Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting For those of you who have owned both the .270 and .30-06

(for deer) and primarily stick with one now....tell me the reasons why you prefer one or the other.

I have both. I hunt with my .270 alot more.
I get pass thru's with the 130 gr out of the .270.
The 150's in the 06' don't seem to pass thru near as often.
I dunno why this happens, they both kill equally as good. I just like 2 holes.
When I use 165's or 180's I get pass thru's with the 06' and .308 win.
Funny though, I used the .308 mostly this year. Sierra 165 HPBT's pass thru way out yonder....

The only reason I stick to my 270 is because it was my Great Grandpa's. A Pre war model 70. I saw absolutely zero difference in their performance.

May I ask what 130gr hunting bullet do you use/prefer?

I need to load some up this year as well...

Thanks!

I like the 270 with 130gr pspcl rem. Or sierra's, for reloading with 55.2gr of imr 4350. Great groups and does a number on deer

59gr H4831 over a 130gr remington corelock for deer is dreadly as any and very cost effective from any 270

I once tested these two cartridges side by side while culling and it was my impression and opinion formed that the .30/06 hit harder, there was no tracking and a much norticeable and reduced requirement for finishing shots.

After I learned this, I started using some of the factory cartridges I had left over from reviews as they chronographed lower than my handloads.

Even with the reduced velocity, the performance was the same. The deduction than rang for me wwas that for deer sized game, the additional bullet diameter and bullet weight made a differnce to the point that I walked away from the .270 never to return.

The other tings I learned was that the 7x57 was a better killer for similar reasons to the .30/06, the .270 Weatherby was much more effective than the .270 Winchester and the .257 Weatherby was flatter shooting and killed with a higher percentage of instant kills.

None of this denegrates the performance or historical performance of the .270 Winchester. I killed more animals during this assessment than all the readers of this post combined will ever take. It was not something flippant over a weekend or two.

The .270 Winchester is every bit as good as you were ever told or experienced for yourself. But for me, the .30/06 is better and more versatile for a larger range of animals sized and body weights.

I use 150's in my 270. Kills 'em dead.

I own a couple each of both; some years I lean more to the .270 WIN, some years more to the .30-06 SPRG (this past season I used neither, opting for a .257 RBTS and a .284 WIN) For the southeast it makes no difference; in the west, for heavier game than we have, I would lean to the .30-06 SPRG on a regular basis for the ability to handle a 180 grain bullet.

In your side by side comparison may I ask the bullet weights?

Thanks!

I have owned a 270 for 30 years and just lately built a 30-06.I also have a 308 and others,but I find myself still useing the old 7x57 mauser.If you use good bullets in the 270 it will kill way out there,I can not say yet for the 06.I need more hunting seasons.

Never noticed a difference in the way the .270 or .30-06 (or .280) kill deer. I tend to use the .270/.280 more for deer since it has a little flatter trajectory, has a bit higher impact velocity at longer ranges for sure expansion on light framed animals, and isn't any less effective for the purpose up close.

I would be interested in hearing what loads/bullets were used in AGW's cull work as well. Could certainly have an impact on the results. The .277 bore diameter doesn't have any magical properties to make it kill better, but doesn't have any to make it less effective than similar 25s, 7s, 30s...

Lou

270, 130 gr. bullet for deer
shoots flatter
less recoil

06' is good but more then you need for deer sized animals.

I've used both on deer and haven't seen a difference in results.


270

My father used to guide elk hunters up the Gallatin back in the 1940's and had no use for a .270. He said he never guided a hunter that shot an elk with the .270 that he didn't have to finish with his '06.

As a result I had no use for a .270. That was until I decided to own some nice older Model 70s. I bought a .270 made in 1949 in excellent shape and put a Swarovski 3-9 scope on it. I figured I would want to shoot 130 grain bullets in it. I got some Winchester Premium Ballistic Silvertip ammo for it. I shot several deer and antelope with it and the .270 has now become my favorite deer sized cartridge. That is hard to pick when you have a 257 Roberts and a 25-06 as well.

Because I love the 180 grain and 220 Round Nose bullets.

They are very terminal performing bullets.

The only reason to choose one over the other... is if you can't afford to own one of each.

Pre-64 Win M70 30-06 and Ruger M77 T/S 270 Win used them both on whitetails and mulies. No complaints on either one. My brother retired from the Army 14 years ago, borrowed the Winchester and moved to Texas. Since then I get to see it once year at Christmas. I replaced the Winchester with a Ruger M77 T/S 35 Whelen.

The Ruger sits in the safe and gets fired only when a new powder or bullet comes along...no deer hunting. Deer hunts havd been with other calibers...22/250, 250-3000, 257 Roberts and 7X57.

I have used both.I built a. 270 for a sheep hunt and killed a nice ram then the.270 to my neice in PA. I hunt elk mostly and just like the 220 gr bullet better. The.270 has killed everything dead that I have shot with it.I found that generally I had a lot more meat damage with the .270. Long range it excells.Close range,even with 150 gr bullets it creates too much meat damage for me.YMMV.
If I had to do it over,I would select a 25-.06 and a 30-06 over the.270

Same here. Actually, the one you shoot the best will be the one to use, regardless of cartridge.

I've used both extensively. There really isn't much difference. I used 150's in the 270 for deer and elk. They shoot to almost the same point of impact as the 130 and carry a little more momentum.

The only failure I ever had with either was a Win 130 gr. silvertip on a deer. It was quartering toward me and I hit it in the front of the ribcage. The bullet slid almost a foot along the ribs, tearing the whole side apart before it entered at the last rib. It killed the deer, but not before he'd run over 200 yds. If it hadn't been in the open where I could see it run, I might have lost it.