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What is the farthest shot ethically you would take with a 270 shooting 130grain ballistic tip Hornadys?
Thanks for the info.....
I've got two spots that I've been seeing a buck come out, but it's 450yds to one spot and 530 to the other from my stand....
St.John

That's a far shot for any caliber in my opinion. My suggestion, and this is just me talking, try moving your stand, or a climber/loc-on, etc. to within about 200 yds of where you've been seeing him come out. I shoot a .270 and have taken several deer at 200 +/- yds with the 130 gr ballistic tip. But it all depends on the shooter. If you are confident and comfortable with longer shots, then go ahead. But the 130 gr will lose knock down power the farther you send it down range. Just my .02.

sbarq1 wrote:What is the farthest shot ethically you would take with a 270 shooting 130grain ballistic tip Hornadys?
Thanks for the info.....
I've got two spots that I've been seeing a buck come out, but it's 450yds to one spot and 530 to the other from my stand....
St.John

Ethically? Depended on how I practiced with it. They caliber and bullet are capable of killing effectively at that range with a well placed shot. 99% of America can't make that shot though. Especially with a standard gun and factory ammo. Factory ammo is just to inconsistant to reaching out to ranges like that. With average deviations in a box from 20 to 30 fps. you can't even practice those kinds of shots. Good handloads with the average devis down to less than 1 fps and a little tweeking on the gun and oh yea, with plenty of practice it can be done consistantly. Just remember though with even the slighest of wind at that range, bullet drift would amaze you. That's a mighty light bullet for shooting that kind of ranges. I shoot a tweaked out 7 with some great handloads, I hold myself back to 500 on a calm day with good conditions and a good rest. More like 400 with any wind, and inside of 350 with a stiff wind.

400 with the 130 is deadly but you have to know what your capable of first, the gun will do it

A 130gr sighted dead on at 200 will still drop 18" roughly. Given that a deeds shoulder is 12" you would have to put it at the top of the deer's neck. 5mph of wind from 2-3 o'clock will move you about 6 inches to the left. So if a deer is standing perfectly broad side at 400 yards you would just about have to aim at it's eye. If you have the scope to try it is more impt. I might get to 200 yards and get prone!

I don't know but I strait up missed an 80 yard chip shot on a piebald buck yesterday afternoon.

Blackduck wrote:A 130gr sighted dead on at 200 will still drop 18" roughly. Given that a deeds shoulder is 12" you would have to put it at the top of the deer's neck. 5mph of wind from 2-3 o'clock will move you about 6 inches to the left. So if a deer is standing perfectly broad side at 400 yards you would just about have to aim at it's eye. If you have the scope to try it is more impt. I might get to 200 yards and get prone!

Question here is how you going to figure the differences in velocity of factory ammo? A box of factory ammo can vary up to 300 to 350 fps. One shot at say 3200fps and the next one at say 2850 not even gonna be close to each other. That drop may go from 18' to 23" That 5mph wind drift just went from 6" to 10". Balistic charts are for handloaders getting there ammo consistant. Factory loaded ammo is not that close. Try shootin a box of your ammo over a chrony and see just how close it is. If the average deviation is down to under 20fps then you got an exceptional box of ammo. Most handloaders won't settle for 20fps difference in the whole box let alone from shot to shot. Im won't tolorate more than .6 or .7 fps in mine. The 2 worst factory Ammo's I have ever seen on the chrony were both Remington Core-Lokt. One in 30-06 150gr. Prolly the most sought after bullet in America and the other was Remi's .270 in 130 gr. Both had high to low spreads of nearly 400fps in the same box! You can't expect accuracy at 400 yards with that kind of variation! Federal premiums are somewhat better as are most of your premium ammo. But while they may have as high or higher velocity than avg handloader can obtain they will not be nearly as consistant. Yea you might get lucky and hit one, but making those kinda shots on a regular basis simply can't be done with factory ammo!

Been shooting the 270 for 33 yrs now ....sighted in at 2.5 high@ 100 puts me on ay 300...... o am very comfortable at that range if need be and best to date was ranged @ 453 yds by a buddy sitting on the stand with me

Thanks guys for the good info.....what would ya'll say is the best factory ammo? I'm shootin' hornady...

sbarq1 wrote:Thanks guys for the good info.....what would ya'll say is the best factory ammo? I'm shootin' hornady...

Hornady's Superformance is about as good as it gets! Most any of your premium ammo is ok though. Winchester Supremems, Federal Premiums, Nosler Customs if you can find em.

I would buy a few or three boxes of the same lot of factory ammo. That is about the best you can do. My handloads for my comp gun have an ES of about 10. My 300 winmag shoots great groups with ES of 40! I've never shot it much more than 200. I know what 50 fps difference will do but I have no way to get it down much farther. On good days it drops down to 20. I did have one fluke group that I shot at 100 with an ES of 7. Group was about 2MOA though

I got faith in 'ya Mr. Barq. Just shoot the SOB!

lemme at him

seriously, if he coming out in reletivly the same local, get out in the field and lay prone and wait on him within your comfort zone. youd be amazed at the deer you can kill from the ground just laying still out in the middle of a field.

I got a .270 and have killed a pile of deer with it, but never have gotten a good blood trail if the deer ran. I switched to the 130 grain superformance this year and Killed a 151", 225 lb buck yesterday morning. He went 30 yards and the blood trail looked like a paint bucket blew up. I was impressed!

That hornady SST bullet is a bad to the bone dude. I working up a load for my 300whinny. Lying prone is seriously overlooked. Bass pro has some pretty good bipods. Make sure you shoot a few times to see how hard, if any at all, you have to hold the gun. some rifles have alot of muzzle flip when fired from a bipod. My 300 with a muzzle break still requires two hands to hold from a bench. Not so much to keep recoil down but to help with the muzzle flip. One handed groups measure 4-5 inches.