270 Winchester still the Greatest

[Frankr]

Is the 270 win still the greatest big game cartridge ever ? . from youth to old the 270 has dropped big game around the world. I hunted for years with the 270 win and switched to the 7mag's and even a few others but I always seem to come back to the 270...Low recoil,good ballistics and just real world performance on game keeps me coming back to it.
my current 270 launches a Berger 150 VLD at 3,050 FPS out of a 24" barrel and the recoil is so soft the last deer I shot with it was 225 yards and I seen the bullet hit.. truthfully you have to go to a magnum to out perform it and then in the real world it really is not enough to make a big difference.

 

[Sniper338]

Its not the greatest, its just the most popular hunting round. If it was great itd be used in competition. Personally i hate the 270, never shot one i liked. But statistically speaking its just the most popular.. ive done a poll on it with hundreds of people asking what their favorite hunting round is... it gets the job done though.

 

[Syncrowave]

I'm a fan, too. I've never seen any cartridge knock deer down so consistently as a 270. It's as if lightning hit them. And the Model 70A in 270 that I bought new in 1981 shoots tacks with handloads. I've used it on varmints with 100gr Speer HPs and it worked great. And if you run low on cases, all you need are some 30-06s. What's not to like?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

The 30-30 and 30-06 are most likely double or triple the popularity. Itll kill deer and if you like it then thats it!

 

[Frankr]

well I have a Kimber 8400 that was made some years ago I cant even think how long I have had it but I do know it was one of the first 8400's made with the long 300 mag length action kind of a heavy sporter but with the thin 24" barrel. I could not swear to it but most of the time a good hand load will put three shots in a hole..I have a pic rail for it and once had a 9-36 VOR on it and it was spot on out to 600 yards. It is in my opinion one of the finest factory sporter rifles ever made in the United States. And I have owned most. I have had a few of them at one time the only one that remains is the 270 win.

 

[Cold Bore]

from youth to old the 270 has dropped big game around the world.

As have the 30-30, 30-06, and plenty of others, and they've been doing it longer than the 270 Win.

...my current 270 launches a Berger 150 VLD at 3,050 FPS out of a 24" barrel and the recoil is so soft...

Softer than a 30-06 also launching a 150 grain bullet?

 

[Frankr]

Softer than a 30-06 also launching a 150 grain bullet?
[/quote]

Did I say anything about it being softer than a 30/06. I did not compare it to anything just stated a fact. I also killed a whitetail doe at 750 yards and seen her fall in the scope before the recoil moved me out of the sight picture and even with a 130 NBT. stiff load of IMR4350.. When I was a kid the 30/06 was absolutely the most popular hunting rifle you seen. also a lot of 257 Roberts,8mm's & 7mm mauser's, you don't see them too much anymore some 30/30 I had one when I was 12..then I got a 270...shot quite a few with my dads 99 in 300 savage. shot a lot with 7 mag's 300 mag's. 6.5's, 6xc but I still have that soft spot for the 270. I'm kind of hooked on the 6XC..Shoot's Great!

The .270's been doing since 1925 and if anything it has became more popular as time has went by as it seems the 30/06 and 30/30 has lost a little luster...

 

[ShootDots]

For hunting BIG game, the .270 is indeed very hard to beat. With the advent of EXCELLENT hunting bullets on today's market, unless you are hunting BIG BEARS, a .270 is all you need. It is accurate, flat shooting and has enough horsepower to cleanly and humanly anchor ALL North American Antlered / Horned Big game at most "reasonable" ranges. Use the proper bullet for the intended game, place that bullet in the boiler room and you will go home a happy camper.

Are there other excellent cartridges out there that are AT LEAST as good as the .270? Of course there are. But that does NOT diminish the capability of the .270 whatsoever!

 

[spencerhenry]

my first rifle was a winchester ranger in 270. birch stock, iron sights, but came with a simmons scope. i was 16 then, i still have that rifle. it is my go to rifle for big game under poor conditions where i don't want to carry one of my really nice rifles in the rain for several days. it was even stolen once but i got it back.
it now has a leupold varix III 3-9x50, a few dings in the stock, some small spots of rust where the bluing is all worn off.
i have taken whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, bear, coyote, snowshoe hare, fox, antelope, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat with it.
it gets the job done.

 

[bheadboy]

it is a good round, as many others are, very popular because -----

the big point missed above is Winchester had a very good PR man, Rem did not

the 280 - .007 larger bullet dia, better selection of bullets, same or better ballistics, same case, will do all as well or better than the 270!!

this is a subject like the 257 Rob vs the various 6.5's --- what do you se in Comp, 6.5's - 7mm's no7 .277's


Bob

 

[Shrek]

Lots of mediocre things get the job done and the 270 win. is one of them. As long as the factory twist is 1 in 10 it will not stabilize high BC bullets and will continue to limp along. In its factory form it will always be limited. It was made popular with marketing not by its delivered performance. As for most popular it has to to be the 30-06. Way too many Springfield rifles taken home gave it a huge head start and because grampa shot one then it's good enough for me mentality it continues to sell. If you're hunting with a 270 win. then don't forget to put your rainbow sticker on the back window as you head for Broke Back Mountain to hunt with your good buddy .

 

[Chappy]

I'll make this statement clear:

A real elk cartridge starts with the number 3 and does two things; put one hole in and one hole out.

 

[Cold Bore]

It was made popular with marketing not by its delivered performance.

Winchester had a very good PR man,

And he didn't even work for Winchester!

http://jack-oconnor.org/huntingtravelfirearms.html (read the second paragraph)

 

[Gary in MD]

The 270 is a really good hunting round, I own an accurate rifle so chambered. It's just not as good as my 30-06 though!
Gary

 

[CaptainMal]

My two favorite cartridges are the stock 270 and 257 Roberts.

My current 270, a BOSS Model 70 shoots 140's into literally a small hole pattern. Of more important is the tens of deer and bear it has taken out to close to 600 yards.

My "Bob" just took a big 8 pt with it's 115 gr. at 250 yards. It also took a big 8 pt at 540 yards and a real nice 14 pt.

I have at least one of all the major cartridges and have or still use them all. My favorites are the 270 and 257. They work and work well.

 

[bheadboy]

I am aware Jack did not "work" for Win, however is popularity at the magazine and its popularity when Magazines were the source of "info" vs the web today, Jack could not have done more for the 270 as he loved it and made everyone reading clearly know it was his favorite.

that is PR. not necessarily paid for but PR just the same.

Bob

 

[Shrek]

I'll make this statement clear:

An elk cartridge starts with the number 3 and does two things; put one hole in and one hole out.

I don't know how my 6.5 SAUM pushing a 150gr Matrix dropped my elk DRT this year.

 

[Cold Bore]

I am aware Jack did not "work" for Win, however is popularity at the magazine and its popularity when Magazines were the source of "info" vs the web today, Jack could not have done more for the 270 as he loved it and made everyone reading clearly know it was his favorite.

that is PR. not necessarily paid for but PR just the same.

Bob

That's why I said "even" in my sentence.

Wasn't trying to correct you.

 

[Chappy]

I'll make this statement clear:

An elk cartridge starts with the number 3 and does two things; put one hole in and one hole out.

I don't know how my 6.5 SAUM pushing a 150gr Matrix dropped my elk DRT this year.

Would you be confident in taking a raking shot on a big bull running through the timber with this combo?

 

[Shrek]

I'll make this statement clear:

An elk cartridge starts with the number 3 and does two things; put one hole in and one hole out.

I don't know how my 6.5 SAUM pushing a 150gr Matrix dropped my elk DRT this year.

Would you be confident in taking a raking shot on a big bull running through the timber with this combo?

I don't take shots at running bulls.