.308 or .270
- Thread starter drummerboy
- Start date
LOL! Not sure which highland stalkers you have been speaking to! You will probably find a lot of the good old boys in the hills secretly take the 22-250 out for culling when no one is looking.
.308 vs .270..there's nothing in it, just depends on what you Stoke it with. 30 cal can go way heavier so is by far the more versatile round. .270 is an awesome round...but not better than .308
I don,t understand the 270 kick,? Those who know me, will agree I am not the tallest bloke, and I shoot my BSA cf2 standing no problem, they are noisey but what a roar, I also have a Kimber which is one of the lightest rifles around, fitted with a can, no problem, most important with all rifles is get one that fits.
latest 270
View attachment 61974
latest 270
View attachment 61974
xavierdoc
Well-Known Member
Both good options.
I would go with the .308Win purely for the reasons stated already:
Versatile (huge range of projectiles)
Availability everywhere
Futureproof (non-lead)
Shorter-action
Less powder per bang through a wider bore (cheaper to load and longer barrel life)
Ballistically adequate (no relevant difference at typical hunting ranges- know your drops anyway)
"Softer" recoil (if you find recoil a problem.)
The 7mm-08 has the legs on a .308 at longer ranges and a good selection of bullets, too. Arguably, you could rebarrel your .243 in 7-08 and have a do-it-all, semi-custom tack-driver instead of forking out for a new rifle plus scope and mounts.
"Beware the the man with one gun!"
I would go with the .308Win purely for the reasons stated already:
Versatile (huge range of projectiles)
Availability everywhere
Futureproof (non-lead)
Shorter-action
Less powder per bang through a wider bore (cheaper to load and longer barrel life)
Ballistically adequate (no relevant difference at typical hunting ranges- know your drops anyway)
"Softer" recoil (if you find recoil a problem.)
The 7mm-08 has the legs on a .308 at longer ranges and a good selection of bullets, too. Arguably, you could rebarrel your .243 in 7-08 and have a do-it-all, semi-custom tack-driver instead of forking out for a new rifle plus scope and mounts.
"Beware the the man with one gun!"
LeftHandGuy
Well-Known Member
Not that I'm saying you're wrong, but why is it better?
Is it more accurate?
Does it cause less meat damage?
Does it kill quicker - produce fewer runners?
Perhaps it does all these things, but I'm far from certain that calibre selection has much of deciding factor in any of the above...
Ade8mm
Well-Known Member
I have never had the opportunity to shoot a .270 but have heard and read as many negatives as positives about the calibre.
What is the reality with this calibre? They might be noisy. I am sure my 8 x 60 is load and can't be moderated as it is a double. Is the .270's "kick" really all that much to write home about? Short of shooting one where can I get some objective info on this?
What is the reality with this calibre? They might be noisy. I am sure my 8 x 60 is load and can't be moderated as it is a double. Is the .270's "kick" really all that much to write home about? Short of shooting one where can I get some objective info on this?
No the kick is not that bad, I used a BSA, my mate used a fin bear , no problem, rem 700 plastic, not nice without a can, Kimber with a can , a dream to use.
Great knock down power, accurate.
but all the above can be said about most calibre so, but I prefer it over 243 or 308.
Great knock down power, accurate.
but all the above can be said about most calibre so, but I prefer it over 243 or 308.
D Boy, I have read the replies thus far, and can say that I had a .308 (BSA CF2), and reloaded. I had it for years, really enjoyed it. I now have a .270 (Mannichler Pro hunter), again I reload 130g hornady and find it no more accurate than my old .308 or any more kick
Iam 5:5" tall and of average build, and have no problems either carrying the .270, or hitting my quarry...however carrying the end result is a problem for me!!
Iam 5:5" tall and of average build, and have no problems either carrying the .270, or hitting my quarry...however carrying the end result is a problem for me!!
These calibre threads always seem to resort to cliché.
"270? Yep - amazing. Fast and flat."
"308? Trajectory of a rainbow."
".243? What are you shooting? Rats?"
Ok, I can't argue with the last one, but as for the 270 vs 308 comments; does anyone actually look at the ballistic data at realistic stalking distances and find a worthwhile difference?
My preference would be .308 because I feel it is a little more flexible. Having said that, I really like the 30-06 which my good friends call "an obsolete military calibre"
Seems we can't win whatever we choose, but we keep shooting at deer and they keep falling over.
"270? Yep - amazing. Fast and flat."
"308? Trajectory of a rainbow."
".243? What are you shooting? Rats?"
Ok, I can't argue with the last one, but as for the 270 vs 308 comments; does anyone actually look at the ballistic data at realistic stalking distances and find a worthwhile difference?
My preference would be .308 because I feel it is a little more flexible. Having said that, I really like the 30-06 which my good friends call "an obsolete military calibre"
Seems we can't win whatever we choose, but we keep shooting at deer and they keep falling over.
palmer_mike
Well-Known Member
Would a .308 actually chamber in a .243? Not sure the bolt would go home to allow it to fire would it? A .243 would chamber in a .308 but although accuracy would be non-existent would it really be a safety issue?
also, I can't imagine being dumb enough to make the mistake (and have owned both calibres together with it never being an issue).
not sure it would. Just a potential safety/ frustration issue i think is worth highlighting.
Some people are always too clever, confident (worse than stupid / cautious in my opinion).
Ps - i am not dumb.
As someone with a .308 and a .243, this is easily avoided. I use Norma 150gr BTs in the .308 (green tips), and Hornady SSTs in the .243 (reddish tips). Keep them in different looking wallets. Check every time I put a round in the magazine.
As a factor to worry about when deciding on a rifle, it is a very long way down the list!
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Colours aside, 243 & 308 cartridges look and feel very different
Not sure I follow the logic here at all. I've currently got 2 x 260 Rem and a .308 Win in the cupboard. Regards JCS
A .308 could chamber a .243 as a .243 is just a necked down .308 cartridge, but if you fired it all that would happen is the neck of the case would fail as theres no barrel around it to hold it in place and the round would either just fall out of the barrel or come out at a hugely diminshed velocity.
There was a video that Demolition Ranch put up a while ago where he loaded a 5.56 round into a glock or something (totally mad and he could have easily hurt himself, definitely wouldnt try it myself!) and the round came out fast enough to pierce a water bottle but that was it - It basically just resulted in the cartridge neck failing.
One of the big ones I always worry about is 20g v. 12g shotgun cartridges. A 20g will fit into a 12g barrel and go down about half way before getting stuck, and there have been so many instances where people have then loaded a 12g on top of the blocked barrel and blown the gun up!
I think if you have a variety of guns with mixed cartridge sizes you definitely need to make sure you always keep them segregated to avoid any issues, especially if they are similar in size.
Probably less of an issue if all you have is a .22 and a .308 hehe!
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