.308 vs .270? (Or 6.5CM)

[Alhamander]

The deer won't know the difference.
Had both, I would say choose the rifle not the caliber. A rifle you like, that fits you well, a rifle you know and that comes to the shoulder naturally is what you're looking for.

My question would be that if you are about to buy one then how do you know it already (not to you as I wholly see your point, but in general/to myself)? Which I guess is the whole point of this thread in the first place; one is not looking for what one already has and knows.

In terms of the calibre, pretty much everything I have heard and know shows that, as you say, the deer won't know the difference - I've always used a .243, for example.

But the user experience of the calibre (recoil, runners, forest vs. hill) is hard to get unless you can try the gun(s) - which is not always easy in real-life. Fine to try for fit in the shop, but not so easy to borrow a new rifle for a weekend to drag up a hill to see how it suits. This forum is a source of much valuable info here.

 

[Brave Echo Niner]

I could quote many numbers, but I'll keep it short. For me with my rifles:

The .300WSM comes out for open ground/extended ranges.

The .308 comes out for anything sub 250M, so typically woodland/lowland.

The 6.5X47 occasionally comes out and gets used as a token use, or because my others aren't ready for use (run out of loaded ammo, away for rebarrel etc). Each time it gets used for stalking I am left feeling slight disappointed with the performance compared to the others. It then gets changed back to a match setup, which is it's true use.

IMO the 6.5 does not in any way live up to the hype some give it. Stick with a .270 or .308.

Ben

 

[Dickie]

I think it's more about the nut behind the butt. I've been told a few time I am a big nut!!!

I don't know how big a nut you are but how many times have you seen or heard, Oh the .270 (insert other calibres also) kicks like a mule when its a poorly fitting rifle. I had a .270 and it was lovely to shoot.

 

[tackb]

i use a 6.5 creedmoor (two actually) 1 is 20'' for stalking and runs 140gr factory ammo at 2650fps and handles everything in the uk deer wise perfectly the other is a 24'' comp gun and runs the same ammo at 2700fps , i doubt any deer would ever notice the difference ? running lighter bullets the same is true in my experience and i was an early creedmoor user because i rebarrelled my 260rem in creedmoor

the 308 is a brilliant round everybit as good as the 270 if you compare like for like bullet weights , out to 300m they are within an inch of each other.

 

[billy_boyle_2010]

Going to something less flat shooting would feel like a backwards step to me. Unless you woodland stalk or only shoot inside 100.

 

[25 Sharps]

If you get a 308 you could get a nice short, light barrel.
A 6.5x55 home loaded is all but identical to the.270
The 6.5cm is a bit anemic in case capacity compared to a 270 or 6.5x55 and doesn't do well with a short barrel unlike the 308.
If you have the bits to reload I'd say get another 270 or compliment the existing with a short 308
If you want a change for change sake get a sweed. (Note some countries stipulate 7mm min for boar)

A .270 can be within spitting distance of 3000 ft-lb, a 6.5x55 loaded like a creedmoor is doing well at 2500 ft-lb, they are not the same.

 

[UpNorthMI]

Depends on what type of shooting you want to do. I’d stick to .270 or move up to the .308, personally I like a .308 as a minimum for stalking.

For open hill shooting I’ve used .300 win mag and .338 win mag, both great calibers for reaching out and knocking down large deer.

I’ve never owned a 6.5 creedmore but personally would never select one for deer stalking, not saying it will not knock deer down but not my thing.

 

[HonestJohn]

Pick the rifle, then the chambering. Rifle fit and how it feels to you matters, what they get hit with matters not one bit.

.308 will allow a short barrel with an over barrel mod and it’s still compact, as will 7-08, most others desire 22”-24” barrels + mod.

If you reload calibre matters zero, if you buy factory pick one rifle that fits you and the hunting styles you do, then a chambering for which you can get various quality ammo for locally.

Worry about dream hunting trips on boar and to Africa when it becomes an actual reality, until then worry about the reality

 

[Mungo]

I’ve never owned a 6.5 creedmore but personally would never select one for deer stalking, not saying it will not knock deer down but not my thing.

Terrible things. The bullets just bounce off deer AND you have to grow a man bun…

 

[Dave_45]

All will kill deer , i shoot a 6.5 284 and need to get a rifle suited for factory ammo availability (more readily ) so I’ve went for 270.
I think I have my bases covered.

 

[CBH Australia]

A 7mm-08 really does combine the best of all 3 in one package
Loaded right it will take your reds and replace your .270 surpassing your expectations.

 

[Miceton]

I agree with most of the above observations; I use a .270, it’s tried and tested and performs well for medium larger species. Damage as cited on Roe can be extensive but depending on the job you’re doing this isn’t always a concern. Much of the same can be said for the .308 but as others observed it is slower with a less favourable trajectory.

 

[roebuck14]

A 7mm-08 really does combine the best of all 3 in one package
Loaded right it will take your reds and replace your .270 surpassing your expectations.

I comme back to 7mm08 with a 130gr fox bullet just perfect with short barrel

 

[Bowland blades]

All our deer cartridges if we exclude the .22 cals and the magnums are all a bit similar inside 300 yards . With the three mentioned you could actually shoot the same weight bullets pretty much. I like clear space between rifles personally either in their set up or use .
I once had a 243, 7-08 and a 308 at the same time and the 7-08 was very close to the 308 and the 243 not a vast amount apart at that point in time and hard to feed then .
I now go 22 hornet , 223 , 6.5 , i plan to add a 6mm again as a dedicated NV gun ( a 6 creed likely) . I might end up selling the hornet but will see what happens when i put a fast twist on the 223
Our legislators in the past and the lack of need in the UK for big magnums at home means we need to be careful with what does what and why and when we use one over the other . but killing deer they all do that !

 

[UpNorthMI]

All our deer cartridges if we exclude the .22 cals and the magnums are all a bit similar inside 300 yards . With the three mentioned you could actually shoot the same weight bullets pretty much. I like clear space between rifles personally either in their set up or use .
I once had a 243, 7-08 and a 308 at the same time and the 7-08 was very close to the 308 and the 243 not a vast amount apart at that point in time and hard to feed then .
I now go 22 hornet , 223 , 6.5 , i plan to add a 6mm again as a dedicated NV gun ( a 6 creed likely) . I might end up selling the hornet but will see what happens when i put a fast twist on the 223
Our legislators in the past and the lack of need in the UK for big magnums at home means we need to be careful with what does what and why and when we use one over the other . but killing deer they all do that !

But some kill deer better than others. I'm a big fan of the "big magnums", even for killing UK deer they have a place. I shot a lot of .243 and .308 over the last 40 years for deer culling mainly in Scotland hill country, about 25 years ago I started shooting a lot more red stag and moved to .338 Win Mag, shooting lighter bullets 180-200gn. The .338 WM was super effective and allowed excellent knock down power over quite a range. You may argue that it's overkill and you could be right in some circumstances but often my window of time was limited, I only had so many days for a trip and opportunities often occur that provide longer range shots only. The .338 WM allowed me to confidently take many opportunities where I may have felt that my .308 was marginal. You can never have enough gun! In the next two weeks I'm off to South Africa, Buffalo culling and plains game shooting there will be no standard length cartridges going with me despite the fact that I love a .308.

Magnum calibers = heavier bullets at greater velocity, these factors matter, however the most important factor will always be bullet placement.

We need to be careful and support all calibers being used for deer stalking where appropriate. At my last FAC renewal the police commented that HO advice does not support larger magnum calibers, my comment was simple, it has worked remarkably well for the last 25 years. ,300 WM, 7MM Rem Mag, .338 WM, 9.6 x 62, .375 H&H all have their place as well as all the other larger calibers.

 

[Saltyfish FI]

If you plan to buy factory ammo 308 and in future also 6.5 cm are better options. 6.5 cm has lower recoil but for hunting gun i dont think any of those calibers have that much recoil. Personally i think best bullet and brass selection is available for 308 and 6.5 cm but that is mostly because i like Lapua. I would not change 270 to either of those if you have already reloading gear/supply for it.

 

[Bowland blades]

If you plan to buy factory ammo 308 and in future also 6.5 cm are better options. 6.5 cm has lower recoil but for hunting gun i dont think any of those calibers have that much recoil. Personally i think best bullet and brass selection is available for 308 and 6.5 cm but that is mostly because i like Lapua. I would not change 270 to either of those if you have already reloading gear/supply for it.

recoil is dependant on the bullet weight then the charge of powder then importantly the rifle weight with all the additions of things like heavy scope / moderators etc .
Creed and 308 compared recoil wise both same weight and both fed the same bullet weight, should be pretty much equal in recoil energy
308 has a very, very large range of bullets weights available , that could actually give you lower recoil via utilising light bullets as a result ! I am not fully certain about certain 6.5 mm light bullet availability but i am positive there are not going to have the range to match the 30 cal range .
Equal powder ,equal rifle weight, equal bullet weight there should be no real difference in recoil generated . The 6.5 mm will give better BC eight for weight until you get to overly heavy for calibre that are likely not available ( or easy to get ) , Think about all the 30 cal magnum bullets.

 

[Bowland blades]

But some kill deer better than others. I'm a big fan of the "big magnums", even for killing UK deer they have a place. I shot a lot of .243 and .308 over the last 40 years for deer culling mainly in Scotland hill country, about 25 years ago I started shooting a lot more red stag and moved to .338 Win Mag, shooting lighter bullets 180-200gn. The .338 WM was super effective and allowed excellent knock down power over quite a range. You may argue that it's overkill and you could be right in some circumstances but often my window of time was limited, I only had so many days for a trip and opportunities often occur that provide longer range shots only. The .338 WM allowed me to confidently take many opportunities where I may have felt that my .308 was marginal. You can never have enough gun! In the next two weeks I'm off to South Africa, Buffalo culling and plains game shooting there will be no standard length cartridges going with me despite the fact that I love a .308.

Magnum calibers = heavier bullets at greater velocity, these factors matter, however the most important factor will always be bullet placement.

We need to be careful and support all calibers being used for deer stalking where appropriate. At my last FAC renewal the police commented that HO advice does not support larger magnum calibers, my comment was simple, it has worked remarkably well for the last 25 years. ,300 WM, 7MM Rem Mag, .338 WM, 9.6 x 62, .375 H&H all have their place as well as all the other larger calibers.

No Kill like OVERKILL eh? Thing is anything you send comes right back at you in recoil . Very , very few can shoot a a big magnum (all positions as good as they can a 243 or similar ! After dragging a big heavy rifle around on the hill for an extended days culling , Getting the beasts onto the argo etc then taking off hand shots? Moving targets etc? downing muti animals ? Well its simply a lot harder . Ferried around on a 4x4 on an African plains game hunt of course with the big guns, maybe taking a couple of shots in a full day ? Go for it !
There is certainly a slot for the 7mm mag etc in specific UK deer areas , yet taking in all the full time deer cullers full time or part time i know personally as friends and clients 270, 6.5mm, 308, 243 make up a very vast majority . Known a few who kept the .30 win mag and dropped it because of the noise / cost and availability of ammo and also the 7mm rem mag ( I know two who have this latter one ) its not the one they usually bring along though especially when it has to be factory ammo ( its pretty serious money a box) . 9.6x62 ,375 for straight forward deer management ? Not surprised your FEO is twitchy when it comes to 9.6x62 and 375 ( as a dedicated deer rifle ) .
Many forces are giving owners of higher energy rifles a hard time at renewals and its likely this will get worse not better over the coming months / years of our newly elected vindictive government

 

[Saltyfish FI]

recoil is dependant on the bullet weight then the charge of powder then importantly the rifle weight with all the additions of things like heavy scope / moderators etc .
Creed and 308 compared recoil wise both same weight and both fed the same bullet weight, should be pretty much equal in recoil energy
308 has a very, very large range of bullets weights available , that could actually give you lower recoil via utilising light bullets as a result ! I am not fully certain about certain 6.5 mm light bullet availability but i am positive there are not going to have the range to match the 30 cal range .
Equal powder ,equal rifle weight, equal bullet weight there should be no real difference in recoil generated . The 6.5 mm will give better BC eight for weight until you get to overly heavy for calibre that are likely not available ( or easy to get ) , Think about all the 30 cal magnum bullets.

True if you use similar bullet, powder, rifle etc recoil for 6.5cm and 308 is about the same. But if you buy rounds from store usually 308 uses higher weight bullets. So in general 6.5 cm has lower recoil if you compare it to 308. Both are great calibers with own advantages. 6.5 flatter trajectory, less recoil, less wind drift. 308 better for bigger animals. I dont think there is much difference in bullet selection between 6.5 and 7.62 nowdays.

 

[Bowland blades]

True if you use similar bullet, powder, rifle etc recoil for 6.5cm and 308 is about the same. But if you buy rounds from store usually 308 uses higher weight bullets. So in general 6.5 cm has lower recoil if you compare it to 308. Both are great calibers with own advantages. 6.5 flatter trajectory, less recoil, less wind drift. 308 better for bigger animals. I dont think there is much difference in bullet selection between 6.5 and 7.62 nowdays.

I am unsure what you can buy in factory ammo off the shelf as i very, very rarely use it ! TBF factory ammo is i find very -very limited in choices and very expensive for those that shoot hundreds of rounds plus a year . 6.5 bullets are easy to get online from just under 100 grain to the very popular and well stocked 143 grain ELDX there are likely heavier available but my interest fades . 308 comes in higher weights 180 and 200 but they are tough to get the desired or even in some cases ( shorter barrels ) legal velocity and 165 and 168 are the usual top end in UK factory off the dealers shelf. 150-155 seem to be the realitic UK heavy bullet .
260rem , 6.5 creed run pretty similar powders and the 6.5 sweed a hair more
The 143 grain ELDX in lead is likely the most popular 6.5 bullet and the 308 is very much in the 140 -150 grain slot . Recoil is dependant the bullet weight and the powder charge and can be mitigated or increased by a heavier build of the individual rifle . BC will be better on the 6.5 bullet weight for weight . Both have no difficulty with big Stags or Boar so long as the appropriate bullet is selected
As a side consideration if i was looking for a none magnum 30 cal i would purchase a 30-06 over a 308 , why ? because it handles the bigger 30 cal bullets better due to its higher powder capacity and the added weight of the build