Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting For guys that have owned these THREE - .270, .308, 30-06

Using modern Factory Ammo only (no reloads), is there any real difference between these 3 cartridges on deer sized game in YOUR experience? I'm admittedly a weekend hunter and am not nearly as knowledgeable as most people on here when it comes to hunting and rifles.
I've always wanted to try still hunting whitetails, but where I'm at a lot of the hardwoods have been cut over. All that's left is thick $chitt and clear cuts. Think a .270 would be ideal in this scenario (looking out over cuts), or are all 3 basically identical? I've researched and read about things that is above my know how such as a lot of stuff written about the .270 was based on older powders and that modern .308 factory can almost match its performance, etc. I'm sure a ton of guys here have used all three rounds. Which would you pick for this type of hunting?

Differences can be found by bullet weight and design.If hunting thick cutovers where shots will be less than ideal,I'd pick up the '06....

I have all 3 and have killed elk with all 3. You can't go wrong with any of em. The 06 will kick a little more than the other two. I would probably choose the 308, but honestly on deer to 250 yds, you won't be able to tell the difference.

I have owned all 3, and while you probably won't be able to tell the difference in the field, the '06 is the king in my opinion and you can never go wrong with it with your circumstances.

If you aren't a reloader the '06 would be first pick simply because of largest selection of factory ammo, and most easily found/afforded factory ammo.

Does not matter but 06 would be my choice. Ed k

No, no real difference. In my experience all 3 kill whitetails from 20-250 yards equally dead.

Honestly, not really any difference for most all uses.

The .270 should recoil slightly less. My 120lbs wife shoots hers comfortably. The .308 may be a little lighter and have a shorter bolt pull because it's a short action. And the 06 has lots of ammo choices from light to heavy.

Me personally if I only had one it would be the '06. Lots of ammo options. Can load light 110s (and even lighter with some unconventional methods) all the way up to 250s. And ammo can typically be found cheap almost anywhere for all three.

For your uses, I don't think it will matter which you choose.

Far more important is the fit and feel of the rifle to you and the optics you choose to put on it.

-Jake

I own all 3. I have killed quite a lot of deer, elk and antelope with all 3.
With one of my 270s I have also killed Mountain Lions and domestic cattle and horses .
I have also killed bears with 2 of of my 30-06s.

But you kick me out of the pool.

You see, other than 2 deer with my 270 when I was 12, (one with a 130 grain Silvertip and one with a 130 grain Core-Lokt) and 1 deer with a 308 when I was 24. (Shot with a round nose 180 grain bullet, which I think was a Federal, but I am not sure at this point. May have been a Winchester) I have killed all other game I ever shot with them, (seven 270s, five 308s, and nine 30-06s) all with handloads.

100% of the game I have killed with my 30-06s have all been killed with handloads. Not one factory round ever used for hunting in a 30-06 by me.

All three live at my house. All have been used on deer with factory loads. If there's any difference in performance between the '06 and 308 with readily available factory fodder, I've never been able to see it. The 270 does seem to do a bit more meat damage when shots range into shoulders. The 308 would be the one I chose for hunting deer under the conditions the OP described.

Most people don’t shoot well enough to notice a difference for most hunting. Those that can shoot well enough practice enough to know their range and trajectories to make up for any difference there. Practically speaking, there’s no real difference between them when it comes to on-game effectiveness. If I were to choose one for deer, it would likely be the .308. Nearly as much variety as the .30-06, and plenty of available factory ammo. But any of the 3 are good. Besides, where I hunt, any shot over 200 yards is rare. I recommend you pick the rifle you like and go from there.

Old70

I shoot them all....and I shoot/hunt short action rounds A LOT more than long action rounds. I prefer the .308 and shorter action/barrel. If you're only looking at hunting and shooting is going to be at a minimum, between those 3 pick the rifle/platform that you prefer to carry and shoot and then match a bullet to what you want to do. The more time you spend shooting the more you'll gravitate to a short action.

I've owned all three in both bolts and pumps and shoot nothing but factory. Still own a 308 and 270 bolt action. Never saw any difference at all and gravitated to the 308 the most often.

I hunt nearly the same situation that you describe and think that glass is more important than the 3 cartridges you chose. Something that you can get behind quickly and easily and see through holes is probably more important than what you shoot. JMO.

I see no difference in effectiveness between all 3 at normal hunting ranges. They are all emphatic deer killers and I mean DRT.

Have killed deer with all 3 and if I was starting over today, the .308 would be my pick.

I've used all 3 as well. They are all more than adequate for deer size game. Factory ammo is easy to find in either caliber. As other posters have pointed out it's basically your preference short or long action.

I have used, shot a lot, and killed deer with all three of these cartridges. I've been a hand loader for more than 3 decades so I don't use a lot of factory ammo any more. And there are good arguments for each of these choices. As some have said, the 30-06 probably offers the most versatility, available factory ammo varieties etc. The 270 offers a little more zip and reach, but the 308 will get the job done too. I hunt areas similar to what you describe on a regular basis, thick as thick can be and then opening up to possibly longer shots over some cuts. I think you could pick any of the three and get the job done pretty easily if you have the shooting skills and know both your rifle and the ammo your using in it.



This I don't understand. In less than ideal situation, I'd choose to wait for a better shot or use what's in my hands. But I'm not sure what less than ideal means to Bull64. If we're talking thick brush, not one of those cartridges is going to get through the brush better than the other IMO.

Is there any discernible difference in the three on deer sized game? None that I have ever been able to see.

Do I think the 270 would be a good cartridge for the hunting you describe? Absolutely, but so would the 308 and the 30-06.

Which one would I pick for the hunting you describe? Tough to say. I've got all three and a few more.

for you only using factory ammo and just a standard rifle 30-06 is KING as stated before. I still own all 3 in a few different brands but that 30-06 is and always to continue to be king. buy a good quality rifle either a bolt action 1st choice or maybe a Browning BLR lever rifle ? good luck with your choice of rifles,Pete53 > p.s. if you want more help PM me ,I am a gun dealer and can help you what to buy and not buy including scopes.

270, 308, 30-06, dead is dead...