(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.

If I am going to be hunting a clear cut instead of a swamp, I reach for the rifle I did not use last time. I have zero preference between the two.

I used a .30-06 exclusively for almost 20 years. I still have it, but I also have four .270s and haven't hunted seriously with the '06 in quite a few years. I have also given two of my .270s to grandsons and they hunt with them. I use 130 Partitions for deer and 150 Partitions for elk with fairly stiff charges of H4831. I worked up these loads for my first .270 about twenty years ago and have found no reason to try other bullets and powders.

I mess around with a lot of rifles and cartridges these days, but still take out one or the other of the .270s each season. I have taken far more deer with the '06 (because I was doing a lot of scientific collecting in those days), but my "go to" rifle for deer hunting is a semi-custom pre-64 Model 70 Featherweight. It just feels right and I have absolute confidence in it. Here in the Southwest, I think that a good .270 is about as good of an all-around cartridge as you can get.

I have seen no difference in terminal performance between the two cartridges with my favorite hand loads.

Becuase this assessment is based on an averaging of results and observations, I pretty much covered all the bullet weights. The .270 went as light as the Barnes 100gn X bullet up to the usual 150's and the .30/06 went as light as 125 adn 130 grainers up 180 grains. Not much to be learned from bullet weights heavier than that as most hutners think a 180 is too heavy for deer sized game and perfer 150's or 165's.

JW

SS,
I ended up doing as you did and found more versatility in having a .25/06 and a .30/06 more appealing. The .270 is a great cartridge but the original question queried whether we had noticed any difference, and I have, enough to gain a preference.

JW

i never had much use for a 270 because i thought it couldnt be better then my 30-06 but a year or two ago i bought a 270 for my dad for christmas and we started loading 140gr balistic tips for it and it really does a great job on whitetails this is the only gun he wants to carry he even shoot coyotes with it i may have to break down and build one of my own grin

Elk seem to be the line in the sand between these 2 cartridges. I used to help out in a gun store in Denver a few years back and a .270 sat on the shelves a long time.

I can remember a particular pre- 64 in .30/06 that sat there for quite some time with a price of $350 on it.

Considering this was only 5 years ago, imagine how smart the buyer of that rifle feels today?

JW

270 vs 30-06? For deer it's 6 one way , Half dozen the other. The '06 has heavier bullets available. Other than that they both kill deer. Maybe a hair lighter recoil in the .270.

I shoot the 130 gr. Ballistic Silver Tips in my .270 w/ awesome results on deer.
My '06 I shoot 150 gr. Silver Tips also w/ awesome results on deer.

I have used quite a few different rifles as many here have as well. I hunted with a .243 for quite a few years quite successfully but went to .270 after a bad experience with the little round. I found a very nice FN actioned .270 that shot extremely well. I loved that gun. I put a 4x Leupold with tapering crosshairs in it. With that gun, I not only shot a few deer, but at one turkey shoot I won two turkeys! It really liked 130 grains.

A few years later I got the bug to build a hunting rifle. I started with a 98 Mauser action and built a gun that fits me better than any gun ever has. When I shoulder it the sight picture is right there. That is the gun I would take every time now. It is in 30-06. MAYBE it does less meat damage, but I would not hesitate to use either gun anytime, anyplace. My son owns the .270 now. Take your pick, I don't think you will ever lose a deer sized animal because of either round.

As much as I like the 270 I feel there is something special about 220 gr. roundnose bullets.

This sounds like a wise man to me. I'd second this. The only reason the 270 lasted as long as it did is because of the famous gun writer Jack O'Connor who advocated the cartridge.

Never read anything O'Connor wrote. The 270 lasted 25 years with me because it WORKED.

Absolutely!
Nothing lasts for long if it doesn't do the job and the .270 has been and will continue to be one of the top 10 cartridges of our era for good reason. Even Elmer couldn't kill it!

Here we go again. The thread started .270 vs .30-06 and now we're talking .25-06. I have a .25-06, a .250Sav, and a .257Roberts. In my opinion these .25's won't carry a .270/.30-06 jockstrap when it comes to bang/flopping big animals. A .257WBY might be different. I use a .308 for whitetail now because I like the short action Sav Mod 99 lever.

I read everything that I could find that Jack O'Connor wrote. He was the reason that I bought my first .270 in the late 60's. From coyotes to elk, it was the perfect all around/one gun rifle for my area at that time. About 1/2 of the local guys in a KS deer camp still only have one rifle. Most of them are .270's and lots of the guys that have several rifles use a .270. We have big deer, but no bear or moose in KS.

Comedy Central!

No one ever said the 25's would equal a .270 or .06. The .270 and .06 are too close a combination. The 25's give a little more diversity.For bullet selection,the.06 has it all over the .270. However,for a general purpose whitetail cartridge, the .270 will do everything the .06 will do, only with usually more meat damage for the faster velocities usually used in the 130 gr bullets . Granted, a lot of guys don't care about that.

Deer rounds are like 35 Rem., 30-30 Win., 257 Roberts, or .243 Win.
Both the .270 and 30-06 are so much more than "deer rounds" that it is hard to tell much difference between the two, as both are way beyond adequate.

It lasted this long because it works and well at that.

The 45-70 has been around longer than the.270 and.06,and it works. That does not necessarily make it the no. 1 cartridge for whitetails though. Sometimes folks get a little blinded in thier common sense department when it is over shadowed with thier predjudices

If the simplest comparison is made, most will agree that both perform on deer sized game. The measure "could be", where does one stop and the other take over, if in fact it does?

With this addendum, the 150 grain .270 load will usually do what a 165gn load with do in the '06 and maybe also cover the 180gn chores but again, most would agree that when you start talking about 190gn Interlocks, 200gn Accubonds orPartiions and Woodleigh 220's and 240 grainers, there is a new road ahead for the .30/06 that the .270 can't follow.

In the end, how far do you push your cartridges?

JW

I've used both for eastern whitetails, mostly inside 150yds., and don't see much differance. In fact, at these ranges, add the 7mmRM. Mostly, I now use a 7X57 because it kills just as well as the other 3,in a lighter package, and recoils less.

O

I have a 270 and like it, as well as a 30-06 and 7mag. IMO there's absolutely no difference in any of the three for deer hunting. In fact, I'll throw the 7-08 in the mix as saying there's no difference either. Deer are not hard to kill, and premium bullets are not needed for deer. My personal preference is my 7mag with Hornady IB's, but it hasn't kllled them any deader than my son's 7-08 with green box core-lokt's. I'd be willing to guess that 99% of all deer killed are within 200 yards.

We would be better served to talk about bullet design and shot placement. For deer I haven't seen a difference in killing power but when we come to elk sized animals bullet diameter and weight begin to matter.

Aussiegunwriter,
Would you elaborate on the comment you made on the 1st page about the 7x57 and its ability to kill in relation to the 30-06?
Thanks.

I'd take a 7-08 anyday over an -06 for deer. IME the 7-08 with a 140 Partition is the best deer killer I've ever seen.

And by that I mean, in all my years of seeing deer killed with everything from a .243 trough a 300wby mag and including 15yrs of my own experience with a 30-06 the 7-08 takes fewer shots, more consistant blood trails, and game travels fewer yards after the shot.

Interesting thread! My best friend and I started hunting deer when we were 14. He used a 270. So I've seen a lot of deer killed with a 270.

The 7-08 with a good 140gr pill in my way of thinking is the perfect, diameter,velocity to maintain a very high percentage of never ending reliable kills. And dose it with less recoil than either the 270 or -06.

I'm thinking AussieGunWriter has seen the same thing from a 7x57 except with possibily a heavier bullet. Two near identical cartridges.

Interesting photo! Is that a buddy of yours in the background with a nice buck too?? If not the dude took advantage of the opportunity!! Pretty cool!

I've used Nosler Partitions in the 270 and 30/06,and the 140 Partitions in 7/08,7x57,280,and 7RM.If there is any difference in killing ability on deer sized game between these various combinations,I have been unable to detect it.

What a 140 gr 7mm Partition at 2800-2900 does that a 130 gr at 3100 does not,with equal placement,escapes me completely.

As a general rule shot placement with these combo's trumped everything else.

I would not be surprised to learn that as game gets larger than deer,and over many hundreds or thousands of kills,the larger diameter and heavier weight and construction of the 30 caliber bullets may provide an edge over anything smaller.But then again I doubt anything will be any less "dead"if hit properly with a 150-160 7mm bullet,assuming equal construction and placement.

Aussiegunwriter
What bullets were you using in the 270 and 30/06 when you were doing the culling?

Thanks

Royce

Nope.
My correlation was to the .270, not the .30/06.

Ditto, +1, and all that.

-

I believe AussieGunWriter said "...7x57 was a better killer for similar reasons to the .30/06...", which implies that the 7x57 is a better killer than the 270 because of the larger, heavier bullets. I concur with that.

I believe the 7x57 with 160 or 175 grain bullets is a better killer than the 270 with any 130 grain bullet I tried. But there are a lot more 270 bullets now than there was back then, so I might give the 270 another try with today's better bullets.

-

Big Red,
Thanks for your support and I also agree with what you said. I may take another look at the .270 one day, but I have a John Rigby in .275 so am unlikely to put that down for a .270. Not snobbery, just no advantage to it.

The last hunt I had with the 7x57 and a .270 was in a deer camp after Red Stags. It reminded me of John Wayne and Kirk Douglas when Kirk says, "Mine hit the ground first". John Wayne replied, "Mine was taller".

Thanks AGW and Big Red. Just wanted to clarify it. A #1 in 7x57 is new to me and am hoping to give it a workout.

270. I'm just more accurate with that rifle. Otherwise, its been a wash. I've had pencil throughs and good expansion at all kinds of ranges with both.

I started my deer hunting days with a Finbear Classic in .30-06. On my first trip, I shot 2 deer in the shoulder with 165 grain Sierra Game Kings. I used these, because the only other bullets I could get were Nosler Partitions and they cost a lot more (talking 25 yrs ago). Well, both deer fell on their faces and I thought the .30-06 was pretty good. I killed more deer with the rifle over the years. My best friend killed his first with it, as did his Brother. I had a pipe leak and unfortunately the gun spent weeks with it's barrel upside down on a wet carpet. Just 2 yrs ago, I had a new barrel put on.

Years later, I got a Titanium Mountain Rifle from Remington's custom shop in .270 Win. The first trip I brought it on I shot 2 deer with 130 grain Game Kings. Both deer ran a couple hundred yards before falling. The front quarters of both deer were purple and wiggly like grape jelly, but still they ran. A buddy borrowed the rifle and put 150 grain Winchester soft points through it and killed a buck in N.C. and a big doe in Maine. He hit both deer well and they both ran and needed some tracking.

Both rifles were accurate. I think there are more choices for quality .30 caliber bullets, but my field experience would have to make the argument for the .30-06 because I've had more clean kills with it and the 165's and less meat damage.

Neither would I be in a hurry to trade a Rigby 275! I would love to see that gun. Please post a picture for us if you will. Thank you. Probably the closest thing I have owned would be my BSA Monarch, Imperial, Deluxe, Featherweight, somethin'-somethin', blah-blah, I forget the rest, but I remember it had a long name. That was a very sweet rifle, and a 30-06 to boot. Like an idiot, I sold it.

As to my preference of 270 or 30-06, I strongly prefer the 30-06. IMO it is a meaningful and obvious step up in terminal performance from the 270. I have posted my experience with the 270 here several times so I won't go into it again unless asked. Suffice to say I have years of hunting experience with both calibers.

-

you guys are certainly more discerning than I am, deer shot in the heart/lung with either a .270/130 or a 3006/150 or 165 run about the same distance for me, there is nothing magic in either one. Wait....I was wrong, 0.023 inches is a huge difference.

I have a .270wsm and I love it.

I have to respectfully disagree, there is no meaningful and obvious step up in performance between the two on deer.

Some 40+ years ago, my first centerfire rifle was a .30-06 that I hunted Colorado and Montana deer, antelope and elk with for about ten years. I currently have a .270 and a 7mm Rem mag. Several of my hunting buddies use either a .270 or a .30-06. I either shot or saw dozens of deer size animals shot with these three calibers. I doubt the animals knew the difference.

I've owned/used both on deer,as to the original question. Both are if anything over kill. It is like asking if you would rather have a 50 pound rock or 50 pound hunk of iron dropped on your head. There is nothing to talk about. It is either both or neither.

that sums it up as well as could be done ... perfectly said, Frank.

Yes that is my son and only about 40 yards away. We both shot these bucks within a few seconds of one another, both falling on these ridges not far from each other.

I prefer neither.

Don't know exactly why, but I've never shot a deer with a .270 that didn't run and I've never shot one with a 30-06 that didn't drop on the spot. For me, at least, the 30-06 has been dramatically better.

you must shoot better with a 30-06

Nope, that isn't it. The ones that ran with the .270 included broken shoulders, hearts cut in half, and double lungers. Pretty much exactly the same as the 30-06.

The last one I shot with the .270 was downright stupifying. I shot a doe at about 125 yards right behind the shoulder and destroyed both lungs. She was unexcited and had no idea I was there but still ran about 300 yards and had time to crawl up under a bush and die sitting up. There was no blood trail and I only found her because I knew exactly where she was going.

When I cut her open, her lungs were mush. With the 30-06 that same shot has always been a DRT.

I'm not reading too much into it, but it has been with multiple deer with multiple rifles of those calibers. Who knows? It is just my experience which is more limited than that of many on this board.

real interesting Joe, I have killed them with a .257 Roberts. However I am not an expert like many folks on this forum.

Some of this stuff really has me scratching my head.....

Bob, I am still waiting for someone to say "hammer of Thor" we have got DRT now.

jimmy this stuff is mostly BS.....

Bob what's the weather like there today. We were going out to hang stands and scout today but got (cold) rained out.

I have owned both over the years and both have treated me well. That being said, I own neither now. Other than buying one for the donor action if I had to choose to run one I'd go with the 30-06.

My reason, I like the heavier bullet options in .30 cal and have nothing I'll to say about .270 fans.

I'm just as big a .284 cal fan as they are of the .270.

With today's bullet options, do we really need to spend so much energy coming up with false realities about what is best???

I'd rather be reading stories of what people killed with their choice and seeing some cool pics because it's really all about the hunting NOT the tool...

CLB

Well, you got me. Obviously, I lied and made it all up since you've had no trouble killing deer with a .257.

I enjoy the gun talk as much as the hunting stories. Some of my most cherished memories are of working on guns with my late dad in his shop.

Shot quite a few with a .30-06 and none with a .270W. However, I hunted about 20 years with a cousin who used a .270W
and shot way more than his share. Pretty much used the old core-lokts of whatever weight he picked up and sighted in with. His Son had the same rifle and caliber and pretty much followed in his footsteps. I could tell stories about that, but it would serve no purpose than to relate about a different time and place, but it did give one the opportunity to come to a conclusion regarding Whitetails. If others can see any difference their observation skills are better than mine.

I make no claim about the .270 or the 30-06 except that I have shot about 20 deer with a 30-06 and every single one has dropped on the spot. I've shot about 10 or 15 of them with a .270 and every single one has gone from 50 to 300 yards. They're all dead and that really isn't a large enough sample size to make any conclusions, but there it is.

Now, lately I hunt with a 7x57 and a 6.5x55 and they work really well.

I can't speak to your results but think I'd have a hard time trying to achieve them on purpose.

a process with a lot of random variables can result is some very surprising, and misleading, results...especially when viewed thru the prism of a relatively small sample size

Did I not repeatedly emphasis the limit of the experience and the small sample size? I agree, it was merely my personal experience with 30 to 40 deer shot with those particular calibers.

I'm not doubting your experiences joe, but I think it comes down more to you've been real lucky with the 06' and unlucky with the .270, I don't think it has anything to do with the actual effectiveness of either round. Though I can see how it would seem that way to you.

I own both and have taken deer with both, about 50 with the 270 in fact.

For deer I'll take the .270 any day, but its personal preference not because I think its better than the 06'.

Which round caused the longest run from a boiler room hit for me? An undisturbed WT buck I shot at about 150 yds with my 300 win mag and a fast expanding bullet, buck ran like hell for a long ways with an exit wound the size of my fist, lungs were absolute jelly. No reason he should have run that far.

Sometimes things just happen....

Bill

I have both. In KS we have deer and coyotes, with a chance to maybe go elk hunting. I lean to the .270 because it was recommended by Jack O'Conner in the 60's for these species. If I lived in deer/bear/moose areas, I would lean to the .30-06. FWIW, I use a .308 for deer now, because the Sav 99 doesn't have a long action. Life is good.

And that was exactly my point. I emphasized that it was a relatively small sample size because I KNOW that there should be no real difference.

Where is /was your shop?

Having shot both myself, which would you rather have in your hands in camp if you get a problem bear? A 270 loaded with your favorite 130 gr deer bullet, or a 30-06 loaded with your favorite 150 grain, 165 grain, or heavier bullet? I'll pick the 06 in that situation over the 270 win, and I shot the 270 win for over 25 years.

depends on the bullet. I'd rather have a 130gr Partition (or Accubond, etc) in my 270 than a 150gr GameKing in my 30/06.

But then there ain't too many bears where I hunt, anyway!

Bears die fast when hit with a 270-130

If was deer hunting I'd have a 150 gr deer bullet in the 06' anyway, no bigger. So that really is kind of a moot point.

If you mean black bear, then I'm just as confident in my 270 as my 06'.

BTW this thread was started as which for deer, not problem bears......

If this topic was about problem bears, then I'd have said.......neither.

Bill

No doubt... Dober took his best one ( 7'3" IIRC) with a .22-250 and a 63 gr. Sierra.....they are not as tough as legend would have it..

7x57 kills them deadest of all.........


Ingwe

Maybe deer are developing generational immunities to damage done by 270 bullets, you know like bugs do with poisons.

They may need to be frightened to death by a 300 mag.

My 444 Outfitter is the "Hammer of Thor", and my .45-70 Guide Gun is the "SledgeHammer of Thor"!!! There! You happy now, bro' Jimmy?!! :-)

piker, where is your .358 STA in all of this!

Yes!....the 7x57 elevates performance to the second level of "dead".

Stray Dog: Yes! Another example of Darwinian Evolution....it comes about because 270's have been in use since 1925 now;resistance to the terminal effect of 270 bullets is now almost complete in many species of BG animals,worldwide, but most predominantly recognized in smaller Texas deer........I'm serious about this......there have been studies

There is hope however....the studies indicate that,by increasing bullet diameter by .007.....and decreasing powder capacity to 308-levels,terminal effect is greatly increased; and research is under way to blow out the parent 270 case to less taper,increase bullet diameter,once again,by .007"...and terminal effect is completely restored.....

I knew I liked these two for a reason!
Because I heard our Michigan Deer were getting kevlar from there western cousins...I used a .350 Rem last fall on one. I named it Zues' Balls because all the hammers were taken.....

Very interesting. What sized animals?

yes I have seen 150 grain bullets from the 308 Winchester bounce off the sides of WT does at 25 yards. We pick them up and reload them again as the tips are undamaged due to the deers soft fur.

Hoo-wee, gotta put on my muck boots for this one! I have shoot both and have taken nearly 25 deer with a .270 with the 130 grain SP's. Only ever recoved one bullet from all those deer - in & out. Shot my very first deer this year with a 30-06 with 150 grain Hornady SP. In and out too, but on the way out, it drug a big old piece of fat about half way our the exit wound. The .270 is a favorite of mine, but I like the 06 too.

like many, i've owned and hunted with both for around 35+ years. no real difference to me except on elk, so i have been using the 06' on those annual hunts. but for deer, imo, what one does the other will do equally well. ymmv.

Amen brother. Preach it!

Most seriously DRT, in their tracks, before they hit the ground, didn't know they were, DEAD!

-

I have had both for many years and to tell the truth I cant see a dimes worth of difference between the to. Both are great caliburs imo. I use the 06 more because my son uses my 270 now.

Mostly Goats pigs and 'roo's. Several hundred over several years.

I liked using goats for bullet testing medium because they are tough and much thicker skinned than deer of the same size. Their tenacity was impressive with the bigger ones over 200 pounds having the tennacity of a rabbit pound for pound.

Killed them with .222,.22/250,.22 Falcon,.243,.240 Wby,.25/06,.257 Wby,6.5X55,.270,.270 Wby,7X57,7mm Rem,7mm STW,.30/06,.300 Win,.300 Wby,.303 Brit,.338,.340 Wby,.338/378,.375 H&H,.416 Wby,.416 Rem,.45/70,.458 Win,.460 Wby and anything else I forgot.

For just deer hunting, I don't think it will make a difference which gun you have. A .270 and .30-06 are so close that they are practically the same thing. A lot of people here in Mississippi swear at the .270 saying it cripples more deer than it kills, but the deer that I've seen killed with a .270 appeared to have the same amount of damage as my .30-06. I don't have a .270 at the moment, but I plan to add one to my collection soon.

I meant problem bears because I was in that situation once. I also have no doubt as to how good a 270 win is, that was my go to deer gun for over 25 years. But, having been in a bear situation, and the other two guys with me packing 30-06's, now turn that bear into a grizzly, and you might agree with me. Both cartridges are great, but I still would take an 06 over the 270 if I had a bad encounter with a brown/grizzly bear.
That's all I meant, hell I know 243's with the right bullet kill black bears.

That's laughable. Maybe a lot of those people can't shoot... The deer hasn't been born that can survive a hit in the boileroom with a .270 and a proper hunting bullet.

Ken..,

Gotta agree with you on that. Most of the hardcore white tail hunters I know, that just shoot one caliber, use the .270.

I can't remember which O'Conner book or rag article but I do remember Jack writing about the '06 and he was surprised how it seemed a quicker killer than his 270. He also wrote Eleanor was amazed too and thought the '06 was simply amazing.

Over the years I've hunted with plenty of 270win riflemen, who knew how to wring out the 270's virtues. But all of them bowed humbly when 30/06 riflemen were present in camp and field.

MtnHtr

My take on the 270, 30-06 and 7x57 is that you can't tell the difference between them on game up to elk size. That said I still prefer my 30-06 when hunting elk and alas my new 270 is much lighter than my old 7x57. Good hits mean dead animals. However the 270 is the best antelope rifle of the bunch.

This is pretty sound advice unless you remember that the bullets normally used in the 7mm and .30's are game bullets that cover a larger weight range than the .270 which mostly is used in the 130gn weight with bullets designed for deer, not elk sized game.

Whenever you read O'Connor and .270 in the same sentence, remember also that J O'C used 130gn Partitions and heavy doses of surplus H 4831 for his hunting. This is not he same as a box of Winchester 130gn Power Points.

Seems that Jack may have been hunting out west in longer range areas ?

A 7mm RM beats them both! .30-06 recoil levels with higher-than-.30-06 velocities and BCs for a given SD.

While I believe the .270 Win is arguably the best dedicated deer cartridge available, my 7mm RM seems to hit elk harder than my .30-06s.

Of course, bullet choice and placement are more imortant than any differences between the three ...

.

Mtn

BOW HUMBLY? Were you drinking when you posted that?

O

True enough! But, I mean, doesn't everyone do that?

Mtnhuntr is,.......methinks......trolling....

I don't have enough experience to say myself.

Junior agreed with you Aussie and he did have the experience.

He was one of my first hunting teachers, he was a guide, packer and avid hunter himself and he agreed that the 30-06 hit harder.

He thought they were both plenty for deer.

Thanks for the support DB. It is ok if others find a differnet view. Because I was reviewing rifles for so many years, I did not favor the .30/06 and went some 30 or more years without one in my rack. I was stuck in magnum phase and knew it, but was impressed enough over time to see that it was really a great cartridge and, in my observation, a harder hitter than the .270, though I recognise that a white tail hunter may not see much difference.

I bought a Model 70 featherweight and loved it ever since. That rifle has taken hundreds of animals including roo's goats, pigs, red deer, fallow deer, mule deer, pronghorn, foxes, rabbits and anything else I forgot. We've travelled some.

JW

I used a 30-06 for a long time on deer, and my dad before me. It worked flawlessly, even shot through 2 deer dropping both of them on the spot in all 3 occasions that it happened. Thats something a .270 WONT do with lighter faster moving rounds. If you want 270 STYLE performance, then you should invest a 7mm mag. It will do what the .270 does better, there isn't a handful of reasons to invest in a .270 imo, nostalgia and sentimental variables aside.

Or if you want 30/06 style performance form your 270, load 150gr bullets at 2800 fps. If you want 7Mag style performance on deer, load 130gr bullets in your 270 at 3000+fps. No need for a 7Mag on a deer. How can it be "better"?

Have you tried it?

Everyone knows that a 180 grain bullet out of a 30.06 hits like the "hammer of Thor" and a 270 tends to have bullets just bounce off....right??