If a person didn’t want to reload what field craft would you advise they look at out of the 270, 3006, 7mm08

7mm-08.
able to take some larger bullet weights than the 270. Accurate out to 600. Will take pretty much any game animal on the north American continent and won't abuse your shoulder. In addition, ammo is fairly available should you find you left it at home.

I've been shooting Winchester "Power Points" 180 grain 30/06 ammunition for years. Kills elk just fine. Some use "Core-lokts" they work also also in 180 grain bullets.

Not included in you choices, but I’d be ordering a 308 Win.

,270 fast. flat, good selection of bullets.. I have shot the 06 for years good, but I like the .270 better.. Have a 7mm-08, never impressed me much.. The .308 is beaten by the old 06 and .270..

7mm-08 has limited factory ammo weights above what is available for the 270.

Also, I've not seen 7mm-08 ammo in very many rural gas stations and the like, though those same places usually had 270 and 30-06 ammo.

To the OP - a 270 would be my choice for a Barrett, of the three choices you mentioned. While the 30-06 is a great old round, a rifle that light gets a little snorty when chambered for harder kickers, such as the '06 with 180s....and if stepping down to 130-150 grain bullets to lighten recoil, might as well go 270.

The 270 is just a helluva round in general.

I might go 7-08 because I've never owned one. Like PG said, an '06 might be pretty lively at that weight. Overall, though I'm not totally up on 7-08 ammo choices, a quick look on Midway shows about twice as many loads for the .270 including some with Eld-x and LRABs that should beat any I saw for the stubby one at long hunting range, though most of us would never see any advantage in general use.

The 7-08 would be slightly shorter and lighter, but again, not all that much.

If a guy didn't reload his own, the choice for me would be the ol 06. So many different types of factory ammo, that it would make your head spin. You can find it damn near anywhere, including most mom and pop country stores I've been to.

Looking at probably 350-400 and in

The biggest difference in the Barrett between the 7mm-08 and the 270/06 is not with the cartridge but with the rifle. The long action rifles come with a little heavier and longer barrel, which is a definite improvement over the barrel contour used on the short actions.

Any of the above except 7-08, if you don't hand load.

7-08 ammo is obscure compared to the rest and when you do get it, it cost more.

How did we get this far without anyone mentioning the you-know-what? Don't tell me it's because the OP didn't include it, because that's never stopped anyone before.

It's Friday night. They're all out on the town. Just us old farts around tonight to talk about our prehistoric cartridges.

What game is going to being hunted with the rifle?



I'm with pg and prefer the slightly heavier contour of the long action FC. On the flip side, one of the big pro's for the short action FC's is the 3" mag box, the long action doesn't give as much wiggle room there....but if you're not reloading it's likely a null point.

I was going to, 'til you ruint it.

Elk and down.

I don’t want that thing that hasn’t been mentioned.

270, 6.5 CM, 308 or 30-06 for me. Hard to beat the selection avavailable.

Of the caliber choices given, I’d go 30-06. Huge variety of factory ammo available at good prices.

I have Fieldcrafts in 22-250 and 6.5 Creedmoor. A 30-06 will be my next if I decide to let go of the stupid accurate CA Ridgeline 6.5.

D. Any of the above.

I’d take the 7-08 if I was just going to hunt with it and not use it for a range toy. The .308 or .270 otherwise. The 30-06 for a rifle dedicated to elk and moose.
The 6.5 if I wanted something with a little less kick to shoot a lot at the range and still have the capacity for the occasional larger animal with readily available factory ammo. Or a 243 for the same criteria minus the big stuff.

.270 would be my pick.

30/06

Before I finished the sentence, I thought "ah, he will want the 6.5". Then I saw your caliber selections.

Any reason to avoid the caliber that fits exactly what you want?

Elk and down - check
All the factory ammo you could ever want - check

I have a model 70 fwt in 264 win that shoots less than 3/4 moa with 140 vlds I reload for that.

Wanted something I don’t have to reload and I can buy anywhere.

I have a 270 Forbes and a 30-06 NULA, with are both very similar to the FC. If forced to hunt with only one, I would definitely keep the 270 on that platform.

BTW, that is hard for me to say because the 06 has always been my favorite cartridge.

Of the choices given I would probably choose the '06. I've only had a couple of .270's and shot a few more, but have never shot any 270 factory loads that chrono'd as advertised. Typically not even close (others will disagree) just my experience . I personally would choose the 308. As for the latest and greatest, at most distances game are shot I'd prefer better blood trails as opposed to high bc., because I don't always get drt's. A .650 vs .450 bc at 400 yards don't mean sheit, but a good blood trail in a wild cat thicket does.

Where do you live?

What do you hunt? (if anything)

What will the rifle be used for?


Asking "what caliber should I get" is like asking "what tool should I buy?"

What are your needs?

Out of those choices the 7mm-08. If I did not reload, I would take a 308 over a 30-06 any day. Reload... take an 06. 270 is an awesome caliber.

Hunting everything that walks.

However this is just a general question.

If you don't hand load 7-08 would be my last choice. Of all your options it is the one cartridge that is the hardest to find ammo for and with the fewest options, and I never see it at good prices. If you want a short action and do handload the 7-08 has a razor thin edge over 308. But we're talking about less than 3" bullet drop and less than 50 ft lbs energy at 500 yards. If you are buying factory loads 308 beats 7-08 every time. And the 6.5 CM does everything the 308 and 7-08 does. Ammo for it is already easier to find and cheaper than 7-08.

Long action, same thing. In 2018 there isn't enough difference between 270 and 30-06 to argue about.

In the order you listed them ... ^^^^^

"hunt everything that walks."

Well that would make my choice easy.

For north America it's a 30-06.

If I were to include buffalo it would be a 375H&H, but that was not one of the choices.

Have a 700 375 already.