.270 Bolt Action

[Eskimo Jim]

Hello,
I'm in the market for a bolt action rifle that has less recoil than a .30-06 for my wife.

Is a .270 a viable option for hunting most North American game? Primarily deer and Russian Boar in the East.

Thanks for your help.

-Jim

 

[dakotasin]

don't know anything about boar, but you might consider the 25-06. the 270, while it does have less recoil than the 30-06, isn't enough less that most shooters would know. if you are going to run at the 270/30-06 recoil level, might as well just get a 308 or 30-06.

25-06 has significantly less recoil than the 30-06, and is about right for most any deer.

 

[Colorado Ntv]

A 7mm-08 is also a very soft shooting rifle that carries a nice punch Although, I really like the accuracy of the 308

 

[IV Troop]

I have killed a dozen elk with a 270. I have no idea how many deer. When I was young I remember watching my petite mom drop two huge bulls on two different trips with an old Savage 270 win.

They will get it done if the shooter will.

 

[hoghunting]

I recommend the .260 Remington. It is the .308 necked down to .264. It's easy to get factory ammo and the recoil is pleasantly mild. It is also very accurate and will work well on hogs.

 

[Ol` Joe]

Ditto the 260 or a 6.5x55, both are mild recoiling and will work on both animals.

 

[bobsmith]

A now deceased friend of mine was a very avid deer hunter. He had both .270 win. and 7mm-08 rifles but preferred the 7mm-08 because he claimed he got more one shot kills with it than the .270. This guy was a superb shot.

 

[www]

I think a 270 is a excellent choice for whitetail. I have a 30-30, 308, and 30-06., but I always grab the 270. I use Federal 130 gr. (nothing fancy) and get good results. I admit that in my part of the state, the 30-30 and 308 are probably more popular, but I still grab that 270. Its a Remington 7400. I grew up shooting a semi and have stuck with them.

 

[www]

delete

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

www raises a good point...a semi-auto will tame the recoil. I've got an old Remington 742 in .30-06, and its recoil is pretty mild.

Or, depending on what you're hunting, you might consider Remington's Managed Recoil ammunition. I've used it in a .30-06 bolt gun, and the felt recoil is less than that of a 30-30 (just as advertised).

 

[atblis]

To answer your question.

I suppose it recoils less than 30-06. If you're handloading, you can definitely cook up some mild loads. Also, Remington has what they call managed recoil loads
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/centerfire/managed-Recoil.asp

It will definitely work on North American game (I wouldn't use it for real bears but...). It is an excellent deer cartridge.

 

[IV Troop]

I recommend the .260 Remington. It is the .308 necked down to .264. It's easy to get factory ammo and the recoil is pleasantly mild. It is also very accurate and will work well on hogs.

Another fine caliber along with the 6.5 swede reccomendation. Hard to go wrong with any of them. The 270 is super popular out west for big game hunters, I do not presume to know the numbers but I would guess it is in the top 5 most used calibers for western hunting, along with the 30 -06, 300 win mag , 7rem mag.

There is a ton of ammo floating around for 270s for just about any type of game from varmints to Elk. Not quite as many choices with the grand old swede or the 260. If you reload it is a moot point. The 260 is my choice for my next rifle build btw.

 

[Geno]

I've taken several of both with .270 Win

Over the past years I have taken several deer and boar with a .270 Win. (in a Wea. Mark V & a Wea. Vanguard). For deer I used to handload 130 grain projectiles, specifically Nosler Baliistic tips. For boar, I handloaded 140 grain Barnes, and sometimes 140 Nosler Partitians. Barnes worked better as it was 1 piece of copper that was designed to expand. Both worked extremely well, providing reliable, one-shot kills without exception. But, recall that the .270's "quick-kill" ability comes from the velocity. So, when or as you continue to push up velocity you are also going to pay a recoil price. But, to the question, yes, .270 Win is an awesome deer and boar caliber. Regretibly, many manufacturers today install a short 22" barrel. I prefer a full 26" barrel on a .270 Win, and would not personally buy one (previously) with less than a 24" barrel.

Doc2005

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Well, frankly, there is not much difference in recoil between the two, assuming similar weight bullets. Yes, the 130 grain .270 will have noticably less recoil than a 180 grain .30-06, but drop down to a 150 grain .30-06, and it has about the same felt recoil as the 150 grain .270.

 

[Eskimo Jim]

Thank you everyone who posted. I've got some of the managed recoil ammo for the .30-06. I'll give that a whirl. The rifle is more for my wife than me.

Thanks again.

-Jim

 

[kennyboy]

I .270 will suit your needs like a glove.

 

[rangerruck]

270 will take out any game in N.A. except for elk, moose, or bear. not that you couldnt use it on them , you just need a darn good shot or shots.

 

[Schleprok62]

+1 for 7mm-08. Plenty of range and punch for anything in the contiguous 48 states. PLenty accurate too.