Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Perfect battery for a serious Hunter--choose ONE

After having spent a lot of money and thought on the issue I have concluded that the perfect battery for 99% of rifle hunters is one 270 Winchester.

I just returned from The Sheep Show in Reno and am headed for SCI in Las Vegas next week. You can spend a huge amount of money dragging your 270 Winchester around the world. There are a few times, and I mean few times, when something bigger is needed and then go 375 or 416.

For the rifle nut who needs to build multiple rifles, you can build one 270 after another to improve on the rifle package. I can't think of any better cartridge especially when one considers worldwide availability of ammo, weight, recoil, bullet performance, ease of use, velocity, etc.

There are arguments for other cartridges but I believe in becoming very familiar with one cartridge.

Poor ingwe...........

Same could be said of the 30-06, 300 WM, or 338 WM. If you regularly hunt heavy animals in thick cover, I'd go heavier than the 270. If you regularly hunt lighter-boned animals in semi-arid country, I'd go lighter than the 338.

But they all work.


Okie John

I think your choice is a solid one. Still, cartridges are more alike than different… there is an endless supply of superb, all-around cartridges, but as the saying goes, "where are the all-around hunters"?

For my own use I could be happy with the 270, 30–06, 308 or 7-08. You could spend a lifetime with any of those and likely see little or no difference between them in the field. I also think the smart thing to do is have two rifles chambered for the same cartridge with slightly different platforms. One light weight, and one midweight or heavyweight.

At the end of the day I think you just have to pick something that speaks to you personally and "make it your own." Then you've achieved something you can speak about with a tiny bit of authority.

Lol

That's precisely what I have with my 270's. Of course these days I almost always grab the lightweight ones..........

The other thought is: If RL26 continues to pan out (nor have I given up on IMR7977) it has bumped the 270W into another realm--almost where the 270WM is at, especially if longer barrel lengths in the 270W produce the expected increase in velocity with such slow burning powder(s). The Alliant data is suggesting RL26 benefits the 270W and 243 the most. It's almost as though it's a "specialty" powder. Of course as the loonies try it in other cartridges that may change.

Casey

LOL x2.

I've got a bunch of rifles, but I've killed more game with the 270 WCF than any other. It'll do most anything needin' done in NA.

must hurt to be so repressed

You could make the same claim with at least a half dozen other cartridges........IMO its way more about your choice in rifle than it is about any particular cartridge..........Hb

I would have no problem with a 270, but for me the same arguments can be made for my 30-06.

And now I am starting to switch toward the 308. Better powders, tougher lighter bullets, make it do what I need with less recoil.

Didn't Mule Deer run some chrono. numbers with a 26" tubed 270Win? Seemed like he got some numbers that were VERY close to what a 270 Roy runs from a 26" barrel?

For all thin-skinned game across the globe, = 7mm Mag.

For both thin-skin and DG (sub .375cal legal) I would not hesitate with .300 magnum/ softs & FN solids.

RinB,

I can't think of anything I've hunted with in the last 40+ years that impressed me more than the 270.





Trystan

There are a number of reasonable picks.
The major point is to have ONE.

If in a hurry to make a decision with no time to gack about it i'd have to slum the ’06. Can't really see where it's not equal to others and better than most.

G

The .270 licks the boots of the 30-06

The only chrono results I've seen from Mule Deer were with a 22" bbl.
That's the length of bbl I've using while messing with RL26. Usually with a 270 a guy can expect another 20-25fps per inch of bbl.

Casey

.......And in terms of downrange ballistics in all categories and wind drift, the 30-06 licks the boots of a few cartridges as well.

Turnabout is fair play.

Oh stop it........

The 30-06 does everything a 270 does however it whips up on the 270 pretty good in the recoil department.

Hunt smarter.....not harder




Trystan