New 27 Nosler Revives the .277

[MikePal]

The prelude to the article will make Fox happy....he's not the only one who disses the .270

Not long ago, the .270 Winchester reigned supreme. From the post–World War II era right up to the early 2000s, the .270 was a colossus among big-game hunting cartridges, a mighty twin of the immortal .30/06. During that time, if you could get ammunition-makers to open their books, you’d have seen that the .270 was one of the top three or five bestsellers in their lineups.

In 1970, Jack O’Connor, who was a major force behind the .270’s ascendance, said that by his estimation, more custom sporting rifles had been chambered in that cartridge than in any other in the postwar years. Not many cartridges can claim that kind of longevity and success. It was a hell of a run. Then 2007 happened.

The 6.5 Creedmoor had just been introduced and would soon become the dominant centerfire cartridge for a new generation of shooters and hunters. However, the 6.5 Creedmoor was only the most conspicuous piece in a series of trends that dethroned the .270. Like the submerged and unseen bulk of an iceberg, those other factors were what ripped the hull out of the status quo that had kept a handful of cartridges floating at the top of the sales charts year after year. Some cartridges, such as the .30/06 and .308, kept chugging along. Others, such as the .270, sank like jettisoned ballast.

Today, as a result, cartridges that don’t have a reputation for superior accuracy—​backed up by success in competition—or that don’t fill a specific niche are having a rough go of it. As one of the great general-purpose big-game rounds of all time, but one with no competitive accolades, the .270 couldn’t keep up and has fallen on hard times.

Intro to the next great cartridge....the 27 Nosler:

Nosler has just announced another addition to its family of eponymous cartridges, the 27 Nosler. Like the other long-​action magnum cartridges in the lineup—the 26, 28, 30, and 33—the 27 derives from the .404 Jefferies case, though the preproduction ammo I’ve been shooting was formed by necking down 30 Nosler brass.

As would be expected, the 27 Nosler is a powerhouse. In my rifle, one of Nosler’s M48s with a 26-inch carbon-fiber barrel, the 150-grain AccuBond bullets registered an average muzzle velocity of 3129 fps. (Note: These were handloads, so the factory velocities might be different.) I set up the rifle so that it hit 1.5 inches high at 100 yards, giving the bullet a 240-yard zero. At 300 yards, the bullet has dropped less than 3.5 inches, and the holdovers at 350 and 400 yards amount to 7.5 and 13 inches, respectively. This kind of flat-shooting performance has made hunters swoon since the first ballistic tables tumbled off the Gutenberg press.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/story...vives-the-277/

[Snowwalker]

It's nice to see developers still working and the numbers are impressive. I personally will wait to see if it can hold enough market share for ammo, components and rifles to be commonly available.

What will the cost of ammo be? How available will ammo be? What bullets are going to be available?

Is it going to be better for "me" then a 7mm calibre?

[MikePal]

I think there is, or markets are leaning towards, a resurgence in Long Range shooting. A lot of the shooting developments seem to be flavouring long range gear. I think the new ballistic scopes are a big reason, you don't have to do all the calculations by hand and the hit probabilities are much better.

This is also evident in the Muzzle Loader world, a few new long range guns on the market.

[Fox]

For the record, I don't diss the cartridge, I just really have problems with the jerk who pushed during my formative years, ha ha.

The .277 bullet is quite rare for hunting cartridges, there are 4 that you will find out there.

The 6.5mm and the 7mm now have so many more cartridges around and a huge variation in bullet weights.

The 6.5mm from Hornady there is a range from 95-160gr
The .277 from Hornady there is a range from 100-150gr
The 7mm from Hornady there is a range from 120-190gr

Maybe bringing in some new .277 bullet cartridges will boost the bullet options for the 270 and some better BC numbers as well, if the consider these cartridges target cartridges like the 6.5 CM and the 6.5 PRC.

[Snowwalker]

For the record, I don't diss the cartridge, I just really have problems with the jerk who pushed during my formative years, ha ha.

The .277 bullet is quite rare for hunting cartridges, there are 4 that you will find out there.

The 6.5mm and the 7mm now have so many more cartridges around and a huge variation in bullet weights.

The 6.5mm from Hornady there is a range from 95-160gr
The .277 from Hornady there is a range from 100-150gr
The 7mm from Hornady there is a range from 120-190gr

Maybe bringing in some new .277 bullet cartridges will boost the bullet options for the 270 and some better BC numbers as well, if the consider these cartridges target cartridges like the 6.5 CM and the 6.5 PRC.

Just saying I'll wait to see if it catches on.

I don't mind "safe queens" if they have history, but not one that just has little or no use to me.

[canadaman30]

I dont understand how a cartridge (6.5cm) that has less energy and 7inchs more drop at 500yds can dethrone a 270? The only thing it beats it in, is having less recoil. The only trend were seeing is newer shooters are more afraid of recoil than in the past..lol. Nothing wrong with a smaller lighter recoiling rifle, and if it makes a shooter have more confidence in their ability then all the power to them.

[MikePal]

I dont understand how a cartridge (6.5cm) that has less energy and 7inchs more drop at 500yds can dethrone a 270?

Faster twist rate better accuracy...

[Big Jack]

This is also evident in the Muzzle Loader world, a few new long range guns on the market.

Funny you mention this. I just had a conversation with Luke at Arrowhead rifles about a new build that I would like him to price.

I’m thinking of doing a 6.5 ML as a longe range 1000 meter firearm.

The benefit to this is next to no extreme spread. On ten shots I would see under 10 FPS ES most times I don’t see over 3 FPS spread in three shots in 458 cal.

The 358 ML I had would spit out a 2650 FPS reading over and over and over again.

Taking the case out of the equation changes much.

He suggested I not dismiss the 458 for that distance as it currently is being achieved.

I intend to test his theory late this year.

[canadaman30]

Faster twist rate better accuracy...

Rifle build also a huge contributing factor for accuracy.

[oaknut]

Rifle build also a huge contributing factor for accuracy.

It does but it's so much more work to get the 270 to catch the CM in the accuracy department. Couple that with brilliant advertising and the CM being designed for an AR platform makes a great selling chambering.

Parent case makes a big difference in accuracy. It's a strange phenomenon, take the 308 vs 30-06, the two are so close that it's difficult to see much ballistic difference. The 308 is still near the top as the most accurate chambering for extreme long range but the 06 seems to crap out and it's very difficult to make it group beyond 500 yards.

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