is bullet selection if you are looking for match bullets.

Due to a lifestyle change for me (I'm now retired and living in a motorhome), big game hunting has gotten difficult. So I am considering selling it or converting it to 7 WSM with a long barrel and a 9 twist for shooting steel out to 1000 yards or so.

 

[Buzzsaw]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

If i get the .270WSM, I may need a Vais brake added. Have one on my 7mmWSM heavy gun and can shoot a 60 round match fairly easy.

Not a big fan of the recoil.

 

[AIS]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

Had GAP build me a 270 wsm, Rem action, sendero barrel, mcm htg stock. Now this gun is not light but not heavy either. Recoil is very manageable and shoots, well shoots very well. Had it built cause lots of 7wsm were out there and have a 300 rsaum and wanted a differant gun. well flat shooting and not near the recoil as the 300 rsaum. for hunting dont see how a guy can go wrong, not for comps there may be some better rounds because of bullet selection but this thing will do anything anyone in the lower 49 states needs to get done.

 

[threetrees]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

flat trajectory, lots of energy.

for me, less recoil than the 270 (probably because my rifle is a bit heavier than the one in 270).

nice for hunting, especially in the mountains. can do everything you may encounter on a good day. depending on your target, use softer/harder bullets (ballistic tip / accubond - both with decent bc/weight)

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

Well, I'm not the owner, but my brother is. To his credit so far: an elk, an antelope, and a bighorn sheep. All taken in Nevada. Closest shot was 265 yds. That was the sheep, ...on a pretty good incline, I might add. Anyhow, he took 'em all down no problem with the .270 WSM. 2 shots on the elk I believe, though. He hit him in the chest and finished him off with one in the neck when he went down. Which was pretty much right away.

This last fall we were shooting some more loads I made up for him consisting of 66 gr. of H1000 behind a 140 gr. Nosler BT. It was hitting about MOA @ 800 yds. Bullet selection may be thin for target work, but there is no shortage of good high BC hunting bullets in this caliber. That also pertains to loaded ammo off the shelf. There is a quantifiable abundance of premium rounds for this caliber on the shelves. You may pay a bunch for it, but the same kind of quality costs just as much in every other cartridge of equal quality.

 

[threetrees]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

140gr accubond works really fine for me (-> federal ammo)
150gr ballistic tip ... no experience on deer; didn't shot as well either.

recoil is fine. with a bit heavier rifle (mauser) i like my wsm more than the 270 from a steyr (lighter rifle, therefore seems to show more recoil).

accuracy: about 2cm @ 100m

bullet drop make is ideal for hunting in our mountain area with notably larger distances than friends usually have in germany (for some of them 100m seems to be far, for us 200m is usual for mountain deer and chamois)

on comments from above: 7mm wsm is almost impossible to get here
-> 300 wsm might be an alternative, but the last time i saw one with a rather light-weight 300wsm, the rifle really did some kicking, while i can shoot my 270 wsm without problems over an extended amount of time.

could not have gone any better and really appreciate the recommendation from my local gunsmith.

 

[USW.260]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

Absolutly one of my Favorite Cartridges. I love reloading for it. 130gr flatbase spitsers with a medium load of RL-22 made my little remington sporter into a handy as hell tact driver perfect for the deer woods and coyotes as well. Something about that rifle and load was just perfect. Recoil was nothing...for me. Hmmm I want to get mine out and play with it!! Also Berger has the 150vld .270 hunting bullets. I would like to build out the little remington and see what it will do with this bullet.

 

[pyplynr]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

I had one on a Savage action and sporter barrel. It shot very well with factory Winchester silvertip ammo. But as stated above, the recoil was pretty sharp. I used it for deer hunting before I was smart enough to know I could use a 243 or similar to make those same long 300 yard hunting shots. Lol

 

[nortac]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

I have a Sako 270 WSM Finnlight. My pet load is using 140 Sierra Game Kings loaded with IMR 7828 at 68.0 grains. Runs close to 3200fps and is a nail driver. This gun is exceptionally accurate but kicks like a mull. It has more violent recoil than my 7 mag or my 300 mag. It is my go to gun for most of my hunting. Out of the WSM family I think the 270WSM has the most improvement over the standard round.

 

[Raven34]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

Just picked up a Remington SPS .270 wsm. 24 inch barrel with a 1 in 10 twist. Rifle shoots really well. Just got done doing some test loads for it and found that it really likes 63.5 grains of reloader 19 with a 130 grain burger vld bullet. In the spring im going to work up a load for the nosler accubonds. The recoil is manageable and its just an all around great caliber for deer hunting in my opinion.

 

[jhopkins]

Re: .270 WSM owners only need to apply please

I really liked mine for hunting, I sold it and looking to rebarrel my Tikka 270win to wsm. My Remington really liked 130nbt's with H4831sc and IMR4350.