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Another "is this bullet good enough for that?" thread.....

LostTexican

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Mar 27, 2022
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North West of ATL, GA
Before I get crucified for not researching, please know; I have....probably too much.
I have owned the same 270 rifle since my dad bought it for me in south texas when I was 12 years old, 23 years ago. It has worked very well for me and I have been hand loading the same boring load for it for over a decade. It is an older Howa 1500 with a nice Vx-5 with a cds turret that's true to 500(further than I will hunt at) shoots a 140gr interlock around 2950fps in to a half inch or better off sand bags with boring repeatability.

The guide I booked with listed 270 as a the lightest rifle he would allow out there provided a 150gr well constructed bullet is used. I can agree with that and understand his point of view. The funny thing is, another guide not far from this one thought I had plenty of gun and load for his camp last year. I wasn't successful on that hunt for reasons that I can outline in another thread, but I never chambered a round on that lovely excursion.

The problem is my rifle hated just about any 150gr pill I fed it. The 140gr interlock just performs for me.

I haven't heard back from him about allowing me to tote my current set up but I listed it on the hunter info page when i returned the contract.

Anyone here have first hand experience with the 140gr interlock from a book loaded 270?
 
The 140 Gr Interlocks shoot well in my .270 Win, so I bought 7 or 8 boxes of the Hornady factory ammo. The box shows 2950 FPS, so I'm guessing it's similar to what you have. I've experienced really good results on Whitetail deer, and Mule deer out to about 290 yards. Never shot an elk with the round so I can't comment on elk performance. Hope you get something figured out for your hunt.
 
There are plenty of men and women that have harvested larger bulls that you or I will ever see in the field while using a .270 or smaller, granted they hunted with jeans and flannel shirts. Use what you are confident with - advice I wish I had learned earlier in life.
 
The lighest he will allow or recommend?

There isn't a guide alive that could tell the difference in killing power of a 140 or 150gr bullet in a 270. If your guide is that hung up on something this trival I'd be worried about the rest of the hunt. 10gr of bullet is a pretty stupid thing to get hung up on.

What are you hunting?
 
I shot a bull moose with a .270 140 interlock that my buddy hand loadeded. I have no idea what the velocity was but it worked just fine. I agree with others...seems questionable that the outfitter has that requirement.
 
I shot a bull moose with a .270 140 interlock that my buddy hand loadeded. I have no idea what the velocity was but it worked just fine. I agree with others...seems questionable that the outfitter has that requirement.
I try to see it from his angle, he sees all sorts of folks show up with gear and make bad shots etc etc etc I'm more along the lines of "a guy that only owns one gun, probably knows how to use it" mentality.
 
If you are going to try a 150gr bullet look at the 150 gr Speer Grand Slam. My Dad shot them for a years before that he used 140 gr Partitions and they did great to.
 
Ha , I shot a .300wm 180gr horneday and had a guide tell me I needed nosler partitions or equivalent, well I blew him off and pole axed a huge bull ! 130gr .270 or 140gr ballistic tip has worked for me
 
Before I get crucified for not researching, please know; I have....probably too much.
I have owned the same 270 rifle since my dad bought it for me in south texas when I was 12 years old, 23 years ago. It has worked very well for me and I have been hand loading the same boring load for it for over a decade. It is an older Howa 1500 with a nice Vx-5 with a cds turret that's true to 500(further than I will hunt at) shoots a 140gr interlock around 2950fps in to a half inch or better off sand bags with boring repeatability.

The guide I booked with listed 270 as a the lightest rifle he would allow out there provided a 150gr well constructed bullet is used. I can agree with that and understand his point of view. The funny thing is, another guide not far from this one thought I had plenty of gun and load for his camp last year. I wasn't successful on that hunt for reasons that I can outline in another thread, but I never chambered a round on that lovely excursion.

The problem is my rifle hated just about any 150gr pill I fed it. The 140gr interlock just performs for me.

I haven't heard back from him about allowing me to tote my current set up but I listed it on the hunter info page when i returned the contract.

Anyone here have first hand experience with the 140gr interlock from a book loaded 270?
That is a very odd requirement. Did he write that into your contract? If not, you are well within CO state law, and I'd tell him to pound sand. I would be less worried about the rifle set up, and more worried about the outfitter.

I've killed a handful of elk with the 270, and (gasp) with a 130 grain bullet.
 
It'll work. Take the bullet that performs best for you and you have confidence in and you can shoot well. I can't imagine that he'll weigh your bullet upon arrival.

I've killed a couple bulls with a 7mm08 and 140gr accubonds.
 
I’ve killed a couple elk with Interlocks. Yea, the 100 grain, .243 caliber ones. Any guide that thinks 140 grain .270 bullet won’t handle an elk has not seen many killed. Shoot straight and you will be more than fine. Good luck.
 
I have not tried a 140 grn Hornady in my 270s yet, but I have been using both 130 grn and 150 grn Hornadys in my 270s since the 1970s. I have killed many deer, pronghorn, and elk with them. Never once has one of those bullets failed to do what it's supposed to do.
 
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