270 WSM Thoughts

@horsey300 has thoughts!

I think it's a fine cartridge, casings can be annoying to get but ballistics are pretty nice for a short .27

You could probably form it from the other WSM. That's about it tho.

It is available, it's just one of those.cases that isn't ALWAYS available. Probably best to order a few hundred when you can get them.

Will work just fine if you don't mind paying the premium for brass or ammo. Its pretty much a 270 magnum. I would download it to 270 win level anyway.

Good for deer? Occasional larger game? Yes.

Only downside for any of the WSM’s is brass availability. Single source, good but not great quality, and some inconsistency in availability over the years. The brass doesn’t last forever as that for any magnum often doesn’t.

Stock up on brass or ammo, only hunt with it, and live happy. It doesn’t do anything the 308win won’t in the field except fly a bit flatter. It was the least popular of the WSM’s because there isn’t much interest in .277” bullets or cartridges, but it does well in hunting fields. Nothing to fault about it other than those faults typical of any magnum - loud, a bit too much recoil for the job, and expensive to feed.

I'm pretty syre .270WSM has at least 3 brass sources, maybe more.

That said, I can't see any reason I would want it as long as I could get a 7WSM instead.

The ,270 Win is a fantastic round, the .270 WSM shoots flatter and drifts less in the wind than the classic cartridge does. It does kick more and costs a lot more to buy ammo and brass, but it’ll do everything you seem to want it to do.

If the deal is right the round wlll do well for you.

Llama Bob said:

That said, I can't see any reason I would want it as long as I could get a 7WSM instead.

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I'm inclined to agree, but if the opportunity came for a good trade, I'd do it.

Are you trading on value or utility? A great deal on a minivan wouldn’t be a great deal for me - but it sounds like you have use for the .270wsm Savage, do you not have use for the 66?

I would do it, but I'm primarily a rifle guy.

Honestly If your ok with the case availability, then the question is; do you want the rifle more than you like the rossi?
The other thing to consider is how easy it is to change stuff on a Savage. I just bought a model 10 in .243 because it looked unfired, and was a steal. I'm not even gonna fire it as a .243, I've already got a 6.5 barrel on the way.


Doh forgot to hit post, then came back and did it.....VT beat me to it

I had a 300 WSM for several years and like the concept. But ultimately decided I didn't need it. Everything about 300WSM vs 30-06 applies just as well when comparing 270 WSM vs 270 WCF. Compared to factory ammo the WSM's are about 150-200 fps faster with the same bullets and from a more compact short action rifle. Closer to 100 fps advantage with good handloads. Generally speaking all of the short magnums are proving to be potentially more accurate. Whether the shooter and rifle are good enough to take advantage of that is debatable though.

They generate less recoil than expected. My 300 WSM used about 15 gr less powder than 300 WM, yet velocity was only 50-75 fps slower than the magnum. The combination of less powder and a little less velocity from the same bullet weights resulted in noticeably less recoil compared to traditional magnums. I've not looked as closely at the 270 WSM, but I'm sure the results would be very similar.

That said, another 100-150 fps just isn't that important. Be honest with yourself and your abilities. How far do you have the skills to shoot, and what will you realistically hunt? I did that and determined that my 308 was capable of killing elk, which is the biggest animal I'll ever hunt, at 400 yards or more. That is as far as I'm comfortable shooting at game. A standard 270 or 30-06 would stretch that range another 100 yards and I already have a 30-06. I determined that any of the magnums don't help me until I get to 600 yards, and I'm not shooting game that far. I sold the magnum and bought a 6.5 CM instead. And consider it an upgrade.

I got rid of mine a few years ago. Used it one season for deer, but didn't get a chance to bag anything with it. It shot nice and flat, the kick wasn't too bad, considerably more than my .243, but more on par with my .30-30.

For me the issue was ammo availability & cost. I was only dabbling in reloading at the time, and I could rarely find ammo locally. Mail order was far more than I was paying for my other calibers at the time.

Foolishly, I sold it instead of just tucking it into a dark corner of the safe. As others have already said, it's a great round, with enough power tot handle deer just fine. With a new rifle, you probably can't go wrong.
I think you'll have a good results shooting and hunting deer with it. But I second the advice of using it just for hunting. It'd get to be an expensive paper killer as a Target rifle.

i just got a browning in 7wsm from my dad he got 3 when they came out a 270 7mm and 300 my brother has the 270wsm they all shoot good the 7mm was the best of the 3 and why dad saved the 7mm. ammo is getting cheaper some can be had for $30 a box. i just loaded up 40 rounds nothing hot there only for deer thats what is nice if u reloaded loading down is easy.

This method may be backasswards to some but I normally pick a caliber and bullet weight I like and then figure out the cartridge. I’d like to shoot the Berger .277 caliber 170 grain Elite Hunter or Norma Oryx 165 grain .277 bullet. No reason other than I want to. I’d like to push the bullets as close to 3,000 FPS but don’t want a Weatherby. That leaves the .270 WSM, probably in a LA if it’s feasible so as not to intrude on powder capacity. If I win the lottery I’ll get one.

There ya go... that simple!

Varminterror said:

It was the least popular of the WSM’s because there isn’t much interest in .277” bullets or cartridges, but it does well in hunting fields.

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I was under the impression that it came in second place, after the .300 WSM.

Goosey said:

I was under the impression that it came in second place, after the .300 WSM.

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300 325 7mm 270

Goosey said:

I was under the impression that it came in second place, after the .300 WSM.

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Industry reporting in the heyday reflected an order of magnitude lead for the 300 and 7 over the 270. Retailers choked on stagnant 270wsm inventory for years. Now long out of the heyday, I can’t imagine any reason the .270wsm would have ever had a surge over the others. The 300wsm is the only one I’ve seen in moderate rifle sales volume in recent years.

my brother loves his abolt 270wsm even tho he has not hunted in like 5 years, id like to see the new 277 hornady eld bullet in the 270wsm

cdb1 said:

This method may be backasswards to some but I normally pick a caliber and bullet weight I like and then figure out the cartridge. I’d like to shoot the Berger .277 caliber 170 grain Elite Hunter or Norma Oryx 165 grain .277 bullet. No reason other than I want to. I’d like to push the bullets as close to 3,000 FPS but don’t want a Weatherby. That leaves the .270 WSM, probably in a LA if it’s feasible so as not to intrude on powder capacity. If I win the lottery I’ll get one.

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Don't forget your fast twist!
To the op, the .270wsm can be loaded light for very low recoil deer loads, or jacked up to kick like a 7 mag (still not terrible) pushing a 150 grain copper bullet close to 3000 fps, and a copper bullet with an SD of .279 is gonna penetrate A LOT of stuff the 160 partition is a good option for heavier game as well, the more special bullets listed above require a faster twist than the stock barrel should handle. I don't love .277 bullets, I'm more of a 6, 6.5, 7 fan, but there is absolutely enough variety for this continent, and depending on the platform, and shooter, it is a very capable and versatile cartridge.

You are correct. Berger recommends a 1:8 twist for their bullet.