Bullet Selection

[jtstoner]

I am getting ready to reload for the first time. I think I have all the necessary equipment, but was wondering about the type of bullets to use. I shoot a Winchester Model 70 .270. It is a pre 64 that I inhereited. I primarily hunt whitetail in northern Idaho and have started to hunt elk this year. What type of bullet and what weight (grain???) whould I start with? Same bullet for both or different?

[Yooper]

I don't reload as of yet although I have many friends and family member who do (good for me!) so I will tell you what they'd say.

The best thing about reloading is you can play around with different bullets, bullet weights and powers to get the best performance you are looking for. Spend the time to see what your gun likes to shoot and go from there. As long as you're getting the performance and accuracy you'd like, you can use one bullet/load for both deer and elk. Look into some good reloading books, like those available on this site. They should help.

[farmer]

First you sould go to the bullet manufactures online web sites.
https://www.hornady.com/shop/
http://www.nosler.com/noslerbullets.html
http://www.barnesbullets.com/
http://www.speer-bullets.com/

Look at their selection of bullets you probable need something about 150 grains and make sure that it is a premium bullet such as Barnes Triple Shock, Nosler Partition, Speer Grand Slam or Hornady SST.
When you decide on a bullet design that you like then you also need to purchase the Reloading Guide from that company as it will give you the information that you need to develop a good load.

You can use the same bullet for both game animals and there will not be any difference as long as its a premium bullet and the round is loaded to top performance.

[Yooper]

Farmer... excellent advice. My only addition to that would be that many folks, myslef included, feel the Barnes Triple Shock to be TMB (too much bullet) for deer.

The Barnes Triple Shock and their original x-bullet were designed more for big game. It'd be great for elk, but may, and I do say MAY, not expand fully for deer. In many cases, it will just "poke a hole" in a deer.

[Matt Peetz]

Good advice so far. I would be with yooper on the Barnes bullets.

For a new reloader just starting out check out the websites farmer gave and get a couple of Reloding manuals. I like Sierra's Manual. If you have a buddy that reloads also (or know someone) it would be advantageous to have them help you out. Nothing more frustrating when you have questions and they can't get answered.

I would also pick one bullet and bullet weight(130-140gr) bullet and one powder to start with. For powder i would look into the Hodgdon line of powders like H-4350 or H-4831SC for your 270. For bullets look at Noslers balistic tipe or hornady or sierra line. All these bullets have proven accurate in many firearms over the years.

No sense in trying to learn the ropes of reloading and trying a half a million things. Start simple and progress from there. If you stick with one pwder and one bullet and use those 2 and find and accurate charge the rifle likes you will learn more and be able to pick up little things your rifle tells you it likes.

One load may work in one rifle and not in another. Start with minimum powder charge and seating depth(start shorter than mag length. once a load shows promise you can mess with seating depth to fine tune) and load 3 rounds of each charge progressing up to book max all the while looking and noticing signs of pressure(sticky extracion, Flatten primer etc...)

Reloading is a progression. Start simple and make it fun and then you can evolve.

[grayling]

Check out the Alaska Shooting Forum. The archives can be a great resource to many of your questions regarding reloading, equipment, bullet types, differences, hot loads, and speeds. You will find many discussions regarding bullets, weights, and caliber that will enlighten even the experienced hunter or reloader.

www.outdoorsdirectory.com[URL=http://outdoorsdirectory.com/akforum/akshooting/index.htm]

Good luck.

Grayling

[Todd G.]

When you begin working up loads for your rifle, you need to start in a kind of reverse order. First off, decide what you are hunting. In this case, you are looking at elk and deer. If it was me, I'd shoot the same ammo for both. It let's you learn the ballistics for one ammo, and elk ammo will kill deer with no problem.

So, once you decide on what you are hunting, you need to pick the bullet that is needed to get the job done. As has been mentioned, I'd take a serious look at a 140-150 grain premium bullet. Using Swift, Barnes, Hornady, Sierra, or whatever is irrelevant. Just make sure its a good bullet and that it shoots well in your rifle.

After deciding on the bullet, you can now start looking at potential loads. This will entail a reloading manual that has load data for the bullet you are using. Decide on a powder as recommended by the manual and try the load. It may take a little tweaking until you get it to work at its best, but you will be on your way.

I would also stress buying small amounts of powder and bullets until you find a recipe that works well. There is no reason buying 8 pounds of powder and finding out it doesn't shoot well in your rifle. The same applies to bullets.

Keep good notes and stay consistent on all your loads. It may take a few tries, but reloading works.

BTW -- Where do you hunt in North Idaho? I have family in Bonners Ferry and hope to try hunting up there next year.

[jtstoner]

Todd,
I hunt east of Moscow, Idaho. Very diverse country where I can hunt elk, deer, bear, turkey and mountain lion all within 30 miles. I have been to Bonners Ferry, but never had occasion to hunt there. Good luck!

James

[Cajun Boy]

I have a 7-08mm and it shoots pretty dog-gone it good

[turner1978]

As a 270 lover myself I have always wondered what is the best deer/elk bullet out there and I have come to think that there really isn't a "perfect bullet" but there are some really good ones out there. Here is a list of some that in my opinion would work verry well for both deer and elk. Swift a-frame, barnes tsx, accubond and there is even some cool bullets that closely resemble the trophy bonded bear claw bullets. They are called north fork and you can find them at www.northforkbullets.com I've never used them but they look verry promissing. If any one has used them before I would love to here about it. I would stick with 130 gr. bullets being the absolute minimum for elk and preferably use 150 grainers if possible. I personaly use 140 gr tsx bullets with much success. Oh and I would stick with using the same load on both deer and elk. Good luck.

[Jay Gorski]

I am getting ready to reload for the first time. I think I have all the necessary equipment, but was wondering about the type of bullets to use. I shoot a Winchester Model 70 .270. It is a pre 64 that I inhereited. I primarily hunt whitetail in northern Idaho and have started to hunt elk this year. What type of bullet and what weight (grain???) whould I start with? Same bullet for both or different?

If you're going after Elk, 130 Interbond, about 59grs. H4831sc, you should be set. Jay