260 rem vs 270 win.
- Thread starter GlennGTR1
- Start date
Look at the range of bullets available for each--both type and weight. You'll find many more for the 270 than the 260. That may be because the 270 has been around much longer however, I think the 270 is more versatile. For game, selecting the right type of bullet contributes to your success--and today we have so many bullet types to choose from--why limit yourself?
I don't think bullet selection is a problem with either caliber. If there is a difference there probably are fewer match bullets for the 270, but this is a hunting application. In total Sierra makes 11 for the 260 and 10 for the 270.
I would say performance is too similar to make a difference in your choice. The slight advantage of the 260 is better ballistic coefficients, so better for longer ranges.
You may want to start with rifle selection. You are going to have a much wider choice in a 270. Remington may be the only one selling a 260.
If you want to widen your search and are not afraid of less popular cartridges, I would suggest the 6.5-284 Norma. It has a little more punch than the 260 Remington, but again rifle choice is going to be limited. I believe Savage makes some.
See this link for more info.
http://www.6mmbr.com/sixfive284.html
I would say performance is too similar to make a difference in your choice. The slight advantage of the 260 is better ballistic coefficients, so better for longer ranges.
You may want to start with rifle selection. You are going to have a much wider choice in a 270. Remington may be the only one selling a 260.
If you want to widen your search and are not afraid of less popular cartridges, I would suggest the 6.5-284 Norma. It has a little more punch than the 260 Remington, but again rifle choice is going to be limited. I believe Savage makes some.
See this link for more info.
http://www.6mmbr.com/sixfive284.html
.270 Win because you can find ammo anywhere in case you forget yours at home. It is the second or third most popular hunting caliber for lots of reasons, including moderate recoil. With a 150 grain heavy construction bullet it is an effective elk cartridge if you can hit what you aim at. 130 grain for deer. 100 grain for a less than desirable varmint gun.
I have to agree with Otter. You can walk into a Walmart anywhere in the country and buy a box of .270. Not so with the .260. Also, if you load your own, the .270 has more capacity and performance.
I have never heard of anyone praising the 260 for anything larger than a deer, where Jack O' took many elk with his 270.
The disadvantage to the 270 is the recoil, so if you are going to be prairie dog shooting, not sure I would choose the 270.
I have never heard of anyone praising the 260 for anything larger than a deer, where Jack O' took many elk with his 270.
The disadvantage to the 270 is the recoil, so if you are going to be prairie dog shooting, not sure I would choose the 270.
CJ6
Silver $$ Contributor
The 270's are most often in 10 twist and will stabilize the range of available bullets. The 260's have had twists between 8 to 9 depending on manufacturer and/or type (varmit or hunting),a 9 twist in 260 is unlikely to stabilize a 140VLD in all weather conditions (if at all)so finding a rifle (factory) that has the twist you need for the bullet (weight range)you want to use is important. OTOH if your putting a NEW barrel on you could put an 8 twist on and be good to go. Then there is action length 270's are on LA's, 260's SA's if that matters to you at all. A bonded High BC 150gr in 270 @ 2850-2950 does an excellent job on appropriate game.
I'm in the process of building a 260 (target or play rifle) because I like 6.5mm cartridge's and I've never had one. I have hunted with a 6.5-06, I own several 270's. I would choose the 270 for a hunting rifle. You do not say whether you are talking about your first or only. Is this going to be a custom or out of the box? I usually don't like out of the box guns, I prefer to rebarrel at a minimum an existing rifle because I have had a lot of junk (in my opinion) factory barrels. The 270 will usually feed better out of a magazine than the short cases. I have had 308 and 7-08 that feed ok but not as smooth as the longer case. good luck with your choice.
A lot will ride on whether you reload or not. Like has been stated, you can buy .270 ammo anywhere that sells ammo, where as the .260 is not nearly as common. That also becomes an issue if you need to travel and can't bring live ammo, as you will need to buy it there.
If you are not stuck on a bolt gun, the Remington 7600/7400 is available in .270 and will make an excellent hunting rig. You can't touch the follow up speed of a pump or auto with a bolt gun, and they handle very well. They are not as inaccurate as they are portrayed, and will often shoot MOA or better.
They are also accurized by this company: http://www.remington7400.com/index.php
I had my 740 30-06 trigger reworked by them, added a floating handguard and had the factory barrel recrowned. It will shoot under MOA, has a very nice 3.5lb trigger pull and has never jammed with any ammo under any circumstance no matter how wet or dirty it is even under rapid fire. Not bad for a 50+ year old semi auto, and it usually takes a few deer every year.
They also offer several other calibers in factory barrels and stainless barrels as well in .750", .875" and 1" diameter.
If your not stuck on a bolt gun, Accuracy Systems does very good work and they build very accurate pumps and autos. They are much faster than a bolt gun and can be very accurate. They are untouchable in the woods and whenever fast follow-up shots are needed. I feel they are some of the best all around hunting rifles ever made. While not as cool or sleek as a bolt gun, their real world advantages will make up for it 10 times over. They were designed from the start as a hunting rifle, and they work very well for that application.
If you are not stuck on a bolt gun, the Remington 7600/7400 is available in .270 and will make an excellent hunting rig. You can't touch the follow up speed of a pump or auto with a bolt gun, and they handle very well. They are not as inaccurate as they are portrayed, and will often shoot MOA or better.
They are also accurized by this company: http://www.remington7400.com/index.php
I had my 740 30-06 trigger reworked by them, added a floating handguard and had the factory barrel recrowned. It will shoot under MOA, has a very nice 3.5lb trigger pull and has never jammed with any ammo under any circumstance no matter how wet or dirty it is even under rapid fire. Not bad for a 50+ year old semi auto, and it usually takes a few deer every year.
They also offer several other calibers in factory barrels and stainless barrels as well in .750", .875" and 1" diameter.
If your not stuck on a bolt gun, Accuracy Systems does very good work and they build very accurate pumps and autos. They are much faster than a bolt gun and can be very accurate. They are untouchable in the woods and whenever fast follow-up shots are needed. I feel they are some of the best all around hunting rifles ever made. While not as cool or sleek as a bolt gun, their real world advantages will make up for it 10 times over. They were designed from the start as a hunting rifle, and they work very well for that application.
Octopus
NRA Instructor NRA CRSO NRA RSO
#1. I never shoot factory ammo. I load with Laupa brass.
I have 2 ea 6.5-284 Savage barrels and 2ea 6.5-284 Rem Barrels. We recently built a custom 264 Mag for one friend and a 260 AI for another.
For a hunting rifle the 260AI is very good. Closer to the 65-284 than you think. With a quality barrel by a good gunsmith shooting custom hand loads the 260AI will shoot under 1/2MOA. Velocity and down range performance is equal to the 270 and maybe just a little better. With the 260 AI you can always shoot factory 260 if need be.
Because the 260 works in a short action the action is stiffer. The 260 case is shorter than the 270. With todays powder choices the shorter case will match the longer case.
I am shooting a wild cat that is very similar to a 243 necked up to 257 with a sharper shoulder angle. It out performs my 25-06 loading. It is very similar to what a 257 AI would be as compared to a 264 AI.
The AI seems to have a lot of gain in the 260 case. More than expected.
I have 2 ea 6.5-284 Savage barrels and 2ea 6.5-284 Rem Barrels. We recently built a custom 264 Mag for one friend and a 260 AI for another.
For a hunting rifle the 260AI is very good. Closer to the 65-284 than you think. With a quality barrel by a good gunsmith shooting custom hand loads the 260AI will shoot under 1/2MOA. Velocity and down range performance is equal to the 270 and maybe just a little better. With the 260 AI you can always shoot factory 260 if need be.
Because the 260 works in a short action the action is stiffer. The 260 case is shorter than the 270. With todays powder choices the shorter case will match the longer case.
I am shooting a wild cat that is very similar to a 243 necked up to 257 with a sharper shoulder angle. It out performs my 25-06 loading. It is very similar to what a 257 AI would be as compared to a 264 AI.
The AI seems to have a lot of gain in the 260 case. More than expected.
mattri
Silver $$ Contributor
My 22" sporter weight .270 shoots a ragged hole @100, .75-1 @200, 1.5 @ 350 and I can ring the gongs at our local range @400 and 500 until I get bored. At 700 I hit between 50-75%.
The .270 hits harder than the .260 and has WAY more than enough accuracy to be a superb hunting round.
Unless you're hunting bison/bear at extended ranges the .270 is the way to go, otherwise you need to look at magnums.
Loaded with 110grn bullets it is a great varminter, 110-130 awesome for antelope/whitetails, 130-150 drops mulies and even elk if you keep your ranges inside of 4-500.
Yes it's a la but how much does that really add to the weight/flex of a hunting rifle?
Easy to load for, shoots flat, hits hard.
.02
The .270 hits harder than the .260 and has WAY more than enough accuracy to be a superb hunting round.
Unless you're hunting bison/bear at extended ranges the .270 is the way to go, otherwise you need to look at magnums.
Loaded with 110grn bullets it is a great varminter, 110-130 awesome for antelope/whitetails, 130-150 drops mulies and even elk if you keep your ranges inside of 4-500.
Yes it's a la but how much does that really add to the weight/flex of a hunting rifle?
Easy to load for, shoots flat, hits hard.
.02
Erik Cortina
Team Lapua Brux Borden Captain
260 all the way! Why carry around a long action when it offers no advantage? It's like having a gas guzzling V10 with the same power as a more economic V8, makes no sense!
Just my $.02
Just my $.02
mattri
Silver $$ Contributor
What is the weight difference between a long action and a short action?
Zero.
Went to ableammo.com and checked a few different models in .270 vs .308 and there was no difference in listed weight.
Here are some numbers to consider.
A .260 shooting a 140grn bullet with a .520 bc @ 2600 fps witha 200 yard 0 in a 10mph wind.
@300 yards
drop 6.5
energy 1393
wind drift 6.5
@ 400
drop 25
energy 1200
wind 12
@500
drop 51
energy 1036
wind 20
A .270 shooting a 140grn with a .496 bc @ 2900 in same conditions
@300
drop 7
energy 1732
wind 5.5
@400
drop 20
energy 1500
wind 10.5
@500
drop 40
energy 1300
wind 17.
Go with the .270- for an accurate, hard hitting hunting round it can't be beat.
Zero.
Went to ableammo.com and checked a few different models in .270 vs .308 and there was no difference in listed weight.
Here are some numbers to consider.
A .260 shooting a 140grn bullet with a .520 bc @ 2600 fps witha 200 yard 0 in a 10mph wind.
@300 yards
drop 6.5
energy 1393
wind drift 6.5
@ 400
drop 25
energy 1200
wind 12
@500
drop 51
energy 1036
wind 20
A .270 shooting a 140grn with a .496 bc @ 2900 in same conditions
@300
drop 7
energy 1732
wind 5.5
@400
drop 20
energy 1500
wind 10.5
@500
drop 40
energy 1300
wind 17.
Go with the .270- for an accurate, hard hitting hunting round it can't be beat.
I would lean towards the .270 but my opinion is biased as it's been my go to hunting round, when I get to hunt outside of Ohio.
Mattri is going in the right direction, but you need to look at the 7.08 with 140 at 2900 which is very doable in a 24" bbl.
The zero he used i 200yds so here is the data on the 7mm .485 bc Sierra 140 sbt
300 drop 6.6, drift 5.0 energy 1835
400 drop 19, drift 9, energy 1625
500 drop 38.3 drift 14.8 and energy 1432
The 7mm is a superior item and used the short action with about 8 gr less powder to get it done.
Bob
The zero he used i 200yds so here is the data on the 7mm .485 bc Sierra 140 sbt
300 drop 6.6, drift 5.0 energy 1835
400 drop 19, drift 9, energy 1625
500 drop 38.3 drift 14.8 and energy 1432
The 7mm is a superior item and used the short action with about 8 gr less powder to get it done.
Bob
270 WSM
SA and beats the tar outta the 260 and the 270 and as you reload taylor your loads mild for 260 performance.
SA and beats the tar outta the 260 and the 270 and as you reload taylor your loads mild for 260 performance.
mattri
Silver $$ Contributor
The actual performance gains of the .270 WSM vs the plain jane .270 are marginal at best.
What do you gain by going to a short action? Nothing, absolutely nothing. No weight savings, a short action being stiffer, more accurate than a long action? Seriously who here could shoot better than the difference? A couple hundred feet per second? Maybe, the countless deer, elk, etc killed cleanly over the last decades haven't complained.
For an inexpensive, dead reliable, accurate, lethal combination pick up a .270 and don't bother looking back.
What do you gain by going to a short action? Nothing, absolutely nothing. No weight savings, a short action being stiffer, more accurate than a long action? Seriously who here could shoot better than the difference? A couple hundred feet per second? Maybe, the countless deer, elk, etc killed cleanly over the last decades haven't complained.
For an inexpensive, dead reliable, accurate, lethal combination pick up a .270 and don't bother looking back.
why are you running your 260 so slow??
i have some of the black hills GAP ammo that shoots a lapua 139gr scenar @ 2850fps. its ammo spec'd by george gardner of GAP rifles.
my point is, its really difficult to compare the two when you can so easily and SAFELY work up handloads for the 260 that really shine.
pick one, do your workup and get real world answers. just my .02--cam
i have some of the black hills GAP ammo that shoots a lapua 139gr scenar @ 2850fps. its ammo spec'd by george gardner of GAP rifles.
my point is, its really difficult to compare the two when you can so easily and SAFELY work up handloads for the 260 that really shine.
pick one, do your workup and get real world answers. just my .02--cam
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.