mono metal bullets and stability

[Oncorhynchus.nerka]

I am looking to switch to mono metal bullets and am curious about stability issues. Using the Berger twist rate calculator virtually all mono metals bullets for my 270 Win are unstable with my standard 1:10 twist rates.

Ex. Barms 130 gr TTSX BT, 129 gr LRX BT, Hornady CX 130 gr, Nosler E-Tip 130 Gr, Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos 127 gr.

I have called several companies and they all say that these bullets should stabilize. Additionally, I across an alternative formula from Michael Courtney "A stability formula for plastic-tipped bullets" that, when you do the math, essentially adds 0.3 to the Miller formula that Berger uses. The Berger twist rate calculator seems to suggest that elevation is a key component for stability and as I hunt in Oregon at altitudes ranging from 30 feet to 1000 feet above sea level and I really want to find a bullet that can work for this area.

With that, I have two questions:
1) There is a lot of coastal area in this country, have any of you had issues stabilizing bullets hunting/shooting mono metal bullets close to the sea level?
2) What mono metal bullets are easier to load? Components are expensive and I am a novice reloader.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

 

[cmahoney]

I am looking to switch to mono metal bullets and am curious about stability issues. Using the Berger twist rate calculator virtually all mono metals bullets for my 270 Win are unstable with my standard 1:10 twist rates.

Ex. Barms 130 gr TTSX BT, 129 gr LRX BT, Hornady CX 130 gr, Nosler E-Tip 130 Gr, Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos 127 gr.

I have called several companies and they all say that these bullets should stabilize. Additionally, I across an alternative formula from Michael Courtney "A stability formula for plastic-tipped bullets" that, when you do the math, essentially adds 0.3 to the Miller formula that Berger uses. The Berger twist rate calculator seems to suggest that elevation is a key component for stability and as I hunt in Oregon at altitudes ranging from 30 feet to 1000 feet above sea level and I really want to find a bullet that can work for this area.

With that, I have two questions:
1) There is a lot of coastal area in this country, have any of you had issues stabilizing bullets hunting/shooting mono metal bullets close to the sea level?
2) What mono metal bullets are easier to load? Components are expensive and I am a novice reloader.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

Hammers, their website tells you the appropriate twist. By far the easiest to load and very accurate. Don’t waste you time and money with the others.

.277 Cal-117gr Hammer Hunter™ - Hammer Bullets

This Hammer Hunter™ has been a stellar on game performer in the 1-10" standard twist 270 caliber rifles. Gives fantastic velocities and performs well above it's pay grade on everything from hogs to elk.

hammerbullets.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MThuntr]

Hammers, their website tells you the appropriate twist. By far the easiest to load and very accurate. Don’t waste you time and money with the others.

.277 Cal-117gr Hammer Hunter™ - Hammer Bullets

This Hammer Hunter™ has been a stellar on game performer in the 1-10" standard twist 270 caliber rifles. Gives fantastic velocities and performs well above it's pay grade on everything from hogs to elk.

hammerbullets.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beat me to it...some H4350 or similar burn rate powder will push these to 3400ish (give or take) will do the trick and you won't have to chase stability issues.

You may be even able to run the 124s though they may be marginal as sea level. You'd have to run that by the guys at Hammer or on their forum.

 

[VernAK]

I've been shooting the TTSX 130 gr for years in y 1:10 and it's taken sheep and caribou to 400 yards and groups tightly at 300 yard paper. I've had smilar results with the LRX......they work just fine.

But.....after using the various 4831 powders for 50 years in various 270s, I tried RL16 and I really like the results.

 

[JFK]

Hammers are nice out of the 270 but I wouldn’t shy away from Barnes or Hornady because of stability.

 

[flyinsquirel]

130 TTSX & 130 E-Tip both work for me in a 1-10” at near SL. 59-60 grains of H4831 does the trick every time in my old beater Savage.

 

[Northpark]

For monos just make sure you step down a weight class to insure stability. 130gr and under should be good to go out of 10 twist .270 win. I will also suggest hammer bullets though I’ve had really good luck with Barnes as well.

 

[Sled]

I'll be using hammer bullets in my 270wsm this year and had a good time picking thru their forum for info on SG. The lighter you go the faster you go and increase SG at the same time. The barrel I put on has a fast twist for heavy projectiles but after a lot of thought and research I ended up with the 117 and 126HH to test out for hunting elk.

 

[Oncorhynchus.nerka]

Hammers, their website tells you the appropriate twist. By far the easiest to load and very accurate. Don’t waste you time and money with the others.

.277 Cal-117gr Hammer Hunter™ - Hammer Bullets

This Hammer Hunter™ has been a stellar on game performer in the 1-10" standard twist 270 caliber rifles. Gives fantastic velocities and performs well above it's pay grade on everything from hogs to elk.

hammerbullets.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hammer have a fantastic reputation! The only drawback that I have seen is that for the best results, that current powder that I have seen for sale is not available... Otherwise I would be all in on Hammer!

Just out of curiosity, do you think the 117 gr HH would be big enough for elk? Like I said I have never hunted with non lead bullets.

 

[Oncorhynchus.nerka]

Beat me to it...some H4350 or similar burn rate powder will push these to 3400ish (give or take) will do the trick and you won't have to chase stability issues.

You may be even able to run the 124s though they may be marginal as sea level. You'd have to run that by the guys at Hammer or on their forum.

Another vote for Hammer... Thanks!

 

[Oncorhynchus.nerka]

I've been shooting the TTSX 130 gr for years in y 1:10 and it's taken sheep and caribou to 400 yards and groups tightly at 300 yard paper. I've had smilar results with the LRX......they work just fine.

But.....after using the various 4831 powders for 50 years in various 270s, I tried RL16 and I really like the results.

I have been looking for RL powder, on paper this seems the be the best available. I just have not seen any for sale yet.

 

[Oncorhynchus.nerka]

Hammers are nice out of the 270 but I wouldn’t shy away from Barnes or Hornady because of stability.

Thanks for the feedback! Out of curiosity have you tried the Nosler e-tip? I have heard great thing about Barns, Hammer, to a lesser extent Hornady, but virtually nothing, good or bad, about the e-tip.

 

[Oncorhynchus.nerka]

130 TTSX & 130 E-Tip both work for me in a 1-10” at near SL. 59-60 grains of H4831 does the trick every time in my old beater Savage.

Do you notice a different between the two rounds? The B.C. on the e-tip is quite a bit larger, but the suggested speeds from the reloading data on Nosler's website is lower than Barns.

 

[mar]

My son and I just started using Hammer 80 gr. bullets last year in our 243s and we had excellent results on 3 whitetail bucks.

 

[Sled]

I have been looking for RL powder, on paper this seems the be the best available. I just have not seen any for sale yet.

Last week there was a big drop of reloader powder but it was short lived. I see more alliant, hodgdon, ramshot and imr available than others. I'd look for some h4350 online.

 

[wyojdubya]

Hammer have a fantastic reputation! The only drawback that I have seen is that for the best results, that current powder that I have seen for sale is not available... Otherwise I would be all in on Hammer!

Just out of curiosity, do you think the 117 gr HH would be big enough for elk? Like I said I have never hunted with non lead bullets.

Don't let the absence of the ideal powder hold you back on the Hammers. I faced the same dilemma a little over a year ago. Picked up some Hammer 117s for my 1:10 270, but couldn't get my hands on any RL. Worked up some loads with a handful of other standard 270 powders, all of which delivered more than acceptable performance. Went with A4350, mostly because I had no other use for it. Couldn't have been happier with the performance in the field.

 

[flyinsquirel]

Do you notice a different between the two rounds? The B.C. on the e-tip is quite a bit larger, but the suggested speeds from the reloading data on Nosler's website is lower than Barns.

Pretty much the same out to 400. I haven’t run them further.

 

[Oncorhynchus.nerka]

My son and I just started using Hammer 80 gr. bullets last year in our 243s and we had excellent results on 3 whitetail bucks.

Nice! Do you have any pictures? Did the bullet pass through or dump all its energy in the deer?

 

[Oncorhynchus.nerka]

Pretty much the same out to 400. I haven’t run them further.

400 is a good distance! Personally, I would not feel comfortable shooting past that.

 

[Oncorhynchus.nerka]

Don't let the absence of the ideal powder hold you back on the Hammers. I faced the same dilemma a little over a year ago. Picked up some Hammer 117s for my 1:10 270, but couldn't get my hands on any RL. Worked up some loads with a handful of other standard 270 powders, all of which delivered more than acceptable performance. Went with A4350, mostly because I had no other use for it. Couldn't have been happier with the performance in the field.

Thanks for the information! I have been looking at those 117 Hammers and reading about them, their reputation is fantastic. Based on what you have seen with their terminal performance, what game would you feel comfortable using them on?

I ask because in the next few years I am hoping to go for deer, elk, pronghorn, and black bear. I am worried the little 117 gr will not perform adequately on an elk, should I ever see a big one. As I said, I am new to the monos and have always heard the mantra for elk that bigger is better.