Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 270 Win vs 7mm Rem Mag

.280 or .280AI. Standard length cartridge, can go bigger if needed, especially with the AI. Nosler loads for it and has head stamped brass. Ive got a .280 and an AI on order but I also have a .270. 7mm mag has a little more umph and more recoil than the 30-06. The other choices do not.
Lee

The 270,30/06 and 7 RM are all comparable cartridges with enough subtle differences between them to justify owning and using all three(for a rifle nut),and I do and have since the late 1960's.The 280 and 280AI can be thrown in the mix as well,but lack broadbased popularity and easy availability of factory ammo,important for someone who travels and hunts.

The simple answer is "yes",the 7 mag,with its' greater powder capacity,will push long 160 gr bullets to a bit under 3100 fps with good handloads,from a 24" barrel,and 140 gr bullets at 3200+.These combinations will both shoot flatter to 400-500 yards than anything you can feed a 30/06 or a 270 Winchester.

With such loads and optimum zero's you will be down no more than 8-10" at 400 yards,and about 2 feet at 500 yards.

I arrived at these numbers and conclusions not by reading ballistic tables,but by actually shooting these combinations at the specific ranges mentioned.

You can also load a 175 gr bullet to over 2900 if you want,and this will be a good effective load for about anything,including those elk at 200 yards and under.

None of this means that the 270 (or 30/06) are chump change,and the 270 gets shaded by the 7 mag for trajectory by about 6" at 400 yards and somewhat more at 500.

In this day of dots and turrets all this may seem irrelevant,but sometimes choosing between dots can be confusing in the heat of battle and requires precise knowledge of range;they are a legitimate adjunct to the hunt but there will be times when using an LRF may not be possible,and under those circumstances a flat trajectory can save a guys bacon;so there is room to use both,and a 7 mag can be zeroed to provide a longer PBR than any of the other cartridges mentioned due to its' greater powder capacity,and higher velocity.

If you want "almost as flat" in a lighter,handier,lower recoiling package,the 270,280,etc fills the bill,as does the 280AI,but most folks put 24" barrels on 280AI's,whereas the 270 and 280 do good work with 22" tubes.As stated above both the 280 and 280AI have limited factory ammo due to general lack of popularity,and this, to me ,is a handicap.YMMV.

I'd go with the big 7..you won't be disappointed.

I just got out the door with some Barnes 150gr TTSX in 30 caliber. I have RL 15, RL 19, RL22, IMR 4065, H414, H4895, H4350 and H4831 at home with lots of brass and primers. Gonna spend today and tomorrow (my regular days off) coming up with some loads for the 30-06 using these bullets. Depending on what the Barnes book and online loads suggest, I'm hoping to come up with a cheaper alternative to buying a new rifle.

Or, maybe I just want a new rifle.

Dan360..............Here`s a suggestion!......Go to the Hornady web site and see their "external ballistics calculator."

Take your possible bullets going to be used from the 270 Win and 7 RM, type in their MVs, BCs, bullet weights, your rifle`s zero, o/temps, etc & etc, and then compare their downrange performances in velocity, energy and trajectories. Jot down on paper exactly as it reads for both rounds.

This will give you excellent graph comparisons between these two rounds. From there, you can decide which one best suites the need for the hunting you`ll be doing.

If recoil is a concern, the 7 RM will have more recoil. But the 7mm also allows for heavier bullets.

If flatter shooting is a big consideration, you also may want to consider throwing the 270 WSM into the mix too. It averages about 175-200 fps over the 270 Win.

I have a 30-06 with a Burris 3X-10X-40mm Signature Select scope with the Ballistic Plex Reticle. Hornady Spire Point Interlocks or Swift A-Frame 165 grain bullets handloaded to 2900 fps match the reticle lines very nicely out to 500 yards. Swift Scirricos, Nosler Accubonds and Hornady Interbonds in the 165 grain weight loaded to 2800 fps also match nicely with the reticle lines.

Yes, you have the fever sir, you will not be happy until you cure it.
Since the new FN M70's don't come in 7 RM I would get it in stainless M700 or Vanguard.
Have the trigger replaced with a fine Timney and shoot 160's in the wind.

I'll throw my 2 cents in. I don't shoot mule deer but do shoot WT deer across fields at the ranges you mention. Any cartidge mentioned so far will work fine - the difference out to 300 yards is insignificant. At 400, the flatter trajectory of the faster bullets becomes evident and may be of a benefit depending on your needs and comfort level.

Having said all of that, I chose the 7RM. To me it is the ideal trade off between flat trajectory, ample power, and accpetable recoil in a light rifle. The 300's may hit harder but i have little experience with the 300 on big game outside of a handful of examples. I do know they recoil much more than a 7RM - and they don't shoot any flatter. To me, the 7RM with 140's sounds ideal for your intended purpose.

My own journey began and ended with a 7RM - but only after playing with various 300's and 338's along the way. I found that the recoil of a 300/338 was beyond my capability in a lightweight rifle. I started the 7mm journey in 1982 and came back 20+ years later to what I already knew worked. I'll bet I don't wander again <g>

Try a 270 with 110 grain Barnes TTSX or Nosler Accubond. It flattens things out considerably and shoots like a kitten. Smokes deer in the Federal factory load.

Dan360,

There is little difference between the 30-06 and 7 mag on game. The 270 is less effective than either. The 7 mag has the edge with bullets of slightly higher BC, and a slight edge in velocity. You would be hard pressed to tell which is which by their recoil. Get the 7 mag.

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Dan,

You asked for opinion and even though I am not a gun writer I did stay at a Holiday Inn Exress last week so I will chime in. I don't think you need a new rifle unless your current 06 isn't accurate enough for long distance work. I think you need the right bullet for the task, and to learn how to use your 3x9 LR scope or perhaps a different one such as a a Leup. with B&C reticle or Zeiss Rapid Z 600. These later scope's reticle can help you cope with wind which is the hardest part IMO. For the distance you say is your limit I don't think turrets are necessary.

Step 1. get a 1000 168 Noslers for this reasonabl price for practice. http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0011565934

Step 2. work up a good load with Reloader Big Game or one of the 4350s that shoot less than 3 inch goups at 300 yds in your rifle. It should be getting around 2900 fps at the muzzle. This should be plenty flat shooting and very adequate for the game you mentioned.

Step 3. Practice with the Leup. 3x9 LR scope and the Nosler match bullets until they are all gone. If you read the scope's manual you can adjust the power to help compensate for trajectory not matching exactly or shoot a 500 yard group and adjust the scope to it.
(FYI I have a Conquest 3x9 Rapid z 600 and a friend has a B&C reticle in a 3.5x10. I also have the LR duplex in a FXII 6x that I used with effect at 433 yards this fall. I really like being able to hold on the target with a reticle but the LR dot is pretty course and pretty much covered the deer's chest. I think I will switch to a B&C for 2010)

Step 4. Practice shooting at paper plates at 300, 400 and 500 yards and not just on calm days. Get a kestral wind gauge so you know what a 5, 10 and 15+ mph winds feels like. If winds get much above that I won't shot at distance myself as they are rarely constant then. I know as i live in WY;) If you can't hit a paper plate at a known distance every time from an improvised or better rest with no adrenalin going and no stress from exertion how will/can you justify trying the same shot on game?

Step 6. When it comes time to hunt switch to a hunting bullet designed to open at long ranges like a Bergerl VLD 168, develop a load and confirm at all ranges and go get your wall hanger mule deer with your 06. You will proabably end up shooting the critter under 100 yards, but you will be a much better rifle shot after all this.

If this advice doesn't sit well with you go get a Sako A7 in .270, mount a hubble style scope of your choice, sight in 3 inches high with 130s at 100 yards and have fun. It worked for me for years.

Dump the idea of the .270 and 7RM.

Keep the '06 for its versatility and as a backup.

And enjoy the best of all worlds by getting a .280 Remington!

(esp if you handload)


the 7RM offers an extra 150fps MV, which means squat by the time you're approaching 400yds ..... if you shoot that far.

One poster suggested getting closer to your target to hit a 10in zone vs a 25in zone. Excellent advice!

If all you were going to shoot in the 7RM was 175grn pills, by all means get the mangle-um, or better yet - a .338!

For the purposes you mention, excluding elk (I'd sure keep the 30-06 for elk, I like it better than either of the other two), I like the .270 - the difference in the bullet weights you mention is minimal (same trajectory, slightly more energy w/ 7 RM).

The .270 is tailor made the antelope and deer. If you feel the need for more, instead of the 7 RM, take a look at the .270 Weatherby Magnum. This is a stretch the string caliber, significant power increase over the .257 Wby yet nearly the same ballistics. In that group of bullets you mention, I'd also seriously consider the Nosler Partition. It is the gold standard in high performance bullets, proven like no other in the game fields.

I own a .270 Win, 7 RM, and .280. I'd take the .270 over the 7 RM and I'd take the .280 over either, if you're a handloader. If you're not a handloader, then the .270 and the 7 RM have a higher "Walmart" factor.

Keep the 30-06 use the money you would spend on another rifle for practice ammunition, and get closer there is not a lot of difference in the trajectory of the various cartridges discussed so far.

Maybe he has experienced spooking a big old smart one trying to get too close. If getting inside their spook zone is the goal he could just hunt during bow season while they are still in their patterns.

Bigsqueeze: I checked out that Hornady Ballistics program. Pretty intersting stuff. I'm seeing that, if using Hornady bullets, I can shoot 154gr bullets out of the 7mm at the same speed and trajectory as a 130gr from the 270. Similar BCs would be the 130gr 270 and 139 7mm. At that point, the 7mm shoots a bit flatter and packs more punch and deals with the wind better.

I just need to figure out of "better" is enough to justify the larger powder charge and increase in recoil. After shooting a friend's 7mm, it seems like the difference in recoil between the 7mm with 160gr bullets and my 30-06 using 180gr bullets isn't distinguishable. I'd almost say my 30-06 kicks a bit harder. Either way, I would be okay with shooting it from the prone.

Sorry, not true......................getting rid of both for a 280 doesn't strike me as any step "up" at all;it's just a lateral move from the 270 which is "same /same" as the 280.

I have been listening to the 280 hair splitters for years,and the utter nonsense about how it's "better" than a 270.The 280 is one of my favorite cartridges that I was loading for and hunting with in the late 70's or early 80's. So my problem isn't with the 280;it's with those who believe it posseses some magical qualities that make it somegow superior to the 270,or the 7mag.This is largely fairy tale,and overactive imagination.Fact is it is no "better" than a 270,and not as fast as anything in a 7 mag.

If you have new gun fever go far it. But something to think about if you want to keep using your favorite rifle, the Leupy Boone & Crockette reticle has a special setting that calibrates the 30-06, 180 drop to 300, 400, 450, 500, and 600.

Unless the 280 has been Ackley (ized) then that's a different conversation...............................