Tough High BC bullet for .270

[St_Gunner]

I'm looking for a tough bullet for this rifle, I went out tonight and made a 400yd shot on a large boar hog with a 135gr SST leaving the muzzle at 2950fps. The bullet impacted just behind the leg and should have angled the bullet into the vitals and into the offside front leg. I was shooting prone out of the back of a truck off of sandbags, I saw the impact with the scope on 16x. It was perfect placement. The hog faltered, stumbled foreward and broke for the brush just yards from the feeder. I passed up a 100yd trotting shot at this hog before the shot because I was worried about a high velocity impact with these bullets and let him get to the feeder and stop moving. I got no pass through and no real blood, a few spots at POI and some cut hairs.

I used to shoot 168gr matchkings in the .308 and had good luck, but heard that the 135's in .270 have a tendancy to blow-up.

Anybody else shooting a .277 caliber rifle? What bullets do you use? I actually have had better luck with ballistic tips than the sst's.

I know the shot was on, I know the angle into the vitals was dead on, everything looked perfect in the scope. I think the bullet exploded on impact and never made the vitals. I searched tonight until my flashlight batteries went dead, no blood trail and I cut tracks in the mud for almost 600 steps before he hit hard ground and I lost them and my flashlight batteries.

Any ideas?

Does Nosler make a high bc bt bullet?

Steve

 

[texas]

Steve the Nosler 140gr has a b.c. of .456, the 150gr has .496. Sorry to hear about the hog, sounds like it was a good shot.

You might also want to try groove ornorthfork their bullets seem to be pretty tough.

[ 09-27-2003: Message edited by: Texas ]

 

[Guest]

I have used the failsafe and barns x coated on deer and they are both very tough. I like the sst better for deer but for your situation these two might work. They both shot quite well in my rifle. Don't know the bc of the bullets. I have shot the MK's into paper with great success but never used them on game. That was before I heard others used them for big game. If anyone has used the 270 MK for deer size animals how did they work? thanks

 

[jcpython357]

Steve, I reloaded some 130gr. 270cal SSTs for a fellow from work, and he had excellent results on the three deer he shot, no problems whatsoever, he didn't mention that he had any bullet blow up or anything like that, just alot of meat in the freezer, Give the 130gr. Interbond a try, you won't get any blow up with that bullet,

Jay

 

[St_Gunner]

Jay,

I wouldn't have a problem with it on deer, I used to shoot them with a 100gr speer hotcore coming out at 3200fps. Just lay em flat. Deer are easy to kill.

This hog probably had gristle plate an 1" thick the bullet had to enter and penetrate, if it smacked a rib on a hog that size they are 1/2 thick, plus roughly 3" of chest to hit lungs and 8" for heart. I think what happened is the bullet started apart on the hide and fractured at the rib.

I shot a hog with a .280 Remington Hornady Factory loaded 139gr SST a few years ago. 180yds from the prone into a small 180lb sow. Held for middle of front shoulder, found portions of the top of the shoulder blade in the dirt, and the fins from the top of the vertabrae. She ran almost a half mile before we found her with dogs. Had another a few weeks later shooting downhill it shattered the shoulder and never made the vitals.

Thought it was a freak deal, so I backed off to the range above and tried.

Steve

 

[former naval person]

Last year I was out deer hunting here in MS when a big black dog came into the far end of the field. OOPS...hey that isn't a dog...it is a hog! Shooting a .270, 58 gr 4831, 130 Nosler Partition. Aim at junction of neck and body. About 150 yards. At shot, boar dropped . Legs straight out. Kept jerking, so, rather than trailing if he awoke, I placed another through throat into skull. Probably didn't need it. Walked up on him. Smelled bad. standing along side, his upper side was level with my mid thigh. 450 lbs plus. Pure black, with long tusks. Took three big folks to get him into the truck. Some wanted to eat him. His gravy was tough! Point is, the Nosler Partition is one great bullet. Very accurate, very tough, very deadly. Aside from one of the Fail Safe types (which aren't as accurate in as many rifles as the Nosler) I don't think they can be improved upon. MHO. Good hunting. Paul

 

[Vern Harrison]

For many years I used a Rem. Sendero 270 cal. 135 gr SMK, 58 gr. H4831, I won four 1000 yd relays and kill many deer with that rifle and load. Dang sure wished I still had it.

My 2 cents, Vern

 

[baldeagle713]

The horandy 150 SST has a BC of .525. They shoot as well out of my gun as the 135 SMK. I have yet to shoot any thing but paper with them. I would think that they would do a number on a hog.

 

[Troy]

You could also look into Swift's 130gr Scirocco with an advertised BC of .450. What about the new Interbonds and Accubonds?

 

[Guest]

Vern
What kind of damage on deer were you getting with the SMK's and at what ranges. What happens if you miss a rib or hit the shoulder. Not bashing just want facts so I can decide if they are better or worst than the SST for my hunting needs. What is the difference between H4831 and IMR 4831. Is one better than the other. Thanks.

 

[Darryl Cassel]

I'm not Vern but, my experiance with the MK is, even when you hit a shoulder in a Mule deer, whitetail or elk, the Mks I have used will go through the shoulders amd tear a very nice hole. Some VERY large exit holes and some about the size of a grapefruit.

Check out the pictures of MK kills above on the other thread.

That one deer that Boyd posted for me was one I killed at only 75 yards.
I shot that one to show that MKs will expand at close range as well as Longrange.
I won't use any other bullet for elk, or deer (i hunt these the most) in my longrange rifles.

I did kill 35 deer at close range (out to 200 yards) with my 270 Winchester when I was a young pup.

H-4831 is slower then IMR 4831.

Didn't mean to jump ahead of you Vern.
Later
DC

[ 09-28-2003: Message edited by: Darryl Cassel ]

 

[Varmint Hunter]

For a tough bullet with a high BC, I'd agree with a previous poster; Accubond - Interbond or Scirocco.
However, the most amazing performance of all the bullets that I've used is a 150gr Failsafe in the little ol' .308 win. Deer, large boar and a 280lb black bear all fell over like they were playing DEAD when hit with this bullet. Personally, I shoot mostly Nosler bullets but that Failsafe bullet is something you just gotta try. If it shoots in your rifle, you'll never go back to anything else. RELIABLE
VH

 

[Guest]

Looks like you have a hand full of bullets to choose from. Pick one of the higher BC bullets that you like and see if it will shoot in your gun. Some barrels dont like some bullets. Good luck.
DC. I get the odd deer up close (50y). Will the SMK's open at that range if ribs are missed? I have a good load for a 140g SST, 5 into 4 inches at 500 yards (factory tikka). Will use these for this years hunt before I decide if I should try the SMK. The load I had for the SMK's a few years ago shot 3.5 at 500y if I remember right. I have never used H4831. Is it worth my time to try some?

 

[Darryl Cassel]

The Deer pic that was posted by Boyd for me under MK pics above was killed at 75 yards with a 168 gr MK from my 280 Mountain rifle.

The MK will open up at close range, or at least has, for me.

If your getting good accuracy from the bullet you mentioned and are happy with it, by all means, stick with it.

At 50 yards just about "ANY" bullet will kill a deer. It certainly don't take much for whitetail deer. 222 Remingtons have killed plenty of them and 220 Swifts are unreal for killing deer.

Many bullets (even so called hunting bullets)missing bone and going through 10" of soft tissue, especially lungs, will expand very little. At ultra high velocity some will blow up on the surface while others will go on through and cause an exit hole about the size of a silver dollar if not touching bone. I like the silver dollar sized exits or one that you can lay a volley ball in. I have had both wounds mentioned above plus orange and grapefruit sized exits from different MK bullets and at different yardages.
Match kings have given me the clean quick kills we strive for over the years at close and extreme longrange.
NEVER has a MK bullet blown up on the shoulder of a deer or elk like I have heard from other hunters about their experiances because they used a thin jacked bullet for the wrong application.

Stick with what works the best for you and the rifle you use. Sounds like the bullet/rifle combination you have, will put meat on the table.

Later
DC