Originally Posted by BobinNH
Originally Posted by moosemike
I'm a .270 guy, it's all I use anymore and I love the cartridge. With that said I don't think Dink and .375 are lying. When I first began hunting a lot of the older and wiser(?) guys would say that .270's should come with tracking manuals. I also knew a guy in Vermont who hated .270's because "all his relatives used them and he was always having to help track their deer". I've heard too much of this to believe it's all bunk. But my experiences with the .270 have been great. Go figure?


It's because when a cartridge is as popular as the 270 and been around as long, it's going to be loaded with all kinds of bullets,used by all kinds of people of different skill sets,and shot at all kinds and sizes of animals under all kinds of distances and conditions. Varying results are inevitable.

How else can we explain experienced guys who have filled trophy rooms with a 270 for elk, moose, grizzlies, deer of all sizes,grand slams of sheep,caribou,etc etc.....not to mention African plains game from eland on down, and even a lion here and there. Yet others struggle with the cartridge on a half starved fork horn and declare the cartridge as no good(?)

I mean....they can't both be right.

I have never run into anyone who has used the cartridge widely on a variety of animals who would believe the Vermont story.Last year a VT buck took a single 270 bullet to the shoulder and his momentum carried him another 20-30 feet beyond where he was last seen. My suspicion is the VT guys who are squawking can't shoot or use lousy bullets.

It's all bullets and placement.


I am starting to think the difference is the way one hunts. My Dad probably killed 25-30 deer with a 270 win and he would be the first to say that a 270 did not kill like a 30-06. He used partitions for most of those deer.

I shoot a lot and always use "premium" bullet of some sort. Both dad and I though will shoot a deer at almost any angle, running or standing. I am starting to think that 30 caliber bullets offer enough advantage to matter on shots other than perfectly broadside(where everything is good).

For whatever reason 30 caliber holes seem to leave better blood trails, break bone and delivery more shock on deer size animals than 270's.

Dink