Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Why Has the 270 Winchester Fell Out of Favor?

30+ years ago virtually everyone who bought a bolt action rifle bought it for big game hunting. In the last 10 years the number of hunters has declined significantly, while the number of rifle shooters has increased. Most new shooters don't hunt. And the ones who still do hunt spend a lot more time shooting paper and steel at the range. And at greater distances than ever before.

The 270 and 30-06 are undisputedly great hunting cartridges. But for guys who spend most, if not all of their time shooting paper or steel there are better choices that are more accurate, are cheaper to shoot, and have less recoil. The rifles and optics to shoot them have changed as well. Even the guys who still do hunt are going to take the rifle and cartridge hunting that they shoot the best and have confidence in.

Both 270 and 30-06 fell out of the top 10 cartridges some years ago and are now lumped together with "other cartridges" on the lists of rifles sold every year. Several new rifle offerings aren't even available in 270 or 30-06 anymore.

And there is still a butt load of rifles in both chamberings out there. Everyone who wants one, already has 1. Or more. That isn't helping sales of new rifles in those cartridges either.