Although I have used the 270 some, I can’t say exclusively.. Having said that I now wonder how many of us still hold this fine cartridge in high regard. As a young man it seemed the then new 7 mm Remington would kill off the 270, it did not. Now we have the 6.5 Creedmoor and even more powerful 6.5’s aiming at the 270. I for one will still keep using the 270, how about you?
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
Haven't been shooting my 270 much this year. I picked up a Kimber Hunter 6.5 Creed. The old 270 is certainly one of the most capable hunters but I picked up a 6.5 Creed. The 270 is one of the greatest calibers ever created but I picked up a 6.5 Creed. I still like the 270. Love that Creed. Named it Foxy. Jim
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
I'd say that's about the best endorsement for the .270 I've seen lately.
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
I'd say that's about the best endorsement for the .270 I've seen lately.
I hear it's the preferred cartridge of queers and pansies so I'm sure you'd love it.
I've used the old 270 now for about 45 years in one rifle or another. First in a model 70, and 2 different remington bdls over the years. It has always done what i've asked of it. Nothing better for mulies, whitetails, antelope, elk, and moose. With proper bullets it will take care of most hoofed game in north america. Nosler partitions in 130, and 150 do well.
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
I'd say that's about the best endorsement for the .270 I've seen lately.
I hear it's the preferred cartridge of queers and pansies so I'm sure you'd love it.
I just know it works, and you're a moron. Not surprised you have personal knowledge of queers and pansies.
For more than a few years the 270 Win was my only centerfire rifle. Have used 85-150gr bullets for hunting and shot up to 180gr Woodleighs at the range.
85gr TSX works on deer 90gr Speer works on prairie dogs, rabbits, squirrels, skunks, porcupines and coyotes. 100-110gr AB's and T/TSX's work on deer/antelope, black buck, and Axis. 130-150 on hogs, deer, antelope, elk, black bear, and caribou.
I believe I may have nine 270's right now. Own a couple of 6.5 Creedmoors, and planning on sending them down the road.
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
I'd say that's about the best endorsement for the .270 I've seen lately.
I hear it's the preferred cartridge of queers and pansies so I'm sure you'd love it.
I just know it works, and you're a moron. Not surprised you have personal knowledge of queers and pansies.
Everybody here tells me Goosey is your butt buddy.
I don’t currently own one but a .270 will always have a place in my heart. I have more DRT kills with a .270 than any other cartridge. Often think of having another put together. This one would probably be a 1:9 or 1:8 twist though...
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
I'd say that's about the best endorsement for the .270 I've seen lately.
I hear it's the preferred cartridge of queers and pansies so I'm sure you'd love it.
I just know it works, and you're a moron. Not surprised you have personal knowledge of queers and pansies.
Everybody here tells me Goosey is your butt buddy.
You shouldn't listen to your pocket full of gerbils.
I've seldom, if ever been without one for 35 or 36 years. It's an excellent balance of accuracy, flat trajectory, and reasonable recoil. With new powders it's even better. A 150gr bullet at over 3000 is easy and safe to do now, and with proper construction should easily take anything in the lower 48 at any sane range. Twist it a hair tighter for something like 170gr Bergers, and it can go long(er). Ammo is easy to find at all price levels, as are components and data. Lots of other rounds can do the same job, but most aren't quite as "accessible" in regard to ammo and rifle model availability.
What I can't understand is why so many people take a dislike to a particular cartridge, often without ever trying it, or why they get their feelers hurt when their pets start to flounder in the market against new stuff. Short of ammo actually being discontinued, what's the big deal? Is it some kind of personal validation thing? As long as what I have works for me, I could GAS what someone else uses.
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
I'd say that's about the best endorsement for the .270 I've seen lately.
I hear it's the preferred cartridge of queers and pansies so I'm sure you'd love it.
I just know it works, and you're a moron. Not surprised you have personal knowledge of queers and pansies.
Everybody here tells me Goosey is your butt buddy.
You shouldn't listen to your pocket full of gerbils.
I like it a lot. I killed a buck antelope with one 2 days ago. I have been killing game on and off with 270s since 1968. It's never let me down. Not even one time. Sure, there are some bullets I stay away from, but I can say the same for about every other bore diameter too. People that make a religious idol are self-deceived and have no grasp on facts, so I choose not to defend or attach a mathematical measurement. To ascribe some evil or righteousness to a measurement is idiotic.
I have one 270 that I made on a Mauser action when I was 13 years old. That was 51 years ago now. It's now on it's 3rd barrel.
I have killed more deer then I can count, many antelope, many elk, 3 bears, and a lot of domestic cattle, horses and also about a dozen sheep with 270s. I have seen 3 moose and one Bison killed with 270s too and all of them were one shot kills with the game failing instantly or within a few seconds after the impact. The bull Bison was killed with a 150 grain Remington factory round and fell before the recoil was gone.
I read all the time how it's too old,. and all the things that are wrong with it. I have never seen anything to gripe about with one as long as someone didn't use bullets that break up. Again I say I have seen bad results with a LOT of other cartridges when bad bullets were used including the 338 Mag, my own 375H&H, 9.3X74R, and quite a few bad results from many 7MM mags and 300 mags. So I can't be convinced that there is some virtue in a bore diameter or any lack of virtue in any one either.
When truth and facts disagree with theory and "feelings" ---------- its very easy for me to tell which one is wrong.
270 is best in the west. I came back to it in spite of shooting a 280AI, a 270 WSM 6.5x55 and a 7 RM. If I got rid of these the 270 would fill all the same gaps. The 270 does fine with a 22" barrel all the others except the Swede perform better with longer barrels, the 270 does too but doesn't need it. With the newer powders any gap with the 270 WSM and 7 mag just got narrower. I keep hoping to shoot out the 270 or the 270 WSM so I can put a faster twist barrel on it and use the 170 & 180 VLD type bullets.
I have 4 of them all model 70’s.. when you are in the mtns hunting sheep using the same cartridge that Jack O’Connor used for sheep. It rings nostalgia, tradition. I had a 6.5 CM liked it but it was no 270 Winchester!
The .270 wcf is my favorite chambering. I hunt sheep first, everything else second, it is more than you need for any ram and I have killed Bull elk and moose with it over 40 + years. These days a guys sends the 150's at 3000 fps + with Reloder 26 out of a 22" barrel. A guy with a .270 wcf or a .280 rem doesn't need much else around here. The 30/06 works pretty well too. If I were going to go 6.5...it would be and /06 style, but there is no need. I am an unabashed .270 guy....just the way it is. It will go with me in the morning.Cheers.
I have owned many really fine 270’s. More high end classic hunting rifles have been for the 270 than any other cartridge. By classic I mean built by Jerry Fisher, Al Biesen, Dale Goens, Earl Milliron, Monty Kennedy, Lenard Brownell, and the greats of their era using old M70 and Mauser actions with just a touch of engraving and a stock made from real French or Circassian walnut. Many times you could go to stone sheep camps and all the hunters were carrying Biesen M70 270’s.
The tacti-cool and gong banging crowd...didn’t exist then.
YES desertranger the 270 WAS, IS, & WILL be a good hunting round. Like you I haven’t used it exclusively but I’d say I’ve killed the majority of my deer with a 270.
NO shame or embarrassment felt. ATST being 69 yo I don’t have that many years of hunting ahead of me. I’m actually leaning more to my Tikka T3X in 7mm RM.
Less is NOT more to me. I have a Swede but not hunting it. I have a 6mm Rem that I like better.
I post this after only reading your OP first and no others. I like what I like and my Butt Don’t Hurt if NoOne else does. I don’t WHINE and CRY waaa when someone disagrees with me.
I like 270's - have two 270 Wins and a 270 Wby and hunt with all of them. I do have to admit I've been shooting more 6.5's the last couple of years but only because they're fairly new to me.
You can say 7mm is better because of the available bullet weights. You could say 6.5 because of the bullets available. But you are talking numbers that are not really far from each other. People tend to nit pick over minor differences in numbers. The 270 Winchester has been killing fine for 90+ years. It always did it well and will continue to do it well.
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
I hear it's the preferred cartridge of queers and pansies so I'm sure you'd love it.
I just know it works, and you're a moron. Not surprised you have personal knowledge of queers and pansies.[/quote]
And by his own testimony he has NO experience with A 270.
I have 4 of them all model 70’s.. when you are in the mtns hunting sheep using the same cartridge that Jack O’Connor used for sheep. It rings nostalgia, tradition.
** I had a 6.5 CM liked it but it was no 270 Winchester!
I’m glad to see someone put that in print. I have a Swede but ......
I've seldom, if ever been without one for 35 or 36 years. It's an excellent balance of accuracy, flat trajectory, and reasonable recoil. With new powders it's even better. A 150gr bullet at over 3000 is easy and safe to do now, and with proper construction should easily take anything in the lower 48 at any sane range. Twist it a hair tighter for something like 170gr Bergers, and it can go long(er). Ammo is easy to find at all price levels, as are components and data. Lots of other rounds can do the same job, but most aren't quite as "accessible" in regard to ammo and rifle model availability.
What I can't understand is why so many people take a dislike to a particular cartridge, often without ever trying it, or why they get their feelers hurt when their pets start to flounder in the market against new stuff. Short of ammo actually being discontinued, what's the big deal? Is it some kind of personal validation thing? As long as what I have works for me, I could GAS what someone else uses.
^ This.
Owned mine since 69’. Its killed a pile of assorted deer, a few elk, one pronghorn and a mountain goat. It’s the last long gun I will ever let go of. That said, I’ve been enjoying my 6.5 CM very much - mostly because I like the Kimber platform and modest recoil. It remarkably easy to shoot well and therefore it kills well, too.
Like Pappy348, I find it hard to understand the immature mud slinging by the anti-270 clowns.......
The .270 wcf is my favorite chambering. I hunt sheep first, everything else second, it is more than you need for any ram and I have killed Bull elk and moose with it over 40 + years. These days a guys sends the 150's at 3000 fps + with Reloder 26 out of a 22" barrel. A guy with a .270 wcf or a .280 rem doesn't need much else around here. The 30/06 works pretty well too. If I were going to go 6.5...it would be and /06 style, but there is no need. I am an unabashed .270 guy....just the way it is. It will go with me in the morning.Cheers.
I have owned many really fine 270’s. More high end classic hunting rifles have been for the 270 than any other cartridge. By classic I mean built by Jerry Fisher, Al Biesen, Dale Goens, Earl Milliron, Monty Kennedy, Lenard Brownell, and the greats of their era using old M70 and Mauser actions with just a touch of engraving and a stock made from real French or Circassian walnut. Many times you could go to stone sheep camps and all the hunters were carrying Biesen M70 270’s.
The tacti-cool and gong banging crowd...didn’t exist then.
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
I hear it's the preferred cartridge of queers and pansies so I'm sure you'd love it.
I just know it works, and you're a moron. Not surprised you have personal knowledge of queers and pansies.
And by his own testimony he has NO experience with A 270.
Jerry [/quote] I didn't say that Jerry.. My sons and my long time hunting partner use .270's. I've shot them and seen them shoot deer with them. Never was impressed enough to want one of my own or figured they did anything I couldn't do just as well with my .30-06. In fact, the first year I took my #1 son deer hunting he used his .270 and poked fun at my pipsqueak .30-30. Long story short, we both killed bucks that morning. Both shot double lung at under 75 yards. His went more than twice as far before it fell. He never poked fun at my .30-30 again after that. I haven't had a shot at a deer farther than 120 yards in the last 20 years where I hunt and the vast majority of my shots have been inside 75. Tell me what advantage a .270 is going to provide over my .30-06, .308, 6.5 Creedmoor or even my lowly .30-30 at those ranges ? This year, for the first time in over 2 decades, I will be hunting some new ground where the chance for a shot out to 300 yards exists. I will be taking my .243, 6.5 Creed or .30-06 depending on my mood and I still don't feel handicapped in the least by not having a .270.
I started hunting with a 7X57 and it killed game very well! Eventually I picked up a 270 and for 11 years it was the only rifle I hunted with and it seemed to always kill game same as my 7X57 did. For the last 4 years I've hunted with a 6.5X55 swede and interestingly enouph its panning out to be more of exactly the same. In fact I can't tell the difference between the 7X57, 270, or 6.5X55 swede!
I have heard that cartridges are more alike than different! Pick a good bullet and go kill [bleep] it isn't that difficult and game die easy when the bullet is placed properly. If I had to pick which cartridge of the three it would be the 6.5 swede purely bases on the fact that I can get Lapua Brass for it and it kills exactly the same as a 7X57 or 270
I started hunting with a 7X57 and it killed game very well! Eventually I picked up a 270 and for 11 years it was the only rifle I hunted with and it seemed to always kill game same as my 7X57 did. For the last 4 years I've hunted with a 6.5X55 swede and interestingly enouph its panning out to be more of exactly the same. In fact I can't tell the difference between the 7X57, 270, or 6.5X55 swede!
I have heard that cartridges are more alike than different! Pick a good bullet and go kill [bleep] it isn't that difficult and game die easy when the bullet is placed properly. If I had to pick which cartridge of the three it would be the 6.5 swede purely bases on the fact that I can get Lapua Brass for it and it kills exactly the same as a 7X57 or 270
Trystan
Interesting you say that.I see a great difference between all of the above. I have used the 7x57 on elk and ttsx's and although it worked, it worked about as well as my 25/06 with the same Barnes bullet. My confidence steps up with a .270 or 30/06 and ttsx's. Bull elk are the baseline in this region. My little old opinion.Cheers
I started hunting with a 7X57 and it killed game very well! Eventually I picked up a 270 and for 11 years it was the only rifle I hunted with and it seemed to always kill game same as my 7X57 did. For the last 4 years I've hunted with a 6.5X55 swede and interestingly enouph its panning out to be more of exactly the same. In fact I can't tell the difference between the 7X57, 270, or 6.5X55 swede!
I have heard that cartridges are more alike than different! Pick a good bullet and go kill [bleep] it isn't that difficult and game die easy when the bullet is placed properly. If I had to pick which cartridge of the three it would be the 6.5 swede purely bases on the fact that I can get Lapua Brass for it and it kills exactly the same as a 7X57 or 270
Trystan
Interesting you say that.I see a great difference between all of the above. I have used the 7x57 on elk and ttsx's and although it worked, it worked about as well as my 25/06 with the same Barnes bullet. My confidence steps up with a .270 or 30/06 and ttsx's. Bull elk are the baseline in this region. My little old opinion.Cheers
Makes sense if your useing Barnes bullets. I've always used cup and cores. In my experience hunting with friends who use copper bullets they require a more powerful firearm to kill on par with a cup and core of a smaller cartridge.
Don't have one at the moment. At least not until I screw that barrel on.
It is an excellent caliber, tho not quite as versatile as the 30-06 for all NA game. Exclude the big bears, and the .270 shines. Not that I know anything about shooting big bears - I'm just going by the rumors..... :
Several times coming on gallon or more sized piles of steaming brown bear poop convinced me my '06 might be undergunning too, should the need arise, so I bought a .338WM.
It worked too- the bears are skart of me- never had to use it. Word must have got around - and they can't tell the difference between the various rifles I might be carrying, apparently.
I'm thinking swapping out that '06 barrel for a .270 is gonna be safe.......
I like my model 70 .270's a lot, all pre 64 M70 fwts. one factory, one with a custom wood stock and one re barreled in a MCM edge. a very nice balance of recoil and power.
I have had a 270 Win Ruger 77 RS since mid seventies. I bedded the action and barrel. Stripped and resealed the wood. Put in a Timney trigger. Put Weaver Pivot Mounts in so can very quickly switch from scope to iron and back and yes it hold zero between switches. It also holds zero for ever in all conditions. I have a fixed 6 Leupy on it. I have killed a lot of things from red squirrels to elk with it using mostly Partitions with one shot kills.
Yes I have multiple calibers in that performance range, but......
When I was younger, I felt that the 270 was too plebeian, too common, for my sophisticated take on rifle cartridges, so I ignored it. Sometime in my late 40's I decided to see what I was missing and have come to like the 270 such that my primary elk rifles are chambered in 270, a CLR and a Remington 760.
I’ve never shot one. Went the 7RM route a long time ago, but I’ve always thought a 270 would have been just as good for 90% of my use. A couple of months ago, I picked up a M70 SS Classic Featherweight in 270. Beautiful rifle with a little wear on it. Have accumulated the components and a scope, looking forward to loading for it and shooting a 270 for the first time.
I have never owned a .270-until now. I traded for a Winchester Model 70, with an old Bushell scope on it. The rifle shoots fantastically well, with Hornady Whitetail ammo. I will be killing some deer with it this fall, unless I find someone that wants it more than I do.
People tend tof focus on caliber and action length, rather than where the difference really is, and that is the appropriate bullet for the job. That being said, I am becoming a real fan of the short-action cartridges, like the Creed, .260, and .308.
I have two 270 Wins (P64 70 Featherweight and a Tikka SL) and a 270 WSM 70 Classic. I’ve used a bunch of other stuff for elk and deer. Haven’t shot anything to this point with anything els where I feel like the easier shooting 270’s with great bullets would have been a problem. I’m not a LR hunter and try to keep my shooting inside of 600 and most of the time I’d love to put powder burns on stuff if it’s possible. One thing I’ve noticed over a bunch of 270’s between friends and family is we haven’t had a 270 that’s ever been hard to find accurate shooting stuff pretty easily.
I've seldom, if ever been without one for 35 or 36 years. It's an excellent balance of accuracy, flat trajectory, and reasonable recoil. With new powders it's even better. A 150gr bullet at over 3000 is easy and safe to do now, and with proper construction should easily take anything in the lower 48 at any sane range. Twist it a hair tighter for something like 170gr Bergers, and it can go long(er). Ammo is easy to find at all price levels, as are components and data. Lots of other rounds can do the same job, but most aren't quite as "accessible" in regard to ammo and rifle model availability.
What I can't understand is why so many people take a dislike to a particular cartridge, often without ever trying it, or why they get their feelers hurt when their pets start to flounder in the market against new stuff. Short of ammo actually being discontinued, what's the big deal? Is it some kind of personal validation thing? As long as what I have works for me, I could GAS what someone else uses.
Plus one Use what you like and let everyone else too. The 270 is a fine American cartridge and has put a lot of meat on the table.
I enjoy shooting various chamberings, some larger and some smaller, and I've had several .270s over the years but I'm not planning to ever be without one. 270 Win. will always be among my favorites.
I bought a Remington 700 Classic in 270 the first year they came out.....1978, I believe. It was the only rifle I used for about 25 years, and I probably averaged killing 2 deer a year with it. It was, and still is, a very accurate rifle. Used O'Connor's load of 60.0 grains H4831 with a 130 grain bullet. If there is another combination that kills a deer any quicker, then it has yet to be invented.
I have not used the 270 to deer hunt with in several years. That's partly because of bad shoulder, and with recoil bothering it, although the 270 isn't that bad. I have just started using other cartridges, mostly the 243 and the 6.5 Creedmoor, because they have little to no recoil, and kill a deer just as dead. Plus, I also don't hunt as hard as I used to, and could care less if I shoot anything or not. My goal is let the grandkids kill a deer.
But, I will say this.........if something happened, and I won a trip to someplace where the chances of taking a B&C deer was really good, or I draw a Kentucky elk tag, or I was faced with having to kill a deer, or else.......I would use my old 270 and never give it a second thought. I have that much confidence in the rifle and in the cartridge.
Like many others, I read Jack O"Connor and thought the 270 was about perfect. Being a Remington guy at heart, I still tried to like the 280 more. However, every 280 I owned didn't shoot as well as the various 270s I owned. That is why I currently own two 270s and no 280s. I just might have to own another 280 Ackley, though.....
For most mere mortals I think the 270 is about the finest general purpose round for Western hunting ever conceived. Light enough recoil, but plenty of reserve power for the likes of elk. Couple it with a 243 for deer and antelope, a 22lr for vermin, and you've got all the rifles you'll need to hunt a place like Montana.
I have looked at the .270 wsm, 7 mm wsm , the creedmoor, several a.i .chamberings and I see no advantages. I have a neighbour that regularily brags up his 270 wsm , his loads etc One day I will put his rifle over my chronograph and compare it to my WCF. My rifle has a 22" barrel and the 270 wsm a 24. His jaw will be surprised when he sees the tiny difference over a chronograph. I easly push 150 partition 's at 3040 from the. 270 Jack. That is good elk medicine, Jack. On deer sized animals It is too much , imo. The. 243 is a better whitetail chambering but a little light on larger bodied bull elk, imo
I started hunting with my dads Remington pump 270 two years ago for the memories. It kills deer about as dead as they can get. The accuracy could be better but the other day I checked zero with 3 shots at 200 yards cold bore and the group measured 1.1 inch. Close enough. Ed k
Have been gone three days helping a friend look for a bighorn ram in the Missouri Breaks, where he finally drew a Montana ram tag after 38 years of applying. Got rained out (that country is impassable to both vehicles and hiking when it gets really wet) so came home to find the Campfire is once again up to its old tricks.
Bought my first .270 in 1974 (don't want to do the math of how long ago that was) and since then have both used it personally and seen it used on a wide variety of big game, including piles of pronghorns, dumptruck loads of deer, enough elk to know it kills them fine, and other elk-sized animal from Shiras moose to African plains game to know it works fine on them as well. In fact I know it works fine even without the magic monolithic bullets. Have never used it or seen it used beyond 500 yards, but then have not seen most big game rounds used beyond 500.
Have extensively used a bunch of other cartridges in the same class from the .270-sized 6.5's to various 7mm's (including the more moderate "magnums" and the .280 and .280 AI) and the .308 and .30-06. Have not seen a trace of difference in how "well" any of them killed with at least a dozen different kinds of expanding bullets. Which is why I've come to the conclusion that the reasons some people "prefer" other rounds in the same class to the .270 a normally more theoretical than real, usually involving a few fps, or relatively minor differences in bullet weight and diameter. Or some more nebulous reason, such a "panache" or the latest styles, which in hunting cartridges can change almost as fast as trends in cell phones.
Have always had at least one .270 since 1974, and my present one is a Winchester Model 70, a Jack O'Connor Commemorative Featherweight with a walnut stock that has VERY fancy figure. It's very accurate as well, and yes, I have hunted with it. However, I tend to use a wide variety of cartridges, due to my job, so continue to search for a round that works better than the .270 for general big game hunting. So far haven't found it, but the search continues.
Shot a couple handfuls of game with a 270, including some last weekend. Has been efficient and effective so far from 50 yards up to 300 yards.
I like its moderate recoil and readily available ammo. Actually bought it back when Obama was in office and fear of ammo shortages had people buying up any ammo in sight. I noticed 270 was always on the shelf at WalMart, so thought It would make for a great hunting caliber since the prep’ers don’t have any interest in it. That logic hasn’t proved me wrong so far.
Don't understand the "still" part of the question.
Thought I might give one a chance about 35 years ago but then I got the sticker price from Shilen. Decided being a 1/4 bore whore was cheaper, and the landscape was more diverse.
I received my 1st 270Win for Christmas from my parents when I was 15. A brand new Win M70 Lightweight. The reasoning was simple enough, dad was a reloader and shot a 270Win. I could shoot a 270Win essentially for "free" as there were always quite a few components on-hand. That was pretty much the extent of my decision regarding what I should use. Win 760 and a 140gn Nosler BT @ 2850ish was just right for deer, and I could run them on dad's Dillon 550 ALMOST as fast as I could shoot them up.
I've been though several "stints" with other chamberings, but have also always kept at lest 1 example of a M70 Lightweight/FWT. Then, I was able to nab a M70 SS Classic Fwt that is exceptionally accurate AND, Barnes introduced their TSX line of projectiles, and everything fell into place for me. Since I'd always shot 140's through the 270, that seemed a logical place to start w/the TSX's. I grew up with a Dillon 550 at my disposal and as such also have a strong attraction towards powders that meter well through automatic/Culver style measurers. Shortly after my 1st box of component 140TSX's I came onto this board and MuleDeer (JB) suggested that he'd experienced good luck w/Ramshot Hunter and 140's from the 270Win. So I stuffed some together. Accuracy was fantastic and velocity is a bit over 3K FPS. That was 14-15yrs ago. That 270Win M70 SS Classic Fwt is in a McMillan Fwt pattern stock and is one of the most "honest" rifle's I've got. It's extremely predictable, needs to be scrubbed every 80-100 shots, retains POI after 2 foulers, and doesn't offer up "bad" surprises.
I was lucky ~2yrs ago and stumbled into a 2nd M70 Classic SS Fwt, acquired a Brown Precision stock for it, and, lucky for me, it will shoot the same ammo as my other SS Fwt. I can run brass shot from either rifle through a Forster bushing sizer, load it, and it will cycle well through either rifle with nary a hint that it won't fit one or the other. It's a wonderful situation in that I can grab both rifles, 1 box of ammo and hunt anything I can draw or buy a tag for anywhere within a 2-day drive. Those 270's using the 140TSX have taken deer a bit beyond 500yds and well under 100yds. Caribou just under 400yds and elk just over 400yds. I recently added a Kimber 84L with a 1:8 twist LIlja in the factory bbl contour. In that rifle I'm shooting the 150 ABLR and though I've only had it a short while, I've killed an elk and a couple of deer with it from 75yds out to just under 550yds. They just work, and I'm not giving up my 270's anytime soon.
I'm a 30 cal guy. My Grandfather hunted with an -06, My father hunted with an -06 and my first deer rifle was a M94 30-30. A few years ago after just having re read one of JOC's books I saw a BACO M70 FWT in 270 on GB for a very attractive price and bought it as a poor man's JOC commemorative. It was my first 270 and I am very lucky that I didn't buy it sooner or I wouldn't have a safe full of other rifles. From the first time I shot if I haven't hunted with anything else.
I have a Finn Aagaard quote on a "post it" note in my reloading notebook. "...the true general purpose big-game cartridges used in this country come in but two calibers, 30 and 7mm (the .270 Win., is merely a slightly aberrant 7mm whose bullets are .007 under size.)
I took a .270 in on a trade once, but did not put it in a gun safe with other guns because of what Ingwe and others have said and I thought it could be contagious. Peddled it within a few days.
For most mere mortals I think the 270 is about the finest general purpose round for Western hunting ever conceived. Light enough recoil, but plenty of reserve power for the likes of elk. Couple it with a 243 for deer and antelope, a 22lr for vermin, and you've got all the rifles you'll need to hunt a place like Montana.
Brad,
Please stop
1) This makes sense
2) More importantly this would put a swift and permanent end to years of cultivating the idea to my spouse that I need multiple rifles and calibers to do the same thing. She would most likely frame the quote and point to it at the mere mention of a new rifle.
Got my first .270 Win a little over 44 years ago as a birthday gift from my father, who was a .30 cal guy. My uncle, who was a very central figure in my hunting education, was at the same party and gave me 200 rounds of Winchester 130gr factory loads. He was also a .30 cal guy who to this day has never hunted with anything other than a .30 cal of some flavor. Given his age, he never will.
Over those years, I’ve had a few .270 Win rifles and a couple in .270 Wby Mag. Two finer hunting cartridges do not exist. Piles of deer, elk and Pronghorn and have never taken more than one shot at any of those animals.
As Brad said, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better cartridge for Western hunting. The .270 Win is still what I recommend today, in fact.
I think the real argument in American shooting lore is over which is the greatest military cartridge used for hunting, the .30-‘06 Springfield or the .308 Winchester. I think there really is no doubt the greatest American hunting cartridge of all time is the .270 Winchester.
Winchester Model 70 in .270 Winchester. The rifleman’s rifle, indeed.
Kimber 84L with a 1:8 twist LIlja in the factory bbl contour. In that rifle I'm shooting the 150 ABLR and though
Interesting. Have you tried any lighter bullets on a target, how did they behave with this tight twist?
I haven't tried any other projectile. The Kimber was purpose built to take advantage of the 150ABLR as well as wherever the next step in slickery projectiles goes.
I can't say that a fast twist has ever hampered me with any other chamberings and light-for-caliber projectiles. My 1:8 22-250 shoots 50gn projectiles into itty-bitty knots as does my 1:8 223AI. I've also used some 120V-max in my 1:8 7WSM while FF'ing Norma 270WSM brass up to 7WSM and they're also quite accurate. I wouldn't be afraid to run really any available .277 bullet weight through my 1:8 bbl. There was very little difference in accuracy for any of the different powder charges of R-26 as I worked up to 60.5gn. I didn't have to fiddle w/seating depth either, just seat it to the end of the mag box and go. I'm a LONG way off the lands but everything seems to work just fine.
This is page number five of responses to my question and your replies don’t surprise me. Most of your posts agree that the ninety four year old 270 is well thought of, used for just about every North American critter and isn’t headed for the scrap yard any time soon!
I got my first 270 about 31 years ago. A Ruger M77. It was a POS. My older brother got the same rifle, about 3 years before I did. It was also a POS. My two step-brothers got the same rifles. One a year before me and one a year after. The older of the two was a good shooter. I observed that it shot far better with every different ammo tried than any of the others, including the rifle of the younger step-brother, which was a POS. I don't know why 3/4 of those rifles purchased in a roughly four year period ended up shooting so badly, but it soured me. It soured all of us, actually.
Eventually, the older brother moved on to 280's and had great experiences, then onto the Short Mags, again with great experiences. The older step-brother went straight for 300 Mags, and though he rarely shoots, is quite an accomplished hunter and impressive marksman in the field. I witnessed the same when we were in our teens. The younger step brother inherited a couple 30-06's from his grandfather, and did a bit of hunting, but a tragic accident cut that short. I never trusted my 270 in the field, because it never shot what I thought was remotely acceptable. I hunted with it several times, and missed a few times. I mostly hunted with my father's guns, which shot well, until I moved on to lever guns in several calibers, and then settled on a 30-06 for the "cross canyon" stuff.
A couple years ago I got into another 270, after working up a load for a buddy and his 270, an M70 Featherweight, which shot ridiculously well with what it preferred. Mine turned out to do nearly as well. I blooded it the first time I took it out, and every time I have hunted with it, I have killed with it. I consider it "lucky" now. I plan on elk in the timber this year, and so will be packing a lever gun in one of three flavors, but when I need to do the "cross canyon" stuff again, I'll pack the 270.
This is page number five of responses to my question and your replies don’t surprise me. Most of your posts agree that the ninety four year old 270 is well thought of, used for just about every North American critter and isn’t headed for the scrap yard any time soon!
270 factory ammo comes in a wide variety of bullet weights, styles, brands, and costs. Although I can load for over 50 different cartridges, I have settled on the 150 grain Winchester/Olin PowerMax Bonded factory load in the 2 270s that I shoot 'cause it is accurate in those rifles and this bullet design gives me all of the penetration and expansion that I need for medium to medium-large game.
I would certainly own one if I didn't already have a .280. I've used my .280 for years now, and it's performed very well on a variety of game. I expect a .270 would do the same. I guess I'm not quite loony enough to think I need both, but a couple of years ago I bought a hunting rifle in .270 for a young friend who was just starting to hunt big game, and he's now killed mule deer, elk and pigs with it so it's working out well for him just like it seems to for lots of other folks.
Have been gone three days helping a friend look for a bighorn ram in the Missouri Breaks, where he finally drew a Montana ram tag after 38 years of applying. Got rained out (that country is impassable to both vehicles and hiking when it gets really wet) so came home to find the Campfire is once again up to its old tricks.
You can't just hang that out and end it there. Did you find the ram?
I got my first 270 about 31 years ago. A Ruger M77. It was a POS. My older brother got the same rifle, about 3 years before I did. It was also a POS. My two step-brothers got the same rifles. One a year before me and one a year after. The older of the two was a good shooter. I observed that it shot far better with every different ammo tried than any of the others, including the rifle of the younger step-brother, which was a POS. I don't know why 3/4 of those rifles purchased in a roughly four year period ended up shooting so badly, but it soured me. It soured all of us, actually.
Eventually, the older brother moved on to 280's and had great experiences, then onto the Short Mags, again with great experiences. The older step-brother went straight for 300 Mags, and though he rarely shoots, is quite an accomplished hunter and impressive marksman in the field. I witnessed the same when we were in our teens. The younger step brother inherited a couple 30-06's from his grandfather, and did a bit of hunting, but a tragic accident cut that short. I never trusted my 270 in the field, because it never shot what I thought was remotely acceptable. I hunted with it several times, and missed a few times. I mostly hunted with my father's guns, which shot well, until I moved on to lever guns in several calibers, and then settled on a 30-06 for the "cross canyon" stuff.
A couple years ago I got into another 270, after working up a load for a buddy and his 270, an M70 Featherweight, which shot ridiculously well with what it preferred. Mine turned out to do nearly as well. I blooded it the first time I took it out, and every time I have hunted with it, I have killed with it. I consider it "lucky" now. I plan on elk in the timber this year, and so will be packing a lever gun in one of three flavors, but when I need to do the "cross canyon" stuff again, I'll pack the 270.
There was a time when the co almost went under. The story was Ruger used inferior barrels during that time. Iirc, it was years later when I read Mr Ruger admitted that to be true. Afaicr.
That said, I can’t imagine a better cartridge for hunting big game. The only one I’ve ever owned is a Mauser I bought a bit ago for a project. If I was smart I’d leave it as is. Lol.
When I was younger, I felt that the 270 was too plebeian, too common, for my sophisticated take on rifle cartridges, so I ignored it. Sometime in my late 40's I decided to see what I was missing and have come to like the 270 such that my primary elk rifles are chambered in 270, a CLR and a Remington 760.
During the component shortages of the obongo years I got a 270 for logistics reasons. I love it. But I admit there are better paper ballistics cartridges.
For most mere mortals I think the 270 is about the finest general purpose round for Western hunting ever conceived. Light enough recoil, but plenty of reserve power for the likes of elk. Couple it with a 243 for deer and antelope, a 22lr for vermin, and you've got all the rifles you'll need to hunt a place like Montana.
Brad,
Please stop
1) This makes sense
2) More importantly this would put a swift and permanent end to years of cultivating the idea to my spouse that I need multiple rifles and calibers to do the same thing. She would most likely frame the quote and point to it at the mere mention of a new rifle.
Sorry man... last thing I would want to do is get between a wife, a man, and his rifles
Aside, some here remember Dober from the Fire. We've been friends a long time and talk every week. Recently he said to me; "the only long action cartridge I really care to use or own any more is the 270." Mark mostly uses a 22-250 for deer and antelope, and a 270 as his big gun (elk). Mark's shot a lot more game than I ever will and I tend to listen to his opinion.
As for me, I've seen more elk killed with the 270 than any other cartridge, most of it with factory 130 gr. cup and core ammo. I took the oldest 6pt bull I've shot (F&G estimated 11.5 YO+) with the 270. The 270 is in it's natural element on a mountain in the Rockies or out in the Western sage flats.
To each his own,I'd rather have a 30-06 anyday and that's what I did with the 270 I had.I had it rebarreled it to a 30-06 and couldn't be happier.O'Conner used the 270 a lot,but there has been some new cartridges,bullets and powders added to the market since his days,I wonder what his thoughts would be today. On his favorite cartridges...."The .30-06, the .270, the .375, and the .416. Now you're going to ask me 'In what order?' In that order."~Jack O'Connor~
My buddy had found 6 mature rams in a rough drainage when he scouted the area around September 1st, so we concentrated there. (I didn't go with him due to having wisdom teeth removed.) It had rained hard a few days earlier, but the cleared off and got hot, with highs in the 90's.
The season opened September 15th, but we didn't go for various reasons. Started on the 19th, but didn't see a thing in the same area, though we hiked and glassed it carefully. Finally figured out it was because when he scouted, it was 3 days after a heavy rainstorm, which left pools of water in the usually dry creek. The rams he'd seen were around a couple of bigger pools, but it hadn't rained much since, and the pools had turned to mudholes. So the sheep went elsewhere.
So we started looking for more reliable water sources, but had just started when another huge rainstorm came through. It's impossible to hike the steep Breaks when they're soaked and the gumbo soil is greasy, so we left and will be back when it dries out. The season goes through the 1st of December, so there's lots of time left. One of the alternate plans is to float the Missouri in my canoe (which I used to do for mule deer years ago) and see what we find. Learned where the sheep hang out during those trips, and October weather is usually much drier.
Killed first elk, and first mule deer, with one 37 years ago.
Haven't given it up yet and have used numerous other cartridges...it still works.
Am accused of being anti 6.5, not so, but can tell you from personal experience, shooting them side by side in similar weight guns (Tikka vs Rem Mtn Rifle) with 140 gr loads, CANNOT tell difference in recoil...why change?
I think the 270 is a great cartridge, but will not buy one because I already have a 6.5 Swede. Am committed to not closely duplicating similar calibers already owned. (Am loading the 140 grain partition in the Swede)
Got my first one 35 years ago when I complained about seeing a buck in the back part of the farm out of range of the only gun I was able to afford at 16, a single shot H & R 20 gauge. My dad said take his gun out: an M700 270. The next night I saw that same buck and dropped him. The old man was so happy his oldest son shot his first buck he gave me that rifle. I still have it and plan on giving it to my oldest daughter some day.
Don't understand the "still" part of the question.
D D, it makes perfect sense to those who used one.
Jerry
Oh. Well, try as I might life ain't long enough to like them all I guess. Won't bother y'all with the list of the ones I still like, it's kinda long. I have fond memories of the 20mm.
I have a Finn Aagaard quote on a "post it" note in my reloading notebook. "...the true general purpose big-game cartridges used in this country come in but two calibers, 30 and 7mm (the .270 Win., is merely a slightly aberrant 7mm whose bullets are .007 under size.)
I took a .270 in on a trade once, but did not put it in a gun safe with other guns because of what Ingwe and others have said and I thought it could be contagious. Peddled it within a few days.
For hair splitters out there... So-called 7mm bullets are .284", which converts to 7.2 mm. A true 7mm bullet mikes .276", so the "standard" 7mm bullet is over-size aberrant at 7.2mm.
Don't understand the "still" part of the question.
D D, it makes perfect sense to those who used one.
Jerry
Oh. Well, try as I might life ain't long enough to like them all I guess. Won't bother y'all with the list of the ones I still like, it's kinda long. I have fond memories of the 20mm.
I thought that I would throw a 30mm into the mix. I never worked on a 30mm, but I've spent a lot of hrs with the M61A1 and M39 20 mm guns. Here are the M61 and a GAU 8 guns firing. Nice groups. Those A10s are so quiet. By the time you hear them, you're dead.
Well since I’m currently down to four, count me me as a confirmed fan. All four are of the model 70 variety in both pre 64 and Classics. I’ve harvested enough elk, deer, antelope and hogs with the 270 to know.......it just works. The end.
I never was on the 270 band wagon...for no really good reason... I guess it goes back to the beginning in the old days you just had one rifle...mine was a 30-06... And never really could figure how the 270 would be one ounce better...I figured what ever the 270 could do the 06 could do better... Now if my first rifle was a 270.. My thoughts would probably be much different... If I were to start from scratch and design the perfect North American carterage it would be real close to the 270... Just a slightly bigger bullet .284.. Walla 280 rem.... I have acquired several 270 s over the years...mainly because they were cheap...several Sakos....but to this day I have never hunted a single day afield with a 270...I have intended to but just have my favorites...usually either a 30-06 or 257 Roberts.. Fads will come and go but the 270 and 30-06 will live forever...
Oh. Well, try as I might life ain't long enough to like them all I guess. Won't bother y'all with the list of the ones I still like, it's kinda long. I have fond memories of the 20mm.
I have very fond memories of the 25mm chain gun too
At any time I have 4 rifles in 270 setting around. Probably my favorite caliber. Have killed a big truck load of Deer and Elk through the years with the 270 win.....
Well since I’m currently down to four, count me me as a confirmed fan. All four are of the model 70 variety in both pre 64 and Classics. I’ve harvested enough elk, deer, antelope and hogs with the 270 to know.......it just works. The end.
Well in all sincerity I must retract my statement. I found a pre 64 270 featherweight in the safe that was not in the original count. If I include the WSM, the count continues to rise for the .277.
The .270 wcf is my main carry. I have an affinity to any 30/06 based round. I have not used the 6.5/06 or the .338/06 or the Whelen, but never say never. The .270's in my house are all used and work well, the 30/06 I own because I believe it is a law or something, the 25/06, because I talked my Uncle into it in 1970. He later gave it to me- a model 700. Thing shoots bugholes even today. If you are a sheep hunter, you owe it to yourself to try a lightweight .270 in honor of Jack.Cheers
I grew up when the 30-06/270 battle was still going on. Eventually the gun scribes added the .280 to the mix. I was a 30-06 fan and my brother was a .270 guy. I still really like my 30-06s, but in the last 20 years more deer have been taken with MY .270 than anything else I have followed by my 300 H&H.
Don't understand the "still" part of the question.
D D, it makes perfect sense to those who used one.
Jerry
Oh. Well, try as I might life ain't long enough to like them all I guess. Won't bother y'all with the list of the ones I still like, it's kinda long. I have fond memories of the 20mm.
I thought that I would throw a 30mm into the mix. I never worked on a 30mm, but I've spent a lot of hrs with the M61A1 and M39 20 mm guns. Here are the M61 and a GAU 8 guns firing. Nice groups. Those A10s are so quiet. By the time you hear them, you're dead.
A-10's were all built in my hometown, Hagerstown, MD, by Fairchild. Everybody I knew, it seemed, worked on that project at one time or another including two of my BIL's. It would also seem that everybody in that town has a dummy 30mm souvenir round- employees swiped them by the car trunk full.
As for .270? Whyinhell not? Dead is dead no matter the source of it. My personal avoidance of .270 is because there is, like, five molds for .270 cast bullets vs. a couple hundred for .30 caliber.
The vast majority of hunters aren't rifle loonies, don't reload, don't practice their shooting skills (or lack there of) regularly, and probably shoot less than 20 rounds per year of centerfire ammo. For them, factory loaded ammo that is cheap, widely available, and kills their game of choice is a factor in their rifle and cartridge combination of choice, that is why rifles chambered in 223, 22-250, 243, 270, 7mm RM, 30-30, 308, 30-06, and 300 WM sell so well in the contiguous 48 States.
It seems that I was destine to be a rifle looney as my first 10 centerfire rifles were chambered in 219 Zipper, 222, 22-250, 6mm, 25-35, 250-3000, 257 Roberts, 7x57, 308, and 45-70.
I like it a lot. I killed a buck antelope with one 2 days ago. I have been killing game on and off with 270s since 1968. It's never let me down. Not even one time. Sure, there are some bullets I stay away from, but I can say the same for about every other bore diameter too. People that make a religious idol are self-deceived and have no grasp on facts, so I choose not to defend or attach a mathematical measurement. To ascribe some evil or righteousness to a measurement is idiotic.
I have one 270 that I made on a Mauser action when I was 13 years old. That was 51 years ago now. It's now on it's 3rd barrel.
I have killed more deer then I can count, many antelope, many elk, 3 bears, and a lot of domestic cattle, horses and also about a dozen sheep with 270s. I have seen 3 moose and one Bison killed with 270s too and all of them were one shot kills with the game failing instantly or within a few seconds after the impact. The bull Bison was killed with a 150 grain Remington factory round and fell before the recoil was gone.
I read all the time how it's too old,. and all the things that are wrong with it. I have never seen anything to gripe about with one as long as someone didn't use bullets that break up. Again I say I have seen bad results with a LOT of other cartridges when bad bullets were used including the 338 Mag, my own 375H&H, 9.3X74R, and quite a few bad results from many 7MM mags and 300 mags. So I can't be convinced that there is some virtue in a bore diameter or any lack of virtue in any one either.
When truth and facts disagree with theory and "feelings" ---------- its very easy for me to tell which one is wrong.
Hell, it's a long action 6.5 Creedmoor, what's not to like?
good ammo and good rifles easy to find, what's the problem?
I have loved the .270 for a lifetime! I am now 67 and have shot a .270 Win for nearly 58 years. All the Tennessee whitetails I've killed have been with the .270 Win. I also had a .280 Ackley built for my younger son when he was a teenager. BIG,BAD, MISTAKE! Over the years there has been problems with reloading data and no easy available of components for reloading Plus no factory ammo. The .270 components can be had ANYWHERE and reloading data is huge for this All American popular worldwide cartridge.Ammo and components are VERY affordable vs VERY EXPENSIVE. Components for other newer cartridges are, at times, limited and can be Very Expensive.
I hunted in Africa and killed 12 animals with one shot each. These animals ranged in size from tiny Dik Dik to Kudu to Giant Eland(2000 lbs.). However, I failed to place one shot properly on a big waterbuck. We tracked him for a very long, long way. Of the two hunts I was on, both of my ph's told me hunters that used .270 Winchesters always had more one shot kills than others who used other cartridges. Why? Flat shooting, good penetration, and proper bullet placement. Bullet placement was because of the low recoil, according to the ph's. This was my once in a lifetime hunt. I doubt I'll ever do it again.
When I was in college, one of my political science professors borrowed my model 70A .270 Winchester. He and his brother went elk hunting. The ammunition was Winchester brass, 62 grains H4831, CCI primers, 130 grain flat base Hornady bullets. This was a classic Jack O'Connor load. He got his elk as did his brother who used a 7mm Rem Mag. I was told the .270 had the elk down in 20-30 yards and was shot at about 75 yards. The 7mm Rem Mag had the elk down in about 50-60 yards and was shot at about 100 yards with a 150 grain bullet. I see little difference in the time needed to put the elk down here. That following year he killed another elk, refused to let me have my .270 back, and bought me a brand new .270 in model 70A Winchester. That was in 1977.
The .270 Win. and I have grown old together and it has been faithful for me for 58 years.
I grew up in a place named Roan Mountain, Tennessee. A good many of the hunters in this isolated Tennessee mountain community purchased the new WSM cartridges and kept them for a VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. The primary reason for trading the rifles off was THE AMMUNITION COST TOO, TOO MUCH. The older rifles killed deer just as well for only a small amount of money as compared to the new stuff.
I have a Rem Sportsman78 in .270 I bought in '78 while a junior in high school.It's been killing whitetail,hogs,and 'yotes now for 38 years.Several every year,with one deer wounded.I stretched my limits on a powerline,at almost 500 yds one evening,near dark.It wasn't the rifle's fault.It will be in my hands some every season,till I'm 6ft under...
On paper... I always thought the 280 or 280ai had a measurable edge over a 270. I bought my 270 purely based on logistics. I enjoyed this video. He makes the argument that the holy trail of the 270, 130 grain load is in fact better. Entertainment purposes only! Not intended to give offense to our good brother Steve Timm!
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
I'd say that's about the best endorsement for the .270 I've seen lately.
A good friend had a 280 Improved made for his son on a 700 MR action. The original rifle was a .270 and when the "new" rifle was complete, my friend gave me the .270 barrel. The original rifle shot very well so I decided to make rifle using the barrel out of parts I had. I had a nice Remington M78 action along with a mountain rifle stock sitting here. I found screws, bottom metal, guts and a tombstone safety Walker trigger my son had tuned. We stuck all the pieces together and I now have another .270 that I will take on its maiden voyage this fall. I topped it with a 1.5-5 VX3 Leupold in Talley rings I had sitting here. It is my favorite scope for use here in the thick brush. It makes for a light, handy rifle.
It shoots extremely well like most all .270's.....
I like it and don' own one, never owned one and only fired one once. I have always leaned towards the 30-06 because I mostly shoot moose and once in awhile a bear and caribou. So for ranges out to 400 yards that old 30-06 is a good one for those critters.
If I lived in America I would probably have a light weight .270 Win. and do most of my killing with it. It certainly has all of the "right stuff" for most of the "lower 48" critters.
The .270's in my house are all used and work well,
..... the 30/06 I own because I believe it is a law or something,
I don’t know about it being a law..(grin), but I think it’s UNAmerican to disrespect it.
Jerry
I just recently picked up a couple of Model 70's in 30-06. Just because everyone should own one. Have not had time to do anything with them except clean them up and stash them in the safe.
Actually, while my memory isn't what it used to be, I suspect the article may have been "I Did Read Jack O'Connor." It was in response to Dave Scovill's column in RIFLE about how he never read Jack O'Connor, especially when growing up in Oregon, because nobody he ever knew read O'Connor. Which, as he pointed out, was why he never had any use for the .270. (Much like the Campfire members who've never used it, yet know they wouldn't like it--or any number of other cartridges.)
Apparently there's a strong contingent of hunters who only believe in personal experience. This isn't unusual in humans, but if all humans believed the same thing not much advancement would have taken place over the past few thousand years, since among other things, rifles and their cartridges would never have been invented.
When he retired, Jack O'Connor was asked by Jim Carmicheal if he was restricted to one rifle for the rest of his life for all North American hunting, what would it be? O'Connor said without hesitation, "The 30-06. I also heard thad just before his passing he was having Al Beisen build he a .280 Remington on a Ruger action. That from Mr. .270 himself. Interesting. I got my first .270 way back in 1973, a commercial FN Mauser that shot pretty good. I did take a dislike to 130 gr. bullets as they made a mess out of eating meat so went to the 150 gr. Sierra Game King. I only used it for a short while off an on mostly going with a 30-06. That same year I also bout a Remington 660 in .308 as the 03 Springfield 06 and Mauser .270 were a bit too heavy when I hinted near the top of Mt. Lewis which was roughly 9,500' MSL at the top. A bit hard on me as at the time I was a heavy chainsmoker. I quit in 1975. I took quite few deer off that Mountain with that little .308. When I transferred from Nevada to Arizona in 1979 I stayed with the .308 and in fact didn't use the .270 at all until 2009 when I did my first antelope hunt. After all I read about hunting them I figured the .270 would be my best bet as shots were supposed to be way out yonder. Turned out the shot was at an easy 75 yards after one of the easiest stalks I've ever done. The old 150 gr. Game King did a nice job with almost no meat loss. I took that .270 on an elk hunt in 2010 but missed the elk by way more that I thought was right so later in the day I used my .35 Whelen back up to take a nice juicy cow elk. Turned out the scope on the .270 died a serious death. When I sight in or check a rifle I always do a couple dry fires to make sure I'm settled in the way I like. When I did this, the reticle seemed to jump up about half way to the roof of the scope. The scope was an original Redfield Tracker that had given good service. AFAIK it wasn't bumped or dropped or suffered and form of trauma but it just crapped out. Not sure if I'll ever take the .270 on a hunt again but that doesn't mean I won't consider it. I just have too many other guns that need attention. Paul B.
John, I too have a memory that should not be trusted but in this case mine seems to be OK. You wrote an article titled “Jack O’Connor Was Right”. It starts on page 50, Volume II, Issue 2 of the Game Journal 1993. An excellent review of why, Jack was and continues to be spot on!
Don't understand the "still" part of the question.
D D, it makes perfect sense to those who used one.
Jerry
Oh. Well, try as I might life ain't long enough to like them all I guess. Won't bother y'all with the list of the ones I still like, it's kinda long. I have fond memories of the 20mm.
I thought that I would throw a 30mm into the mix. I never worked on a 30mm, but I've spent a lot of hrs with the M61A1 and M39 20 mm guns. Here are the M61 and a GAU 8 guns firing. Nice groups. Those A10s are so quiet. By the time you hear them, you're dead.
A-10's were all built in my hometown, Hagerstown, MD, by Fairchild. Everybody I knew, it seemed, worked on that project at one time or another including two of my BIL's. It would also seem that everybody in that town has a dummy 30mm souvenir round- employees swiped them by the car trunk full.
As for .270? Whyinhell not? Dead is dead no matter the source of it. My personal avoidance of .270 is because there is, like, five molds for .270 cast bullets vs. a couple hundred for .30 caliber.
I have about 15 different 30 cal moulds, and only two in .270. But that's no hindrance.
The RCBS is a beauty. Their basic rifle design has worked incredibly well in every caliber I've tried it, though. The 270 version is no exception. They end up at 155 grains gas-checked with my alloy that is a mix of wheel weights and range scrap that I water-drop, and will shoot into less than an inch for 5 at 100 with 34 grains of 3031. Basically one hole. I'm sure that'd do for deer/elk/whatever out to a few hundred yards. Need to get them chronographed and get them out hunting. They are well above 2k fps.
The Lee shoots just as well, but I haven't been able to get them shooting as fast. Casts at 138 with gas check, same alloy as the RCBS. 21-23gr 2400 and I was sniping half-liter water bottles at 200 yds. 26 gr of IMR 4198 shot faster (flatter) and about as accurately. Never got a chronograph on them.
I am lucky to have a M77 tang safety rifle stock that came on a 7x57 M77 that Bill Ruger gave to Jack. I suspect Jack asked for that caliber when visiting the Ruger factory. Long story short the stock was broken and after a couple of owners I wound up with it. The original 7x57 action and barrel was restocked for Jack by Jay Frazier, a gunsmith that Al Biesen recommended to O'Connor. I believe that Jack died before this was completed and Frazier bought the restocked rifle from Eleanor. I put a .270 I had on hand in the original repaired stock and never considered any other caliber. It was my favorite deer, antelope, and coyote caliber for a long time.
When I read threads like this, I wonder why some people think Jack O'Connor only used or recommended the 270. A few are surprised to discover that he actually used other cartridges or rifles other than Model 70s.
Sadly, it seems that he won't be remembered for much else, despite the other subjects he covered in books and magazines.
He's probably in heaven chatting with Leonard Nimoy, Bela Lugosi, George Reeves, Adam West, and other persons of note, all of whom are only remembered for one thing.
I am lucky to have a M77 tang safety rifle stock that came on a 7x57 M77 that Bill Ruger gave to Jack. I suspect Jack asked for that caliber when visiting the Ruger factory. Long story short the stock was broken and after a couple of owners I wound up with it. The original 7x57 action and barrel was restocked for Jack by Jay Frazier, a gunsmith that Al Biesen recommended to O'Connor. I believe that Jack died before this was completed and Frazier bought the restocked rifle from Eleanor. I put a .270 I had on hand in the original repaired stock and never considered any other caliber. It was my favorite deer, antelope, and coyote caliber for a long time.
I also heard thad just before his passing he was having Al Beisen build he a .280 Remington on a Ruger action. That from Mr. .270 himself. Interesting. Paul B.
Not to hijack the thread, but that's been my question for a long time: I wonder why? That just seems odd to me: a pushfeed .280 in JOC's hands. Unless someone gave it to him and he was simply having AB restock it for him.
I also heard thad just before his passing he was having Al Beisen build he a .280 Remington on a Ruger action. That from Mr. .270 himself. Interesting. Paul B.
Not to hijack the thread, but that's been my question for a long time: I wonder why? That just seems odd to me: a pushfeed .280 in JOC's hands. Unless someone gave it to him and he was simply having AB restock it for him.
It seems to me that JOC would have been well aware that the .270 and .280 are like two peas in a pod, so maybe this was just a chance to explore another variation on one of his favorite cartridges.
Why wouldn't you like the .270 Winchester? My wife and I are taking .270's on our antelope hunt this year. I have seen bull elk back flip after one hit from a .270. Unless you are tackling grizzlies, the .270 will get the job done.
Desertstranger: Indeed count me as an avid and enthusiastic 270 Winchester admirer/user/advocate! Been shootin'em for 52+ years now. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
I also heard thad just before his passing he was having Al Biesen build he a .280 Remington on a Ruger action. That from Mr. .270 himself. Interesting. Paul B.
Not to hijack the thread, but that's been my question for a long time: I wonder why? That just seems odd to me: a pushfeed .280 in JOC's hands.
Since no one has offered a known reason........
? Maybe just something different ? It would seem to me that JOC had every opportunity to do whatever he desired with the 270.
It seems to me that JOC would have been well aware that the .270 and .280 are like two peas in a pod, so maybe this was just a chance to explore another variation on one of his favorite cartridges.
Originally Posted by jwall
Since no one has offered a known reason........
? Maybe just something different ? It would seem to me that JOC had every opportunity to do whatever he desired with the 270.
270/280/30-06 If you have any one of these three, you have all three.
Frank Barnes died in 1992. His 1993 7th edition of Cartridges of the World, still included this passage about the 32 Winchester Special:
Any difference between the two [30-30 and 32sp] exists only in the imagination of the hot stove league.
In 1997 the 8th edition of Cartridges of the World was edited by Michael McPherson and removed the passage. I feel we are losing grumpy old man wisdom.
I also had a .280 Ackley built for my younger son when he was a teenager. BIG,BAD, MISTAKE! Over the years there has been problems with reloading data and no easy available of components for reloading.......
Overtly dramatic, don’t you think? You’re making false assertions.
Yup, Jack liked the .270. Sheep hunters are hit with a different hammer, I can say this because I am so afflicted. Sheep come first, elk moose etc are not even considered when hunting rams. A .270 or .280 suits it perfectly and with enough extra to handle a herd bull elk of any description. Jack liked the .270 ,at the time nothing really compared to it . He would be quite surprised just how capable it is these days. Hey and the .270 wsm really does need a 24" barrel....the wcf works just fine with a 22. Any repeater with a longer barrel is just too long to carry at 10,000 ft and 45* angle of slope. My little old opinion, folks
God's honest truth is that I've got it really bad for a 6.5 PRC. Really, really, bad. So much that I almost purchased a GAP Cableas Exclusive at a bit over 4K from Guns International. I finally decided that at the tender age of 61, I wasn't likely to get enough use out of it as the years are starting to take their toll. Second choice was a Seekins Havak Pro. I could not find one for love nor money. At least not in 6.5 PRC. It was then I realized the plain old 270 Winchester wasn't much different ballistically speaking. I found a CZ Sonoran on closeout. Leica Magnus from Doug. Alaska Arms rings. Barnes LRX ammo. I'll be antelope hunting in two weeks with it. First .270 I've ever owned. Its now my back up elk gun,for when I do my normal fall down the mountain in the dark and land on the rifle routine on the elk opener. So now my battery is 270 Winchester, .338 Winchester, and 375 H&H. If I manage to break all those during my up coming 4th rifle elk hunt, I'm taking up fly fishing.
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
Never even owned one and hate it. lol! Can't make that sh t up.
I don't currently have one, but the LH Rem KS I had in .270 was a real peach.
Who's the idiot who gave the .270 the 'gay' moniker? Travis? Never quite understood that stupidity.
I've owned six of them through the years. I like them, just have never really hunted with it. I will buy another IF I find a rifle I like it in. Right now, I have my eye on one in a Mountain Rifle...I'm a sucker for those things, wood or synthetic stocked!
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
Never even owned one and hate it. lol! Can't make that sh t up.
I don't currently have one, but the LH Rem KS I had in .270 was a real peach.
Who's the idiot who gave the .270 the 'gay' moniker? Travis? Never quite understood that stupidity.
Actually, somebody hating a cartridge they've never owned a rifle for, or even fired, is pretty common. Just look at any 6.5 Creedmoor thread.
But I have also seen it crop up whenever any Campfire member compliments almost any rifle cartridge. Apparently if many shooters REALLY like a certain cartridge, then they have to hate something else similar enough to "threaten" the niche of their favorite.
Still see this occasionally when the subject of the .17 Hornady Rimfire Magnum comes up, which is kind of odd since the .17 HMR has been around a long time now, and (like the .270 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor) is not about to go away. But somebody almost always posts something like this: "I have an accurate .22 Magnum, which will do anything the .17 HMR will do and more. So am not about to spend money on the latest fad, which is so useless I will never own one."
Come to think of it, Blackheart is one of those guys too....
Guess I’m one of those odball’s that can hold opposing ideas in their head... while I can find a dozen cartridges with opposing and valid arguments to the 270’s throne, I can also see the beauty of the 270 over each and every one of those rivals for that same throne. Guess that’s a backhanded way of saying, “long live the king.”
I guess I do not view cartridges as opposing, just different. They are more alike than different.
I have a wealth of experience with the 270 Win, that is why I am comfortable with it, My Dad has used one since 1970. I have used one since 1980. Both of my boys have used them. My wife, nephews etc. I have fired thousands upon thousands of rounds. So I am very familiar and comfortable with a 270 Win. I may be a looney, but I am a certifiable platinum level 270 looney. I do not know how many different 270's I have owned, 40 maybe 50?
I always get a good laugh when people naysay it, especially when I know they are FOS with no actual 270 experience. I do enjoy good natured joking about different cartridges though.
Guess I’m one of those odball’s that can hold opposing ideas in their head... while I can find a dozen cartridges with opposing and valid arguments to the 270’s throne, I can also see the beauty of the 270 over each and every one of those rivals for that same throne. Guess that’s a backhanded way of saying, “long live the king.”
270 is best in the west. I came back to it in spite of shooting a 280AI, a 270 WSM 6.5x55 and a 7 RM. If I got rid of these the 270 would fill all the same gaps.
Similar story for me, I tried the 7mm RM, .280 Rem, 7-08 Rem, .280 GNR, 6.5-06, and 6.5X55. I went back to the .270 for my preferred hunting rifle cartridge. I've got an old Parker Hale 1200 and a M70 EW currently. The M70 EW by far is my favorite rifle to carry afield these days.
I never liked it. In fact, despite having owned dozens of centerfire rifles, both larger and smaller, have never owned one in my life and doubt I ever will..
Never even owned one and hate it. lol! Can't make that sh t up.
I don't currently have one, but the LH Rem KS I had in .270 was a real peach.
Who's the idiot who gave the .270 the 'gay' moniker? Travis? Never quite understood that stupidity.
Actually, somebody hating a cartridge they've never owned a rifle for, or even fired, is pretty common. Just look at any 6.5 Creedmoor thread.
But I have also seen it crop up whenever any Campfire member compliments almost any rifle cartridge. Apparently if many shooters REALLY like a certain cartridge, then they have to hate something else similar enough to "threaten" the niche of their favorite.
Still see this occasionally when the subject of the .17 Hornady Rimfire Magnum comes up, which is kind of odd since the .17 HMR has been around a long time now, and (like the .270 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor) is not about to go away. But somebody almost always posts something like this: "I have an accurate .22 Magnum, which will do anything the .17 HMR will do and more. So am not about to spend money on the latest fad, which is so useless I will never own one."
Come to think of it, Blackheart is one of those guys too....
Ummm, afraid not Johnny. I bought a 17 HMR {Marlin 17v} very shortly after they came out. Kept it for a few years. Hunted it a bunch. It was very accurate. Ultimately decided to sell it after a few years. Just not much use for it as we don't have any gophers, ground squirrels or prarie dogs around here. Found It was good for crows and not much else. Also never said I hated the .270. Said I never liked it. At least not enough to buy one of my own. As I said before, my sons and my long time hunting partner use .270's and have for many years. I have shot their rifles and seen game killed with them. Folks are sure good at putting words in other peoples mouths on here. If you're going to be condescending pricks, at least get the facts straight.
270 is best in the west. I came back to it in spite of shooting a 280AI, a 270 WSM 6.5x55 and a 7 RM. If I got rid of these the 270 would fill all the same gaps.
Similar story for me, I tried the 7mm RM, .280 Rem, 7-08 Rem, .280 GNR, 6.5-06, and 6.5X55. I went back to the .270 for my preferred hunting rifle cartridge. I've got an old Parker Hale 1200 and a M70 EW currently. The M70 EW by far is my favorite rifle to carry afield these days.
I haven't sold any rifles because I have a .270!! I really like mine and plan on a couple hunts with it this fall... l do use it quite a bit in the off season for coyotes... But it will never replace the 7mm Mag. and .300's in my big game rifles... Still I use it a lot and like it alot..
I haven't sold any rifles because I have a .270!! I really like mine and plan on a couple hunts with it this fall... l do use it quite a bit in the off season for coyotes... But it will never replace the 7mm Mag. and .300's in my big game rifles... Still I use it a lot and like it alot..
Even E. K. said the 270 was a pretty good coyote rifle!
I like and use my Tikka T3X 7mm RM and Win 70 300 WM too.
Hey, you stole my old sig line... can't do that without proper reference to the author
Proper reference to Brad then.
You give a competent person a rifle they like. No matter the chambering, I would bet that range results will be stellar and hunting results more than satisfactory.
What is the quote? "it is the Indian not the bow"
If one can not get the job done with a 6.5, 270, 280/7mm, 30 cal. My guess is the operating system running the hardware has a serious issues.
I remember as a young boy reading diligently all the Jack O'Connor stories I could get my hands on and knew that someday I would own a .270. I had memorized his load that he would use of 62.0g of H4831 in W-W brass and a 130g bullet. I knew that if I ever got to the point where I could reload....that would be my load too. After saving and saving and along with some help from my Dad the day came when I bought a Rem 721 in .270 at age 13.
Factory ammo was the only thing that it saw for the longest time until I started to reload after marriage and the first of our boys. I loaded up the same formula but this time it was in an early Ruger with the tang safety. Man was I disappointed when that Ruger did not deliver the size groups that Jack got our of his shooters. I tried and tried to find the magic formula with bullets , powders and primers but to no avail. It was replaced later with a Win Model 70 .300 Win Mag and the Ruger was given to a son who was newly married.
My first deer was taken with that Rem 721 with open sights at about 80 yards and it put down a small 3x3 Idaho Mulie. Many other deer and elk followed and that trend continued with the .300 WM. I liked the .300 WM due to it's increased distance and a heavier payload.
Now as I'm without boys in our home I tend toward the long range shooting and the 6.5 Creed and the 6.5 Grendel as do our sons.
Fondest memories of those bygone days with the .270 and my dad out hunting. I still have a reverence for the cartridge.
I just got my first one. Bought it used from another member here. Got it sighted in with 130 gr Nosler Partitions. Haven't killed anything with it yet. I like the rifle.
[quote=Nrut]Does anybody make a 1:8 or 1:9 twist off the rack .270? Or do you have to go to a custom barrel?[/quote
Not that I am aware of.
I am having a fast twist 270 built right now. Specifically to shoot the 170gr Bergers. I am leaving the actual twist up to my gunsmith. He is an accomplished LR shooter, and I trust his decision.. I told him I thought 1:8, but he felt a 1:9 will do anything I am asking. Will see what he decides.
I just got my first one. Bought it used from another member here. Got it sighted in with 130 gr Nosler Partitions. Haven't killed anything with it yet. I like the rifle.
I hope you noticed the bolt handle is on the WRONG side !
I just got my first one. Bought it used from another member here. Got it sighted in with 130 gr Nosler Partitions. Haven't killed anything with it yet. I like the rifle.
I hope you noticed the bolt handle is on the WRONG side !
Jerry
Haa, not for me. I was wondering how long it would take for someone to notice. Ya know, left handed people are the only ones in their right mind.
I wish they had invented the 6.5 Creedmoor back in 1926.
Then the .270 could have been their improvement.
uh huh, uh huh, I like it. > GRIN
Jerry
There was a 6.5 Creedmoor back than it was called the 6.5X55 swede. The Creedmoor is nothing new though the hype and advertising would like everyone to think so.
Hmm. Thought you might be knowledgeable enough to grasp why the 6.5x55 cannot be the 6.5 Creedmoor--which is why the 6.5 Creedmoor is far outselling the 6.5x55 even in Europe. But whatever....
Does anybody make a 1:8 or 1:9 twist off the rack .270? Or do you have to go to a custom barrel?
Not that I am aware of.
I am having a fast twist 270 built right now. Specifically to shoot the 170gr Bergers. I am leaving the actual twist up to my gunsmith. He is an accomplished LR shooter, and I trust his decision.. I told him I thought 1:8, but he felt a 1:9 will do anything I am asking. Will see what he decides.
Hmm. Thought you might be knowledgeable enough to grasp why the 6.5x55 cannot be the 6.5 Creedmoor--which is why the 6.5 Creedmoor is far outselling the 6.5x55 even in Europe. But whatever....
The 6.5 creedmoor connected a lot of dotz for the average hunter and for long range competitors that the swede doesn't. I should have put a joking in jest emoji to better convey my message. As a hunter and handloader who likes Tikka rifles unfortunately none of the 6.5 Creedmoor benefits apply to me, the reason why I often joke in jest making comparisons between the swedemoor and the creedmoor 😁
I had three - 6.5 CM's (Tikka, sold to a buddy, Barrett Fieldcraft and Kimber) and have concluded it is a very easy cartridge to load for and shoot well. All three rifles have stellar accuracy without the need for incense or an exorcism. Last year I tagged out on an Alaska caribou and a NM cow elk. But I still prefer the .270 Win. cause it can handle long-range, drops and windage a bit better. Might keep the Whittakers B. F. "limited edition" and the Kimber Montana - we'll see.
The research done by the Hornady engineers and a couple of others was very thought out and executed.
You give a competent person a rifle they like. No matter the chambering, I would bet that range results will be stellar and hunting results more than satisfactory.
I have said forever, if I were forced to hunt with one cartridge the rest of my life, it could be anyone one of five dozen cartridges, and I doubt the outcome would be different from one over another.
I have a 7mm-08 that kicks significantly less - which is important to me - and performs close enough to the .270 (at least with factory ammunition) that I don't feel handicapped in any comparison with that venerable American classic.
And yes, I know all the arguments why a .277 bullet that is 10 grains heavier than my .284 bullet, when started at roughly the same speed, is "better" than what I'm using. I just don't care - the difference is too small.
And I know that it is relatively easy to juice up a handloaded .270 so that its 150gr bullet will go significantly faster than my 140gr bullet. Again, I don't care.
The 7mm-08 is enough for my needs, and gentle enough on my shoulder, that I can really enjoy shooting it, while having solid confidence that it will do well in nearly any hunting situation in which I am likely to find myself - as long as I do my part. All of which is more important to me than ft-lbs, muzzle velocity, SD, BC, or any other numerical value you want to put on it.
I wish I had learned this 40 years ago, and spent less time searching for the "perfect" rifle and cartridge and more time searching for elk.
I have a 7mm-08 that kicks significantly less - which is important to me - and performs close enough to the .270 (at least with factory ammunition) that I don't feel handicapped in any comparison with that venerable American classic.
And yes, I know all the arguments why a .277 bullet that is 10 grains heavier than my .284 bullet, when started at roughly the same speed, is "better" than what I'm using. I just don't care - the difference is too small.
And I know that it is relatively easy to juice up a handloaded .270 so that its 150gr bullet will go significantly faster than my 140gr bullet. Again, I don't care.
The 7mm-08 is enough for my needs, and gentle enough on my shoulder, that I can really enjoy shooting it, while having solid confidence that it will do well in nearly any hunting situation in which I am likely to find myself - as long as I do my part. All of which is more important to me than ft-lbs, muzzle velocity, SD, BC, or any other numerical value you want to put on it.
I wish I had learned this 40 years ago, and spent less time searching for the "perfect" rifle and cartridge and more time searching for elk.
I'd say all that time searching for the perfect cartridge paid off 😎
Been hunting with a 270 WIN since 1978, doubt I would ever give it up (although I do hunt with and like the 30-06 SPRG and the 308 WIN as well). Just put a new Leupold VX-3 riflescope on my longest owned 270 WIN and loaded a box of ammo (140 grain Hornady Interlock) - Ruger M77 my wife bought for me in 1978 - going to use it for whitetail this season.
I just got my first one. Bought it used from another member here. Got it sighted in with 130 gr Nosler Partitions. Haven't killed anything with it yet. I like the rifle.
You give a competent person a rifle they like. No matter the chambering, I would bet that range results will be stellar and hunting results more than satisfactory.
I have said forever, if I were forced to hunt with one cartridge the rest of my life, it could be anyone one of five dozen cartridges, and I doubt the outcome would be different from one over another.
Indeed, it’s the craftsman, not the tool.
yep
Shoot what you like, like what you shoot, but most important, is shot placement.
For competition shooting, every extra advantage will end up on the results page. For the hunting that the majority do every year, it does not matter.
I just got my first one. Bought it used from another member here. Got it sighted in with 130 gr Nosler Partitions. Haven't killed anything with it yet. I like the rifle.
I hope you noticed the bolt handle is on the WRONG side !
Does anybody make a 1:8 or 1:9 twist off the rack .270? Or do you have to go to a custom barrel?
Not that I am aware of.
I am having a fast twist 270 built right now. Specifically to shoot the 170gr Bergers. I am leaving the actual twist up to my gunsmith. He is an accomplished LR shooter, and I trust his decision.. I told him I thought 1:8, but he felt a 1:9 will do anything I am asking. Will see what he decides.
I just got my first one. Bought it used from another member here. Got it sighted in with 130 gr Nosler Partitions. Haven't killed anything with it yet. I like the rifle.
I hope you noticed the bolt handle is on the WRONG side !
Jerry
ah... no. the bolt is on the proper side for those of us that are blessed.
The 270 will become even better when they start putting fast twist barrels on them......And I see that fast twist in a 270 has been covered in this post, my bad….
Does anybody make a 1:8 or 1:9 twist off the rack .270? Or do you have to go to a custom barrel?
Not that I am aware of.
I am having a fast twist 270 built right now. Specifically to shoot the 170gr Bergers. I am leaving the actual twist up to my gunsmith. He is an accomplished LR shooter, and I trust his decision.. I told him I thought 1:8, but he felt a 1:9 will do anything I am asking. Will see what he decides.
Steyr.
google fu shows 1:8.6, could not find it on the Steyr website.
Does anybody make a 1:8 or 1:9 twist off the rack .270? Or do you have to go to a custom barrel?
Not that I am aware of.
I am having a fast twist 270 built right now. Specifically to shoot the 170gr Bergers. I am leaving the actual twist up to my gunsmith. He is an accomplished LR shooter, and I trust his decision.. I told him I thought 1:8, but he felt a 1:9 will do anything I am asking. Will see what he decides.
I've still got my old Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in .270. I've got a ton of 140 gr. Hornady BTSP handloads as well. I've taken it out a couple of times over the last couple of years when I didn't have anything else loaded up. Mostly off season stuff for sheep and pigs. It still gets the job done.
The 6.5 CM. Is a lesser cartridge in every way. The only way to fairly compare them is with similar . Bullet characteristics The CM just isn't in the same league as a elk( elk are the baseline here) hunting round. Comparing these chamberings at 700 and 800 yards is just not practicle, these are high probability wounding distances, imo. 300 yards is a fairly long shot, many are cleanly missed or worse , wounded a lesser distances.My little old opinion
Damned if I didn't shoot one of my buddies 270s the other day. I enjoyed the hell out of it. and no I'm not gay... I think the best part about it was I had 179 130gr. midway blue box bullets (who knows what the fu ck they were/are) that I sold to him for really cheap and I also gave him 100 pcs of primed brass. I looked at my hornady manual in search for how much H4831 to throw in the cases, even though I remember hearing you can just fill the case up with H4831 and put a bullet on top and call it good. That's damn near what I did, at 60.5 grains:
I seated the bullet at the cannelure and called it good. Then we went to the range. That sob (the rifle) was shooting bug hole groups. I was pretty impressed with it. I told my buddy, Its nice to get lucky every once in a while. Load development was done for that one...
bsa 1917, That has been my experience with the 270 over a bunch of decades and with several different rifles. Even more curious is how most of them would/will throw 130 -150 grain bullets to the same place. I've loaded some 85 gr TSX's to trial and they are exhibiting the very same characteristic. Thinking I might try that on a deer next month.
My ol 270 was my first centerfire and will probably be about the last to go. It doesn't get used much anymore since I've found smaller cases are plenty at the ranges and on the game I hunt. With enough hair splitting you might be able to make a case for a couple other cartridges being more capable, but the game will never tell the difference.
The 270 will become even better when they start putting fast twist barrels on them......
That may be true for a few gun nutbars on the interweb, but the majority of gun buyers are not handloaders and most of those folks probably don't even know about bbl twist and why a faster twist is a good thing.
That may be true for a few gun nutbars on the interweb, but the majority of gun buyers are not handloaders and most of those folks probably don't even know about bbl twist and why a faster twist is a good thing.
After many years on different Deer leases and lots of 'hunters', not necessarily shooters--> You are Correct.
Just got back in town and read your comments, they track to my experience. I’ve tried the 30-06, 308, 280, 7x57, 6.5/270, 257 Ackley, 300 H&H and 338. On game up to and including Elk I am not perceptive enough to find much difference. If I do my part the real work begins regardless of which 270 competitor I use.
Damned if I didn't shoot one of my buddies 270s the other day. I enjoyed the hell out of it. and no I'm not gay... I think the best part about it was I had 179 130gr. midway blue box bullets (who knows what the fu ck they were/are) that I sold to him for really cheap and I also gave him 100 pcs of primed brass. I looked at my hornady manual in search for how much H4831 to throw in the cases, even though I remember hearing you can just fill the case up with H4831 and put a bullet on top and call it good. That's damn near what I did, at 60.5 grains:
I seated the bullet at the cannelure and called it good. Then we went to the range. That sob (the rifle) was shooting bug hole groups. I was pretty impressed with it. I told my buddy, Its nice to get lucky every once in a while. Load development was done for that one...
Lemme see, after 25 pages and over 400 posts, we've discovered the .270 Winchester is still "liked" by a lot of hunters. What a surprise. Does any suppose this might be why every major hunting rifle manufacturer on earth chambers the .270?
I waited 62 years to get my first one. A made-in-Sheridan Wyoming Mark V. Don’t really know why I picked a .270, just wanted it to be a classic cartridge.
I’m no sheep hunting expert, last year on my TMA sheep hunt I didn’t hesitate when I chose the 270 Winchester in a model 70 stainless classic. When one thinks of sheep hunting, you think of Jack O’Connor and a model 70 in a 270 Winchester!
Just sold one a couple weeks ago (Tikka) and bought a new one Friday (Bergara Ridge). Taking a break from trimming, uniforming primers and chamfering the 400 cases I ordered for it. Hoping it shoots as well as the one I have in 300WM.
After reading all the posts on the .270...I happen to come across my copy of "Petersens Hunting" dated February 1978 with an article by Jack O'Conner titled..."The 270....Americas Beltless Magnum," What Jack wrote in 1978 still holds true today.
In East Texas back in the 60's-early 70s, anything over a 30-30 or 6mm Remington was "considered to be a magnum or magnum Like". I only remember one .270 and one .243 in camp. We had a lot of older gents back then too, remember, who had survived the Great Depression. They would get apoplectic about bloodshot/ruined meat! They considered the .22LR, .22 Magnum , 22 Hornet "about right! ha I miss those old guys...:) Oh yeah, the .270 guy was told "flat out"...."that's too fast for the woods and tears up too much meat". They were also "highly opinionated".
I have been shooting one since 1993. I use others, but the 270 is the one I have shot game the most with. Also my son uses a 270. I wonder where he got that from
Anyone try the new 130gr Cutting Edge Bullets in one? I see that the b.c on those is near .540 G1. This would make the 270 win fight wind deflection just like a 6.5mm cartridge.
One of the longest shots I ever took was with a 130 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip in a .270 with a 24.5" barrel and 6X Leupold. You should have heard my in laws howling. whelennut
I will be hunting deer with my 1950 Model 70 .270 some days (and my Featherweight. 30-06 the others). A whole lot of meat put on my table with the .270.
My first center fire rifle was a Ruger 77 chambered in .270 Win. I grew up in the 50's and 60's reading JOC and OL. Currently have a pre 64; a 5 digit Classic and a Forbes and have shot most of my big game and a fair number of varmints with the two Winchesters. All of mine so far have been factory rifles but am thinking about a faster twist .270 to shoot the longer/heavier new bullets since I can not get either the Berger 170 EOL or the 150 Nosler Long Range Accubond to chamber in my Classic. Did get the 170 grain Berger EOL to chamber in the Forbes but not the Accubond. Never had a problem with bullets up to 160 grain before. Shot a MT antelope with the Classic this fall and expect to shoot a MT elk later this year with it.
I bought my first .270 in 1981, and have kept at least one around ever since. Right now, I have a M70 .270 and a .30/30, at that's it. I got the Marlin just for giggles. I've used a lot of other cartridges, but a .270 is usually the first one I grab. It hasn't let me down yet.
I don't know where all this "270 is gay" stuff came form, unless it's from jealous 6.5 Creedmore fan boys. I guess all the top gun guys form the last 70 or 80 years were all gay, too.
My Pre "64 Featherweight M70 in 270 Win is probably my 3rd favorite rifle. My former favorite rifle was my push feed M70 Featherweight in 7X57 until about 2 months ago when I lucked into a 1952 FN Mauser Deluxe Sporter with 24" barrel, also in 7X57. That is one SWEET rifle and shoots 160 grain Partitions into an inch with a healthy dose of H4350. It will probably be my "go to" gun for the rest of my life. My other rifles are all going to my grand kids.
My Pre "64 Featherweight M70 in 270 Win is probably my 3rd favorite rifle. My former favorite rifle was my push feed M70 Featherweight in 7X57 until about 2 months ago when I lucked into a 1952 FN Mauser Deluxe Sporter with 24" barrel, also in 7X57. That is one SWEET rifle and shoots 160 grain Partitions into an inch with a healthy dose of H4350. It will probably be my "go to" gun for the rest of my life. My other rifles are all going to my grand kids.
I've had one since 1974, a SAKO Finnbear (L61R). It now wears a McMillan stock and a Leupold Vari-XIII 2.5-8 scope. No iron sights. It's a toss-up between that and my Remington 725 in .280 Remington which would be the last centerfire rifle I'd let go.
DirtFarmer, thanks for the welcome. Actually I first registered on this site quite a while ago, but under a different log in, Revans1957. Somehow I couldn't log in with that user name anymore, so I re-registered as Utahunter. Lots of great info and knowledgeable people on this site. My best to you, sir.
DirtFarmer, thanks for the welcome. Actually I first registered on this site quite a while ago, but under a different log in, Revans1957. Somehow I couldn't log in with that user name anymore, so I re-registered as Utahunter. Lots of great info and knowledgeable people on this site. My best to you, sir.
Well good to have you back.
Just don't keep changing aliases like ole Larry Root...
You may or not remember him. If you don't, that's not a bad thing...
Just this week I purchased a Barrett Fieldcraft in 270. Really looking forward to getting the rifle, that said if it was offered in 280Ai I would have chosen that.
Just this week I purchased a Barrett Fieldcraft in 270. Really looking forward to getting the rifle, that said if it was offered in 280Ai I would have chosen that.
If I didn't have an excellent 7RM, I'd be interested in a 280 AI. It approaches 7RM performance in a more efficient package. I'd pick it over a .270 and have nothing against that round.
Just this week I purchased a Barrett Fieldcraft in 270. Really looking forward to getting the rifle, that said if it was offered in 280Ai I would have chosen that.
I'd stick some 130 grain Ballistic Tips on top of 55 gr. IMR4350 and have that 270 singing on the first outing. I quit worrying about the last available fps.
If I didn't have an excellent 7RM, I'd be interested in a 280 AI. It approaches 7RM performance in a more efficient package. I'd pick it over a .270 and have nothing against that round. DF
Ah, but if you had a 270-280AI wildcat, you'd be all set
I have been shooting a .270 for the last 20 years and have killed a pile of deer with it. It has worked really well for me using a variety of factory ammunition (130 and 150 gr) from corelock, PowerPoints, Sierra Gameking, fusion, ballistic tip, and hornady whitetail interlock. All have killed quickly and well.
If I didn't have an excellent 7RM, I'd be interested in a 280 AI. It approaches 7RM performance in a more efficient package. I'd pick it over a .270 and have nothing against that round. DF
Ah, but if you had a 270-280AI wildcat, you'd be all set
Would never have thought of that.
And my wife wonders why I spend time here on the Fire.
Just this week I purchased a Barrett Fieldcraft in 270. Really looking forward to getting the rifle, that said if it was offered in 280Ai I would have chosen that.
I'd stick some 130 grain Ballistic Tips on top of 55 gr. IMR4350 and have that 270 singing on the first outing. I quit worrying about the last available fps.
That's the plan. I realized that the Fieldcraft is the rifle I wanted and the 270 is more than adequate. I'm excited to get my new rifle next week.
I was always cold to the 270 for no particular reason. Just never interested me.
Honestly though, it has to be a near perfect chambering for big game hunting. IMO.
Agreed. When you get to a season on your life when time or priorities won’t allow load development and tinkering with rifles, a 270 and factory ammo will do just fine.
Many, many angels can dance on the head of a pin , I cannot even guess, What goes through the eye of needle might be more appropriate. I like 270 threads, keep spitting through it folks. It is just coffee talk, there- I kept it going
Well, I have a cousin who likes to spout an old Remington add that claims the 280 sits between the 270 and 30/06 but out performs both..... so I built a 280AI! But it still has yet to be hunted.... but soon.
But that same cousin shot his first rifle deer with a 270 come to think of it!
It was a great morning. I spotted the deer and said we needed to shoot it. He got so excited he fogged up his scope. I saw the 130 hornady hit and the air come out of the deer’s lungs. My cousin was shocked when the deer ran off (50 yards tail tucked). So now he’s shooting .284” 139 hornadys!!
Us shooters argue and piss and moan, and criticize each other over a few numbers. Most of the time, unless you are shooting in some sort of niche area, they don't mean a damned thing.
My favorite caliber , have 2 rifles in .270 and have never had an animal take 2 steps after being shot by a .270. Have used many other caliber rifles .243,6mm,.308,.30-06,7mm mag but the .270 is my favorite.
My favorite caliber , have 2 rifles in .270 and have never had an animal take 2 steps after being shot by a .270. Have used many other caliber rifles .243,6mm,.308,.30-06,7mm mag but the .270 is my favorite.
Just this week I purchased a Barrett Fieldcraft in 270. Really looking forward to getting the rifle, that said if it was offered in 280Ai I would have chosen that.
I'd stick some 130 grain Ballistic Tips on top of 55 gr. IMR4350 and have that 270 singing on the first outing. I quit worrying about the last available fps.
All through Junior High, High school and college we had a neighbor reload 270 ammo for us. 55gr IMR 4350 and 130gr Hornady IL killed an awful lot of meat.
I did try some of them fancy ballistic tips when they first came out, but they did ruin a lot of meat. Dad talked me into the Hornady's again, meat was important. The rest of the BT's were shot up on prairie dogs.
As soon as I graduated and got my first job, an RCBS reloading kit was acquired and the fun(looneyism) began.
I came into the 270 pretty late after being a dyed in the wool 30-06 guy for about 20 years. I carried a 30-06 of one form or another throughout the 48 and Alaska, never really wanting more. I dabbled in others from 257 Rob to 375 H&H, but kept with the 30-06 for 90% of my big game hunting.
My current 270 came to me because I liked the rifle, semi-light and good balance. I’ve used it exclusively the last 3 seasons, again because of the rifle. I’ve taken my last two whitetail bucks, one good sized hog and a nice buck antelope with it so far. I haven’t had them move at all once hit with anything from a 110 TTSX to a 150 partition. The 150 loads with RL26 are on par with 30-06/180 loads IMO. I’m not a long range shooter, 300yds is a long shot for me. For practical ranges, it’s tough to beat the trajectory/power/moderate recoil balance that the 270 offers. Ammo is cheap and easy to come by when traveling. To me it’s the complete package for big game shooting. I still have my pet 30-06’s, but when it’s time for a rebarrel, it will be hard not to go with the boring 270.
I was always cold to the 270 for no particular reason. Just never interested me.
Honestly though, it has to be a near perfect chambering for big game hunting. IMO.
Agreed. When you get to a season on your life when time or priorities won’t allow load development and tinkering with rifles, a 270 and factory ammo will do just fine.
I was always cold to the 270 for no particular reason. Just never interested me.
Honestly though, it has to be a near perfect chambering for big game hunting. IMO.
Agreed. When you get to a season on your life when time or priorities won’t allow load development and tinkering with rifles, a 270 and factory ammo will do just fine.
+1. Find myself in the same boat.
+2 ... KS Franken-rifle and Nosler 130gr NAB factory cartridges...
Just this week I purchased a Barrett Fieldcraft in 270. Really looking forward to getting the rifle, that said if it was offered in 280Ai I would have chosen that.
I'd stick some 130 grain Ballistic Tips on top of 55 gr. IMR4350 and have that 270 singing on the first outing. I quit worrying about the last available fps.
All through Junior High, High school and college we had a neighbor reload 270 ammo for us. 55gr IMR 4350 and 130gr Hornady IL killed an awful lot of meat.
I did try some of them fancy ballistic tips when they first came out, but they did ruin a lot of meat. Dad talked me into the Hornady's again, meat was important. The rest of the BT's were shot up on prairie dogs.
As soon as I graduated and got my first job, an RCBS reloading kit was acquired and the fun(looneyism) began.
I've loaded the 130 Interlocks with many fine results, still doing so as a matter of fact, but it has been quite a long time since the Ballistic Tips first came out.
Yes, I now have gray hair. Graduated from college in 1991, first big game hunting season was 1979.
I have used the 130gr NBT's on an antelope and a couple deer the last few years and they have performed very well. The only reason I tried them again is due to your experiences and writing.
They have gained a spot on the ammo shelf loaded over 60gr of H4831sc, along with the 130gr Hornady's, Barnes, Gmx's, and E tips. Makes load development very easy for any new 270 that finds it way home. A new rifle will always shoot one if not two of these loads MOA, which is plenty good for hunting.
Stopped into Academy tonight and picked up a box of Hornady Precision Hunter in 270. The ELD-X has performed well for me in 6.5Creedmoor, hopefully it does well in 270.
My next (and probably last) custom rifle will be a Remington 700 C-grade in...270 Win. Been downsizing a lot, and a .270 will take up the slack in my twilight years. Bob
The 270 & it's ballistic & performance twin, the 280 Rem have been my go-to rifles for quite a while.
1st rifle I ever bought was a 270 & I've kilt more with that round than all else put together & I've never been without at least one; 3 are in the stable at the moment.
Went down all the popular magnum routes, sold them all save for one 338 & aside from dangerous game, the 270, 280 & more lately, 7-08, do nicely for all other game.
I've had 150 gr Partitions from a 270 completely penetrate a moose & elk drop like they were pole axed.................really can't ask for better performance.
For me, it's the never ending talk about "The Ol' 270. Or '06.
40 years ago a bunch of drunken city cousins came up from Hagerstown Md to hunt the farm. 760's, mostly 270, a few 30-06. Hearing them talk up those rattletraps, and make fun of everyone I hold dear for using a bolt or lever, turned me on both chamberings and those guns.
Then a 30-06 760 fell in my lap for $150. The damn thing shoots about any load around 1" (3 shots). Never loses zero. And has killed every deer it has shot at. Quickly.
I still don't like pumps. Will rarely use it again
Have come to like the 30-06.
Glad it wasn't a 270! I would be wearing pink thongs by now!
Well, I have a cousin who likes to spout an old Remington add that claims the 280 sits between the 270 and 30/06 but out performs both..... so I built a 280AI! But it still has yet to be hunted.... but soon.
Well, I have a cousin who likes to spout an old Remington add that claims the 280 sits between the 270 and 30/06 but out performs both..... so I built a 280AI! But it still has yet to be hunted.... but soon.
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and CRY 
waaa when someone disagrees with me. 
. Cheers.
... Dialed in for factory 130gr NAB loads.
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