30-06 Elk hunting...

I wouldnt take either.

I would

Not me. Many elk have fallen to the venerable '06 and I couldn't ask for more from any cartridge. This is the making for another controversial thread. No matter, I would never opt a .270 over the 30-06.

My dad never had any use for the .270 as he guided elk hunters in the Gallatin, South of Bozeman in the 1940's and he said he never saw an elk shot with a .270 that he didn't have to finish with his 30-06. As a result, I never had any use for a .270 either.

That was until I got a pre-64 model 70 in .270. Now I prefer it to my 25-06 for antelope and deer with a 130 grain bullet. The .270 has become one of my favorite hunting cartridges, but for elk, I would still take the '06.

I'd rather have a 30-06 but would not hesitate to use a 270 with today's great bullets.

RH

IT really comes down to shot
PLACEMENT not caliber

What one will do the other will do. I've seen more elk taken with the 270 than all other rounds combined (I think I recall right..grin) and it's never give me a reason to doubt it.

If the guns were different I'd take the one that felt the best to me and then sort out which bullets I needed for it.

The 270 is my fav though.

Dober

Not a nickel's difference between them. Have seen more than one elk elk fall to the 270 with one shot, and I didn't have to finish them with a 30-06...

Shot my elk last year with a 270, but only because I don't have an 06. This year it will be with a model 70 300WSM.
John

I wouldn't as a first choice. Of course if I had it in my hands and the opportunity presented itself I would certainly use it.

Lots of elk have been killed with a .270. Seventeen by one uncle in law and 14 by a first cousin. but I think of it as more of a deer cartridge than a .30-06.

If I wanted to match the "flatter" trajectory of the .270 deer bullets [130 gr] for use on elk I would use a .300 Magnum.

I know both are just fine but I dont and wont own either one.

I would take my 270's over all.....maybe. Although they are alot different, I feel the same way about my 308's.

I get more consistant itty-bitty groups out of my 270's & 308's. I'm big in the accuracy part. 257 wby's are another favorite.

If 'twere a beautiful, wood & blue .270 passed down from my Grandad, vs. a Remmy 710 in .'06, I'd go retro & not look back.

Per above,



When I got back into hunting, I decided to start with an elk hunt, & I needed my 1st centerfire rifle. I agonized over .270/7mm Mag/.308/.30-'06 for far too long.

They all work.

FC

I've shot numerous elk with a 270 and never had one go farther than 100 yds. At the same time, I've shot a few critters with a 30-06 with the same result. Either one is perfectly adequate for the job.

Either one works. I'd probably choose a 150g in the .270.

To answer the original question, my safe holds no .270's and two .30-06s, both of which have gone elk hunting. I feel no need to add a .270.

True. If a fella already has an '06, no need for a 270.....unless I was out the door for Alaska. Then I may up the power to a .338.

I've been choosing a 270 over an 06 for 40 years now......

...well, I haven't always taken a 270, once in a while I've chosen an 06...and of course I do like my "big gun" 30-06AI.........

270 offers less recoil in a light rifle, and shoots flatter'n snot in a tornado WITHOUT a heavier, longer barrel.

But the "versatile" 30-06 is just that--it's a darn versatile cartridge that does a lot of things very well.


Casey

I've got several 06 and a 300WSM in the gun cabinet.
But I usually take my 270WSM for my deer/elk.

The 270 caliber 140g bullets have excellent on elk.

I'd never pick a .270 over 30-06 but I'd feel confident with either as I would handload accordingly with premium bullets and practice a lot before I went.

I would if I had more confidence in the 270.

Now, if you throw a 280 into the mix...

I would!

In leaving for an elk hunt, the very last thing on my mind would be which one I grabbed before I headed to the airport....I would be more focused on where I was gonna have dinner and a good glass of scotch when I got off the plane.

You can toss the 280 into the mix as well....killing animals with any of them is easy ....pick good bullets and stick them in the right place.

this is an other one of those "Is it colder in Kansas than it is in the winter" threads...

Toss up.

I could hunt elk for the rest of my life with either one. Killed acow with my dad's 270, while he used the 30/06. Couldn't argue with the performance of either. After he passed away I bought a 280, not bad for a 16 year old kid.

Then again after only killing one small bull with the 280 I bought a 35 Whelen. Proof that loony'ism begins at a young age.

Dose not matter a wit either one would do. Sure you give me a tag and I will fill it with a 270. 270 is plenty gun and most any one can shoot one well enough.

Depends which bullets I had for them...

Personally I would rather have the 06 with 180 Partitions but wouldn't complain with 270 Win shooting the same bullet in 150 gr. I still have a few 270 Speer 170 gr RN from back in the 70's and believe they would be great on Elk in the 270 Win.

My first impression is of course I wouldnt take the 270 over the 06

But as I read some of the responses I thought of this... My grandad used my 270 all over North America, my dad killed his first (and only) elk with it, as long as some WT's. I killed my lion with it, and am so comfortable with it I would put it up against anything in a competition... Now, on the other hand, my Kimber 300 wsm would get the nod, but my 270 would be right on its heels.

Even though I am a fanatical 30-06 fan, I would not hesitate to take the 270.

I would and I do but a man is splitting hairs to choose one above the other - both are an excellent choice.

I will take a 270 over a 30-06.

I never shot an elk with a 270 that I did not finish with a little salt and pepper!

8mmwapiti

.270's, '06's, 7mags, 300's-CRAZY!!!! .22 hornet is where its at. In northern NM the hornet is the caliber of choice for every and anything.

Of course, its only April...

I would.

Funny how a father's choice imprints on you in guns but my dad was a 270 man - and I am too. We hated the the 30-06 - argued with my friends in grade school about which was better. I am sure I always won!! And look we are all adults (at least I think so) and we are still arguing about it.

I remember as a kid my dad told me a 7mm Remington Mag was an "Elephant Gun". Don't know about that, but I do know the 270 kills elk and would be my choice - in fact will be my choice this fall.

(Edited to add - A funny thought hit me - my avatar picture to the left is an elk I killed with dad's current gun, a 7mm RM I borrowed from him. Guess some things do change over time - Elephant Guns become sound elk guns).

It's funny you mention those fun, old arguments. My Dad grew up with two deer rifles, he never had the opportunity to hunt elk. As a kid before the war, his Dad had a Model 70 .257 Roberts they both used on deer and preditors around the ranch. After my Dad got back from the war he splurged on an Bishop stocked, FN Mauser .270 he had built up fairly cheaply. Then we lost both guns when a wildfire burned down our ranch, ranch house and everything in it.

When I was in high school and ready to by my own deer rifle, I held romantic memories of my Dad's .270 and argued it's superiority over the very common 30-06 with kids at school. It seemed that every kid's Dad had an 06 back then, while the .270 seemed sort of exoctic. Plus I read a lot of Jack O'Connor, so I was a real .270 fan. But my Dad really felt the 30-06 was more versatile, you could buy 30-06 ammo in any little general store in the middle of no-where, and was proven on deer, bear and elk. My Dad and I would pour over the Shooters Bible ballistic's tables and argue the merits of each for hours. My heart was set, I ordered a nice Remington Mod 700 BDL in .270 from Sears Roebuck when I was a junior in 1966. I have that rifle to this day, along with a few others. I never did get a 30-06. My Dad is still alive in Denver, 85 years old and we still argue about the 06 versus the .270.

John

270 Weatherby Magnum the 270 caliber
AMRA

This thread is WORTHLESS. Why don't you atart a thread as to which boot to put on first, your left or right, makes about the same difference.

Hemi

I would take a 270 over a 06. I have never been a huge fan of the 30-06 like other people are. an 06 was my first rifle i ever bought and it was a good rifle and killed anything i pointed it at but i sold it to buy a 270. My 270 kills everything i point it just as easy as the 06 with better trajectory and less recoil. dont get me wrong, alot of animals have fallen to the good ol 06 but my personal opinion is that the 270 is a little better gun for me. everybody is a little different.

Shag,

Ringman would.

i'd take it over a sharp stick and a rock...

My dad has hunted with nothing but a 30-06 and 180gr CoreLokts for the past 55 years.......but he gave me a 270 when I came of elk hunting age.....consequently.......


Casey

for deer yes. for elk, no.

Same here...although I shot my last elk just this year with my .270 and would gladly use it again.

Two things of equal importance are: 1- Is there a pub near my departure gate where I can get a good glass of scotch while waiting to board, and; 2- Will they have single-malt on the plane?

Hunting? We're going hunting? Oh, okay. Bring scotch.

Just may be the oldest and most beat up subject in the history of gundumb!

I seriously doubt that ANYONE can tell the difference in the field between any decent caliber if the bullet is properly placed as the results are A typical, a short run and death. I have shot big game with the 7x57, 308, 270, 30-06,280, 250 Sav., 257 Robts, 6mms and if the bullet construction is correct and the bullet is placed they all work about the same..

My preference for whatever reason would be the 338 for elk. but I also like and use the 30-06 with 200 gr. Noslers.

i have never nor will i ever own a 270.
uselss cartridge in my opinion.
30 cal's have a larger bullet selection in weight and styles. 7mm's are plain sexy with the same large variety in weights and styles.
and anything a 270 can do a 280 can do better. think of 270 trajectory with the power of a 30-06.

yep, never have, not ever will have a use for such a cartridge.

worse case, a 30-06 with a good stout 180 grain bullet, or a 338 with a 225 or a 250 grain bullet, or any of the large 30 cals.
even a little 300 wsm would work wayyy better.
power, bullets, range, and accuracy. not that i'm saying a 270 is inaccurate or anything.

(big grin)

this is a trick question what range are you shots past 300 i would take the 270 but i hut them and kill them with a 270 and my favorite 280 remington and 3 wjth a custon 7x57 i will say this i do most of my hunting witha 300 weatherby thes day had a 340 built on a pre 64 sent it down the road to much recoil for what you get i will say this i have never had a 270 in my hand whishing i had a 30-06 which i did kill 4 with in all my chasing the things but with the 280 and 270 have i passed up shots and never thought if i had a 30-06 i would take the shot but sure missed my 300 weatherby with a 200 grain nosler more than once

I would, as I own five 270's and zero 30-06's.

We all enjoy touting one cartridge over another, but in reality for most game shot there is not much difference between these two fine rounds, and you can throw in the 280 also. Any animal shot with a comparable bullet, read that as the same sectional density and of the same style such as a TSX or NP and the results are pretty hard to tell apart. The trump card for the 30 06 is the excellent 200 and 220 grain bullets when deep penetration is required.

That said I own and enjoy a 270, 280, and 30 06. Do I need all of them? No, but life would be very boring if we only had what we need!

That says it all.

I'm a 30 caliber man myself. I'll take the .30-06 over the .270. I have a .30-06 and love it. It's such a versatile round you can't go wrong with it.

Maybe if I were looking for "a damn fine coyote rifle."

Well I have a very fine 270 Winchester done by Mr.K from Texas years ago and a very nice model 70 featherweight in stainless too. I have been hunting bull elk the last 16 years with .338 Win mag in a model 70, using the 7mm mag as back up and on mule deer. Next year it will be the .338-06 primarily as it is much lighter to tote and is effective out to 300 yards or so. I drop down in bullet weight to the Nosler 210 partition at 2850fps.

This subject rates right up there with "Jump Spot Jump" and "Ned, in the First Reader" I read my first 30-06 vs. the .270 when I was about 10 years old, that was 65 years ago and I have read the same article re-writen at least 65 times since..

What is even more amazing is there is no decernable difference between the two and how it can continue is the 8th wonder of the world...:)

Your right Tonk, the .338 Win is the ultimate elk rifle, but your regressing back into the past with a 338-06, just lighten up your 338 Win. or get a 9.3x62...:)

I grew up reading O'Connor so my first serious rifle was a 270 Win. It has been carried and shot a great deal. It is therefore deadly in my hands. I'll take it over any rifle I own for elk. I guess if it had happened to be a 30/06 I'd be saying the same thing about it. Not much diff killing power wise.

If I need something bigger than a 270/7mm I will choose something from 35 and up.

i would

While the .30-06 is arguably more useful over a wider variety of game, I�ve always felt the .270 Win was perhaps the best cartridge for a dedicated deer rifle. It is certainly more than enough for most hunting purposes. Judging by the numbers of elk and moose that fall to a .270 and smaller cartridges every year, it is very hard to appear anything but a fool when arguing that it isn�t adequate for elk.

For some reason, some people compare a .30-06 with heavy bullets to a .270 with light bullets � apples to oranges. Load a 150g A-Frame into a .270 Win and you are good for anything except perhaps certain situations involving big bears. In those situations a .30-06 wouldn�t be my first choice, either.




Just how many good bullets do you need for a cartridge to be viable for hunting?

Here�s just a few that are available for the .270 Win:
110g, 130g Barnes TTSX
130g Swift Scirocco II
130g Hornady GMX
130g, 140g, 150g Swift A-Frame
130g, 140g Nosler AccuBond and Partition
130g, 150g Hornady InterBond
130g, 150g Barnes MRX
130g, 150g North Fork SS
150g, 160g Nosler Partition

And that list doesn�t begin to over the cup-and-core bullets available.


Don�t own a .270 Win myself, but have certainly seen them be effective�

Exotic animals prefer to be shot with exotic calibers. Since elk are not exotic, both the 270 and the 30-06 will service the elk with similar aplomb.

270 vs 30-06? How many times has this been debated in the last 75 years?

Must be one of the great mysteries in the universe.

Kind of like blondes vs brunettes. How many times has that been debated in the last 5,000 years?

Does anybody really think we can ever get to the bottom of these questions?

I will take a brunette with blue eyes. That one turns me on. 270 will never be big enough for some guys. And to others the 06 and bigger calibers aren't needed. I own a 30-06 and a 270. Both shoot awesome little groups. Both drill the ten ring at 250 with a dead on hold. But I dont carry either one. I dont think there is a tried and true perfect caliber for everyone. Thats why there are so many options out there. Personally I dont care which caliber rifle or which make someone brings to my camp as long as they can put the bullet where it belongs. 270, 30-06 they will both do the same job as long as the guy behind it does his. I like the "Theres not a nickles worth of difference between the two." line that was used earlier. I love 25 caliber rifles for some reason and would take mine over a 270 or 30-06 anyday. I can say as long as I do what I have to, that round will get it done. But thats me, opinions vary and thankfully we all get to have one. Shoot straight and let the work begin.

Dude...we are definitely on the same page now. I am so with you on that one.

Let's get off this boring 270 vs 30-06 stuff for a while and talk chicks.

Anybody else in?

Refer to Military Sniping Rifle Thread.....

Ingwe

I would take which ever one I had partition or good solid lead bullet loaded for elk. The difference between them is .277 vs .308 or .o31 which isn't big enough for 99% of the hunters out there to even see much less be able to place better.

In the arguement about whether the 270 is a better elk rifle than a 243 Win, I'd have to go with a 270. Of course if you have to shoot the 90 grain in the 270 so it doesn't ruin your makeup I'll take the 105 grain 243. Cheers!

Wayne

270 works ok on elk ,the guy i hunt with uses 243or a 708 308
280 300wsm just know your gun and shoot often at diff ranges
and use a good bullet, watch best of the west on ODC
they swear by a 6.5x284 at 800yds just have to know where your bullet will go

I've got no use for a 270. If I wanted a smaller caliber than the 30-06 I'd use a 25-06 for antelope and deer. Other wise my hunting rifles start at 30-06.

I love my .270s. If I feel I need something bigger I go to the .338WM. So, I've taken a .338 on a brown bear hunt and passed on a big grizzly with my .270

I'm probably not going to hunt brown bear again and I ca't ever see affording a polar bear hunt, so I think my .270 will do me for the rest of my days...

I bought a 270 WSM last year and have bagged pronghorn and whitetail with it.

I would take it for Elk anyday. shot placement is more important than anything.

There was a famous outdoor writer, his name was like O'Conner or something like that, I think he liked the 270........

I would shoot anything in North America with the 270 except maybe moose and Grizzly bear. If I were planning one of those hunts, I might want something bigger.

Although he allegedly confessed, in his latter days, that he actually liked the 280 better.

Anyway, these arguments are silly to begin with. Everyone knows that Man Rules of Riflery require us to possess, at minimum, rifles chambered for half a dozen different cartridges per species hunted in order to ensure that we never... ever... run out of material to fuel caliber/cartridge/rifle arguments.

Didn't know the .270 met the minimum cartridge size for Elk. You sure one can legally use them?

Anyway, the stuff you learn here is never ending, so I guess I'm wrong again.

Bob: Scotch on an Elk hunt? That's just not right. I mean if the horses got into that chit, they would die and then what would one do?

If I could get both I wouldn't. Only the rock or sharp stick, I would give it some thought.

Splitting atoms is all we are doing here.....

I'd just grab my .280 and go hunting or maybe even my new 7SAUM

CLB

The specifics of the rifle might be the way I'd choose. I'd gladly take the 270 over the '06 even if the 270 was a M700...if the '06 was a Garand. But if the rifles were otherwise essentially identical, then I'd go with the '06.

I suppose it really only matters which one you shoot more accurately. I have both and have used both on elk and I can't tell the difference. I prefer the 30-06 simply because I like the rifle it is chambered in better than my rifle chambered in 270.

I own both rifles and I'd say the 30-06. my 270 is a savage 110 and my 30-06 is a JC Higgins FN Mauser and the old sears rifle just feels better

+1...........Couldn't have said it any better myself.

MM

AMEN !!!

Yeah, I see what you mean.

Yeah, I concur with that.

Yeah, I could use it with the right bullet.

Yeah, I think it would work with the right bullet.

Yeah, I have seen both work.

Yeah, I know it's bullet placement.

Yeah, I know this is crazy.

Yeah, I know this is just fun times.

Yeah, I hope you all have a great hunting season, using your favorite rifle. Chasing your favorite game.

Have a good day.

Tom264: "I", have taken BOTH calibers (270 & 30/06) Hunting Elk and have cleanly and humanely harvested Bull Elk with BOTH calibers!
I shared tables at a gunshow today with a lifelong Montana resident who has killed 12 Elk with a 257 Roberts!
A Hunter needs a certain amount of patience, marksmanship and the ability to DECIDE when and where to shoot at an Elk - that Hunter will do just fine on Elk with either a 270 Winchester or a 30/06!
I know - I done it!
I have seen one 7x7 Bull Elk killed with a 25/06 and two 6x6 Bull Elk killed by other Hunters with the 25/06 cartridge as well.
I have seen several Bull Elk wounded by Hunters shooting "Magnums" and saddened when many of them were never recovered!
Indeed I saw one fine Bull Elk wounded and running off (with a front leg busted and flopping!) never to be recovered that had been "shot" with a 340 Weatherby Magnum!
Anyone who can place a good bullet from a 270 or a 30/06 through the heart/lungs area of an Elk will be having liver and onions for dinner post haste!
Never underestimate the lethality of a well placed bullet on Elk from a 270 Winchester!
Having my druthers - I would opt for the 30/06 over the 270 for Elkin though.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I've taken several elk with my 270 which was my first hunting rifle. Put a decent bullet in the right place and it will do the job. Its not like an 06 or even a 270 are pea shooters. Hit an elk in the boiler room with one from a reasonable distance and you might be surprised at the devastation they cause. They provide a high percentage of the power found in typical magnums for much less recoil.

Varmintguy, you read me all wrong.....
I know without a shadow of a doubt the .270 and 30/06 will kill elk.

My post was tic.....

but you gotta admit...the .264 WM is a much superior cartridge.

Plus I would probably take my .308

Tom, VG doesn't always "get" tic...

That said I'll throw in and say the first elk I ever saw killed went down in front of a .264..

Seen a pile killed with a .270 as well..
And a slew of other calibers....
The only one that didnt consistently provide quick kills were 7 mags..but I certainly don't blame that on the caliber...(tic....)

Ingwe

Lol, yeah I figured that.

There would be no caliber vs. caliber B.S. threads if everyone would realize this.

Put it were he lives!!!!! It dies.

LOL!

Surly you jest

I don't think it makes much difference but I use the .30-06. I wouldn't feel handicapped with the .270 either. I do prefer the .30-06 over the bigger guns though because it's more shootable and a 180 grain in the boiler room trumps a 250 or 300 grain in the guts every time. Even on Grizzlies.

I would have to agree. I have 2 270s both are used to take elk and mule deer here on the ranch. Both have done the job many times and I have never needed anything bigger.

Shoot the one you shoot BEST! Duh.

I've killed more elk with a 270 than any other cal. It's funny when you double lung them they die the same way weather you use a 270 or a 375 H&H. CNS shots are the same way.

So who would take an apple over an orange, same Dang Question with the same answers.

Apples...............

and I know I'm right.


see wyoelk I can argue (grin)

.30-06 vs .270W and Elk? Why I saw one friend take one down right now with a .30-06-Amish machine gun-that was trotting away at a quartering angle. Boom and he was on the ground!!!! Of course he blow off both front knee caps. The follow up shot threw the neck with a pass thru. All over and done quite quickly I may add. I'm guessing you would have had exactly the same result with a .270W with the same placement. Like many have said placement is everything.