.270, 130gr R15 - 25 years later

J

Jeffm004

New member
My .270, not shot for 25 years is going to my nephew. The last box of reloads I can find say 47.5 gr with is over the 45 gr max of today. My 1988 Speer book does not have R15. Does anyone have a mid-1980 book with an R15 load range for a 130 gr bullet you can share? I know 47.5 was a tack driver for me in the day and it is unlike me to load over book.

tx
 
I have a 1995 Alliant Reloader Guide.

It lists the following data:

270 Win 130 gr. Speer Spitzer Minimum OAL = 3.25 47.3 gr Reloader 15 2840 fps 61,600 psi

I also have a copy of the Hercules Reloading Guide from 1992.

It lists the max load @ 47.5 gr velocity is 2865 fps and 62,000 psi. OAL and bullet are the same.

I will edit to add this: The loads that you developed yesteryear have already proven safe by your earlier load development.

SO......If you happen to buy a new canister of RL 15, take into consideration that it prolly is a little different than the old stuff. I would knock the charge down to at least 44.0 grains and work up the load again. Every thing changes with time, and that includes powder and primers.
 
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Obviously, you used this load BUT Reloader 15 seems pretty fast burning for the 270. I just looked at a couple of current manuals and R-15 isn't listed as an appropriate powder.
 
FWIW, back in the days of serious hunting (70s & 80s) the go to load for all of us was the Speer 130 gr Hot Core and 59.0 gr H4831. Excellent killer of Elk and deer, good velocity and outstanding accuracy.

Nowadays, there are many powders to choose from that offer even more. Do some research and you can find many suggestions that would work equal to or better than RL 15.
 
R15 should work fine, since it's about the same burn rate as IMR4064, which I used for years behind 130 gr Noslers. That said, H4831SC or just H4831 is now my powder of choice for the 270.
 
A lot of old load data was developed in production firearms by looking for pressure signs, and never pressure tested. The reason many modern loads are lower than the old data is that they have been tested in a pressure gun with SAAMI minimum chamber. The chances are that your load is fine in your rifle, but might not be fine in some others with tighter chambers. Also, as previously hinted at, modern powder QC is better and testing more accurate and that has resulted in changes at both ends of the pressure equation.
 
My 2003 edition of Modern Reloading shows 47.3 as max load. Just because one source lists 45 gr as max doesn't mean it is truly max. It just means that is as far as they tested that powder. Other manufacturers often push things farther with their testing.

I'd imagine that no one really seriously tested that powder in a 270. It wouldn't be a top choice for many people. My sources claim 2840 fps for a max load and 130's. When there are other powders giving 3200 fps with the same bullet weight I'd imagine there wouldn't be a lot of incentive for manufacturers to spend a lot of time testing that combo. It is really a poor choice for a 270.

I'd bet those loads are just fine. Especially in your rifle.
 
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