[albertan]

The .270 Winchester is famous for not meeting factory stated ballistics. 2860 fps out of a 22 inch barrel would be a safe bet. A chronograph is a cheap investment.

 

[hangfire]

YMMV. My Ruger 77 (22") gives me 3100 with handloads, less with factory but not as much less as albertan is seeing. Absolutely buy a chrono. You will learn a lot, especially if you load your own.

 

[pff]

Rifles vary a LOT.

Older Rugers in particular had oversize barrels and long throats which gave lousy velocities with factory loads but you could load them way above handbook.

Also I've noted significant variations between factory loads that supposedly gave similar velocities.

Clocking a particular load from _your_ rifle is the only way to know.

Cheap chronographs pretty much killed off wildcatting. People quit paying money for 'improved' chambers that offered very little increase in performance.

Regards,

Pat

 

[jimhigginbotham]

For some reason I never owned or shot .270s much (no good reason, it is a fine cartridge) but what I have chronoed did not come up to snuff in factory loads. Not too difficult to meet expectations in handloads though.

I would say 2800 with a 130 factory is probably about average and I have run a couple over the sky screens that ran 2700 (same fo the .243 with 100 gr. bullets).

OTOH, I don't figure 10% velocity loss means much anyway - the ".270" I shoot most is a 6.8 SPC. It only goes about 2500 fps with less bullet and that worked fine on the deer I have shot.

Good hunting!
Jim

 

[weshowe]

Gents,

The .270 Winchester is a fine cartridge, but like Jim, I've never owned one. There's no reason you can't get 3,000 FPS from your featherweight. IF you handload. Interestingly, the velocity difference between a 22" and 26" barrel is about 100 FPS. MY own testing showed that the breaking point, ballistically, was at 23" inches. That is, of course, unless you are shooting something in the .338 Lapua class. Then the longer/larger powder train AND the longer barrel add velocity.
The velocity gain beyond 23" for standard cartridges is not that great. Consequently several of my custom rifles have 23" barrels. Somehow it just looks "right", too.
For me, my most used hunting cartridges are the .284 Winchester, .308 Winchester, and the .35 Whelan Ackley Improved.
For tactical use it's the 6.5 X .284 Norma, .308 Winch, and the .338 Lapua Mag.
Hope that helps.
Wes

 

[jimhigginbotham]

Wes;

My hasty and poor communicaiton. I said I don't own or shoot one "much"... I do own one and handload the cartridge for a couple of other neighbors. I just don't fool with is nearly as much as say a .458 Lott

Cheers
Jim