New Rifle, do I go 270 as I have others as well

nthor

Well-Known Member
Am about to send in for a variation so want to get the choice right, I have a few rifles so I am thinking of a 270 which I will use for Roe and above unless anyone has a better suggestion when taking into account the others I own.

I have:

243 Rem 700, This is what I have used for deer for a couple of years

308 T3 Tactical, its conditioned for deer but I have never used it for that, (rather heavy to carry)

223 T3 Super Varmint same as above but stainless, used for fox still heavy but not carried that far

I think the 270 should be what I need, like I said unless anyone has a much better suggestion

thanks Nigel
 
A .270 will do nothing your .308 wont do mate, although I appreciate its maybe a bit heavy as a stalking rig.

Looks like your pretty well covered already, the best way to be. ;)
 
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I've got one of each, I can choose on the day. But have to admit 25-06 comes out to play more times than not.
More toys more fun!

Andrew
 
As you already have 308 I'd consider 30-06 in a true stalking weight rifle.

This gives you option of using the same bullets you'd use in reloading your 308 and pretty much the same loading data for 30-06 "LITE" or equivalent of "managed recoil" loads.

Why add yet another bullet diameter to buy to your bullet stock. A 30-06 with 150 grain bullets will equal or exceed any 270 with any bullet weight with pleasing results.
 
.270 or 25-06 you're missing a hard hitting, flat shooting round so.... One of these would be ideal.

If you're not reloading then I'd go .270
 
Am about to send in for a variation so want to get the choice right, I have a few rifles so I am thinking of a 270 which I will use for Roe and above unless anyone has a better suggestion when taking into account the others I own.

I have:

243 Rem 700, This is what I have used for deer for a couple of years

308 T3 Tactical, its conditioned for deer but I have never used it for that, (rather heavy to carry)

223 T3 Super Varmint same as above but stainless, used for fox still heavy but not carried that far

I think the 270 should be what I need, like I said unless anyone has a much better suggestion

thanks Nigel


I look at this from a bullet weight perspective

223 covers you from 40 all the way up to 90gr if it takes your fancy but more likely 60-70gr
243 covers you 55-100gr

308 covers you 150-185gr

you have a hole between 100-150gr
.270 fits that perfectly as do many other cartidges

not convinced any of them do anything the others won't do if pointed in the right direction
 
270 would be a perfect fit, but so would a 7mm RM. Otherwise a 6.5 of some description or the 25/06 would work well. I have a 6.5x47 for high seat work, 7mm RM for hill stalking and a 308 for woodland. All will do all sizes of deer just fine but the sit-ups differ according to the terrain I am stalking over rather than the species
 
I'd be looking at something like 7mm rem mag to fill the gap,oh i already did and it's a great calibre,got to have a 26"barrel though to get the most out of it or you may as well stick with the .270,and you'd need to load your own really or it would be more expensive to run than the .270,i suppose 7mm 08 might be another one to think about.
 
Am about to send in for a variation so want to get the choice right, I have a few rifles so I am thinking of a 270 which I will use for Roe and above unless anyone has a better suggestion when taking into account the others I own.

I have:

243 Rem 700, This is what I have used for deer for a couple of years

308 T3 Tactical, its conditioned for deer but I have never used it for that, (rather heavy to carry)

223 T3 Super Varmint same as above but stainless, used for fox still heavy but not carried that far

I think the 270 should be what I need, like I said unless anyone has a much better suggestion

thanks Nigel


Unless you re-load the .270 is too much gun for Roe and even Fallow, same goes for the 30-06.

One of my stalking team uses a .270 however he loads it down quite considerably and it makes for a great gun, so that is an option. As you already have a 308 I would suggest you look at the 6.5x55 or 7mm-08 which are far more suited to all sized UK game with a good broad spectrum of loads (whether you re-load or not).
 
Nigel,
I would say you are well covered already,
I started witha .270 but I now rarely use it
prefering my .308,
but sounds like you need a "lightweight" stalking rifle
but I wouldnt get a .270 in lightweight.
and .270 causes a fair amount of damage on a Roe.
I`d get another lightweight .308

you can have "fun " and practice with a .22lr or .17hmr
 
Unless you re-load the .270 is too much gun for Roe and even Fallow, same goes for the 30-06.

One of my stalking team uses a .270 however he loads it down quite considerably and it makes for a great gun, so that is an option. As you already have a 308 I would suggest you look at the 6.5x55 or 7mm-08 which are far more suited to all sized UK game with a good broad spectrum of loads (whether you re-load or not).


I have heard this about the 270 Winchester so many times yet in my own experience in using one on Roe and Muntjac I have yet to this this predicted damage. The few Fallow that I have shot have been whilst carrying rifles in other chamberings. .303 British with a hand loaded 150 grn Hornady Spire Point, 7x57 using the Hornady 139 Grn BTSP, 30-30 Winchester using hand loads and the 130 Grn Hornady Spire Point and 30-06 which hardly counts as it was point blank to finish off a car victim.

The last Roe Buck I shot using the 270 Winchester cartridge was using factory Federal Fusion 150 grain and once again it did not tear up the beast. sadly it seems most tht make these claims about the 270 Winchester being vicious are those that have never actually used one.

Of course such claims do keep the prices of used 270 Win chambered rifles lower :D and that's how I acquired four of those that I own. A BSA 1st pattern Monarch a chap at one of the Bisley Arms fairs was trying to sell couldn't even get an offer from the dealers there. One whom I know sent him to find me and we did a deal for £100 for it. Now if it had been in 243 he would have got a buyer easily.
 
I have never found either of my 270 to be too much on roe in any round from 130 grain to 150 grain. The sst does create a larger exit than say a core lokt or seirra gameking but if you want a nice blood trail the sst is the one. gamekings have been great on roe size animals but tend to break up on larger game in 270. I love this cal and it seems to get a bad rap for recoil but i have never noticed this in either of mine.
I would say it will be all the gun you ever need and the price of rifles is a good one. try one out you you wont be dissapointed but its your choice , atb wayne
 
I have heard this about the 270 Winchester so many times yet in my own experience in using one on Roe and Muntjac I have yet to this this predicted damage. The few Fallow that I have shot have been whilst carrying rifles in other chamberings. .303 British with a hand loaded 150 grn Hornady Spire Point, 7x57 using the Hornady 139 Grn BTSP, 30-30 Winchester using hand loads and the 130 Grn Hornady Spire Point and 30-06 which hardly counts as it was point blank to finish off a car victim.

The last Roe Buck I shot using the 270 Winchester cartridge was using factory Federal Fusion 150 grain and once again it did not tear up the beast. sadly it seems most tht make these claims about the 270 Winchester being vicious are those that have never actually used one.

Of course such claims do keep the prices of used 270 Win chambered rifles lower :D and that's how I acquired four of those that I own. A BSA 1st pattern Monarch a chap at one of the Bisley Arms fairs was trying to sell couldn't even get an offer from the dealers there. One whom I know sent him to find me and we did a deal for £100 for it. Now if it had been in 243 he would have got a buyer easily.

Maybe I wasn't very clear. I have been running deer management and venison supply for a while now and although I would not knock the 270, which I have used, if you were actually doing the butchering and selling of the venison yourself you may appreciate what I said a little more. Due to excessive meat damage from standard ammunition in the 270 and 30-06 for that matter I had to stop my stalkers using them unless they tailored ammunition for the job in question.

It sound like you re-load so of course you can tailor a calibre to your requirements, which is great and am sure (I know) it works. However unless you have this luxury all I am saying is that there are calibres around which will do the job a little better than the standard 270 factory ammunition which I have found to cause excessive bruising.

There are better calibres around for the specific job of the original posts question, that's all. It's not about whether one calibre is better than another, they all have their place. If there is a calibre that will humanely and efficiently take down a deer without causing excessive damage then in my mind it is more suitable hence my preference for the 6.5x55 and 7mm-08 for smaller deer.
 
On the basis that you have a 243 for smaller deer and you are keeping this and that your 308 is really a target beast, you should be looking at a sporter weight rifle for all round deer use and 270 would be a good place to start -ammo everywhere and it works. If you were wanting it to double duty overseas on plains game etc, you might look at 7mm with a bigger case that can shoot 175 gn bullet or 30-06. If you were keeping it just for UK use then 6.5 /260 would be at the bottom end if you are looking at an all rounder.
 
Maybe I wasn't very clear. I have been running deer management and venison supply for a while now and although I would not knock the 270, which I have used, if you were actually doing the butchering and selling of the venison yourself you may appreciate what I said a little more. Due to excessive meat damage from standard ammunition in the 270 and 30-06 for that matter I had to stop my stalkers using them unless they tailored ammunition for the job in question.

It sound like you re-load so of course you can tailor a calibre to your requirements, which is great and am sure (I know) it works. However unless you have this luxury all I am saying is that there are calibres around which will do the job a little better than the standard 270 factory ammunition which I have found to cause excessive bruising.

There are better calibres around for the specific job of the original posts question, that's all. It's not about whether one calibre is better than another, they all have their place. If there is a calibre that will humanely and efficiently take down a deer without causing excessive damage then in my mind it is more suitable hence my preference for the 6.5x55 and 7mm-08 for smaller deer.

Yes I hand loaded but also used factory 270 Winchester ammunition from Norma, RWS and Federal. The Norma I had both 130 & 150 grain. Also i butchered my own meat. The worst bruising I ever saw was on a Roe Doe when I used a Hornady 160 Grn RNSP through my 6.5x55 lot a whole shoulder on that Sussex Doe. After that one I relegated the 160's to larger deer.
 
Yes I hand loaded but also used factory 270 Winchester ammunition from Norma, RWS and Federal. The Norma I had both 130 & 150 grain. Also i butchered my own meat. The worst bruising I ever saw was on a Roe Doe when I used a Hornady 160 Grn RNSP through my 6.5x55 lot a whole shoulder on that Sussex Doe. After that one I relegated the 160's to larger deer.

It would be interesting to compare your 270 loads which I'll pass on if he hasn't read this! What type of bullets, weight and speed are you making?

Also had the same with my 6.5x55 last week on a Muntjac (hit bone and that was it! 120 yards as well) but the day before another Muntjac was clean as whistle? It happens. On the whole I do find the 6.5 cleaner, having said that I also find that today I'm shooting rounds up to 500 ft/sec slower than 4/5 years ago and previous to that most of my rifles had been 243's and 308's doing around 3,300 and 2,850 ft/sec respectively. Regarding clean quick kills amongst all the calibres (on deer), if I had to be honest I've never noticed the difference except perhaps the 243 at ranges over 175 yards (roughly!).
 
ok thanks for the advise, I was going for a 270, however the 6.5 x 55 looks to have very similar trajectory, I am leaning towards a Tikka T3 Light so taking the feedback on the kick of a 270 its looking like the 6.5 may have the edge for me.

Given some posts on here where .243 has been mentioned as only just enough for some of the larger beasts is that "half a mm" of a 6.5 going to make much difference? I know its all about placement but working on S@@@ happens is the extra half mm going to make much difference my .243 is only pushing the minimum 1700 flb but keyholes at 100 yards with that load.

Thanks for the advise so far, Nigel
 
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