Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Boddington on the .270 Winchester

I believe it has improved as a cartridge, due to improved powders and bullets....just not to the extent that other non .277" cartridges have.

I never thought about it before, but Boddington's statement: "It doesn’t win long-range matches, not because it couldn’t, but because it’s never been asked to. And since it hasn’t been asked, the bullet choices to make it a contender don’t exist", is pretty thought provoking. If bullet manufactures would produce high quality, high B/C .277" bullets, I'll bet the .270 Win would improve a LOT more, just like every other round has with better bullets. It is still a long action though, so the velocity to powder capacity ratio handicaps it compared to .308 and .223 based rounds, if efficiency is important to a person.

I never cared for the round, always was an 06' fan, but over the last few years, I've come to appreciate it's potential. and now own two. Incidentally, my uncle took his on two safaris to Africa and took all his plains game with it including a lion with old fashioned Silvertips.

this gave me a big chuckle and is kinda true too . >>>> but of all the post on this site its the winner !

There I fixt it for ya.


Jerry

Fun to see that " 270 vs the world" debate can still provoke pages of typing over nothing. A real hunter can kill anything in the lower 48 with a 30-30.

After all he is USMC so don't expect brilliance. Limited bullet choice puts the 270 as a disadvantage vs the 280AI but it is still works just fine.

I'm more worried about the coming bloodbath on our Southern border than beating a dead horse from 1920.

Yes , the .270 wcf has improved noticeably with the amazing propellants and bullets these day... so have most all other chamberings . This has stepped up all hunting rounds into a new category, lessening the need for a larger magnum very often. The .270/ .280 etc has alot of capability on elk that it didn't have before.
Even Big bore , Ross Seyfried recommends the .270 wcf these days....Eileen does too( right JB?)

The problem is one of physics and volume.

The .270 is an odd caliber, with odd bullets. It’s kinda the 120-140gr reputation that built the mystique, along with Jack O’connor in large dose.

The 6.5mm at .264” and the 7mm at .284” have produced remarkable cartridges over the years. The heavy for caliber, mild recoil best guns in 6.5x55 and 6.5x54 have stayed a lot of game, especially in the 160gr options. Same with the 7x57 with 175gr options. Thank the Europeans with their long throated barrels and ample action length with heavy for caliber bullets for all of this.

I would rather have a 7x57 or 7x64 than a 270. Same for 6.5x55 over the 270.

I’m a hunter first, a fine firearm collector second, and a “high tech latest thing” guy dead last. Beautiful guns tend to come in beautiful, proven, traditional European calibers so that’s where I land.

A 62,000 psi cartridge with a bore diameter of .256" will never be a 65,000 psi cartridge with a bore diameter of .270" and 30% greater case capacity. It can play catch-up and take over, but it's going to start with a handicap.

It's physics.

Obviously this comparison doesn't look so good:



This comparison looks a little better:



If it's still not good enough take that .270 and add .010 inches.

I read the article too.

Why look at energy? Knowing the bullet weight, I want to know what the velocity is down range/impact.

Man, I need to get out more!

AKA 7.5x55.
I remember it.

Yes, how could anyone forget?

And a damn good round it is.

Recoil.......?

400 gr at 1000 fps has a much different effect than 55 gr at 1000 fps. Might as well combine the weight and the velocity into one measurement.

What’s color got to do with it?

This is my reality with my rifles, there is no killing difference between the two.

.277/150 ABLR/546 bc/3000 mv ..... MOA 11.3 @ 600 yds 26.5 @ 1000 yds

6.5/147ELD/697 bc/2,800 mv ....... MOA 12.2 @ 600 yds 27.1 @ 1000 yds

The 6.5 using 14 grains less powder.

The .270 is a great hunting round. Almost as good as the .280.

Seriously, I love my .280 (which is essentially the same as a .270), but I think I will hunt mule deer this year with a 6.5 Creedmoor. It should work great.