Left Hand m70 classic for hunter silhouette

[chupiw]

I just purchased a new M70 Classic Left hand in .270.  I am thinking of trying silhouette.  I picked this rifle because it is the only left hand rifle that fits me perfect.  The balance and handling qualities are great, and I can hold this rifle steadier in the offhand position than any other I have tried.  I dont Intend to win any championships with this gun.  My main purpose is to sharpen my shooting skills for hunting.  And I just want to go out and have a good time at the range.  I am bored with punching holes in paper and want something different.  I recently went to a local match one of the competitors let me try out his rifle on the rams, after the match.  I was really surprised at the effort and concentration it takes to hold on the target, but I am intrigued by this sport.  Eventually when I wear out the barrel I will have it converted to a 6.5x55, I love this caliber, and even if I wasn't interested in silhouette I would still have the conversion done.  Now that I have let everyone know where I am coming from I would like a few suggestions.  What would be a halfway decent load suggestion for the .270 for me to start with? I know that this round generates more recoil than needed, but it is what I have to work with until I put some wear on the barrel and hav it replaced. :wink:    Also, I have been doing research on scopes, and have heard good things about Leupolds, except for tracking problems.  Has this problem been resolved with the new VX3 series?  Also how about the Zeiss conquest series? Would appreciate any opinions no matter how harsh or kind,  Thanks

[anthonyg]

hi  your choice of the 270 is ok not the greatest silhouette round  i shot the 270 and 3006 in matches and it was fun  the first thing i would do is break in the barrel then i would load the 135 sierra matchkings using reloader19 or any med .slow powder that shoots good in your rifle you will need APP..2800 FPS. to knock over the rams i would definitely molly the bullets. you will get many more shots out of the barrel before it fouls up as far as a scope goes i have mostly all leupolds  24x to 36x  you can buy a 12x varmit  leup.. or the 6.5 to 20leup.  good luck have fun enjoy shooting silhouettes                           anthony GARG. :grin:

[ajj]

The large case capacity is the .270's main problem as a silhouette round, plus a somewhat limited choice of bullets. That said, there is no reason not to use and enjoy it, especially if you like handloading. I don't load this caliber but I would approach it the same way I do some others. Find a mild load of fast burning powder for the three closer animals. H or IMR 4895 is advertised as performing well with reduced loads. Lowering muzzle blast along with recoil is a good thing. There are other powders in this general range that would probably work fine...Rl 15, 4064, maybe Varget. Certainly, consult a loading manual. A 130 bullet at 2500 is more than enough for chickens-pigs-turkeys. If you really like experimenting, you might got to a lighter bullet for these animals and save the heavy loads for the rams. Don't get fanatical about accuracy just yet. More is better, of course, but you want to spend your range time and components practicing and competing. Welcome to the greatest of the shooting sports.