Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Least Destructive High Power

Own and use both. For what you are asking, either would suffice. Recoil about the same in my book, but I think the 270 has more muzzle blast if that matters to you. I do like the 308 in a short action rifle. You may want to spend some time looking at and handling different rifles to see how they feel. Let that be your decision maker rather than which caliber.

30-06 -- military BLANKS -- No meat destroyed.

Sheesh


Jerry

No, no it isnt.

Really ?

.277 is > .308 ? in whose math book ?

Take the rest with the same accuracy.


Jerry

A bullet that holds together is less destructive on meat then one that comes apart, and a slower bullet does less meat damage then a fast one. That's the basic rule of thumb.

I have killed deer with very fast and very slow guns. All died. Some faster then others but with good bullets and good marksmanship, a "long run" is 50 yards.

Guns I have used that kill deer well but do very little meat damage are :
458 Win mag (no I am not kidding)
45-70 with 440 grain LBT cast bullets at a MV of about 1450 FPS
375H&H with 300 grain solids (again, not kidding)
8X57 Mauser with 200 grain bullets
9.3X57 Mauser with Nosler 250 grain AccuBond.
308 Winchester with 180 grain bullets
30-40 Krag with 220 grain
6.5X54 M/S with 160 grain Hornady and 156 grain PPU bullets
44 magnum with any cast bullet.
45 colt with 250 grain Hollow points, but shot at only about 1200 FPS
357 Magnum with LBT 187 grain WFN
35 Remington with 220 grain Speer bullets
and quite a few others too, but I am sure the point is made.

you should also consider the 25-06. Some say the 25-06 is the Texas state flower for a reason....

I have 270 and 308 both are more than adequate for deer size game. Long action or short action is your decision. Heavier bullets normally do less damage to deer size game. 270 150 grain or 308 180 grain. As others have said buy the rifle that feels best to you. I would certainly not recommend the magnums for your criteria.

Great idea! I worry about possibly too little damage...I guess I'm just impossible to please.

This is something I don't think I'm giving enough attention to. I'm leaning more .308, but at this point based on general discussion, I'll probably go for the best ergonomic fit and deal in either round.

Thanks all for your input and advice. I don't want to flood with replies, but I will take all advice into my decision: rifle size, bullet weight, speed, shot placement, etc. At this point if I were given an equal choice between either rifle, I'd probably lean towards 308. Seems to be one of those "can't go wrong" options, and that's really what I'm going for.

Y'all are great! 👍

I really was being sarcastic.....not towards you.

I now see you are a new member here --- WELCOME !

I honestly don't have the time to go into details now. I promise you it is MORE important WHERE you hit them THAN
what you hit them WITH.

I have pix showing deer carcasses hit in the HI Shoulder, emphasis HI, and there is SO little meat loss as to be negligible.
However PHOTOPUKEIT (photo bucket) has them locked up and I AIN'T paying them. I would post them for you IF I could.

I've posted those in yrs past and even after SEEING the pix, some guys say, "too much meat loss" . < Bull Crap! >

I've NEVER shot a deer with a Premium bullet ( Nos Partition, Barnes, etc.). All have been cup n core and MOSTLY
Hornady Ils.

ALSO, unless you eat deer ribs, a shot thru the ribs will NOT waste any edible meat. I find TOO LITTLE meat in the
ribs to mess with.

Good Luck in your search.

Jerry

I dont know what school you went to but the .270 is definitely not a larger caliber than a .308.

No worries man, I was also in my reply. I function on dry sarcasm, makes the world go round, haha.

I have pretty much decided to mainly take shots mid level just behind the crease of the shoulder, going for main vitals obviously. Some times, though, things happen and bullets stray a bit.

My original post probably comes from the quartering away shot, and the possibility of passing a bullet through the other shoulder. Absolutely going to be damage and meat loss, just was trying to keep it to a minimum on that situation.

Sounds good. Pass the .257 and hold the 45-70.

You would have to be really recoil sensitive to tell the difference in 308 and 270 recoil and it is more affected by bullet choice and stock fit than caliber. If you shoot 180's with the 308 it will probably kick more than the 270 with 130's. OTOH if you shoot 130's in the 308 and 150's in the 270, the 270 will kick a bit more although the difference is negligible. Shooting 150's in both, the 270 will kick a bit more because it is pushing the same weight bullet at a higher MV. Again, unless you have a really low recoil tolerance, I can't see it making much difference.

I'm used to a rifled Mossberg 500 with 1 oz slugs, rated at 1650fps. It's quite a punch (more of a push) to the shoulder. I'm assuming either of these rifles would be milder by comparison. Probably a quicker jab of a kick, as opposed to the slow cannon feel of slug guns, but milder nonetheless.

Edit: I hadn't even really considered recoil until other members started bringing up that I should consider it, reasoning that lower recoil should equate to more consistent shooting. Also, the much lighter triggers of actual rifles vs that shotgun...oh I can't wait. Feels like you're pulling that thing for a mile, with bumps in the road, before it actually fires.

All the advice is good, but you should consider your application. I see you are from Michigan but that doesn't tell me whether that's where you hunt, or the average range of your shots. If you are looking for anytime, anywhere, all species in North America, do it all, I would say a .30-06 is your huckleberry. YMMV

I'd say get a Ruger Hawkeye in .308 and drive on.

Solid rifle, solid cartridge.

6.5 x 54 with the heavy bullets that made it's reputation. Eat right up to the bullet hole.

.270 it will do what you want ammo is cheap and plenty to choose from.. Enjoy!!!

If you don’t reload, I’d guess the easiest ammo to find on the shelf at Bubba’s Gas Station and Feed Store will be 270, 308, and 30-06. I went with a 270 about 50 years ago and killed a few hundred deer over the years. Of what the OP mentioned, I’d pick the 270. But any of them will do, with the right bullet and decent placement.