Hey all-

I recently inherited a 1953 vintage Winchester Model 70 in .270 Win.

Yes, it shoots about how you would expect. Amazing.

I am looking for advice and experience with hunting bullets. I want to start loading for sheep, moose, and deer. It won't be my primary rifle for grizzly but I would like to find a load that will do, in an emergency.

Right now, I'm going with the Hornady Interlock 140 gr pill. What do y'all think of it, in this role?

My other consideration was the Nosler Partition, hoping for more penetration.

Moose are pretty soft, unless you are trying to smash both shoulders with one bullet. Grizzlies are just tanks.

Thoughts?

Bruce

I don’t own or load the 270, but the 140 grain Hornady interlock sounds about right. I have used the 165 grain interlock a lot with the 308 for deer. Once one gets to an adequate big game bullet, placement starts to become much more important than relatively small differences in construction. I have seen this play out many times over the years.

As one goes with a smaller round for the intended game, I can see using the very best bullet possible. As an example, using the 223 for deer hunting.

I had a gunsmith who used a 243 for elk hunting, worked for him. He was very disciplined picking shots, private ranch, modest range, good bullet.

Being a reloader, part of the shtick is creating a top load for the hunt. I was elk hunting about 5 years ago, 300WSM. There are endless choices with 30cal hunting bullets. I loaded the classic 180 grain partition, but I liked the accuracy of the 165 grain Sierra gameking better. If one did a net poll, the 165 grain gameking would seem to blasé to get in the top 10 listing. As events(and luck) transpired I was offered a closer shot on a 5x5 bull, one shot in the neck & my hunt was over.

I just came back helping with a relative who guides for black bear hunting. He had 3 hunters this period, outcome was 2 bear that each went less than 40 yards & one wounded, not recovered. The one wounded had zero to do with bullet quality, 30-06. I know another guy who wounded an elk years ago, he was talking about a bigger gun, at first I thought he was joking. He related the story of shooting the elk in the butt with his 300WSM, 150 grain ballistic tip factory load. I can easily find a few problems with how events played out for him.

I’ll sit around the woodstove & talk bullets with the best of them. In the end I then fall back to proper placement of whatever suitable bullet will be used.

100% agree on shot selection and placement.

I'm fairly confident in the Interlock not exploding if it hit something substantial. I don't plan to aim at shoulder bones but I'm fairly certain it would destroy 1 shoulder on a moose with likely damaging both lungs.

I feel like the Partition would probably do 1 shoulder, both lungs, and a guaranteed exit wound even if it hit the offside shoulder.

I would be less puckered about shooting a grizzly with the Partition but that's probably all in my head. Only my 45/70 would make me confident, there.

Bruce

I've taken several Elk with my Model 70 using the Winchester 130gr Silver tips. Longest shot was over 300 yards. Most recent was a cow at 150 yards thru the shoulder. She didn't go very far before she became hooves up. Yes, placement is everything.

I would use the same bullet for Moose but would want a little more lead for a grizzly.

I think I would like to try out a monolithic like this:
https://www.hornady.com/bullet...al-.277-130-gr-cx#!/

It expands at the tip but it's solid copper, all the way through.

You won't need anything more than what's in your OP. Of course that will get boring, so you'll likely try all kinds of stuff...only to reach for the good ol' interlocks again.

That's been my own experience anyway.