The 270 never caught on with long range because it burns a ton of slow fuel and is a barrel torch, at least in that line of work. Yes the 6 and 6.5-284 has its fans, but it has waned for the same reasons. A hunter can dial in his 270 without too many rounds and use the same barrel forever. A target shooter can roast a barrel in a season or two; it's similar to the 243 in this regard.
This simply isn't the reason.
For decades, NRA high power competition, aggregates at 200, 300, and 600 yards, required the use of the 30-06 cartridge. None others were allowed. So good boat tailed .308 diameter bullets were invented for match shooting, first the military's 173 grain bullet (originally developed to mazimize range by wlevating a machine gun instead of using artillery) and later Sierra's 168, 180, and 190 grain Match Kings.
1000 yard matches, however, had no cartridge limitations. Since good long range .308 caliber bullets were available, the logical step was to use faster 30 caliber cartridges, first the .300 H&H and later the .300 Winchester magnum.
A similar process in Europe yielded good boat tailed 6.5mm bullets of around 140 grains. So available long range target bullets were either 6.5mm or .308 inch. There were none in .25 or .270 caliber until much later.
A 14 grain difference in powder weight means abaloutely nothing, just as when .30 calibers were required for 1000 yard matches, the difference in capacity between a 30-06 and a .300 Magnum meant nothing.
I agree with this for the most part. I as much said the same. The 6.5s and 30s were military based cartridges. 277s and .257s were always hunting cartridges. However, both are excellent for this. The .25-06 and the .257 Weatherby and the .270 Win. and the .270 WBY are all great long range performers. If you feed 'em the right bullets they can do anything the .264s and .30s can do.
On a slightly different note, there is nothing sweeter than a good accurate .25-06 or even .257 Roberts, or .270 Winchester for hunting deer. They're relatively flat shooting, they aren't generally known as shoulder stompers, and in a good rifle they're all known to be pretty accurate. I shoot a .257 AI and a .270 Win. and I feel totally confident with either. I even have a lowly .250 Savage that for White Tail I feel totally in control with. They all three are totally sweet.
And another point. There's a lot of talk about their not being enough different bullet choices for these two diameters. But for whitetail deer and similar size game the bullet choices offered are all that's needed for what they were designed to do. There's more than enough weights and shapes. And every major bullet maker makes excellent bullets for them.
Last edited by Filaman; 04/28/19.
What goes up must come down, what goes around comes around, there's no free lunch. Trump's comin' back, get over it!
