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el Godfather

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Hi
As a hunting rifle (bolt action 5 shot) which caliber would you prefer that you can also use on the farm (HD/Target/Plinking).

I personally lean towards the much under appreciated 7x57 Mauser. I find its recoil very smooth. I use an old Zastava made in Yugoslavia that has been kept by my father in a very good shape- good as new.

I also have a 243 by BRNO which is good caliber but the action on BRNO is stiff and not smooth. The caliber however is excellent flat shooting that takes care of all hunting needs if distance is adjusted for the game, BUT 7x57, in my opinion, does a better job. I believe even historically 7x57 has taken big game more than any other rifle.

That said, 270 always seemed to me as a weak 308 or 30-06. For it does the job not significantly better than 243 and may be about the same as 7x57 or perhaps slightly weaker. Thus, if I wanted something more powerful I would consider 308/30-06/7mag etc.

Your thoughts?
 
Personally I would take 270 Win over 7x57 and 243. 243 Win is not in the same class as the other two IMHO being a short action cartridge rather than a long action cartridge.. 270 Win has a noticeable case volume and max pressure advantage over 7x57.

I have hunted every thing from ground hogs to Elk with 270 Win.

oRK2eYDm.jpg
My pre-64 M70 in 270 Win.

My short action gun is a 6mm Creedmoor.
 
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The .243 is the most efficient if you're planning to target shoot and plink with it, and it's a great hunting round up to medium game.

I've never been a fan of the .270, so that wouldn't be an option for me. I like the 7x57 very much for a hunting rifle, and it sounds like you already have a good one. But push-comes-to-shove, I'd elect a 7mm-08 over the 7x57 though you won't go wrong with either.

So: dedicated hunting rifle, 7mm; one to double as a plinker, .243.
 
7x57, however, finding an accurate/reliable rifle thus chambered is not super easy these days. Whereas every Tom, Dick, and Harry makes an accurate rifle in 270 Win, ranging from the T/C Compass to "diamonds or rubies in the stag's eyes for the engraving, sir?". Mind you, if you get the to the "diamonds or rubies" part, may as well go for 7x57 afterall....
 
I cut my teeth shooting long range with a 7x57, but admittedly, I’d buy a 7-08 instead today, if I were buying a moderate 7mm at all.

Equally, I came to consider the 243win the most efficient and effective deer hunting cartridge, without concession on the market for many years - but of course, skewed by the fact I was shooting heavier bullets in fast twist barrels and AI chambers. Today, I’ve bought 6 Creedmoors in front of buying more 243wins.

So for me, I’d buy 6 creed before 243win before 7-08 before 7x57... and then I simply wouldn’t buy a .270win.
 
.270 is a 30-06 case necked down to .27, or 6.8mm. I don't know why, but I never much cared for it either. I prefer short action cartridges, so .308 has always been my go-to, but the more I think about them and read, I'd love to get a 7mm-08, which is the .308 case necked to 7mm. BC on 7mm bullets is better than .308, and you don't give up much on bullet weight.
 
Fast twist .243, or 6mm creedmoor would be my choice. The smaller bore dia is more versatile on the low end, and plenty capable enough for larger animals.

If im simply buying a hunting rifle, than id go 7x57. Im a huge fan of the 7mm caliber, and dont really care for the .270
As a general purpose rifle i think both are a little heavy.
 
7x57, however, finding an accurate/reliable rifle thus chambered is not super easy these days. Whereas every Tom, Dick, and Harry makes an accurate rifle in 270 Win, ranging from the T/C Compass to "diamonds or rubies in the stag's eyes for the engraving, sir?". Mind you, if you get the to the "diamonds or rubies" part, may as well go for 7x57 afterall....
You are right. I do not know who makes them good these years. The Zastava I have is super fine and smooth. I did come across a Parker Hale but it was quite worn out.


7x57 or 243
Love the 7x57 but the 243 is so versatile

243 is a wonderful round. I know a few people who have taken down bears with it. I am not in to bear hunting so I would not know from personal experience.

The .243 is the most efficient if you're planning to target shoot and plink with it, and it's a great hunting round up to medium game.

I've never been a fan of the .270, so that wouldn't be an option for me. I like the 7x57 very much for a hunting rifle, and it sounds like you already have a good one. But push-comes-to-shove, I'd elect a 7mm-08 over the 7x57 though you won't go wrong with either.

So: dedicated hunting rifle, 7mm; one to double as a plinker, .243.

With 7x57 and 243 we have put down wild boars running a mock and destroying corn.
 
You are right. I do not know who makes them good these years. The Zastava I have is super fine and smooth. I did come across a Parker Hale but it was quite worn out.


Ruger does the 7x57 from time to time, i think they may have some in catalog right now.
CZ did till a few years ago, then dropped it with the 550 i think.......
 
I would go with the 7X57 then the 243. I would pick a 7 mm-08 over the 7X57, but there is great history with the 7X57. I never cared for the 270 win. I would go with a 30-06 or 25-06 over a 270. The 280 in my mind is also a better cartridge than the 270 SORRY JACK.
Yup but don't tell the 270 fans that,there's hardly enough 280s to go around lol.
 
243 would be my choice of those calibers. You've got 2 long actions with the 270 and 7x57, and I prefer a short action. I believe that the 7mm08 pretty much replicates the 7x57 for all intents and purposes and you can get it in a short action as well. If I'm shooting mule deer at great distances, then I'd pick the 270. But for everything in my neck of the woods, the 243 does the job perfectly. If I need to pack more punch, I'd opt for 7mm08 instead of the 7x57.
 
actual ownership and extended reloading tests have shown me that 7mauser, 6.5 swedes have typical long throats that like heavy for caliber ROUND nose bullets. doesn't help our anticipated velocity goals with lighter, more aerodynamic pointy bullets in the accuracy department.
….7-08. 6.5 cm, 243, 270 do not suffer in that department......just saying, dc
 
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If you are a hand loader, the difference between the 7x57 and the .270 are negligible. If you like heavier bullets, pick the 7x57. If you like lighter bullets, pick the .270.

On the other hand, barrels can be funny. Like Jack O'Conner said about taking five identical barrels, shooting indentical loads, and getting five different velocities. I'm also guessing those five barrels have different accuracy nodes. I've observed another guy's .270 that patterned like a shotgun at 50yds with factory-loaded 130's. Handloaded 150's over something like 50grs of IMR 4831 was a huge improvement out at 100yds, but AFAIK there hasn't been further development to see where the next node down is.
 
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