Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .270 Win vs. 7mm-08

I would pick the 270. Not a fan of 20" barrels for younger shooters, or overall for that matter. Added noise and perceived kick.

No, it isn't.

3100fps my friend...but you know that.

If it is a heavier bullet thought, I'd prefer the 30.

Tom: I hate numbers games but,like most 7/08 users who proclaim it the 270's equal,you play with the facts.You've got maybe one "trick" bullet for the 7/08 that will do that and theoretically provide the on-game performance. I say "theoretically" because I have not yet swallowed the Barnes X Kool-Aid,but I will play your game So here goes:

Latest Barnes manual lists the following MAX velocities for the 7/08 from a 24" Barrel and 120 TSX.(I don't know who offers a 24" barreled 7/08): 3047,3051,3031,2993,3025,3106,3010,3081,3070,3132.Based on my personal experience with the 7/08,you're unlikely to hit those numbers from a 22" barrel,the typical length.
If you want to talk a 140,one load goes over 2850.

Since you get to use the Barnes "trick bullet", so do I,110-270.The Barnes manual shows,for the 270 Winchester,same 24" barrel: 3452,3494,3501,3460,3430,3524.

I don't know what you call a 392 fps(given the best of each) advantage,but I call it "significant".

Even giving the 7/08 the "trick bullet" and looking at the 270 with a 130, the Barnes manual shows:3150,3152,3156,3133,3172,3211.Again, a solid advantage of the 270 over the trick bullet for the 7/08.And,again with 140 gr for the 7/08, no load hits even 2900.Every load for the 270-140 is over 3000.

At any distance to,say 500 yards the 270 will just shoot flatter,and just goes faster.It does this because the 270 HOLDS MORE POWDER, a little trick that 7/08 fanciers ignore to argue their "toy" is equal; it is not.

My own work with both cartridges bears this out.I have owned and loaded for maybe 7-8 7/08's.Most were hard-pressed to hit 2850 with 140's;none hit 2900.Most of the 25-30(it could easily be more, I am just not sure anymore) 270's I have loaded for over the years very handily hit 3100 or better with a 130 from 22" barrels.I have shot both out to 400 and 500 yards;at 300 the 270 is already leaving the 7/08 behind. The 270 just shoots flatter and is easier to hit with at 300 and beyond.

I know what you're you're going to say;today we have "dotz" so everything is equal. Sorry, but dotz don't count;we have always had dotz or some other reticle assist.I don't know what dotz have to do with speed;dotz do not make cartridges go faster.A 270 requires no dotz to at least 400;I know;been there,done that.At 500,some frame of reference is useful but not required.I have done enough shooting with the 7/08 to know it does not merit serious consideration as an open country cartridge in the class of the 270. Smarter guys than us have come to the same conclusion.

Like many who proclaim their "pet" of lesser capacity goes as fast as a cartridge of larger capacity,many 7/08 advocates stoop to playing with facts, or loading to higher pressures, etc. This game is very old,and some of us are not so easily fooled.The 7/08 has been around in its' own form, or another(7x57)for many years. Neither(both capable cartridges,don't get me wrong) has ever come within photo finish distance of the 270 and never will,because for every "trick" they can pull from their hats for the 7/08 or 7x57,another can be "pulled" out for the 270,and neither case holds as much powder as the 270.There is a very definite reason why the 270 is THE most popular,best selling long-range,open country cartridge to ever be produced,with the possible exception of the 7mm Rem Mag.

You cannot get around the fact that the 270 holds more powder,goes faster with any equivilent bullet at the SAME PRESSURES,and shoots flatter in the bargain.Just facts; just ballistics.

Of course the 270 has a little more case capacity than the 7mm-08 however the 7-08 comes in the Kimber 84M which is a really neat, light rifle to carry.

Within reasonable ranges the ballistics are similar. The 7mm does have a faster twist than the .277" though and some bullets with high B.C.'s are there.

Both cartridges are excellent ones. Get the rifle you want.

Savage: what is the significance of the faster twist in the 7-08? I believe it's 9.25 versus 10" for the 270, correct?

Geez Bobin, I hope I didn't keep you up all nite.

I run 3100ishfps for Nosler BT and up to 3100 for the Barnes TSX. I am told the Sierra makes a 120 that is a good deer bullet but haven't tried it yet--aim to. The other two are really plenty stout. Maybe the 120s are just stouter all the way around. I have run the Hornady 120 for daughter around 3k and they perform well on medium sized deer.

For practical hunting applications the 7-08 120g will do anything the 270 130g will do...knowing your individual bullet's actual trajectory and your own limits. Something materially flatter is running a lot more jug than a 06 cases.

So I save the 10g powder and recoil....

You know what Jack O'Connor said somewhere about the 130g for the 270. We spend a ton of time examining advantages that make no real world difference...like bullet weights within a caliber, for instance--paper thoughts. But I am not a gunwriter. For killing, the 7-08 and 270 are in the same class...for me.

The 7mm will shoot the Berger 7mm 168 gr VLD B.C.=0.643


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Ok now you select your .270 bullet.

It's funny. I grew up on Jack O'Connor's writing, but I don't remember excess lethality being a part of his praise for the 270 - all I remember was "flat shooting," which was pretty important during those non-laser days. (He might have said something about it, but it's not what stuck with me.) I like the 270 and used it exclusively for 30-some years until I got my Rifle Looney membership card and branched out a bit. It worked fine then and still does now.

I'm moving over to the 7mm-08, however, for a couple of reasons that may not apply to anyone else. (1) Shorter actions tend to move the balance back, which I like. (2) Shorter actions tend to be a bit lighter, which is my preference. (3) Lighter rifles work better for me with lower recoiling cartridges (note: the single most brutal recoiling rifle I've ever owned was a Ruger 77 RL (ultralight) in 270 winchester.) (4) Less powder might mean less muzzle blast, a theoretical advantage for a person who has just bought his first hearing aid. (5) The .284 120g Ballistic Tip is an exceptional bullet for whitetail deer, my most common quarry, while heavier bullets are available for occasional larger game. (6) And finally, some extremely experienced hunters, among them Mule Deer and Aussie Gun Writer, validate my own observations that there really isn't much advantage gained from the more powerful cartridge. FWIW.

Depends on the bullet weight you choose.

150gr 270 cal, and 160gr 7mm are virtually identical in terms of Sd and BC.

So if you campare bullets similar for each cartridge, the 270W is going to move a 150 grainer quite a bit faster than a 7-08 will drive a 160gr.

At a hundred yards on an elk, no diff. But at 400 yards, I'll take the 270W....

Casey

Of course, if I had read your post first Bob, I wouldn't have bothered posting


Casey

To me neither kick all that much and, as Bob indicated, the 270 is the bigger engine. Here I'd rather have the 270. Back East, or on the Left Coast, the 708 makes a lot of sense.

I tend to use my deer/antelope rifles for elk and the 270 has a bit more juice with heavier bullets. Hard not to like that. The point at which a guy is carrying too much gun for elk is the point at which he doesn't shoot the round well or the rifle is too heavy to pack comfortably (or both).

Frankly, I love both cartridges,

The advantages of each are distinctive and unique - after stewing on it for a while and reducing everything to a precise mathematical equation, they are exactly tied in a head to head comparison...grin.

The 270 does have a little more juice, though...physics keeps rearing its ugly head...grin.

DJ

Too true!

Wish Kimber made a LA 84 Montana! I'd gladly trade a couple ounces for the added performance of the 30-06 length rounds... not that I don't like 308 length rounds!

Hey, Brad. I'm still waiting for the LH Kimbers they promised 5-6 years ago. You don't have it that bad.

Can you imagine if Kimber would get a 270 or 25-06 into a package as good as the Big/Little Sky?

Don't know how they can produce stuff so right and so wrong at the same time...grin.

DJ

Tom: It didn't take long... Don't get me wrong, I like and have used the 7/08 back here(New England) and it does a bang-up job.I have just gotten accustomed to the flat trajectory of the 270 and prefer it when hunting out west;and it works just as well as anything else in the east,also.So, I use it.

I do like the Kimber Montana,though,as a lot of my eastern hunting is done on the move,and the very light weight is appealing.In that rifle I prefer the 7/08 over the other chamberings, and recently found a used one that has about 6 rounds through it(I know the previous owner),so am going to buy it and mess with that 120 Barnes myself....

So I AM objective;sort of.....

Casey: We just sort of bumped into each other....

A Ruger .270 was the first deer rifle that I ever bought. Still have it. A newer Ruger 7mm-08 is now my "go to" gun now. Recoil is very managable with great results on our Virginia Whitetails.

If it's for your daughter....I'd keep the 7mm-08....