Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Opinions wanted!!! 270 win VS 7MM Mag frustated

The more you use either of those rifles, the more you'll likely be able to handle well, but the less you'll need overall. Does that help?

The more I hunt and shoot, the more I realize that a good three gun battery for me is something small with a medium case (like the 6.5X55), a good for just about anything mid-sized cartridge like the 30-06, and a larger bulleted magnum cased cartridge. (I like what the 358 Norma does and how it behaves; it splits the difference between the 338 and the H&H quite nicely.) I'm not sure where the 270 or 7mm fits in there but I can't blame you since you are looking ahead while I'm looking in the rearview mirror. Since I tend to carry and use the smaller rifles more than the larger ones, I suspect I'd go with the 270 if I were in your shoes.

I've got it. If your frustrated w/ .270 and 7 mag, buy a .308 win. It's fun popping paper and the animals will never know.

Given the game you listed, get the .270. If you're like most of us you are going to do a lot more shooting at game under elk size than over and the .270 makes more sense to me on the smaller game. As others have stated, if the .270 with good bullets isn't big enough neither is the 7. You could do like many of the rest of us, go with something like a .257 Roberts, 260/6.5x55 or so for the smaller stuff and then move into something more specialized for the big tough animals. Or use pops -06.

i wouldn't wast my time with the 270 or 7mag. i'd go strait for the 300 rum flame proof suit on

There's no paper or field difference between the two. I'd base the call on the fit and feel of the rifles. And, the cost of ammo and/or components does indeed favor the standard calibers.

I started handloading with a 7mm RM. I thought it was the ultimate, until I discovered it had nothing on the 30-06, 270, 280, 308, etc. Now I own and load for a bunch of all of them, except for the 7mm RM. My favorite elk rifle for the last 10 years has been an old battered Rem 700 BDL 35 Whelen in a mtn rifle stock. But the others still get their time,too. Last year's cow fell to a 280 mtn rifle.

Either choice, it will probably be your new ultimate favorite!

Put a 24 in bbl on a 270W, and you got yourself a 7mmRM. Put a 22 in bbl on a 7mmRM, and you got yourself a 270W.

A 270 will drive a comparable bullet at similar velocities and similar penetration as the 7mm RM. The advantage is you can do it with a lighter, smaller rifle with less recoil, less muss, and less fuss......

I've hit the ball and socket on an elk--the biggest bones on a wapiti--at 300+ yards and it still drove a 150gr Partition to the brisket on a 700lb + bull.


Casey

Taz I would love to see a pic of that " old battered Rem 700 BDL 35 Whelen in a mtn rifle stock". Sounds cool

If you want to settle the matter, forget either and get a 30-06...

I'm loading up some 130 grain partitions, you all can argue about which is better.

oh oh oh ... I figured it out!!!!

Get a .270 WBY ... dat way you have a .270 AND a Mag .... best of BOTH worlds ...

Dad's never seem to be super smart until you begin to get on in years, then, seemingly, one fine day, like a light switch has been flipped, they "all of a sudden" got super wise.

All the suggestions for the 30/06 are good one's as well; but we really were not talking about that cartridge.Nevertheless here is my half-assed opinion on where it fits in and the opinion is worth what you paid for it.

JB's comments about 200 gr bullets in the 06 made me think of this.

Seems to me the real difference between a 270, 7 mag, and 30/06, is really 200 to 220 gr bullets in the 06,which are so good that it just about nudges the cartridge into the "medium" category, which is why I could never get into a lather about stuff like 338/06's and 35 Whelans, 358's etc. These heavier bullets sort of make the cartridge a scaled down 338, or 375H&H, for a guy wandering around Africa, or in brown bear country,with some 220 gr solids or softs in his pocket; or like Ray Atkinson has mentioned, as a timber load for elk,the cartridge is likely as good as it gets in a moderate recoiling load where a hunter needs heavy bullets for larger animals.

But it seems to me that the other two cartridges here(270 and 7 mag)both do everything in the normal run of big game hunting that the 30/06 does. In other words, if you shoot 165 gr bullets in the 06,you will not see a difference. Said another way,the 06 does the same things as the 270 or 7 mag

Pick your poison.whenever any of the 3 are applied correctly, I see dead animals on the ground.....

I have 2 each of 270 Win as well as 7mm and 300 mags. When you think about it, they would all be classified as shoulder fired small arms accomplishing basically the same thing. They are all fun and pleasure for me and I select the one I am going to use based on my mood as much as anything.

If I were only going to have one it would probably be the 7 mag over the 270 because it is a little more fun for me to shoot, more recoil and a bigger boom!
As a kid I enjoyed big firecrackers more than little ones.

Don,

The 7mm Rem Mag will fit right in the middle of a three rifle NA game battery. You would be hard pressed to find something flatter than a 160gr pill launched from a 7mm. You might flank it with a 25-06 and a .338 win mag. It sure is fun making these choices though ain't it?

CLB

The 270 and 7 mag are very close in performance. Neither shoot enough flatter than the 30-06 to make a meaningful difference in the field - a common misconception. The real difference is in the rifles. Weatherby rifles chambered for the 7 mag are more than a pound heavier and have barrels that are 2 inches or more longer than Weatherby rifles chambered in 270. Most brands will exhibit similar differences in rifles so chambered. So choose the rifle you like best and be certain that you are not missing anything.

-

What is this, common sense when talking to loonies? I tried to argue this very same thing with my buddy the other day, I run a .270 and him a 7mag. My point was that when loading equal quality bullets most reasonable calibers are a tie. To prove my point while we were talking I took a 40gr vmax and cut it in half. Then with a half azzed pull on a kids slingshot I hit him in the thigh with it. When he was done yelling about the sting in his thigh I pointed out that it was probably more energy than what seperated a .270 and a 7mag. Then I pointed to a box of ammo sitting on my shelf that had a sticker for $20 and he agreed I won for the day.

I've hit the ball and socket on an elk--the biggest bones on a wapiti--at 300+ yards and it still drove a 150gr Partition to the brisket on a 700lb + bull.


Casey [/quote]

There is only one spot on an Elk were this is located, the hip joint.

Just my 2 cent.

Well......."maybe" and "it depends"...so here we go!

I use the following in all three cartridges,and in handloads:

270-130 @3100
7mag 1403200-3250
7mag 160 @3080+-
30/06 165 @2900(the 150 at 2900-3000 is the same thing)

I zero all these loads at 3"high at 100.All are pretty similar at 300 yards with the 7 mag at POA;the 270 a couple inches low,and the 30/06 app 4"-5" low.

BUT: At 400,the 270 is down app12";the 30/06 about 16;the 7 mag-160 app 9-10";and the 7 mag 140 down app. 8".All loads have acceptable mid range(to me)and I have been shooting all these combo's at actual distances for over 30 years.

Bottom line: for those who do not use "dots" or reticles to compensate for excessive drop,and have these trajectories cemented in the brain(me ....or for those circumstances where I must deal with distances and with no, or little, time to laze, correct,etc, the trajectory "edge" of the 7 mag and 270 over the 30/06 have proven an advantage for me.

We can say these are small differences and this is true;but they exist and an experienced 30/06 shooter will compensate pretty automatically;but if you are accustomed to the flatter trajectory,it takes some retraining!

That both shoot flatter is pretty clear,and while the 06 can be used with more modern bullets like 130TTSX at higher velocity to give a flatter trajectory, the same can be said regarding the other 2 cases to maintain the edge.

There is nothing mysterious going on here; it is simply that both the 270 and 7 mag generate more velocity with commonly available hunting bullets,so just shoot flatter.YMMV

Bob, my comment about the 30-06 is strictly tongue-in-cheek... I unfortunately read through this whole thread and can't believe anyone seriously thinks there's any significant real-world difference between a 270 and a 7mm RM on elk (in particular).

To me the 7mm RM has always been a heavier, larger, louder, harder kicking 270. Certainly a great round, but what one will do so will the other.

I've always maintained, within reason, cartridges are more alike than not. You just need to pick one that "speaks" to you and spend a lifetime with it.

Before he died I corresponded a bit with George Hoffman... his favorite elk rifle was the 270 Win and he'd taken a bit over fifty head with the round.

Look at what the majority of you will be. If its 400 yards and under get a 270 if its 400+ get the 7mm. If its deer, pigs and antelope get the 270 if its elk, moose, & bear get the 7mm. The critters won't be able to tell a difference or die any different or quicker with good bullet placement. The only difference you will notice is your wallet after you purchase a couple boxes of ammo.