hey guys im a young hunter with a browning blr .270 with a bushnell elite 3200 scope, i will mosly be hunting deer in virginia but may go out to utah and hunt elk and was wondering if my setup will work for this and what you guys think of the rifle and scope? also my dad has a blr .308, but last time we shot it the rifle wouldnt cycle the round out so the casing is stuck, the ammo was silver bear cheap stuff, so were gonna try to fix it ourselves as browning wont so is there anything we should know before taking it apart?

sorry for the long post but you guys have a great forum here :)

First ... congrats on being a relatively new young hunter ... I hope you enjoy it for years to come. Second, yes, your .270win w/ a bushnell 3200 will do just fine for any North American mid sized game, and some of the bigger game ... basically, anything other than some bears or moose. About your scope ... I'm assuming it's fairly typical in that it zooms from about 3x to 9x and it's got about a 40mm objective lens? If so, that's the most common big game rifle hunting scope out there... a 3-9x40mm ...

As far as "fixing" your dad's BLR .308win ... from what you've said, I think that trying to do it yourself would be extremely ill advised. I would take it to a gunsmith in your area that knows the BLR very well, and let them do whatever work it needs. That rifle, assuming it's in good condition, will serve you well for a long time if it's cared for. Don't be shy about spending a little money to have that smith check it out and make any adjustments...

Good luck with everything...

thanks a lot yeah thats the scope i have and we didnt want to take it to the gun smith because the only one realitively close is extremely expensive especially since we live in an expensive spot right near the capital. well the gun doesnt need to be fixed right away since hunting season is a long way off so we will keep looking for other possibilities.

thanks for the help :)

If you think you can post precisely what's happening with the rifle and the feeding problem, I'm sure there are some lever action guys here that might be able to help you out if it doesn't require any real surgery ... however, ANY serious work on the functional portion of ANY rifle should be done by someone fully competent and qualified to do the work ... not just to keep the rilfe in a more "mint" condition, but for the protection of you and others around you when you use it. The last thing anyone wants is to be a part of a rifle malfunction experience that causes injury to anyone...

well nothing really hapened except after my dad fired a roun d he couldnt open the bolt and he doesnt want to force it open as he'll probably really screw it up. browning said that this was a very rare problem in the blr and that they wouldnt fix it under warranty but the gun is pretty old so no suprises, they did say it would be expensive if my dad had them fix it any way. when you look at the gun it look perfectly normal no signs of damage or anything the bolt just wont open :confused:
if anyone has any ideas please tell me

Sounds like the cartridge you put in there created too much pressure for the chamber, and the case head expanded in there and is just stuck. I don't know how sturdy and strong the extractor on the BLR is, but short of using extreme force, you may just want to try slowly increasing the force used to work the lever and see if you can pry it free. Worst case scenario should be that you bend/break the extractor ... then you'd just have to order a new one and have it installed...

If that happened, you'd barely be worse off than if you just took it to a gunsmith in the first place ...

hey guys im a young hunter with a browning blr .270 with a bushnell elite 3200 scope, i will mosly be hunting deer in virginia but may go out to utah and hunt elk and was wondering if my setup will work for this and what you guys think of the rifle and scope? also my dad has a blr .308, but last time we shot it the rifle wouldnt cycle the round out so the casing is stuck, the ammo was silver bear cheap stuff, so were gonna try to fix it ourselves as browning wont so is there anything we should know before taking it apart?

sorry for the long post but you guys have a great forum here :)

Welcome to the forum, you will like talking to the folks here. There are litterly hundreds of years experience shooting and hunting available.

As to your question about the 270 and the 308, they are fine deer cartridges, but I believe a little to little for elk. Now having said that I have to admit a lot of elk have fallen to both.

As far as your scope is concerned it will do you well both where you live and here in the west. It has a wide enough field of view on three power to work well in the brush and cranked up to nine power give you good bullet placement at the extreme ranges your 270 is capable of.

Elk are a hardy animal that outweigh deer by three or four times and can take an amazing amount of damage and still run away. I like cartridges starting at the 7mm Remington magnum and up for an elk rifle. I personally shoot a Remington 8mm Magnum. Now you got to realize that I am a fan of Craig Boddington. (Read some of his articles on elk hunting) I also like a front shoulder shot, breaking one or both puts them down for good on the spot.

I've killed a bunch of elk in the past 45 years of hunting and have lost a few. I'm not certian if it was due to poor shooting, tough animals or just the luck of the draw, but once I went to larger bullets at good velocities put in the right spot I have not lost an animal. (knock on wood)

If you don't want to get a rifle more suited to elk hunting then I suggest you shoot a premium cartridge with one of the new bonded core bullets in the heavy for calibre loadings in your 270.

I also suggest you be very careful with your shot placement. Study some of the articles on elk hunting and shot placement and practice shooting from field positions. Be sure and have your rifle sighted in for the load you are shooting.

For Elk I like to have a rifle with the balistics of the 270 sighted in at about 2.5 to 3 inches high at a hundred yards. This give me a maximum effective range of almost 350 yards without having to worry about holdover or holdunder. In Virginia you probably wouldn't need this kind of trejectory, but in the open country of the Western United States you do.

Your 270 is a fine rifle, and probably capable of taking any animal in North America, so don't let my personal preferences create doubt about is as a hunting rifle. I'm just giving you the benifit of my experiences. You will find that a lot of the fine folks on this forum are effective elk hunters with rifles that don't have "magnum" printed on the side of them.

thanks for the input :) glad to have any opinions or help. if i do get to hunt elk it wouldnt be soon because of cost buti think i would use the .270 on elk if i dont get the chance to get something bigger. so we should just force the round out? it was 168 grain cartrige is that enough to cause this problem? i really hope to get out west and hunt as we go to utah every summer but have looked at out os state liscences and they are really expensive :( but my gramps ownes land out there. will tell my dad what you guys have said regarding his rifle is it possible to break the lever? or cause other damages to the rifle?

If you start going crazy on the rifle by applying extreme pressures pulling on the lever, yes, it's "possible" to break it ... but the 'extractor' ... which is the little piece that snaps over the rim around the head of the bullet case, should break first, if anything breaks.

Anothing thing to mention is that the longer the case is in there, the more stuck it can get ... due to humidity and reaction between the brass and the steel, there can form a very slight bond that will add a lot of friction between the case and the chamber walls ... so I would get to work as quickly as possible to resolve it ... do not let the rifle just sit for a long time with the case stuck.

Another tip ... if you have a nice, solid, one-piece cleaning rod, you can put the rod in from the muzzle end of the rifle and it should go right on into the empty case that's stuck in the chamber. You can push on that rod while your dad is trying to work the lever ... this will relieve some of the stress on the extractor, and aid in the force that's pushing the case out of the chamber ... I would give that team approach a try when trying to work that case out.

You may also want to look into getting some Kroil Oil to drip into there ... perhaps find your best angle to get some in where it might slide down into the chamber area ... that Kroil is very good at cleaning things up, and just might form a nice slick pad between the case wall and the chamber wall to help loosen the case.

In the end, once you get it fixed (I'm sure you will) you need to make sure you use moderate loads in there so that you don't get another case stuck in there. I would make sure that the chamber is really clean from now on ... no crud in there that might cause a case to wanna stick in there. It will help accuracy too as the the bullet's case will be in there more centered - as it should be.

I know you said your gunsmith is not that accessible and that he's kind of expensive ... but with as nice a rifle as I'm sure this BLR .308 is (and your .270) ... I would make dang sure that they are both in good working order, and cleaned up right. Those guns are very nice, and deserve to be given a good once-over by a smith. Get some tips from him on how to keep the gun clean, and functional... and how to keep whatever stuck that case in there from happening again. Trust me ... it WILL be money well spent...

Good luck with all this, and keep us posted on how it turns out...

Take care....

hey it worked didnt use the oiul though but it cam right out with me pushing and him pulling, thanks for all the help with my dads gun! ;)

Glad to know you got it fixed. Now, just give the guns a really good cleaning, and make sure to keep them clean and in good working order so that they will give you many more years of good service...

Now, all you need to do is practice for hunting season!

Good luck with everything...

You've learned a lesson - cheap ammo sometimes isn't too cheap!

Any of the US mfg'd ammo will do well in the BLR. Would suggest you stick with that and deep six the Russian stuff.

yeah we probably arent gonna use that ammo any more, i wish we could go shooting right now but all we have is the russian stuff for my dad's gun and im out of ammo and the gunstore's are way far away so we use the internet and i've found this ammo on sportsmansguide.com is this stuf okay for sighting in my gun?

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=148323

also if you know of anywhere were we could get it cheaper i would appreciate it. were also looking into a bench rest to sight our guns in with and our friend has reloading equipment so were gonna pick up some dies and use his to reload :)

blr.270

Glad to hear you guys got the cartridge unstuck from your Dads gun.

Personally, I've never heard of PMP ammunition. Maybe some of the other folks on the forum have, but even so, you are again looking at some "cheep" ammo of questionable quality which may get you right back in the same boat with cartridges getting stuck in your rifle.

Do you hava a Wal-Mart anywhere nearby? They have 130 Grain Remington and Winchester ammo in 270 for $12.47 (price may be a little different where you are) The PMP ammo you are looking at is $9.47 ($9.00 if you become a member for $29.99 to join) and you're going to pay $6.99 shipping on top of that. So your total non member cost would be $16.46.

Don't know what your sales tax rate is where you live, but anyway you look at it you're going to come out cheeper at Wally World.......that is....if you've got one near you.

Hope this helps!

firstshot
---------------------------------
Make your first shot count!

What firstshot is trying to nicely say is what I was trying to hint at earlier too ... Don't be so cheap! I'm not saying spend money like it's going out of style, but be smart ... buy QUALITY stuff, in all respects. Get quality ammunition ... have quality work done on your firearms ... etc... Guns/firearms are not toys, and are not meant to be treated as such, or in any way other than with full respect. You will get much more enjoyment out of your firearms if you give them the "love and care" they deserve ... which means, treat them right, clean them right, feed them proper ammo, and always respect them and be safe with them...

I know you would hate to be looking back in a few years saying that you wish you'd have spent a few more dollars on ammo (or on gun repair work) when that huge deer or elk comes passnig by and your gun malfunctions and you can do nothing more than watch that trophy of a lifetime just walk on by you and your dad ...

Just to let you know that PMP stuff is alright, I bought a couple boxes of it a year or two ago at my local gun store. Put it through my .270 BAR and it shot fine for just punching paper and tin cans @ 100yds, I wouldn't hunt with it though stick to Rem core lokt for the cheapest hunting stuff. buy from walmart if you have to, but i'd really rather buy my stuff at the local mom and pop gun store, but thats just me good luck with those blrs, i love them to death!

Ditto what WGM said!

You said that you had a friend that has reloading equipment. He wouldn't by chance have a gun vise would he? If you really want so save some money on sighting in your gun. find someone that has one of these and see if you can borrow it. You can literally sight in your gun with one of these in 2 or 3 shots instead of half a box.

1. Secure your gun in the vise and position it so that the cross hairs of your scope are EXACTLY dead center on the X at center of your target.

2. Without moving the cross hairs off of dead center, squeese off a shot. The kick from the shot will move your gun around in the vise....so.....

3. Realign your gun in the vise so that the cross hairs of your scope are EXACTLY back dead center on the X at center of your target.

4. Without touching or moving your gun at all, adjust your scopes cross hairs until they cover the bullet hole made by your shot.

Theoretically, you're done! One shot, and you're sighted in. As a pratical matter, you will probably want to shoot a couple of more shots so that you know for a fact you are sighted in.


I got one of these gun vises at WMT a couple of years ago for like $16 or something like that. The Lord only knows how much money I could have saved over the years if I would have just had one sooner.

firstshot
----------------------------------
Make your first shot count!

cool that sounds great! also the pmp stuff is for target/sghting my gun in not hunting, for hunting i get whats best but sounds like this stuff is okay and if i get it ill but a couple a boxes at once so ill still be saving, i wish i could go to the gunshop but it's 3 hours away, but i did buy my gun there and stop in whenever we can ;) . no question about using good ammo that's why i was asking about this stuff because i wasnt sure. have a link to an example of a gun vise? just not sure what a gun vise looks like :(

Bought some ammo from Europe. Military type with 147 gr bullet. Nice and shiny, looked real good. Ran it over a chrongraph using an 18 inch barrel (308 cal) and got velocities of 2000 to 2900 fps. Still have most of it and will probably break it down for components.

I shot my first elk , a cow with a .270 and Remminton coreloks at 70 yds. PMP is made in Africa, and I've only used their .45ACP in my 1911, and they're clean and accurate. But hey, there's Winchester, PMC and Reminton ammo that you can get fairly cheap too. With a BLR, a great rifle, which by the way is a real bugger to reassemble, get the decent brand name stuff to shoot, so you don't have problems. And clean it after every use. Gunsmiths I know don't particularly like to work on the BLR, because the reassembly is more complicated, so they will charge you more.

cheapest I go is remington cor-lokt or winchester powerpoint, then it gets more expensive from there for federal nosler partitions, I really need to get into reloading :(

yeah we always clean our guns after cleaning another ammo i saw for a good price was sellior and belliot not sure about that either. yeah if i get to hunt elk im definitley gonna feel confident with my .270 ;)

Sellior & Belliot is generally good ammo although the other guys are right.
It simply is easier to buy Remington or Winchester.
If you live so far from civilisation(i.e. gunshops) you really should consider reloading your own ammo.
You can have all of the stuff shipped to your door and become addicted to "rolling-your-own" like many of us. :p
It's cheaper too.....well, at least to begin with. :D
You can also be sure that you aren't risking what happen to be amazing rifles.
I wish I had the dollars to buy me a BLR...... :rolleyes:

yeah we talk about relaoding but ig euss we have to take the plunge and since we can use our friend equipment that makes it even cheaper :D . next time i go to walmart ill check their prices. unfortunatley i far away from all gun related places :mad: cant wait to shoot this thing again ;) gotta get me dad to take me to the range though i think he wants a way to succsesfully site these things in as we have had some trouble with the scopes cause the guns dont seem to very accurate no matter what we do, that why we were looking at the bench rest but the vise sounds like a good idea to, unfortunatley not my decision since my dad has the mula unless im able to get a job this summer

Don't forget that part of your rifle's inaccuracy could be because you were using such cheap ammo ... cheap ammo, among other things, can be VERY inconsistent ...

You may also want to check out your scope mounts .. make sure they are on very securely... Loose mounting can make it difficult to shoot accurately, to say the least ... :p

Here is a link to one made by Lohman. As you can see, the support leg on the right is adjustable for height.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml;jsessionid=X5GX3PG4EB0H5TQSNOFSCN4OCJVY 2IWE?id=0005821220786a&navCount=0&cmCat=srchdx&cm_ven=srchdx&cm_ite=srchdx&CM_REF=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cabelas.com%2Fproducts%2FC pod0005821.jsp&_requestid=28466

http://a1460.g.akamai.net/f/1460/1339/6h/www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/22/07/86/i220786sq03.jpg


It's Ok to sight is and practice with the inexpensive stuff (assuming it doesn't hurt your gun), but before you start hunting, make sure you resight you gun with the ammo you intend to hunt with.

firstshot
-----------------------------------------
Make your first shot count!

well i last time i was shooting i was using sellior and belliot and it worked fine, it could be the mounts ill check em next time i get it out but i think there tight. also how many rounds do you guys use to sight in before a hunt? i think were gonna start relaoding as we can see it getting really expensive especially for me. we were just looking through cabelas catolog and really liked this one even though it is more expensive it looks really nice and looks like it simplifies things a bit ;)

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jhtml?id=0031363215842a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnString=hasJS=true&_D%3AhasJS=+&QueryText=harnady+relaoding+&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jhtml.22&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=harnady+relaoding&noImage=0&returnPage=search-results1.jhtml



seems like i could be shooting good quality ammo for less than the cheap stuff so why not :) at least that's what were gonna tell my mom :D

I wish I had the dollars to buy me a BLR...... :rolleyes:


hows $550 for a .308 with leupold bases installed?

hows $550 for a .308 with leupold bases installed?
In the USA......... :(
I live in Australia.
Even H&R rifles are around the $500 mark. :rolleyes:
Let's say sahooting can very quickly become a very expensive habit here.
In fact most things can when the Australian dollar is worth 78 cents US.
The reason I started reloading was firstly, because my very first rifle was in a wildcat cartridge(.303/25) but more importantly because it was cheaper.
But enough about me.

In the USA......... :(
I live in Australia.
Even H&R rifles are around the $500 mark. :rolleyes:
Let's say sahooting can very quickly become a very expensive habit here.
In fact most things can when the Australian dollar is worth 78 cents US.
The reason I started reloading was firstly, because my very first rifle was in a wildcat cartridge(.303/25) but more importantly because it was cheaper.
But enough about me.


Man thats pretty tuff prices, it would be hard to shoot much at those cost.

Man thats pretty tuff prices, it would be hard to shoot much at those cost.
Well, it depends on how much you like shooting, doesn't it.
Remington and Winchester ammo costs about $22 per 20 for full bore centrefire like .22-250, .243, .270, .308 and 30-06.
.222 & .223 is cheaper but all in all it's still pretty pricey.
If I reload I can less than halve the price, especially if you load popular cals like those listed above, 6.5x55 or .303 Brit.
But yeah, it aint no poor man's game.
Having said that, reloading has got pricier for me because I like to play like most of us do. :D

Ouch! Ammo prices in Canada are about $20 for a box of Remington .30-06 Core-Lokts. Not too bad for a 82 cent dollar, but I reload anyway. H&R rifles are $300, much better than in Oz.

Bye
Jack

Jack ... I was at one of the local Mart-Mart's today picking up some plinking ammo ... under $12.00 for a box of Remington Core-Loct .30-06 165gr ... hard to beat that, unless you reload ...

Ouch! Ammo prices in Canada are about $20 for a box of Remington .30-06 Core-Lokts. Not too bad for a 82 cent dollar, but I reload anyway. H&R rifles are $300, much better than in Oz.
Bye
Jack
See, that sums up alot of stuff about imported goods, and more importantly, firearms here in Australia.
Check out the local distributor, Nioa Trading, for the nasty shock. :eek:
http://www.nioa.net.au/cat_firearms/hr.asp
And y'know what....Nioa aren't a bad lot.
Generally their prices are good(all things considered) but trying to stay afloat as a gun importer in Australia isn't high up on the "easy-to-do" list no matter which way you go about it. :(
But enough preaching.
blr270, have you decided whether or not to embark on that wonderful adventure us addicts like to call reloading? :D

I was at one of the local Mart-Mart's today picking up some plinking ammo ... under $12.00 for a box of Remington Core-Loct .30-06 165gr ... hard to beat that, unless you reload ...

$12.00 a box how do you people sleep of a night knowing that we're suffering like we are !!!!!!!

But seriously I am forced to reload due to the volume of ammo I shoot a year & I buy in bulk ie 10,000 primers ,Projectiles & 8lbs tins of powder I do tend to mix & match to suit as many calibres as possible !
BLR270 it's great to see a young Bloke getting into shooting & hunting! It's a great life & as for reloading you can start off with very basic equipment & in the Reloading forums there are many experianced reloaders who I'm sure will be only to glad. To help you with any advice you need :D

Dave, do you use a progressive press in order to do as many rounds at once or isn't that possible with bottle-neck cases?

I would add on to the comments, if you have had a problem with some cheap ammunition, spend a few dollars more and buy some of the US made ammunition. If you want to practice with the .308, buy some of the cheaper 'white box' or similar ammunition that has military style full metal jacket (FMJ). For hunting, one box will last a couple of years, including sighters, if you use something else for practicing.
One point, make sure the chamber is well cleaned. It is hard to get at, sometimes, and sometimes overlooked. If you had the case jammed, it is possible the chamber is dirty. Use a good brush and solvent to scrub it out, and then dry it get rid of the junk and most of the solvent. For storage, lightly oil the chamber, and wipe the chamber dry before shooting.

man i feel sorry for you guys in oz. yeah we cleaned the gun again including the breach after we took the round out. since i know as sson as i get a job im gonna want to shoot more and stuff and with .270 ammo being expensive think we will reload since were gonna be shooting for a long time so might as well start saving now. but i did the math and fore the reloading press,dies,powder,primer,shells,bullets for 500 of .308 and 500 of .270 it;s about 1,000 depending on which brands i buy, but that much ammo would cost about that much so i figure were getting the amo and the press for free ;) .

Kombie .I use a Lee turred press for all my hand gun ,hornet & .223 stuff & havent had only problems .As for the larger stuff I still use the single stage RCBS O type The smaller I think it's called a Jnr ? I also have a horndy 007 that I use on occastion to form brass .But I have used the Lee to do 25-303 when Ive been in a hurry(read to slack to load & then realise it's time to go to work) I have modified the Lee to be fully auto though ( I hope BLR270's Dad reads this) I taught my Son how to reload & the novelty has'nt worn off yet :D It's teriffic just set & check onj the odd ocassion :p ;)

im sure that's how it's gonna end up he pays for the press but i reoad everything, not a bad thing though probably a skill i will use all my life. what is the max load for the .270? also was lookig through cabelas at the different brands and was wondering which powders,primers and stuff i should use? the only thing my dad does it pay for it i have to figure all the details out :)

im sure that's how it's gonna end up he pays for the press but i reoad everything, not a bad thing though probably a skill i will use all my life. what is the max load for the .270? also was lookig through cabelas at the different brands and was wondering which powders,primers and stuff i should use? the only thing my dad does it pay for it i have to figure all the details out :)


Righto young Fella Now the first thing you have to do is get your self a good Reloading Manual ! Now there are many avalible these days & their not that expensive .I would reconmend that if you know some one who reloads ,have a look at what they have in the way of reloading manuals .
Then read up on the subject & go & have a seasion of reloading ,with anybody that as I have mentioned that already realoads .Ask Questions & lots of em ! Do,nt be shy about asking the blokes & Ladies in these forums if you have any doubts or any queris about anything ! When it comes to Max Loads . Well all they tend to do is wear out barrels & cases . To say nothing of costing more to load ! I've been a Pro hunter for more than 35yrs now & have been reloading For near on 40 yrs .I have yet to find a animal that falls deader with a mild load to one that Falls dead to a Max load !
Now for instance with the 270 there are at least 11 differant bullet weights ranging from 90gn thru to 180gn
Now I'm not sure on the fav bullet weight for deer as I do'nt really have anything to do with hunting anything I can't make a living from ! So once again ask in the hunting forum .Explain what your going to hunt ,where Your going to hunt ! This will explain if yuor going to be hunting in thick bush /forrest at close range Or if your going to be hunting on wide open places or across valleys! Explain what cals you'll be using & you'll be suprized at the wealth of information that you will get! I don't know of any shooter who is not keen to share ior learn about the art of reloading ,or shooting excetra! That is the bond that makes shooting so great !
It's the same for reloading gear .Those caterlogs look really nice with all those gadgets in them& trust me a sales person will tell you this is the best & you really need that ! Remember these people make a living out of selling this gear.So ialways say there is no need to get the most tecnical gear .Ask around see what people are using .Ask opinions on the differant powders ,primers & projectiles .
But most of all enjoy yourself ! Let it be a hobby not a task! Sorry for going on so much I hope i 've helped

Dave

im sure that's how it's gonna end up he pays for the press but i reoad everything, not a bad thing though probably a skill i will use all my life.

No doubts there. :)
And probably a hobby that will frustrate the significant other later on(unless you're very fortunate and they're addicted to it too) because of the constant experimentation it enables. :rolleyes:
More than one of us have started out 'cause it was cheaper and ended up spending more playing with possibilities. :p

what is the max load for the .270?
You're after the right answer but have the wrong question.
Pick your bullet, then pick your powder and then look at the maximum recommended load for your cartridge.
Some websites like Hodgdons list minimum and maximum loads:
http://www.hodgdon.com/data/rifle/
But it's a far better bet to buy a reloading manual with the rest of your gear when you start.
It'll give you a whole range of loads using different powders for different bullet weights and types.
Most guys usually start 10% below max for a high powered cartridge like the 270 and steadily go up be 1/2 grains until they get the most accurate load.
You're always safest to stay under the max and always watch out for tight extracting, flattened primers and split cases.
I won't, however, say it's great to push to maximum loads with a lever action though BLRs are very strong.
What's the consensus on that, BLR owners?

also was lookig through cabelas at the different brands and was wondering which powders,primers and stuff i should use? the only thing my dad does it pay for it i have to figure all the details out :)
Sounds like your dad is a brave man........ :p
Seriously though, pick an appropriate bullet for most if not all the hunting you do.
For the .270 a good 130gn is usually the bee's knees for almost all game.
And .308 Win really excels using 150gn bullets so that's probably a good weight, at least to start with.
Remember, with a scoped rifled, unless you're either very experienced(or have one of those new Multi-Zero scopes one of the European manufacturers has invented), you zero to a single load most effectively.
The above bullet weights for each cartridge combines a good mix of hitting power and speed.
Further down the track you may find either a heavier bullet(for bigger game) or a lighter one(for more velocity) may suit your needs more, but stick with these, make your rifle as accurate as it possibly can be with that load and then start to play with others.
Having your rifle bedded, the trigger adjusted and getting the mounts and scope nice and tight will also help.
At the end of the day it's a means to an end and that end is to make your rifle shoot more accurately shot after shot.
Not only is it cheaper(so long as you stick to your plan and don't start buying extra toys to play with :p )it actually enables you to maximise the attributes of your particular rifle and overcome its limitations. ;)
Anything I haven't said? :)
I do go on a bit, don't I....... :rolleyes: :D

wow thanks for all the info you guys :) , i can see that i picked the right forum to come to with my questions. was planning on getting a manual when we got the press and other equipment, havent decided on any presses or anything just saw this one and thought it looked great ;) just trying to figure out what stuff i will need and what things i want to have to make reloading quicker and easier :D aka more fun :D . i have also heard that the blr is a very strong rifle and can handle bigger loads but definitley want to hear from other blr owners ;) one other quick question how many rounds will you gut out of a pound of powder? say for a 150 grain cartridge?

There are 7000 grains in a pound. My current 308 load uses 44.2 grains of Varget under a 165 or 168gr bullet. That would give me approximately 158 reloads. Under 150's, you could shove a few more grains of powder (manual says 48 MAX), so assuming the max load was what you wanted and was actually not over max in YOUR rifle, you would get 145 reloads.

Now, if you're talking about the 270, it's a different animal. A slower powder like Hodgon's 4831 is the ticket, and under a 150, the books max load would be 56 grains, which would give you 125 reloads per pound.

Remember, just because the manual says max, you still have to work your way up because each rifle will have a different point where pressure signs appear. I am using max loads just to show you the least number or reloads you should get out of a pound of powder.

In all actuality, you should get more loads per pound. Most rifles shoot their best somewhere slightly below the maximum charge. Also, the great thing about reloading is that you can create a load with one specific purpose in mind. No need to burn full-house loads of powder with hunting bullets if you're practicing your off-hand shooting, etc.

The 308 is a great round to start with as a reloader. At least mine isn't very picky, and the combinations of powder and bullets are just about endless. The 270 isn't bad either, but not as many bullets to choose from.

Have fun, and enjoy your new obsession. I guarantee you will become a better shooter if you stick with it.

amndouglas

cool, do you guys use on type or brand of powder for all of your different loads? cant wait to start this than i wont have to make sure my dad goes to the store, now i can make all my ammo the night before so i dont have to worry about my dad shownign up with no ammo :eek: like he did memorial day :( . which bullets would work well with whiteail deer in not heavy brush but woods with some fields? thinking a 130 grain bullet will take a deer just fine. same question for the .308. also wan a general purpose bulet for target/sighting in thats a little cheaper. what presses do you guys have? just looking for options

just trying to figure out what stuff i will need and what things i want to have to make reloading quicker and easier aka more fun .
I don't want to seem a party pooper but "Quick and easy" aren't normal terms to describe reloading.
"Straight-forward and common sense" are but in a world where common sense is getting very uncommon I counsel you to be meticulous and there you'll find the fun in reloading.
I'm about the last person that could be described as an "attention-to-detail" individual but you learn to be super careful.
Look at it this way, get it wrong and you blow up a very valued firearm....at the very least. :(
Get it BADLY wrong.......well, I heard about a guy who lost part of his cheekbone and tore up his face when he overloaded a 303 Brit round for his SMLE. :(
That bolt was moving backwards very fast! :eek:
I'm just trying to say that the last thing we want to hear is that you or any other budding young hunter has ruined his gear or worst still, his face/hands/etc., because of a preventable mishap.
50,000 psi 3 inches from you face isn't something you can afford to mess with.

These are the things you must have and more than half are concerned with tolerances and safety:

Dies & shellholder
Priming tool
Press
Case guage, trimmer & chamfer tool
Powder scale & funnel
Loading block(to stand you cases up while charging)
Case lube, pad and brush
Primer pocket cleaner(maybe not a must but helpful)

Might seem like a lot but you need them & usually they aren't too pricey.
O-frame presses are good but I get by with a simple c-frame Lee Reloader.
In some ways things that speed up the process can distract you from little things that rapidly turn into big problems, like splits in the cases.
Powder throwers, as much as they're pretty dependable, don't necessarily work brilliantly with extruded powders(tiny pellets) & can suddenly get loose(if you're going quick & aren't careful) and start charging, say, 5gn more.....a big problem if you're 1 grain under max.
I'm not saying they're bad.....you just need to focus and take your time.
I weigh every load seperately.
Takes forever but at least I only do it when I know I feel like it and will focus on the task.
I'd also get a bullet puller so you can pull a bullet from an un-charged but primed case - not that anyone has ever made that mistake before..... :rolleyes:
Also saves powder and bullets if in 5 shots you find out that #2 load(which you loaded 30 rounds of) can't hit a dinner plate at 25yds. :(
Dave H churns out lots 'cause he needs it for his job and does it safe.
For the rest of us it's not a bad idea to look on it less like a sausage machine and more like making model soldiers.
One little task at a time and with care.
And with every step go back and check it.
I'm making it sound like a drag but while there are moments when I'd like to be watching the TV instead of carefully trickling the 18th 30gn load of powder onto the scale, there's few things that look cooler than seeing 20 shiny rounds lined up on your bench, with you full in the knowledge that you made them up and they are safe to go and lethally accurate. :D
Personally, the only cooler images is a mag full of them ready for the hunt and one of shiny unused ones sitting on the game you just downed with another of the same load lot. ;)
Geez, I really DO go on! :confused: :D

definitley need to pay close attantion to this stuff i agree i and i will be double checking every round i make and ones my dad makes :D , i understand it couild get pretty expensive but i undertsand that and i know in the end we will have saved money. we will probably get the stuff make like 5-10 rounds of each load and then shoot them and see what works and what doesnt ;) then we will load more of what we like. when we go hunting well load especially for the hunting conditions and game.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet this time.
This'll keep you busy for hours, blr270.
Checkout www.reloadersnest.com .
Here's the page for 130gn .270 loads:
http://reloadersnest.com/query_bw.asp?CaliberID=39&BulletWeight=130

Here's the page for .308 loads:
http://reloadersnest.com/frontpage.asp?CaliberID=57
150gn to 160gn should be fine.

Remember though, don't choose your powders because you can load both cartridges with the same one.
Also, if you find a load you like, make sure you take 10% off it and work up.
Finally, these are submitted loads.....tread carefully.
Treat them as a guide to the capability of your rifle.
As far as your 130gn bullets go the Sierra GameKing SBT, Speer Hot-Cor, Hornady SST or Interbond and the Remington Core-Lokt should all do the job fine.
The Barnes TSX & XLC or the Nosler Ballistic Tip and Partition are excellent but cost more and the deer won't be any deader.
BTW, I expect to see some pics of your first loads. ;)
My avatar is of a 303/25 load that was packing a 120gn Hornady HP.........unfortunately it was a dud. :rolleyes:
Perhaps it's a sign. :confused: :p ;)

wow lots of good info, you guys are a huge help. so any powder will work fine for both .270 and .308, are all primers the same? do certain types have advantages over others? wil definitley post pics of this stuff once we get it maybe some of my rifle to :)

Right, last reply for me.
It's almost 4a.m. in Australia right now! :eek:

wow lots of good info, you guys are a huge help. so any powder will work fine for both .270 and .308,
NO!!!! :(
Let me explain.
The 270 case has a bigger capacity and so a slow burning powder is better because it enables all the powder to burn over a longer period.
A fast powder would raise the pressure to high.
The .308, on the other hand, is shorter, has less powder space and is designed to work at very high pressure.
Hence comparatively faster powders work well in it.
While some 270 and 308 loads use the same powder they usually use different ones to maximise the different characterisitcs of each cartridge.
All powders have different burn rates and you need to choose the ones recommended for each cartridge.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here.

are all primers the same?
do certain types have advantages over others?
Nope, they aren't all the same.
I always use Winchester Large Rifle Primers, which would suit both 308 and 270, but there are many others as well as magnum primers which some people find are better for a more efficient powder burn.
Sometimes it can be the difference between a 3" group and a 0.5" group.
Check your reloading manual for the best to suit each load.

wil definitley post pics of this stuff once we get it maybe some of my rifle to :)
Good.
But please, first learn the sections in the manual about the 308 and 270 backwards and memorise the reloading steps like your life depends on it.
Because it does. ;)

cool so a slower burning powder for me and afstaer one for my dads, will use the winchester primers i geuss. will definitley be careful as i like my face as it is ;) . nw im gonna lookm at the different presses and see which one is gonna work for what we need and what we are gonna want ot od in the future :D

G'day Blr270 Mate your on the right track now I see ! The secret of reloading is to be like a person who builds pressicion models for a past time! It is a labour of love! Not a Race to be won at any cost! Even though I tend to load about 1000rnds at a time! I still weigh my Charges on a scale every 10 rnds.As I do'nt trust a powder thrower to be deadly accurate!It all boils down to slowly ,slowly wins the race! Belive me there aint nothing better than going to the range to sight your rifle in & have some one using the same cal coment that your rifle seems to be shooting a lot tighter than theirs!
Anytime I'm working up a new load or loading to go up the range I only use my single stage 'o'type press & scales to weigh each charge out presisley to the reconmended min load or to the load that I have worked up to to get the most out of a particular rifle /hand gun!
The average Rifle shooter /hunter would'nt come close to using the number of rounds I use for work (Ok you handgunners be quiet :p ) So you have the lucxury of time on your side ! Several companies like Lee for instance sell a Beginers kit that includes a O type press ,Scales & all the other essentials that Kombie mentioned ! All you then need is your Dies for your & your dad's calibres & of course the gear to fill em & your off!
As far as powders go look up any reloading data for either cartrage & you will get an idea of what you need by way of powder As for Projectiles I wont even try & advise you there I tend to use Speer or Seirra( & even Winchester 40gns in my Hornet) Once again ask for opinions & study the forums ! I personaly like Winchester primmers & yes both the 270 & 308 both use large rifle primmers

tkanks a lot guys, benn looking around and found a few presses that couaght my eye :D

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jhtml?id=0024166215292a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnString=hasJS=true&_D%3AhasJS=+&QueryText=reloading+press&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jhtml.22&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=reloading+press&noImage=0&returnPage=search-results1.jhtml

this one also looks good but is a turret style, what does this do for you just make reloading faster?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jhtml?id=0031353215765a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnString=hasJS=true&_D%3AhasJS=+&QueryText=reloading+press&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jhtml.22&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=reloading+press&noImage=0&returnPage=search-results1.jhtml



this one seems to have everything and the is based on the rock chucker, which you guys reccomended

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jhtml?id=0018937214924a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnString=hasJS=true&_D%3AhasJS=+&QueryText=reloading+press&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jhtml.22&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=reloading+press&noImage=0&returnPage=search-results1.jhtml


these all looked like good begginer kits that had most everything i would need

My favorite online shooting store:

www.midwayusa.com

enjoy

jonas

yeah that site looks great, i like how they tell you how many are availible and if not when they will be getting them in :eek:

blr.270,
your enthusiasm is endless :D Keep on keeping on but please remember to be like a "master student"-read, reread,reread then apply. Pay particular attention to adjusting your dies, and for safety sake when weighing powder make sure you're focus is not askew or distracted. Most reloading manuals will be the same in the "steps" for reloading but will vary with jacketed bullets and powder makes and charges, as mentioned start at the "preferred" minimum charge and work your way up(never exceed the max. charge) to where you're bullet will hit precisely as it should -all things being equal of course. No two rifles will shoot the same, suppose it is similiar to people(handle with care). What is so good about a single stage press that it enables you to repeat individual process of reloading that soon you establish an understanding that maybe a progressive will not do until you make too many errors and do something dangerous to yourself or to someone else. Our advice is based on actuall experience and safety, with both you will experience what we all do - great joy in our abilities to establish a fine bullet that is not only accurate but SAFE! Buy that Rock Chucker kit - it will work just dandy. Make sure you build it on a strong and sturdy table and also have some shelves-keep your area clean and safe. I am sure you will be the most happiest young man in your area when you built your first bullet that was built properly and safely-then go SHOOT! SHOOT! and SHOOT some more.

yep im really excited about starting this and actually getting to go shooitng again :( . we have a perfect spot in our garage for the press to mount right under a bunch of cabinets to. i'll defintley have to memorize the manual before reloading becuase im obsessive especially when it comes to new shooting toys :D but i might have to watch my dad to keep him from blowing himslef up :p . definitley looking closly at the rcbs turret deluxe reloading kit and the dillon AT 500 and Lyman ultimate t-mag kit. there all fairly close in price, does anyone have any of these?

I started out with a RCBS rockchucker supreme kit and it has served me well, you will certainly get more volume out of a Dillon press, but unless you are going to be shooting competitively, you will probably be fine with a single stage press. I would reccommend looking for a brand of bullets that you like (I like noslers and hornady's) and get their relooading manual (nosler's will be cheaper, Hornady is 2 hardback books) It is definately worth getting before you get the press. also, about your dads rifle, check the chamber to make sure there is no rust, if there is, it will freeze a case in the chamber, I had it happed to me in my .223 with a loaded round, but that is another story. Good luck, also, check out the handloading forums here, they will provide lots of good info/reading

we checked and cleaneed my dads rfle real good as soon as we got the case out. i have a thread in the reloading equipment as well. gonna try to get a manual as soon as i find one, for bullets what would you reccomend for target rounds? for hunting i was looking a winchester and hornady. would remington bullets work well for target rounds?

for bullets what would you reccomend for target rounds? for hunting i was looking a winchester and hornady. would remington bullets work well for target rounds?
That's a fairly academic question.
What do you mean by target rounds?
I usually work out the load that works best, keeping in mind that's also dictated by the bullet, and use it for whatever shooting I do with that rifle unless there is a real difference in game size.
I guess if you want to pump out round after round at the range then you might want to find some cheaper bullets but the BLR is no target rifle.
Maybe the best thing to do is find a cheaper bullet as close to your preferred hunting bullets (i.e. spitzer/hollowpoint/boat tail/etc.) and the same weight and see if you can load them to perform similar to your hunting rounds.
That way all you'll have to do is make a small adjustment at the range before heading out to hunt.
To be honest though, using the same load for all your shooting is just so much easier.
Plinking is all very well with a 7.62x39 or a .22lr but if you have a good accurate load for a high powered rifle it's much better to shoot 20 or 30 shots that are all super tight than 100 that can look like a vegetable drainer.

well i want a bulet to sight my gun in and maybe for plinking but main use would be for sighting in the i'll setup a load i like for hunting and stick with that. just wanted to have a cheaper bullet to sight in before using my favorite load/bullet. after it is sighted in i'll probably never need to go back to them just stick with my hunting round and yeah i'll come up with one load unless i go wih elk later on.

I wouldn't bother developing a seperate sight-in load and hunting load, You should probably be able to get your gun sighted in with 10-15 rounds with a little planning. 2 different brands of bullets, even if they are the same style and weight will shoot somewhat differently. You would have to check your point of impact/ sight in with the hunting loads anyway. I have 2 loads for my .243 because I use 1 for groundhogs and a competition that my gun club holds and 1 for deer. 100 grain bullets are just too much on groundhogs. What I do is, sometime after the close of deer season and before the spring shoot season starts, I zero my rifle with the 58 gr. V-Max load then in the fall, after the summer shoots are over, I zero with the 100 grainers.

yeah i geuss ill get one brand bullets i like and use those for everything, un less i move up to elk ;)

Sounds like a wiser move.
A 130gn general purpose load and a 150gn load for elk that you re-zero for when needed.
To be honest, unless you find a cheaper type of bullet that really performs, it's false economy to try and save money on hunting bullets.
If you finally see that trophy buck and plant the bullet where it should be only to leave a massive surface wound with no penetration and have the animal get away it was silly to try and save $5 or $10 here or there. :(
You also can't really afford to mess around with 2nd rate bullets in a cartridge like the 270 which has the reputation of a flat trajectory and a hard hitter on game.
Slower moving bullets have less initial stress upon them on impact but a .270 pushes bullets almost to magnum velocities per bullet weight and you can't afford to mess with bullets that expand too quickly.
So far, in buying factory ammo, the manufacturer has made all the decisions for you, apart from projectile mass.
Now, as an active party in what exits from the barrel of your gun and how fast it does this, you have a lot more variables.
My primary load is designed for soft skinned, medium sized game i.e. kangaroos, and the bullet I use satifies this requirement.
Work out your game, ask fellow 270 owners(especially those who use a BLR) and then take a punt on what you think may suit your rifle best. ;)

definitley was never gonna skimp on hunting rounds cause if i see a deer i want to know for sure y round is gonna go where i point it and when it get's there bambe better be dead ;)