Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game IF one don't need the power/range of .270win (for BG) then what..?

say you are more a 200yd +/- max. kinda guy rather than 400yd +/-

AND given a 140 grain [premium] of your choice.....260 rem?...7mm/08?.. or dare I say, 6.5 crudmoor?...

How about a 300 Savage using a 130 gr TSX or a 150 gr Partition? Been working for near a century, mostly without premium bullets.
Then there is the trusty old 30-30.
Both seriously underestimated by most of today's shooters.

Well yeah in all honesty , the cartridges I listed may even be over-kill ..!!

7-08 140 Accubond

Great choice...

No question: 6.5x55 SE.

Nice pick. I like it.

No contest. 6.5 Creedmoor.

grendel....

Damn straight.

65BR?

Or load your 270 with a 130 and 42 grains of h4895 for 2750 fps. Voila...long action creedmoor and way less recoil than the 270 usually has.

read my mind, just use less powder

243, 257 Roberts, 25-06, 6.5X55, 260 or 6.5 CM.

If you think about it, a 223 with a 1-8 or 1-7 twist is also very good for accuracy and very inexpensive to fire. Shoots 55-80 grain bullets very well.

At 200 and under, the 223 works fine on deer with correct bullets and doesn't kick. Loaded with nosler Partitions, Bonded bullets of 60-70 grains or expanding solids like the GMX or the Barnes it is a very good deer killer.
I have seen it done a lot more then I have done it myself, but I can say what I have seen has impressed me for more then I thought it would when the 223 was made legal for deer and antelope here in Wyoming.
So far it's been 100%

But....you didn't tell us what the rifle would be used for, so I and everyone else are really just making guesses.

For whatever falls into the category of 'BG'. ..[as mentioned in the title.]

You could use lighter bullets like the 110 gr Sierra’s or AB. I shoot 6.8 SPC and 270 win, the 6.8 is my go to hunting rifle.

You could go lighter than what you mentioned. I'm running two 6's from now on: a .243 and a Creed, in lightweight rifles. Not selling my bigger ones just yet, but they're on the shelf.

I also might try a .223, on does anyway, but mine's a pound or so heavier than my 6mms, so it would mainly be for "scientific" purposes.

6.5 Grendel, 123grain SST

Plenty of winners in that range. I'd go 308 because you can buy it everywhere. Maybe even 30-30 (for the same reason) depending on conditions.


Okie John

I find it odd that anyone would find the alternative calibers listed in the original posting, to be a bit less capable that a 270, at 400+ yards.
I will add that I'm a dedicated 270 guy.
Take a look at what the lads did in the old Schutzenfest days. It's the skill of the man, not the rifle, as you range out. And those old guys were shooting offhand. With blackpowder. Without scopes.

Those you listed are so similar to the 270 that the difference doesn't matter enough to get excited about, especially at 200 yards or less. Load a 110 in the 270 and you're there as suggested. OR, get a 22-250 twisted fast enough to shoot the well constructed 60-75 gr bullets.

I like my 7-08 a lot, but it's so close to the same as my 270, the difference is negligible.

Load a 30-06 down to 2800fps or so with 130's or a 308 or the 270 or....

I am in a similar debate on another forum.

My picks would be a 6.5 Grendel or 6.8 SPC. Both are more than capable of everything North America has to offer, with the exception of Grizzlies and Alaskan Browns, when shots are limited to 200 yards. I know some would disagree, but for those people I ask, would you be comfortable shooting an elk or moose at 400 yards with a 6.5 Creedmor or a .270 win? If so, then why would you not be comfortable shooting something that will be putting the same amount of impact energy into the animal at 200 yards? With today's choice of high quality bullets, I really don't get why some would choose the increased recoil and noise if shots are limited to 200 yards.

Good point. And insert a 90 lb Texas Hill Country doe instead of the mature buck, and the spread gets wider.

I am a huge fan of the ,270, but if I wanted a new rifle to fit the needs stated I'd go with a 6.5 CM.

I'm a big fan of the 7-08 but don't consider it much of a step down from the 270 in "power/range."

A fast twist 243 or 6 Creed is more of a step down.

The 223, 22-250 or 22 Creed are even more where they're legal.

6mm Rem or .260 Rem.

Have been taking mature muley bucks forever with Sierra 120 gr in my various 6.5's. Vast majority under 200yds. Never had a problem. A squeezed properly placed shot far more important .

LOL...did you read the part about not needing the power of .270win for BG ...?

would you include cape buffalo when using a .270win or smaller .260rem..?

If held to a 200-yard max, that would be a choice of mine.

250 Savage

I read the part where you brushed off a question by saying whatever falls into the category of big game.

Besides, if you have a good 270 there's no problem anyway. The fact you you don't need what it can do at 400 yards won't hurt things.

^^^^This

If by “big game” you mean deer, The 30 Remington AR has enough energy for deer out to 300, and with the right load you could probably take elk at 200. If you plan to regularly use this gun for elk, bears, moose, etc at 200 yards, you may as well stay with your 270. But if I had to pick an option you listed, the 7-08 with 140gr Accubond or TTSX

Not sure over killing a deer is a big concern to me. I enjoy a variety of rifles and the 243 and 30-30 have taken their share of deer. At one point I was going to go with a 6x47 the 223 one for a minimal deer rifle, if I did it now it would be the 6x 6.5x47 Lapua or similar. This would be more for fun than a critical need as I currently use a couple other 6mm cartridges on a regular basis and 22s some too.

223. 62gr tsx.

A good choice.





P

7X57 with a 140 grain Partition at about 2750-2800 FPS will just about do it all for me.

Any of the 6.5's like 260 Rem , 6.5x55 with a 120gr bullet like the Sierra . Have been using it on mature muleys for years. Light recoil, flat trajectory. Has worked for me over the years , faithfully. . If lighter recoil is desired there is the Nosler 100gr partition & the Barnes 100gr TTSX. Absolutely proven big deer medicine...

This one is easy, as any of those picks will work nicely. There is a sweet spot from the 115/120gr .257 Roberts to the 140gr 7mm-08 that is very effective on deer-sized stuff at reasonable ranges, all without unreasonable recoil. You also don't need more than a 20-22" barrel to make it work well, which is nice. The Creedmoor and .260 fall right in the middle of that bracket, and if shooting 140gr bullets, a standard cup/core hunting bullet is going to work really well. Cheap but decent factory ammo is also nice for the Creedmoor and the 7mm-08. You don't need anything fancy there, but I'd reach for Hornady American Whitetail, Fusions, or Federal Non-Typical and call it a day.

For deer and 200 yards max I don't even load my 700 Classic in 250 Savage full throttle.

Yep.

I agree the 30-30 would be a good choice. Of course you could go for something like the 225 Win.

That's what I'm saying.

Yes! No recoil, flat, fast, a dandy from way back.

Does your question mean you currently OWN a 270 Win? If so, just use reduced loads.

My guess is you have more than one rifle that could be downloaded to meet your needs. Keep things simple. Use what you have.

There are lot of good options if you "don't need the power/range of .270win " for BG.

Best choice depends on a variety f factors including shooter sensitivity to recoil, size and type of game, anticipated or required range,

Even if you "don't need" a .270 Win, it is still a pretty goo choice for many applications. One can always buy or load reduced recoil loads or just shoot normal loads if recoil is not a consideration or concern. Trust me, it won't kill anything "too dead".

That said, a short barrel, short action rifle will reduce weight. My 16.1" barreled Ruger Scout is a sweet shooter with plenty of range for most situations I've been involved in. Most, not all.

A rifle chambered for 7mm-08, 6.5 CM, .257 Roberts or even .243 would seem to fit the bill, as would a lever in .30-30, depending on the specific requirements.

But the right answer is always ".280 Rem".

You forgot the 250 Savage...

22 Creed or 22/250 AI are hell on wheels with:

60g Nosler partitons-3700 fps
62g ttsx
62g Speer Gold DOT with bonded core
55g Speer Gold Dots-4000 fps
55g Hornady Sp

std 22/250 with 60g partitions are wicked ugly on deer and hogs with a muzzle velocity of 3500 fps. Destruction on an animal is about like a 300 wm shooting a 150g at 3300.

If you were going longer range:

75g Speer gold dot
80g Hornday
88g Hornady

Impact velocity with a good bullet is a deadly combo. Very little recoil seals the deal on accurate shot placement. Tremendous impact velocity, causes incredible internal organ damage..you just have to see this for yourself how fast the animals collapse.

For long range, a 22-6 Rem AI with 80g Hornady A max at 3700 will kill all deer of any size, Very little recoil!

When you like flat shooting with little recoil, instant kill, above are some answers that will just shock you. For guys sticking to just factory rifles, the 22/250 .

https://www.impactguns.com/rifle-am...60-gr-20box-10case-029465096724-p22250g/

Heart and lungs look like something poured out of a Soup can when shot with one of these rounds.

Can't go wrong.

CZ 527 in 762x39.
Cheap and accurate and it will do fine under 200 yards on deer.
I’m actually thinking of using for elk one of these years.
Obviously I’d be limited on distance but Ballistics are close to 30/30. So it can’t be that bad
So many good calibers out there.
6.5 Swede, 6.5CM, 7-08, 7x57, 270, 280, and the list goes on.

Any 264-7mm is plenty in a 308 case for 200 yds.

If you want flat a 260 is nice, or 6.5 creed is also good..

I went 260 for mine, I had a 358 win, and 7-08 but in the end for a hunting cartridge I look slick shoulders so I went 260.

I am getting a 6.5 Grendal for that application.

257 Roberts

You betcha.

Get one of each, can’t have too many rifles!!!

If a 270's what you have, use it anyway.

With those specs you’d have to try to find a cartridge NOT worthy.

For many years I've used a .257 Roberts with much success and no fuss. It's light recoil and end game performance are just about perfect. I have quite a few choices that seem to all be just fine, but lately I've been impressed with the performance of these newer bullets in smaller cases. A .22-250 with Nosler 64gr BSB has been pretty impressive, I have no idea what I'll use to punch my deer tag this year, but if I don't use an arrow, it may be a Black Hills 77gr OTM out of an AR15, the previously mentioned .22-250, .257 Roberts. If I'm out after elk I use bigger cartridges and if I see a deer I want I use what I've got with me. Sometimes it's based on mood, nostalgia, or weather. Last year I only had a few days to get out and they weren't together. Weather was crappy off and on, I used an AR10 in .308W because I didn't have to be concerned about it, and hadn't blooded it yet. I hate getting a blued & wood gun soaked. My other crappy weather gun is a .25-06 in a plastic stock.

The point to this is nearly anything would work on deer size game at less than 200 yards. What appeals to you?

There's not many out there that won't do 200 yards really.

I like the .300 Savage, .30-30, .243, .44 mag

Really, lots of options. They'll all kill deers

I have a .250 I had rebarreled on a Howa 1500 that was chambered in .22-250. I put a Krieger SS barrel on it chambered for of course the .250 Savage. It has a bit of a long throat, by design from my gun smith and the barrel's a bit long at 26" but it gives some fantastic MV with 115 grain Combined Technologies. I won't say what velocity or powder charge. I will say I use RL-17, a fantastic propellant for such a small case. I gave that info out on another forum and got lambasted and told I was making pipe bombs. But I worked that load up over months of testing and I'm here to tell you it's safe. I did go a bit far at first and thought everything was rosie until I tried repriming the brass. The pockets were loose and that was once fired brass, the once firing being done by me, in other words my first loading they were new. So I backed off a couple of grains and worked back up to one grain shy of where I had been. No loose primers and was more accurate than before. I held it there and am quite satisfied. No stretched cases either or rather not excessively. It's all normal.

And yes, it is quite a dandy. It's a real pleasure to shoot.

That's a very true statement these days. My 94 AE in .30-30 is now, thanks to Hornady for introducing Lever Revolution ammo and Flex Tip Bullets for hand loaders, a bonified 200-250 yard rifle.

Of course, my .250 Savage will shoot with the big boys a lot farther than 250 yards. And I'm confident with it. But my real go to hunting rifle is still my .270 Winchester. With 130 grain SGKs it's still the king in the deer field.

1/4 bore all the way. 257 Roberts will get it done.

All three are fine. The Creedmoor will easily have the most factory ammo available, followed by the 7-08 then the .260.

The 7-08 with 140s has always had nearly the same recoil for me as my .270s with 130s. Not much of a difference at all.

If you’re hand loading, the 6.5 Creedmoor and the 120 NBT is tough to beat at those ranges. Kicks about like a .243 with 100s, as well.

If you shoot factory fodder, several of the rapid-expansion offerings in 120-130gr are absolutely devastating on deer. I’ve used the 125 Winchester Deer Season XP and 129 Browning BXR with very impressive results. These two loadings have me seriously thinking about not loading my own deer ammo for the rifle.

If you need to shoot elk and moose, pick a good 140-class lead bullet or a Barnes 120 TTSX or 127 LRX and bring a sharp knife.

I just do not understand too much power and too flat shooting.
It's well established that a 22 will kill damn near everything walking.

If, if, if.

I want, and can have more.


Having killed deer with guns from 22 to 300 mag, plus various muzzleloaders,
and a handgun or two, my conclusions are a bit different than conclusions others
have made. I must confess that in some cases I have up quick on something that
didn't satisfy me on the first or second try.

Personally, I have never killed a deer too dead. And I have never wished for a higher trajectory.
That said, the 300 is a bigger, heavier gun that recoil more than the T3 Sweede.
The Sweede has become pretty popular for me.

However,

In an example of just a few deer, it doesn't seem to leave them where
they stood like the 308 or 30-06. Trying different bullets if it gets used this year.

So maybe, the 6.5 kills them just right,
since the 30's are overkill.

well when I 'win big' , im going to buy the most accurate mechanical watch in the world (even though I don't care to be anywhere on time).
and my highly modified Porche GT2 -RS-MR...will have carbon ceramic brakes (even though I don't plan on having to 'stop fast')
cause I don't break the speed limit. .. its 99.9% about braggin' rights.

...but I won't be going back to a .300 Roy ..

I've got a great affinity for both of these notions. Naturally, nearly endless permutations of other bores/chamberings would performa equally well. It's cool we have all these choices.

FC

Lots of choices for a 200 yard hunter, a 25-06 would be great.

Something in 6mm or 6.5mm. So basically .243 or 6.5 Creedmoor. The .260 is heading for dead as is the 6.5x55, but if you want to there's nothing stopping you - they're just fashion statements that say "I like old things that aren't designed that well". There will be no practical difference except for extra rifle weight on the 6.5x55.

If you're going for larger animals (elk, large bears, etc.), it would definitely be a 6.5mm as they're the only option that offers reasonably high sectional density (and thus potential for penetration) at the bullet weight you're wanting to shoot.

Yea know for moderate range med game tho old 257 Roberts gets it done as well as it has for many years...

There is a reason my .257 Roberts quickly became my favorite rifle. At my hunting altitudes there isn't anything I do inside 400 yards that it can't handle well. With a 110g AB @ 3163fps it maintains over 2300fps and 1300fpe at 500 yards.

To answer your question...7-08 with any 140gr.

In my opinion, if you’re a handloader, load the 270 with Barnes 95gr TTSX @ 3000fps and kill chit.

If you’re not....
223 w/Barnes 62gr TSX
243 (85-100gr)
6.5Grendel w/123gr SST Hornady
30-30 (125-150gr)

Have fun and good luck!

7.62x39

Of the rounds you mentioned, I’d choose the 7mm08

But I’ll agree that the softest shooting round mentioned so far (7.62x39) works just fine with a 123 Grain SST. It kills far quicker than it’s paper numbers would suggest. My fav platform for that round is the CZ 527 Carbine.

But a 7mm08 would certainly work too.

That would be a cast bullet in a bolt gun situation for me. Or a cast bullet in a lever gun. If the range is 200 or less, I think I'll pick a 100gr flat point in 243 doing about 2500 using 3031. Or a 155 flat point in a 270 doing about 2400 using 3031. Or a 200 flat point in 30-06, going about 2400, using 4064. Or a 175 flat point in 30-30, doing about 2200. I could go on and on. I have endless stuff for shots 200 or less, including several handguns.

+1

Another option for the .223 is the Speer 70 grain Semi Spitzer. That's all we used in my old 788 Remington with a 1:12 twist rate. It stablized them fine and killed very nicely out to at least .200 yards. That's extreme range for 90% of the shots at deer that I've seen.

My first thought as well; not sure why the 140 GR bullet matters. A 115 NPT or NBT will git er done.

I went with a Ruger American in 300 blackout for deer under 200 yards. Flat enough, good bullets in the 110 ttsx, and very accurate. Also very handy with the 16.1” barrel. Very low recoil and noise.

simple, i take one of my .223 salvage LWHs, stoke w federal premium/60 g partition, and commence to killin deer. lightweight, low noise, low recoil ... whats not to love.

Any of these

308 150 bt

30WCF

My pick would be a 7-08, but I've had great results with a .257 Bob using factory Rem ammo with 117 round nose at or under your ranges.