Bullet Weight Retention and Performance .270

[fhm3006]

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.

View 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.

 

[Frederik]

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.

 

[BRICKBURN]

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.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Its funny how each rifle likes things a little different, even with the same bullets. My guns (esp. my .257 WBY) prefer a well fouled bore. I always fire 5-6 rounds before I even think of shooting for accuracy. First 3 out of the .257 in particular group maybe 2 1/2", once fouled 3/4" groups are common.

@Diamondhitch
My hot 25 loves the 100grain Barnes ttsx at 3,670 fps and don't have any problems with fouling. From a cold clean barrel or dirty barrel it groups 0.8 inch groups at 200yards all day and no hold over is needed out to 350 yards. Never recovered a TTSX from anything I have shot. Only problem is that they are expensive to use on our feral goats and pigs so I use 115grain nosler combined technology silver tip and 117grain SST and reserve the TTSX for deer.
Bob

 

[bruce moulds]

barnes are too much bullet to kill goats well anyway, so that is good luck.
sierra soft points might be a better choice for that job.
bruce.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

barnes are too much bullet to kill goats well anyway, so that is good luck.
sierra soft points might be a better choice for that job.
bruce.

@bruce moulds
A 100gr TTSX started out a 3,670fps for goat is brilliant. Chest shot thru and thru, the front legs just seem to fold up and the rest of the body following. Looks like they're just preparing to bed down. No fuss no bother out to as far as I want. The 117grain SST is far more destructive usually exiting and leaving a decent hole out the other side. Bang flop, not as graceful as the TTSX but a dam side cheaper.
Bob

 

[inkonkoni]

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.

View attachment 8241

HI Brickburn,

I have hunted Leeukop often and it is my favourite hunting spot.

Looks like the TSX'x worked well for you. I personally use a load of 150gr Hornady Interlocks in my 270 at approx 2560fps. They have worked well on all animals from Impala to Kudu and I always seem to get pass through's. Although I must add that I almost never take anything but broadside shots.

Very glad you got your game. Hope you return regularly as that is probably one of the best hunting areas in SA in my opinion.

As always when hunting Leeukop or almost anywhere either my old 9,3x62 or 8x60 accompanies for backup.

Enjoy the hunt and shoot straight.

Inkonkoni