270 WSM

[m77]

My wife just bought me a new Ruger M77 All Weather in a 270 WSM. I have the best wife in the whole world. I am looking for suggestions in a couple areas from the best experts in the field. #1 - Recommendation for scope. And #2 - Recommendation for factory ammo.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions.

[shortpants]

Scopes are a very personal choice. Spend the time shopping around and look through as many as you can. This may sound funny to most of you but I think you should spend more money on your scope than you do on your rifle. I chose Leopuld. I have always had good luck with federal premium bullets but it depends on what your rifle likes. Try a few brands out and go with what shoots the best. Also visit the forum about breaking in a new rifle in the rifle hunting section on this site. Good info on there.

[m77]

Thanks Shortpants. I agree the scope is a personal choice and I also have always bought Leopuld. But I've been stuck on the 3x9s. It's kind of a traditional choice. I was hoping to elicit some non-traditional comments on some of the 4.5 x 14s or others.

 

Also, the federal premiums are an excellent choice. Again, it's the round I shot out of my 30-06. I've read some of the reloader comments in other forums, but I haven't taken the time to learn reloading. Are there other factory loads that will give me superior down range shocking power and flatter tragectory?

 

By the way, where did the name SHORTPANTS come from?????

 

Thanks again, Al

[SunDevil]

might want to check into those new BDC (bullet drop compensator) scopes Nikon came out with this year.

[m77]

SunDevil, I looked at Nikon scopes with the BDC and talked to a sales rep about them. I need to read more about the scope. He stated that they come with tabs that tell you which BDC lines to hold depending on the weight of the bullet. It sounded like a lot of messing around. Maybe target shooting, but not hunting!!!!

 

Thanks SunDevil, Al

[shortpants]

What about that new leupold with the mil dot reticle? I forget what the name of it is. I'm going to try fusion bullets this year. Horniday makes a bullet known as the S.S.T. It is offered in a light-magnum which is cool. That just means they use a hotter primer. You can get a little better ballistics with those but again it's what your gun likes. If you narrow it down to a couple of different bullets and you like the ballistics better of one but the other shoots a little better, try a different grain and see if it helps. As far as the name SHORTPANTS, I am legally considered a dwarf and I usually don't wear any pants. Usually nobody says anything because I'm a minority and I can do whatever I want!

[DUG]

For a riflescope Leupold all the way.

[AzBuckCHaser1]

leopold are great have a 4 *14 *50 bc retectical great scope

[out2hunt]

Hornaday,my rifle loves em.I also shoot with leopuld 3x9x40 goldring variex 3.

[Couesdeer]

I, too, am a bona-fide Leupold junkie and would second the recommendation that you look at a 4.5-14 or whatever other magnification tickles your fancy. However, that being said, I'm also really impressed with weaver's Grand Slam line of scopes. Lots of glass for the money.........

 

I don't know nuthin' about factory ammo.... Been reloading too long!

[DEERSLAM]

A Leupold in 4.5x14x40 with the Boone&Crockett reticle would be a great choice for your .270WSM.

[m77]

Thanks for all the replies. Leupold seems to hold an overwhelming edge to it's competitors. I like the idea of the 4.5 x 14 but I also don't want to overshot my abilities. I feel I would have to do a lot more target practice to reach the range levels associated with a 14 power scope. It'll probably be another 3 x 9 x 40. I'll try working up with lots of range shooting.

 

I also thought of Hornady ammo, but when I visited their website I didn't find 270 WSM ammo available.

 

What kind of ballistics are you guys getting out of your 270 WSMs with factory or reloaded ammo??

 

Thanks again, Al

[Red Rabbit]

The 4.5-14 range is nice for the southern AZ mountains. The Zeiss Conquest are sharper and brighter than the Leupolds to my eyes. The Leupolds VX-III's are no slouches though. Compare their eye reliefs. Another very useful range is the 3.5-10.

 

I would prefer using target turrets to the B&C/ Ballistic Plex reticles though.

 

RR

[shortpants]

The 4.5-14 range is nice for the southern AZ mountains. The Zeiss Conquest are sharper and brighter than the Leupolds to my eyes. The Leupolds VX-III's are no slouches though. Compare their eye reliefs. Another very useful range is the 3.5-10.

 

I would prefer using target turrets to the B&C/ Ballistic Plex reticles though.

 

RR

Your right R.R. the conquest is brighter and slightly better eye relief, however, because their both so good it just comes down to what you really like. If I were a rich man I'd have both! I went with the leupold for your second reason(turrets). I got my scope through premere reticles.com. They specialize in only leupold scopes. Their website is worth checking out. You can choose from several different reticle options and their reticles are etched on the inside of the lens (glass) as opposed to wire crosshairs. One more suggestion M77, with the 4.5-14 scope you don't have to crank it to 14, but at least you have the option.

[.270]

get a vari x III and fergit about it. i prefer 40mm myself, and we all know i'm the smartest guy around. my kid has a .270 wsm. a tikka. he loads 100 gr hornadys real fast with RL19 and loves it. he has shot several coues deer and a near b&c muley with it and it works real well. his buddy dropped a 6x7 bull in it's tracks with a lungshot at around 400 yards with it last year. i'd rather have a little heavier bullet for elk, but it worked fine. i'd think any factory load that doesn't have a plastic tip should work well. Lark.