.308, .270 or 7x64?

Glen of Imaal

Well-Known Member
I have a Sauer 202 in .243. I am a huge .243 fan, though even I must admit that there are times when something slightly heavier is required:D. Not for the local Sika who have yet to refuse a 100 grain .243 round! It would be nice to have something heavier for travelling abroad or if the wild boar that are being seen and shot all over Ireland start to spread. There were six boar shot in West Wicklow last year. Seems to be a concerted effort to introduce them with deliberate releases into the wild.

So my question is a second barrel for the Sauer or possibly a Sauer 101 in .308, .270 or 7x64? I fancy the 7x64 but ammo supply in Ireland could be difficult. Any advice greatfully received!
 
My personal favourite out of the three mentioned is the 7x64, and if you fancy using it abroad you will have no problem finding ammunition. However if you don't reload and ammo is hard to find in Ireland then the .270 is also a good round and you will have no problem finding ammo for it.
 
I'd go with .308 or .270 due to ease of obtaining ammo and of those two if it's mainly for boar then I'd choose .308 (although .308 is great for any of the deer species as well, with minimal carcass damage).
 
whichever one is easiest to get ammo for... That <1 mm difference in diameter won't be noticed by whatever you shoot.... and you can find factory stuff to handle anything you'd be shooting at. Look at 30.06 as an option also if that ammo is easier to get...
 
Hi GoI,

like Cumbrian, I have a 7x64 and think it is a great round and it performs well. For me it has the edge over .270 because of the wide range of 7mm bullets in both factory and roll your own varieties (You can get expanding in up to 177 gr form = Piggie medicine)

For that reason, I would rule .308 out as it seems to me it is difficult to get a 180gr bullet loaded onto .308W without reducing case capacity in an already limited case...

So, bearing that in mind: Why not go for the .30-06? Most common hunting round on the planet I would guess (If a gun shop sells hunting ammo, it almost certainly sells .30-'06)

Bullets range from 110-220gr, pushed with enough authority...

If I was buying my hunting rifle again, I'd go .30-06 on the ammo availability...
 
Federal sell .308 with a 180 grain Nosler bullet. It is a superb round, utterly suitable for boar or any large deer. .308 might be limited in capacity for a very long-range application: I do not load my own, so have no experience of this. But for any but the longest-range stalking applications .308 is a great all-rounder, and the Federal 180 grain Nosler is a VERY good round at the heaviest end of the spectrum, IMHO.
 
Might be as well to get the trajectory differences out of the way, lol. All these calibres will shoot a very similar trajectory over normal stalking distances. I'm guessing that boar will not be taken at extended ranges?
 
Unfortunately reloading is not allowed in the Republic, a vestige of more turbulent times.


Doesn't seem to stop anybody though?

If you are happy with the 243, the 30/06 makes a good pairing and is an excellent travelling cartridge, ammo for sale nearly everywhere anyone hunts.
 
Doesn't seem to stop anybody though?

True! But not worth losing licences if caught...
30.06 seems to be a good option that to be honest I hadn't really considered. I have used a .308, .270 and 6.5x55 but I have never used the 30.06. I don't even know anybody with one. Worth investigating further.
Many thanks for all the advice.
 
I was looking for .308 when I stumbled on (won the auction) a mauser 30.06. Hadn't hunted in 25+ years and never with a centerfire (deer were shotgun/slug) Have killed 4 roe and a couple of pigs with 180gr cheap stuff off the shelf and have maybe thrown away a handful of meat on either of them and all dropped in their tracks. I now have 2 .308's that I am sure I will be happy with but in the 3 local shops that I know of to buy ammo, 30.06 is considerably cheaper.
 
One of the lads here had a 30/06 202 barrel for sale a few weeks ago, no idea if he shifted it or not. Search the classifieds.

I find the 30/06 very pleasant to shoot, no worse than the 270. It will take any game in Europe, and the vast majority everywhere else.
 
308, don't mess about thinking. Sure 30-06 can drive a bit more authority but you don't need it unless driven pigs is in your head...
 
30-06 every time. It will take you all over the planet. Massive range of bullets and very pleasant to shoot. (not as snappy as the 270 and I have both)
It is my go to gun every time.
Tusker
 
I have a 308 , a 270 and a 280 REM which is the same darn thing as the 7x64 . Of the three I prefer the 280 . However I would opt for my 6.5-06 or possibly a 6.5x284 if I had to adhere to the regs you guys endure .
 
I own a Sauer 200 in .308, and a Sauer-built SHR 970 in .308 and one in .280.
I load for friends who have Sauers in .30-06 and 7x64. I love my 7x64 Mauser carbine, just built a 7x64 in classic style for myself, have a Steyr SBS with iron sights on order.

They all shoot everything under one inch groups. Many loads, they shoot into one ragged hole.

As noted by others, if .30-06 is cheaper where you are, buy that barrel. You can load it up and down, mild or hot. You should shoot a .308, .270, .30-06, in a Sauer 200 or 202 if you can, before deciding. The .30-06 has a lot more recoil than a .243. You cannot judge on paper. I have seen heavy .308s that would pound you, and 7 lb .30-06s that I could shoot all day. How the stock fits you means more than numbers on paper.

If you are going to a country like France, you cannot use a .308 or .30-06, but all over Africa, the 7x64 and .30-06 are common. You may be able to borrow a 7x64 or .270 barrel for a trip to France.

Hunting in Canada and the USA, and Alaska, go .30-06.
 
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