Bullet Weight Retention and Performance .270

Originally Posted by BRICKBURN

I thought I would share some of my experience with my bullets from the great African hunting trip.
I used my .270 winchester on all the plains game I hunted in Pongola Kwazulu Natal at Leeukop Safaris.
I hunted Impala, Kudu, Nyala, Bushbuck and Common Reedbuck using the .270.
With the suggestion of my experienced friend's that had been to Africa telling me to get high end bullets and having the same reiterated on AH and also by my PH adding use heavy for caliber bullets I would go ahead and take the .270 along to South Africa and hunt plains game with it.

I reloaded with two refined recipes (test shots, etc.:
Number 1:
Bullet: 130 grain Barnes Tipped TSX BT
Powder: H4350 54 grains
Casing: Remington
Primer: CCI

I got under 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards without much effort.

Number 2:
Bullet: 150 grain Barnes MRX BT
Powder: RL19 55 grains
Casing: Remington
Primer: CCI

I got 1 inch groups at 100 yards with this one.

It turned out that I only used the 130 grain bullets on everything.
I'll wait to use the 150's on some Elk and Deer here at home.



Cover and bullet deflection:
At HOME we NEVER shoot through cover: grass, sticks, branches, etc.
In Africa it was the norm that something would be in the way. Grass or branches of something.
These bullets deflected somewhat when they hit brush. The soft points are a guaranteed miss if this happens at home.
The entrance holes on the Impala, Kudu (two deflections still hit him), Nyala and Bushbuck were huge. It was obvious that the bullets had expanded on the way to the animals after hitting some cover and still performed and stayed on course.
At long range this would not have turned out so well I think.
When a bullet did not strike cover they left a tiny caliber size hole and still did not do a pass through.
Accuracy was excellent.

Performance:
Impala dropped in his tracks.
Kudu, when a bullet finally made it to the boiler room he moved off a few yards and dropped.
Nyala, dropped in his tracks.
Bushbuck, dropped in his tracks
Common Reedbuck, moved away 20 yards and dropped with a peripheral lung shot.

None of the bullets passed through the animals. The skinners and butchers were just not able to find the other bullets.

Weight Retention:
Here is the picture of two bullets that were retrieved from animals I harvested at Leeukop.
One is from the Impala and the other from the Common Reedbuck.


These two bullets hit bone and heavy muscle before they came to rest and nearly traveled the length of the animal.
93.9 % and 99.4% weight retention. Both animals were taken under 100 yards. Now the typical soft point bullets we use at home explode on impact at that range. There is usually a very flat mushroom recovered, if at all, even when rib shots are taken.

Anyway, if you are concerned about dragging your .270 along to hunt plains game. Load some good bullets and go hunting. Good Luck.

Attachment 8241

Anyway, if you are concerned about dragging your .270 along to hunt plains game. Load some good bullets and go hunting

AMEN Brickburn! The .270 Win is veeeery underestimated cal - sucessfully hunted more animals with mine from Jackal up to Kudu the past 10 years than i can remember - do your part and the sun will shine on you with this cal. Congrats on your successful hunt and thank you for the technical feedback.

Well we recommend the 270 as the minimum when clients are coming over to hunt plainsgame including bigger critters like wildebeest and kudu and I must say from the few that did bring their 270 all went well two of them the last year hunted with the 150gr win XP3 bullets and they worked like a charm. These new bullets brought new life to a lot of rifles that was considered inadequate in the last couple of years.

Frederik, I was forewarned before I left home to have GOOD bullets and the .270 would work fine.
After my experience in South Africa and now at home a well constructed bullet makes all the difference.
It should lead to some new confidence in SA for the PH's if someone shows up with a .270.