Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Thoughts on a 270 WSM?

I have a brand new unfired New Haven built Winchester 70 Stainless Classic in 270 WSM. The rifle has a black synthetic stock with grey inserts. I love the light weight of this rifle and the ballistics of the 270 WSM are very impressive!

However, being one who loves to trade rifles, should I test the trade market in the Classified section to trade it for another unfired rifle in 270 Win, 280, 30-06, 308, 7mm-08?

Or should I keep this one?

I've seen some great groups from some of you who shoot the 270 WSM. Down the road I could install a custom barrel if needed. If so, who makes the best .277 stainless featherweight contour barrels? Hart, Shilen, Lilja, Pac Nor?

Trust me on this one, keep it and shoot it, it will grow on you.

I am a died in the wool Remington fan and never much cared for the 270 Winchester. However, I won a Winchester Model 70 Super Shadow Camo (or whatever they call it) chambered in 270 WSM at a dinner one night and it has become one of my favorite rifles.

The rifle functions well, is light weight, shoots lights out, and just continues to impress me. For the performance it gives the recoil is non existant.

Try it, you will like it!

trade it.

A properly loaded 270 winchester will be within 100-150fps of the 270WSM. No deer or elk at any range will EVER know the difference. WSM ammo is EXPENSIVE and MUCH harder to find, cases are harder to get, and the guns don't feed and function nearly as well as a standard chambered gun does.

With the on going ammo issues, it may not be too long before ammo and brass for all the WSM become a once a year production item.

A while ago I was determined to get away from my 270 wsm. Finally took it hunting a few times and the performance of 130 gr barnes ttsx going at wsm velocities was nothing but impressive on a few deer and hogs. Its now my go to rifle and I would not hesitate to shoot anything in north america except a big bear with it. Just my personal experience.

My Son in Law has one stainless ,plastic factory stock with the
Gray grippers.
He picked it up over in B`HAM Alabama for $450 out the door.
I gave him a OLD Leupold 3-9x33 for it.
He has killed alot of Deer with it.
Ammo a little pricey but he would not part with it now!
Dang gun shoots EVERY THING well that he has tried so far.
AMRA

Noting wrong with it if you like the WSM....good open country cartridge. and it is faster than a 270 Winchester even if only by that 100-150 fps as mentioned.

The contour on those WSM barrels is not a FW contour, though....it's a sporter contour in a FW stock,so the barrels ARE heavier than those on a FW chambered for 270 Winchester.

I love mine in a Featherweight model. It shoots very well with only an adjustment to the trigger.

The 270 WSM is one of my favorites!
140 berger kills deer DRT

So will Athlete's Foot....

Trip it to some sucker and replace with 7RM. Repeat as necessary....

Dad has an A-Bolt .270WSM so I can't really comment on the platform (other than to say his is accurate, feeds fine, and I like it).
I will say his likes 130 Ballistic Tips and Partitions over 65.5 grn. (IIRC) RL-22. To the tune of 3150fps. Could run a little faster but groups run 1/2-3/4", so I've not bothered dinking with it further.
We've not run it at long range (I shot a 'yote at 225 yards and Dad whacked a deer chasing dog at around 300, both DRT, that's as far as it's been pointed) but 400 yards will be farther than Dad will ever shoot it.
More high BC bullets are available for 7mm if you're gunning way out there, that said, the 5 or so deer that have been shot with Dad's out to 150 yards, have not crawled back out of the freezer on that account.....
Scope it well and hunt it. I think you'll like the cartridge (can't speak for the rifle), if you don't, keep the scope and send the rifle down the road.

I'd rather a plain Jane 270 or a 280(possibly AI)

I've shot a 270wsm, was a bit snappier than the 270 I had, helped track and gut a deer my buddy killed with that rifle. Performed just fine, just not really my cup of tea. Too many things like hard to find brass and what not would make me lean more towards the 270 or 280AI if I really wanted the extra speed.

Or go ahead and get the ULTIMATE !
A 270 WBY MAG.

I bought mine but have to agree with all of the rest......

My .270 WSM pushes 130 gr. Nosler E-Tips along at 3350 fps- fast, accurate, and easy to load. Nothing not to like here.

The 270,7mm, and 300 WSM are all excellent chamberings. They shoot as well as anything, give 200-400 fps more speed than their 270, 280, or 30-06 equivalents with only a very slight increase in recoil. Ammo availibilty and price are non-issues now. That may have been an issue a decade ago.

Remember these rounds have only been on the market for 13 years. It takes time for new rounds to catch on. After 25 years Winchester almost dropped the 270 because sales were so slow. All of these 3 WSM's have sold more in 13 years than most any new chambering did in their first 13 years. In another generation they will replace the standard belted magnum rounds as top magnum sellers and will make a large dent in traditional 30-06 based rounds popularity.

Clocked more than one 270win thru a chrony at 3150+ fps with 130gr Ballistic tips.

There honestly is no advantage to the WSM over the veteren 270. there are more negatives with the WSM than positives.

I'm curious how 200fps isn't an advantage.

Tanner

Agree, Tanner- flatter trajectory is a bonus, but the real winner is greater downrange energy, which is significant.
At 6000' elevation, my E-Tip load is still carrying a hair over 2000 ft. lb. of energy at 400 yards.
Try that in an ordinary .270.......

I appreciate the comments from both sides.....keep them coming.

You mention handloaded 270W getting within 100fps? If you want to run the ragged edge and think there is some sort of free lunch then have at it. As well, you complain about factory ammo costs in the same post? Makes no sense. A handloader couldn't give a schit less about the cost of factory ammo. Have you owned a Winchester in WSM? If not, then I think your unqualified internet research of the rounds not chambering well is just plain BS. One thing this "ammo issue", as you put it, has taught me is to not have all my eggs in the popular chamberings category. You walk into Wally World and the shelves are bare of 308, 223, etc but there always seems to be a WSM, WM or other not-so-popular loading available. Serious face palm.