Is less gun sometimes more?

[VSS]

The other part of simplicity is the optics and lack of other accoutrements. A simple scope makes life very easy. No buggering about with setting the parallex, clicks, eyepiece, zoom etc. see deer get steady and shoot. And at 6x muzzle jump etc is irrelevant especially if you make the first shot count.

Absolutely this ^^^
My enjoyment of stalking (and my success rate) has increased significantly since I sold off the "all singing, all dancing" scopes and replaced them with much simpler models.

 

[Overlay]

I've just come back into the house after zeroing mine. It flipped a bit on the first shot (probably because I was trying to watch the horses in the next field out of the corner of my eye, to see how they were going to react, so wasn't perhaps quite so steady as I should have been), but for all subsequent shots it was very well behaved (as were the horses).

I've never shot a moderated 270, but I should imagine that the addition of a mod would calm it down considerably.

I had a 270 a while back unmoderated, it was a gutwrencher and it hit hard, that got sold off very very cheaply,
Years later at bisley a friend had a McMillan in shortened barrel and a decent moderator i shot 10 rounds through it and it was a delight to shoot and very accurate It was like a tamed tiger compared to the one I had, really nice piece of kit and so easy to shoot no flip no nothing
I’ve been out with another SD member and his 270 is a spot on real capable all round rifle nothing gets up with a 270 certainly puts them on the deck

Im looking to go to one all round rifle for deer and sorta settled on a 260 sauer 4 series i love my friends one he shoots and it fits me nicely I shoot blasers now they don't do a 260 apparently hence a 270 is now on the books possibly

My thinking is now to see how the debacle over lead pans out, i like the idea of just loading for calibre, bloody copper fiasco
My centre fires 22 h, 204, 222,243,6.5 308 the top 3 or poss 4 are the one rifle replacement

222 I use now for Muntjac, Canada’s 204 has taken over on foxes

 

[Overlay]

I’ve a lovely built Mauser in the cupboard! Simple QD Zeiss scope no mod nothing flashy and traditional stock. It’s a 308 so out of fashion but built on a military receiver in the 70’s to a calibre that was readily available in Africa at the time!
I may pop it up sometime but it shoots lovely
Found it:
The rifle was made by a man named Watson. He was an apprentice at and then worked for Boss, the famous LONDON gun maker, and became a qualified gun smith. He continued with his gun smithery from his Glos home, repairing and altering guns and making a few to order. The original owner chose a.308 because at the time it was the standard NATO round and that would ensure that the ammunition would be made for a long time to come and be ready available. Also versatile for different types of game depending on what weight bullet used. It took about a year to be made. Nice Zeiss sight never the less. The medallion on the stock is a silver 6d. The engraving done in the Jewelry 1/4 of Birmingham.



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Very nice

 

[Heym SR20]

Absolutely this ^^^
My enjoyment of stalking (and my success rate) has increased significantly since I sold off the "all singing, all dancing" scopes and replaced them with much simpler models.

I am even thinking of ditching the scope at times.

 

[Overlay]

I am even thinking of ditching the scope at times.

Yep
Sometimes less is more, i put a swaro 8i 1.5-8 x 24 0n my 308 and to be honest for any shot is does the job, you need clear glass and thats it, it rarely goes over 6 x mainly on 4 x the FOV is fantastic

 

[VSS]

I am even thinking of ditching the scope at times.

I have that option with my 270, which is nice. I've not yet actually tried shooting it with the open sights, but it's kind of comforting to know that I could.

 

[Utectok]

I think the purist should forget messing with the basic optics verses iron sights and use a spear and throwing stick. Accurate to 15m at least and that’s what I call proper stalking.

 

[finnbear270]

I must be the only one to spend around an hour looking for a solidly hit deer, due to losing the sight picture, on firing a (.270).
To be fair, it had bang flopped into a hidden narrow moorland gutter.

 

[Overlay]

I must be the only one to spend around an hour looking for a solidly hit deer, due to losing the sight picture, on firing a (.270).
To be fair, it had bang flopped into a hidden narrow moorland gutter.

Shot a roe buck in 6 ft high new plant, clear spot where it dropped to the shot 30 mins later not found, re checked the point of shooting etc etc still nothing, radioed over to mate, over he comes over both again found nothing
Sat on a old tree trunk not cleared on the re plant, swig of tea and a curse went to get up and not 2 foot away front hoove poking out of a grass covered hole stone dead and it just folded and slipped into 3ft hole and covered itself over

Dog would have found it, if they were there, this early morning worked out fine, if that was at night without a dog it wouldn’t have been found, nothing sure until youve got it in your mits

 

[tim@tcs]

Very nice

Thanks, I’ve got a couple of 308’s so may part with it eventually

 

[Heym SR20]

Shot a roe buck in 6 ft high new plant, clear spot where it dropped to the shot 30 mins later not found, re checked the point of shooting etc etc still nothing, radioed over to mate, over he comes over both again found nothing
Sat on a old tree trunk not cleared on the re plant, swig of tea and a curse went to get up and not 2 foot away front hoove poking out of a grass covered hole stone dead and it just folded and slipped into 3ft hole and covered itself over

Dog would have found it, if they were there, this early morning worked out fine, if that was at night without a dog it wouldn’t have been found, nothing sure until youve got it in your mits

Had similar with a chamois a few years ago. Long shot at 300m. Watched the bullet strike home and it dropped on the spot.

We then spent several hours looking for it and finally abandoned at dark. Returned at dawn with Bavarian Hound. Found it in five minutes. Had down in a slit in the rocks in myrtle bushes, but was about 20 metres above where we were looking. I though it was by a large rock - thats what it looked like through the scope - but at distance and uphill every things gets distorted.

That was the last time I will take a shot at much over 200.

 

[Cris]

I’m not sure it is.

.270 shoots a 130gr bullet at 3150fps or so.

6.5x55 or 6.5CM shoot 130gr bullets at 2850fps or less.

That’s quite a difference.

Hmm not sure a deer at 200m is going to be thinking ahh thats only a 6.5, I’ll just step left.

 

[Overlay]

Had similar with a chamois a few years ago. Long shot at 300m. Watched the bullet strike home and it dropped on the spot.

We then spent several hours looking for it and finally abandoned at dark. Returned at dawn with Bavarian Hound. Found it in five minutes. Had down in a slit in the rocks in myrtle bushes, but was about 20 metres above where we were looking. I though it was by a large rock - thats what it looked like through the scope - but at distance and uphill every things gets distorted.

That was the last time I will take a shot at much over 200.

Yep
Its a gut wrencher when you know the shot is good and deer lost,rare now I don’t have a teckle or two with me just in casey

 

[paulbshooting]

Love my 270, fitted with wildcat evo mod and shoots home loads and factory well. Mainly on fallow. Also use a 308 and 300WM. Wouldn't personally go less than a 270, especially with the non lead coming.

 

[Heym SR20]

Love my 270, fitted with wildcat evo mod and shoots home loads and factory well. Mainly on fallow. Also use a 308 and 300WM. Wouldn't personally go less than a 270, especially with the non lead coming.

Personally having seen the way a 51gn 223 Peregrine bullet performs even on large Roe bucks, I don’t have any worries. I have also used the 100gn Peregrine flat nosed bullet in the 243 on a few red and sika. All dropped on the spot.

 

[Utectok]

Personally having seen the way a 51gn 223 Peregrine bullet performs even on large Roe bucks, I don’t have any worries. I have also used the 100gn Peregrine flat nosed bullet in the 243 on a few red and sika. All dropped on the spot.

That’s interesting I couldn’t get that bullet to group in two different calibres and with 3 different powders? When I mean not grouping I mean 5” + at 100m when compared to yew tree which I could get to group more than 1” in any rifle!

 

[Heym SR20]

That’s interesting I couldn’t get that bullet to group in two different calibres and with 3 different powders? When I mean not grouping I mean 5” + at 100m when compared to yew tree which I could get to group more than 1” in any rifle!

They do seem temperamental. Once I have used my current batch I am going to drop down to an 80gn bullet in the 243. Now deer legal for all in Scotland, flatter shooting and more energy. Monolithic design ensures good penetration.

 

[VSS]

I must be the only one to spend around an hour looking for a solidly hit deer, due to losing the sight picture, on firing a (.270).
To be fair, it had bang flopped into a hidden narrow moorland gutter.

I think that loss of sight picture is usually due to having scope magnification set too high, rather than a direct result of muzzle flip. Or, to put it another way, the negative effect of muzzle flip on sight picture is exacerbated by high magnification.
If you've got a jumpy rifle then simply wind the scope mag down a bit and all will be well

 

[Dunwaters]

I think that loss of sight picture is usually due to having scope magnification set too high, rather than a direct result of muzzle flip. Or, to put it another way, the negative effect of muzzle flip on sight picture is exacerbated by high magnification.
If you've got a jumpy rifle then simply wind the scope mag down a bit and all will be well

All very true, but it’s a well known fact that every single thing we shoot at nowadays has become far too sophisticated for fixed power scopes in the 4x-6X class.
Evolution in action.

 

[finnbear270]

I think that loss of sight picture is usually due to having scope magnification set too high, rather than a direct result of muzzle flip. Or, to put it another way, the negative effect of muzzle flip on sight picture is exacerbated by high magnification.
If you've got a jumpy rifle then simply wind the scope mag down a bit and all will be well

The one I searched for for ages, was shooting through a fixed Schmidt inch tube 6 power.