Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting How far would you shoot an elk with a 270?

Gotta say the exact yardages quoted indicates use of a range finder...with that said, ballistics available help the decision on when its too far...

BUT, the long range crowd doesn't like any numbers but yardage numbers, don't mention OGW formulas, or energy of any kind.

YET, the fellow (above) has it right at wherever the bullet is at when it's under 2000 FPS, since most bullets won't expand at less.

Jeff.....such hostility!

Pretty much the same self imposed distance as with anyother cartridge, 300 yds give or take a few.

About 500 yds. That is where my 7 Mashburn drops 20 in. +/- (160 gr at 3250 fps. or 175 gr. at 3100 fps), so if I hold on the back line it hits mid body. It would have to be a still day and a non-moving animal. Any other conditions even with lots of practice are doing an injustice to the animal. No dotz, turrets or complicated stuff; a very accurate, fast lazer rangefinder is mandatory !

Hi docbill,

In my experience "dotz" or turrets make it far, far easier to reliably hit, compared to pure holdover. Point being, if a guy is carrying and using a rangefinder, why not take the final step and do things right? Using a reticle is FAST and turrets aren't far behind. Lazing is the thing that takes the time, as does getting into a viable shooting position. A precise correction for bullet drop is the easiest part of that equation, IMHO.

A Mashburn, eh? Does Dober know about this? There's like this whole secret club, handshake, ring, initiation rites...

out to 500 yards if you know your rifle and load

I'm sorry, but the 30-06 didn't fight it's way across Europe (twice!), the Pacific, and Korea.... delivering sweet victory in it's brassy hands, mighty in it's .30-caliber goodness, perfect in form and function, a veritable pinnacle of cartridge design and a bastion, a VESSAL as it were, of all that is good, free, and proper...

... simply to return home and get... get... necked down to .277, for God's sake!

A great evil has been done. It can only be undone by casting the .270 into the hellfire from whence it came.

Jeff O:

Dober and I know each other along with BobnNH. For my tastes there is no need for turrets because there is no hold over. Hold on hair, the back line at most and squeeze. With my loads the max distance you figure on an elk size target is 23-25 in of drop. That is 500 yds +/- and about 2,300-2,400 lb.ft. energy.

I know too many people who have gotten lost in the turret and really screwed it up. KISS is what I live by. This is sport hunting; not sniping for a living. The operative words here; sport hunting.

Docbill, roger that. Thanks for taking my comment in the spirit it was intended, too.

We each work within our limitations, and Lord knows I've got mine. Pure holdover isn't as reliable for me. Your point on a turret being a potential for confusion is a good one, though a manageable risk IMHO with familiarity and practice.

I will say this, again with a smile. If you are good to go out to 500 with your Mash using holdover, you'd be GTG further yet with a crutch such as dotz or a turret. That likely has no value to you as 500 yds is certainly a reasonable outer limit.

Tapping this out on my iPhone sitting at my bench fine-tuning a load for my 300WM... this shooting stuff gets as nerdy as you want it to <g>.

All the best,

-jeff

30-06 = capable if unspectacular worm aka caterpillar

270 = butterfly perfection


Think of it as divine design ...

Dude.

If BobinNH, or some other Jim-Jonesian type, hands you a glass of Cool-Aid, DON'T DRINK IT!

My Tikka .270 win using 130 eTips start out at 3190 fps and still has 2025 fps and 1200 ft-lbs at 600 yards.

I could kill an elk that far out but would I? I doubt it, but I do practice out to 500+ yards and with a good rest would take a 400-500 yard shot.

If hunting in open areas that had 600 yard shots I would most likely be carrying a 300 WSM.

Jeff: You need a history lesson as well as one in cartridge development.....the 270 existed before Korea,the Battles of the Pacific,and WW II......a lot of cartridge development post 1925, was initiated just to approximate 270 ballistics,including that 7mmWSM you are building.......many of them still haven't caught it....

I suspect your views are predicated on the fact that you have not used the 30/06 much.....and the 270,not at all.

So, tell me,how did you come by all this "knowledge"?

At least I don't guess.....whereas, that is all you do....and draw charts....

I don't know about the .270as I don't own and have never fired one. I know my .30-06 will easily get the job done at over 400 yards so I see no reason to down size personaly. I wouldn't mind having a smaller caliber for deer at the closer distances and the .270 might be good for that. I also know the .223 works good with the apropriat loads. Bottom line is as far as you are good to kill and not wound the animal.

it's amazing what you learn by actually using the thing your talking about! who'd have thought?

Paul: For some, it's novel concept...

Too true! BTW, i don't really like the 270... more a 30 cal slut! i do own three 270's but i think i'm up to a couple dozen 30's.... grin

SOMEBODY can't take a joke!

.270 is just a bad use of the 30-06 case. A bad seed, as it were.

Other than that it's OK...............

Ya gotta go with whatever floats ya!