Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 270 Winchester

I have been big game hunting fairly regularly since the mid eighties when I was a teenager. Most years I would kill hundreds of pigs and goats. This has continued to now but these days I don't shoot as many and go more for the bigger animals and enjoy the hunt.

For the bulk of the first 20 odd years the 308 Win was my go-to cartridge, mainly using 150 bullets. Never had a complaint about the way it kills. Also used a good few others along the way from 222 Rem to 30-06, 30-30, 303 British and others.

I kind of always scoffed at the 270. Then a couple of years ago I ended up with one, which I always swore in a way that I never would.

Long story short, the 270 shooting a good 130g handload just "feels" like more gun than the 308 with 150s. Seems to hit harder and kill quicker. In the last 2.5 years I have killed a couple hundred pigs and goats with the 270 using a variety of 130 and 150g handloads so in a short period have gained a lot if experience hunting with it.

I also use a 30-06, mainly with 180 grain bullets. I find it's performance indiscernible from the 270 Win with 150 grainers.

I also love the 160g Partitions. Holy Crap those things hit hard. I culled some feral horses a few months ago using those, 400 to 500 kilogram animals just hitting the ground where they were standing! I deliberately aimed for the hardest part of the shoulder on all shots too. No exits, but clearly every bullet went right through the vitals given the almost instant deaths the animals experienced.

So from a reformed 270 Win hater, the 270 has heaps going for it.

I shot a large bodied Buck at 290 yrds this year with a 270, loaded with 130 grain cor-lokts....I was shocked when he droped in his tracks, I must have got lucky.

Yup, the good ole .270 Winchester....

Unveiled in 1925 and still going as strong as ever.



It's a Killer!

The 270 was the first rifle I ever spent my own money on at the sage age of 14 after working all summer to have enough to buy it. As much as I liked and killed my very first deer with it I will admit that for GP hunting the 30-06 has the edge.

I believe much of your issue may be how you hunt and shoot. I never did like what a 270 did inside 100 yrds. Was never as predictable as an 06 or such. Where it really shinned though was 100+ out to 400yrds if you are up to that level of shooting.

I sold that rifle and many others I had back while in the navy as I could not move them around with me. I have fond memories of it, but I have never felt the need to buy another. Of course I have never bought a 06 either.

My current collection of rifles has been thinned out to family members but I still have the bases well covered

CF starting with smallest dia.

257 Rbts in Rem 722
7x57 Mauser in Rem 700 Mtn Rifle
8mm-06 in custom M98 (has Pac-nor barrel) Only rifle still from my youth
44 Mag .. two of them .. 1894 Marlin and Ruger 77/44
45-70 in 1895 Marlin

Bottom line. If you do not enjoy it or question it, replace it with something you do have faith in and enjoy.

Life is truly to short for anything else.

+1 IME, I'm unimpressed with the monometals.

It's funny how people can use the same tool and get different results...

I have never seen more certain "death" and predictable outcome than when chest hitting a buck inside 100-200 yards with a 270.

Last year I heard the shots down the ridge and went to a partner still standing where he had shot at a buck about 80 yards up through the hardwoods,chasing a does. I knew his shooting ability on game and asked him to tell what happened and where the deer was on the last shot(he was shooting a 270 and 130 NPT).

He said the last shot felt good,then the buck disappeared from view,and he heard nothing after that. I said "Well he's dead right up there...

Sure enough he was drilled through the shoulders,typical exit with hunk of bone sticking out the exit hole and no blood trail needed...

Typical 270-130 Partition and have seen it who knows anymore how many times. Results always the same.

Like a famous gun writer once said....if you chest hit an animal with a 270 and don't kill him, you know one of two things....he wasn't chest hit, or he wasn't hit at all.

Most times I have to look for them too when shooting a 270. They fall so quick before recoil is over they are down.

7-08 with 120 NBTs kills like a death-ray, but the 270 Win with 130 grainers gets shrugged off by deer.

Figure that out!

Hilarious! That one will leave you scratching your head for sure.

Newest pet cartridge of certain campfire blowhards, that's why it kills better than the 270.

In today's world, the .270 has only three "shortcomings�"

* Not as many ultra high BC VLD type bullets as in other calibers.

* The common 10" twist used by factories precluding use of said VLD type bullets.

�and probably the most serious offense�

* "Everyone" has a .270 and many rifle loonies want to be a little outside of mainstream� Just because�

I don't even own a .270 right now and I have no good reason for it. I used one early in my hunting years and had better results with it than anything I have used since. When it was time for my son to step to something bigger than his .243, I had a .270 put together for him and he is VERY deadly with it.

I guess I need to get off my wallet and build another .270. Thinking #4 Brux with a 9" twist�

John

Millions of dead animals are thinking "Lord if I had only read how insufficient the 270 was I would have never died"

Have posted this before, perhaps even in this thread, but once again it is my distinct impression that I have had, and witnessed, more one-shot kills with a 270 on everything from gophers to grizzlies(really)than with any other cartridge.

Ted

You sure they weren't thinking, "oh lord, I'm getting shot by that gay bastid packing that 270"

The 10 twist and high BC bullet thing is a straw dog......nice if it were faster but any nitwit can stroke a check and have a 9 twist if he wants it.Ask me how I know.

You can lead a very long and very successful hunting career for any BG animal in North America and never touch off a high BC bullet; in fact in many circumstances you are substantially better off without them.

Besides the new ABLR only needs a 10 twist.

And experience has shown the 270 does just fine with common hunting bullets farther away than most who think they are LR hotshots have any business shooting at live animals.

Besides, the construction of many very high BC bullets really isn't all that great,but people seem to get by with them.People who seem to have problems killing BG with 270's might take a harder look at what bullets they are using...or aim a bit better.

Well, I wouldn't appreciate being smacked in the chest by one.

I think we're in violent agreement.

John

Blasphemy!!!

I know.....why i said it.

Isn't a 270 - "improved" with a 1:9 twist - a 280 Remington?

OK 1:9.25 but why split hairs...