270 or 308? Prefered choice

[paul o']

I use a Sako 85 .308 and it can if i do my bit hold sub .5 moa , but i have been with a lad who uses a semi custom sako 75 with LW barrel .270 with 130 gr pills 100mts bug hole's got me thinking now

 

[Muir]

I am thinking of going with the blue T3 Lite in 7mm-08, and putting a Burris FFII E1 2-7x35mm scope on it to keep it light. I like the look, and I have other rifles in Mannox (Steyr) or Teflon finish ( SHR970) for bad weather.

I will probably just focus on 140-gr Hornady or Sierra to start, but will try all my factory ammo and loads for my M-70 Compact and BLR to see if it likes one I already have. With this longer barrel on the T3, I want to see how it shoots the 154-gr SST.

If I were buying a .270 T3, I would go right to the 140-gr SST for long range on deer, Remington 150-gr ammo for big game inside 200 yards.

Some Sierra 120 loads for my son when he was starting deer hunting:
23.0 gr of RL-7 gives it 2,400 fps fun, fun, fun
36.5 gr to 39-gr of H-4896 give 2,600 to 2,700 fps
]39.0 gr of RL-15 gives 2,650 fps


Try the Nosler 120-gr BT with the same load of Varget - tougher bullet that the Sierra, but still opens up at long range.

45.5 grains of Varget Fed 210 m and a 120 grain ballistic tip, 2,925 fps

49.5 grains of H 414 or W-760, CCI BR2 Primer and a 120 gr ballistic tip, 2,950 fps.
Great load for cold weather, not for summer.

Thanks for the load tips.
I am using the 120's more as a practice round right now. I bought 2K 150 grain Sierra Game Kings at an estate sale two years ago and I'm not yet through my first 100! Loaded and tested 50, loaded the second fifty for hunting and put one shot down field so I have 49 of them left for my October hunt. I have about 500 of the Sierra 120's, 500 of the Hornady middle weight SST's (139's??) 600 Interlock 139's, and 500 of the PPU 140 grain BTSP bullets. I have a bunch of 162 AMAX and 175 grn Match Kings too, but don't mess with those. Likewise some 100 grain HP varmint bullets. I have yet to come across an inaccurate load in that Tikka. As to it's 'all weather' capabilities.... Mine has seen snow and rain and dust and has come through fine with minimal attention. I was at the new Scheels store this evening. It's big enough to have a full sized Ferris wheel inside to entertain the kids, along with an archery range and shooting gallery. I was pleased to see that the prices were as good as ever. No hiking the price to pay for the new digs. They had a full compliment of Tikka T3's except 7-08 but the salesman assured me they had one in the back room. Still $549. Stainless versions are $679. Quite a jump there.~Muir

And HELL! Up until last night they had VARGET, but sold out around 8pm yesterday.

 

[WAYNE]

Good evening,

Reason why am thinking of changing, is my current 270 is an old parker and hale and it also has no moderator fitted so as you can imagine has some recoil on it and wanting to get my groupings like my other rifles, i'm wanting to install a moderator but due to age of rifle and value of it I would rather treat myself to a full new kit than get it threaded and buy a moderator for it, it's also in a wooden stock and if had a moderator fitted to that rifle I think would ruin the look of it.

May I ask why you're changing by the way?

 

[Greener Jim]

I see your point. There is always the option of sending it to a good gunsmith (such as Brock and Norris or JaegerSA on here) who could chop the chamber off and rechamber (depending on barrel profile), recut action thread, thread the muzzle and crown it properly, hone the action a little, a bit of bedding and VOILA, a nice accurate rifle that isn't another synthetic/stainless job.
It'd look much nicer than most modern stalking rifles (even with moddy) and, I imagine, when talking to stalking friends you'll be proud to say you have a worked over P-H when they all say Tikka T3 or the like.

Just my opinion, I like to see older guns given a new lease on life

 

[Tulloch]

.270 but I do like Chrislumox's .308

 

[cjm1066]

With a suitable bullet either will do the job. In T3 which is a long action, the 270 is perhaps the best option, I went down that route re 243 or 25/06

 

[375win]

Sometimes this forum reminds me of Groundhog Day.
OP =>270 non PC but moving back into main stream
308 => be a good boy, everyone has one.
Both will kill anything you will encounter. Like the rifle, caliber won't make a difference if you can shoot well.

 

[Muir]

Sometimes this forum reminds me of Groundhog Day.
OP =>270 non PC but moving back into main stream
308 => be a good boy, everyone has one.
Both will kill anything you will encounter. Like the rifle, caliber won't make a difference if you can shoot well.

But what does make a difference in these days and times is component availability, which lends itself towards versatility. Ideally there are more 30 caliber bullets available than 277 diameter bullets which gives more options. The 308 also uses less powder -another plus in times when some fuels are hard to come by.~Muir

 

[Druid]

I never get tired of watching that young lady slip her trousers on, thanks BK, Oh yeah stick with the 270 wayne ...

Mmmmmmmmmm…..…what was this thread about again??

 

[375win]

But what does make a difference in these days and times is component availability, which lends itself towards versatility. Ideally there are more 30 caliber bullets available than 277 diameter bullets which gives more options. The 308 also uses less powder -another plus in times when some fuels are hard to come by.~Muir

You are right of course but for the "deer stalker" (the man on the Clapham omnibus) I maintain the difference is negligible to non existent.

 

[Southern]

Why get a .270 and chop the barrel to fit a moderator in order to reduce recoil?
Why not just get a 7mm-08 or 6.5x55 Swede and keep the barrel at 22.5 inches?

Muir, I broke down today and bought the T3 Lite in 7mm-08.

Went to Sportsman's Warehouse to get some 8mm bullets, asked if they had one. "No", but he was going to the stock room to pull a handgun for a customer. Mmmmm, he did have one, a layaway, over 6 months old... never came to pick it up. $529.00. No use waiting.

 

[Greener Jim]

Why get a .270 and chop the barrel to fit a moderator in order to reduce recoil?
Why not just get a 7mm-08 or 6.5x55 Swede and keep the barrel at 22.5 inches?

You don't have to chop a barrel for a moddy, just screw cut and re-crown.

 

[Muir]

Why get a .270 and chop the barrel to fit a moderator in order to reduce recoil?
Why not just get a 7mm-08 or 6.5x55 Swede and keep the barrel at 22.5 inches?

Muir, I broke down today and bought the T3 Lite in 7mm-08.

Went to Sportsman's Warehouse to get some 8mm bullets, asked if they had one. "No", but he was going to the stock room to pull a handgun for a customer. Mmmmm, he did have one, a layaway, over 6 months old... never came to pick it up. $529.00. No use waiting.

Nice!
Let the fun begin. I'll be interested in your observations.~Muir

PS: I shot mine this morning. Every outing gets better and better. Still palm-sized groups but the confidence grows with each shot. The next month can't go by fast enough...

 

[Muir]

You are right of course but for the "deer stalker" (the man on the Clapham omnibus) I maintain the difference is negligible to non existent.

Yes. In use, either will kill in responsible hands. I'm just ever-practical. It really sucks to have a fine rifle and not be able to feed it.~Muir

 

[Southern]

Both the .308 and .270 Win have been around long enough to have plentiful selection of good, cheap factory ammunition, as well as premium goods. The .308 appears to have more variety of bullet choices than it actually has, as some are more suited to the .30-06 and .300 magnums, but it still has plenty. The .270 is not suffering for lack of loads or bullets; there are more than enough to slay a wide variety of game, from fox to large African antelope. There is enough variety in toughness in every weight that you could just shoot 130-gr for everything, varying bullet and velocity from 2,700 to 3,200 fps.

 

[bewsher500]

The .270 is not suffering for lack of loads or bullets;There is enough variety in toughness in every weight that you could just shoot 130-gr for everything, varying bullet and velocity from 2,700 to 3,200 fps.

this^
I struggle to see a reason to shoot any other weight in the .270
does everything

 

[Muir]

Both the .308 and .270 Win have been around long enough to have plentiful selection of good, cheap factory ammunition, as well as premium goods. The .308 appears to have more variety of bullet choices than it actually has, as some are more suited to the .30-06 and .300 magnums, but it still has plenty. The .270 is not suffering for lack of loads or bullets; there are more than enough to slay a wide variety of game, from fox to large African antelope. There is enough variety in toughness in every weight that you could just shoot 130-gr for everything, varying bullet and velocity from 2,700 to 3,200 fps.

I can't say I've looked at all manufacurers but looking at Sierra and Hornady: Sierra makes six bullets for the 270 and thirty for the 30 caliber. Hornady offers thirteen 270 bullets and fifty 308 models. The proliferation of bullet does more than appear to be more if those companies are any indicator. I've shot everything from 55 grain accelerators and .310" buckshot to 220 grain RN in 308. That's a pretty wide range. Im not sure you'd get that versatility with a 270. That both are good chamberings is not up for debate, but if I was looking for variety in projectiles and those two rounds were the choices, the 308 would win hands down. JMHO.~Muir

 

[Southern]

Im not sure you'd get that versatility with a 270. That both are good chamberings is not up for debate, but if I was looking for variety in projectiles and those two rounds were the choices, the 308 would win hands down. JMHO.~Muir

Absolutely true. For me, the .270 is for hunts where shots are expected to be over 200 yards, like mule deer, or whitetails in a soybean field, wild sheep and goats, pronghorn antelope, African plains game, with time to get set up. The .308, for shots 50 to 250, sighted in at 200, point and shoot quickly.

 

[Muir]

Absolutely true. For me, the .270 is for hunts where shots are expected to be over 200 yards, like mule deer, or whitetails in a soybean field, wild sheep and goats, pronghorn antelope, African plains game, with time to get set up. The .308, for shots 50 to 250, sighted in at 200, point and shoot quickly.

In truth, as much as i like the 308, I seldom use it for hunting. I prefer the 7-08 and 6.5x55.~Muir

 

[Southern]

In truth, as much as i like the 308, I seldom use it for hunting. I prefer the 7-08 and 6.5x55.~Muir

Perfect deer cartridges, and perfect matches for a light, accurate rifle like the Tikka T3 Lite. Low recoil, less muzzle blast, great trajectory, and a variety of bullets for large and small deer.