Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 270 Win vs 7mm Rem Mag

My BIL decided a couple of years ago when he booked a MT mule deer hunt that apparently the .30-06 loaded with 57 gr. IMR 4350 and a 165 gr. Nosler BT wasn't good enough for the long ranges in MT, regardless of the fact that he's seen me shoot one mule deer at 415 yds. with my .30-06 and the same load he is running. We went through load development for the 7RM he bought, he shot his two deer at 100 yds. and 175 yds, give or take, and then bitched about how much meat the 7RM ruined with 140 gr. BTs compared to the 165 gr. BTs out of his .30-06. Prior to his purchasing the 7RM he asked me what my recommendation was. I told him to stick with the .30-06 load, he doesn't practice enough at ranges beyond 200 yds to be shooting out to 400 yds responsibly in any case. I also showed him that our .30-06 load was within 4-5" of the 7RM at 400 yds. This seemed to be a big deal to him because "it shot flatter" I argued that if he would just go sight in his rifle 3" high at 100 yds, then learn what his holdover on a milk jug at 300, 350, and 400 yds was his .30-06 would be just as effective. Instead, he tried to make up for practice by getting a "flatter" rifle. I still can outshoot him at any range, but most noticeably at ranges beyond 250 yds, he never seems to want to shoot with me any more at long range - my suspicion is because he can't hit at those ranges, but wants to think he can.

Dan,

By now you surely must know you don't really need a new rifle, and I totally agree. Your 30-06 will do it all handily! Aside from that, if you do plan to get a new gun, I suggest you buy American-made. Ruger, Winchester, Savage, Kimber, Weatherby, Marlin, even Remington. There are others. Thanks.

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110 TTSX in the 270 at 3400 shoots mighty flat for very little recoil.

Good point!! Yup, don't know if I can discern 4 inches at 400yds, or 10in at 500 - but farthest I've ever shot at one BGA was a pronghorn just under 400yds. I usually try to limit it to 300yds.

Selmer; Good but "sad" story about your BIL's 100yd mulie. Some good anecdotal lessons.

My longest shot on game so far was 403 yards with the 30-06 using my regular 180gr Nosler Partition load. I had 2 hours to prepare for the shot. The deer was bedded down about 150 feet above me on the opposing canyon wall with a rock in the way, so I had to wait for him to stand to clear the rock. At that upward angle, I made a SWAG for 20 inches instead of the 25 inches high that I normally get. This put my crosshairs a foot over the back and over the last rib to adjust for the wind which was blowing at a full value of a bit less than 10 mph. It took a lot of synapsercizing to figure all of that out. I hit a bit lower than I intended and drifted a bit more than I thought, but it was still a good hit. The whole time I wish I had something that shot a bit flatter, but it worked out in the end. Maybe I'll just continue to shoot this rifle and get to really know it. That was about as far as I'd ever shoot at an animal.

The 7 mag handloaded to max with heavy bullets is more powerful than a .270 loaded to max with heavy bullets, in every respect, that is so basic that anyone should be able to understand it. A 175 gr. Nosler partition at 3000 FPS is pretty awesome on elk and moose...A .270 can't get there, but does it need to..No, it doesn't need to..The .270 will do fine with a 160 gr. bullet at 2800 FPS.

I wouldn't get my shorts in a wad over the difference inasmuch as the results would be the same for all practical purposes..

Too many posts for such a subject.

Rarely disagree with your posts Ray, but I've been hard pressed to get anywhere near 3000fps with a 175gr in a 7RM.


Casey

My first 7 rem tube a 24" factory one would do 3045 with 7828. I also ran the exacto same load thru 2 other rifles (both 24") and one ran in the 29's and one ran the load @ 2845 fps.

I think that R25 would be a very good way to go with the 175's in the big 7. I use that powder in my Mashburn and get past 3K fairly easily.

Dober

Dober: Bumped into an old article by Page in the 1959 Gun Digest on Old Betsy and the Mashburn.As you know,he ran the old 175 semi-spitzer Partition at 3050 from a 22" tube;160's at 3150..... the list of game that rifle took,world wide,would choke a horse...

I've had a few 7RM's built long throat that did 3125 or so with the 160's;I never used the 175 much but do remember that I broke 2900 with the 175 pretty easy....that was with 7828 IIRC.

We have better 175's than Page did so I expect a Big 7 with 175's at 3k will cut a big swath in a lot of game.....

I got an action and I got a barrel;a new long throat 7RM will be in the works.......

Must be using Hodgdon's new C4 short cut....

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

Would love to know the pressure of some loads discussed here.

RD: I've posted this before,but 7 WSM factory stuff with Federal 160 Partitions averaged over 3250 from two rifles I had chambered for the cartridge,a Kimber Montana, and a M70 FW.I emailed Federal, a bit surprised by the velocities.

They told me they load the 7WSM to 65,000 psi; in contrast, they load the 7RM to 58,000.That should give some perspective on what it takes to get some of the velocities mentioned.

Seems to me all your "problems" are solved by switching to a B-Plex or B&C reticle. Then just shoot a lot. But, if you want to get a new rifle, it's as good a reason as any.

Well Dan360, did you expect this much feedback? Whew! I think JB and selmer have got it right. And I like Fraser's idea on a new Ruger No.1B in 270 Win also; I mean, well you know, you NEEEEED anew rifle! Back to what JB and selmer mentioned; I think those two nailed it. Try different bullets like you're doing, and I believe you'll like that 30-06 even more. But don't let that idea take away from buying a new rifle, you NEED a new rifle! Tom

Jeepers, I'm humbled to be mentioned in company with JB! I just know what has worked for me, and worked well. BUT if you're itching for a different rifle, PLEASE don't let me be the one to talk you out of it!

No dispute to what you said. I start my 175 grain 7mm bullets at only about 2400 fps and they are devastating. They leave big, deep holes in game and copius blood on the ground.

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I thought this would be worth 15 to 20 responses, but almost 100? I appreciate the feedback though. The Ruger No. 1B idea is pretty attractive because I'm a No. 1 nut. I have a 1A that I really like. I'm going to gives these barnes 150gr TTSX a fair shake though. With this economy, its a lot harder to justify buying any more new rifles. I just bought a Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 223 Remington for a walkabout varmint rig. Its illegal to hunt with calibers over .24 in my state while there is a big game season in effect if you don't possess a legal tag. I'm tagged out, so I have to wait or shoot a .22 caliber.

I know this is throwing fuel on the fire, but what about a ruger hawkeye in 6.5creedmore?

For reference, Bob Hagel has an old Handloader/Rifle article about the 7 Mashburn. It shows 160 Nosler's at 3250 +/- and speaks about the case volume differences between it and the 7 Rem. Case volume differences are very small if the bullets are loaded out to the base of the neck. Both the Nosler #4 and #6 loading manuals show Rl 22 loads of 2975 +/- with the 175. If you load the 7 Rem long and to 65k it will do anything anyone needs at any range most of us are qualified of shooting to.

I get velocities like the 7 WSM with the 162 gr. Hornady in my Mashburn.