re: .270 Question

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The other school of thought is that violently expanding bullets drop deer faster which is typically true, but if the deer does run out out of sight you won't have much blood trail to follow. You probably get a good many bang-flops with the .243 and gamekings, but I doubt hitting the off side shoulder exits reliably. The doe I shot made it about 5 feet.

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Think the best thinking is to follow along what works in law enforcement which are heavy-for-caliber projectiles that are built to retain mass for penetration even if giving up some expansion to do so. Bullets do not settle into a perfectly spin-stabilized trajectory the instant they leave the barrel, it can take as much as 100yds for the bullet tip to settle out of precession. Lighter, faster bullets generally take longer than heavier, slower ones all else being equal. If the bullet is still yawing when it strikes then a design that relies on hitting flat on the point for expansion and rapid energy deposit while leaving the base to penetrate forward will not be close as effective, breaking up before enough penetration has occurred.

I don't think you'll have much problem with them coming apart, but I don't think they'll be ideal. They'll probably have the same issue as the .270win unless they use a different, heavier built bullet for the WSM. They'll open up great, but it will happen too early and too violently and they won't penetrate like they should.

With a fast WSM, I would probably shoot a top shelf bonded or solid copper bullet at deer. At close range you're going to have some screaming impact speed and you'll want a premium bullet that will perform in those conditions.

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Problem is, my tikka LOVES core lokts,

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Every rifle loves corelokts

It won't be hard to find something else that it likes. I would definitely use a modern bullet designed for shooting deer with the short mag. You're going to shoot much more deer close than you will far, and traditional stuff probably won't be consistent at close range.

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My AR-10 doesn't like the Barnes all that well.

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Just out of curiosity have you tried changing the jump?

I seated all my bullets at .050 off the lands and I couldnt get better than 1.5" groups on my Bolt action 270wsm. I loaded the same charge in 32 rounds. I started with .020 off lands 4 rounds each, and increased the jump .005 increments.

I got a 1/2" group like that.

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I have several friends who had issues with .270s for some odd reason.

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Its all I have ever shot and I have had some run and some drop dead. I double lunged one and she ran 100 yds. Blood everywhere until she just ran out of blood or it coagulated to where it was minimum.

I had to get a few people to help me find her because the only blood at 50-70yds was a speck and then nothing. Its not easy at night with flash lights. We have dogs now so its not a big deal anymore. If I see a mature buck I try to drop him. A doe is getting shot behind the shoulder though. I want her to run to give my dog more practice.

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Just out of curiosity have you tried changing the jump?

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I haven't. That will be the next process.

I don't remember exactly what his recipie was, but it was something along the lines of a 120gr accubond at 3400fps or something crazy like that. It was hauling arse.

I think the most consistent terminal performance I ever got was a 6.5x55 swede with 140gr core locts. That damn thing was coming out no matter where you put it. I never recovered one and between me and my brother we shot a pile of deer with it.

Only thing I don't like about solid copper bullets is the seriously increased engraving force of the rifling cutting in. They are going to increase the wear no matter how they are loaded, especially at the leade.