Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 6.8 Western?

So last year I bought a stainless .270 WSM M70 rifle. I also have accumulated some fired brass for this rifle, new brass is unobtainable for the most part. I can only find Winchester Deer Hunter XP 130 gr ammunition in the Big R stores around me for about $80 a box out the door, online a little over $50 a box if I buy a case of 200 rounds.

So new 6.8 Western ammunition is far more plentiful in stores and online and with more options in bullet choices. New brass for this is also pretty much unobtainable right now for reloading as well.

I don't think there is a huge difference between the two. I also don't think the .270 WSM will ever completley go away. However, there is the fact that bullets are progressing towards faster twist barrels.

I'm just thinking of ordering a Bartline 2b to be installed when I restock my rifle.

Not a lot of difference in case design.

wonder if you could shoot the 6.8 in the 270?

I knew that when I asked the question. I imagine Winchester thought it was better to change the case slightly and rename it, than change the WSM to a faster twist. I can only imagine the unhappy customers when the new bullets wouldn't shoot in their old rifles.

I think the bigger reason they did a new cartridge is because they realized the case was too long. The m70 mag box may allow an OAL to accommodate it, but few others do.

Some of the newer 270 bullets make a fast twist WSM or the Western interesting. If I had a 270 WSM I'd strongly consider a faster twist in either cartridge.

I suspect they changed it because they were tired of the royalties paid to Jamison.

Doesn't change the fact that poor brass offerings for the 6.8 pretty much kill it.

Your thoughts on rebarreling to a faster twist will make the WSM shine and take advantage of heavier bullets.

Case text of the original lawsuit

Jamison vs Olin

One of the reasons I stay with older calibers such as 243, 30-06, 270, 308, 300 WM, 7mm RM is availability of brass.

Wanting a 270, I would build a nice 270 Winchester. On a #2 barrel with a top-of-the-line stock. Yes, we would put some top-quality glass on it, and have a nice hunting rifle. This rifle could fill an Ark with dead animals, you wouldn't have a problem.

Well, I don't think you would.

If you have a 270 WSM do the same, I'm sure, you'd be a happy person.

The reason, I gave all this information, I'm getting ready to build a rifle with these specs.
Yes, a 270 Win.

First thought...


Bingo. Easy button is to rebarrel a stock .270 Win with an 1:8" twist barrel and stoke it full of Reloder 26. No game animal walking God's green earth will ever know the difference. and no shortage of readily available brass for reloading...

Second thought...

Interesting reading in the legal treatise. Unfortunately, suing one of the the largest advertisers in the firearms business did not ingratiate Mr. Jamison to the publications dependent on revenue from that advertiser. I applaud Mr. Jamison for standing his ground and prevailing in court, despite a small army of high brow defense attorneys, and despite his actions resulting in a Career Crippling Incident. Hopefully the "juice was worth the squeeze."

As always, "It is about the money." Even in the Firearms Industry, there are those who will stretch/bend/break the law if they think it will increase their bottom line...

I'm going wit the #2b contour as I think that's the lightest Bartline will do in stainless. I'm thinking 7.5 twist. I already have a Wildcat Composite sitting in the closet waiting to be finished. The real blasphemous thing I'm contemplating is cutting the barrel back to 20" for suppressor use.

I have a M70 EW that I'd love to do similar with.

Was gettin' PPU .270 Win/150 gr. for ~ $14/20 box delivered.

Get to disassemble it as training ammo, and get quality once-fired fire-formed brass in the bargain.




GR

I have more than a few 270 winchesters they have all been good shooters and reliable killers. In the mid 90's I had a winchester m12 reproduction 20 ga I bought for skeet and early bird hunting, it was rough cycling and I put over 5 flats thru it on skeet trying to smooth it in, never happened. I could still beat its performance with a 870 express. One Sunday after a couple of less than stellar skeet rds I stopped at the lgs on the way home. In the used rack was a Mk V sporter in 270 Weatherby mag. 99% condition that looked like it had less than 3 boxes thru it. I traded that m12 20 and 35 bucks for the 270 wthby mag. It had one of those 1 piece Maynard Buehler mounts on it with rings and an old 6x Burris I had was a perfect fit. 150 gr horn sp and a max dose of 7828 and fed 215's shot groups nickle to quarter size at 100 yds at 3150 fps. 3 of the 4 nicest whitetail bucks I've shot were with the 270 Weatherby, seems like every time I took it hunting I'd see a nice buck. Don't know why I am not smart enough to just use it all the time. No the 6x isn't perfect for most but works great for the shots I take. I am only 69 but can handle and use a long action as good as any short one. That is why the 270 wsm and 6.8 hold little curiosity for me. To each his own. Mb

Taylorce,
I had a 1:8 270 WCF built and used it last year on elk, antelope, and deer. 155gr Barnes LRX with Rel 26 @ 3000fps. I really like this combo.

If you are going to put a new barrel on, definitely twist it fast! I have looked at the fast twist 270 cartridges, but have never been able to bring myself to jumping in the deep end so to speak.

If I was to jump in, I would choose a 6.8 Western. Hodgdon lists most load in the 3000fps range with 150gr bullets, which is ballpark to what I am getting with my plain 270 WCF. The WSM holds more powder, so if that is important to you.

Any way you spin it, the 270 caliber is probably never going to get the competition industry support (top of line brass) like Creedmoor's, PRC's etc. No matter how much of a 270 looney I am.

Those are my thoughts anyhow...

I've been using the .270 Win most of my adult life. It was my first big game rifle I bought for elk hunting. I'll never be without one, and I'm even interested in the .277 Fury.

The 277 Fury intrigues me. I am a 270 looney, but it hard for me to justify going away from the plain old WCF. Unless it is to scratch an itch.

Have not done much research on the cartridge, but I do not think I would load it anywhere near max pressure.

Are the steel cases even reloadable?

Don't expect it to stay that way for very long, it's only plentiful because there's nothing to shoot it in.

According to SIG the cases are reloadable unlike other military cartridges. Apparently only one rifle/action is available and that’s the military designed SIG MCX Spear. It will be intriguing to see if any manufacture dips into this cartridge in a turn bolt rifle. 80K psi is an inordinately high pressure in a hunting firearm. Shooting a round of that pressure in a firearm is unheard of from a SAAMI perspective throughout history. The highest ratings are around 65K psi to 68K psi for SAAMI ammunition specs. Shooting a steady diet of 80K psi would make me sweat a bit not knowing when two or three lug systems may shear one or all their lugs.

Saw some ballistics on a 2.83” COAL yielding a 135 gr .488 BC at 3,000 fps from a 16” barrel. Same set up moves a 150 gr .591 BC at 2,900 fps. Seems ripe for a short barreled hunting rifle with a can on the end. Question is what action can take a constant 80K psi and maintain the integrity of safe use.

I have looked at 277 wolverine, 6.8 spc, 270-08, 6.8 western, 270 WSM (had one), 270 Weatherby, and 27 Nosler. Just can not seem to get over the original.