Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles USRAC M70 for everything

270 or 308? And justify your pick...

.308 because I also like women.

308 so it can be rebarrelled to 708

I didn't realize that we could upgrade the options. I'll have what Teal is having, please.

Both! I have both, and I wouldn't sell either. I have shot more elk with the .270 as I was late to convert to .308. What's not to like about both.

308 because ammo is easier to find these days.


Okie John

308

Ammo is cheaper and easier to find even if you handload. Less recoil, better accuracy in most cases. The 270 shoots flatter by a smidge, but not enough to matter especially with modern optics and range finders.

People throw around the word "thumper" a lot to describe hard hitting close range rounds. You won't find any factory loads, but 308 hand loaded with 200 gr and heavier bullets out thumps rounds like 338 Fed and 358 up close. You can't load bullets significantly heavier than that in either of those 33 or 35 caliber cartridges, and a 35-caliber bullet is only about the thickness of a dime bigger than a 30-caliber bullet. A 33-caliber bullet about 1/2 the thickness of a dime bigger.

If you were inclined to re-barrel to 7-08 it is better on paper. But with the best loads we're talking about 1-2" less drop at 500 yards, about 40 ft lbs more energy at that range, and about 1 ft lb less recoil. Not enough to offset the readily available and cheaper 308 ammo for me. But I concede, 7-08 is the better round.

270 and model 70 is 🇺🇸 and apple pie.

Just buy one in 7mm-08, but if the option is the 2, I'd do exactly what you are saying.. 308 is boring and the 270 is gay. Next question please..

Since when did you start wearing a dress?

I've shot a 270win for over 45 years and the 308win for maybe 6, so I'll go with 270win. It seems every time I read the words "Winchester model 70" the grand old 270win comes to mind.

Right after O’Connor.

Ha ha..

That is reserved for the 6.5 Gaymoor and synthetic stocks. As to the OP, tough choice but I'd go 308

I own both.

My first choice would be the 308, but there is absolutely NOTHING wrong in choosing the 270 Win.

I own more .308s than I do all other CF rifles chambered to other cartridges combined.

If I wanted one rifle for hunting everything I'd likely choose the .270 over the .308. It's been known for more than 100 years that 7mm bullets provide tangible benefits over those in .308 in the hunting world.

I picked the .308 years ago when I could only afford 1 rifle. It will kill any critter and ammo availability is usually better than the 7mm Lite. I still have my 1966 vintage M700 ADL that has really nice wood. Needs rebluing a bit. I’m thinking of replacing the 2-7x Leupold with a 3-9x with a heavier duplex reticle. No love for the .270 , especially with a 22” barrel.

The manbun may hold the crown right now, but the .270 is the classic title holder (at least around here).

I have both - both stainless Fwt’s made in 1996, and just a couple hundred serial numbers apart. The 308 is my favorite cartridge, so that’s what I’d go with. However, what one will do, the other will do.

I also have a Portuguese made M70 EW in 6.5 CM, but that’s a different conversation…

Since the USRAC is as dead as Disco, since 1989 according to Wikidiki, one might better set their affections on an FN-made one. I bought an EW last year, and aside from a weak striker spring that I replaced, it’s a fine specimen, better made by far than a couple of Classic SS models my sons owned, which both had quality issues (no, I don’t know how many digits were in the serial numbers).

I bought a .308 because it’s what was available, and because I have enough .308 stuff to last until the next Ice Age. The same would’ve been the case if it were a .270, both a bit much for this area when fully pumped.

Current ones feature Bergara barrels. Mine has a B&C stock. Not sure where the actions are manufactured, but the parts are screwed together in Portugal, hence the marking on the barrel.