caliber selection: .243 Win or .270 Win?

Ouch!

If you think this thread is heated, just ask the following:

Which is the better all-round, big-game cartridge: the .270 Win or the .30-06 Sprg? This battle has raged for decades!



Doc2005

My vote is for the 270, she is my favorite, 130 in winchester silvertips. Easy to shoot no kick. Two Bucks and a doe so far this year. None of them took a step after the shot. Just mo
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

if i had to choose, id go 270 , between these two.

In my opinion, the .270 is really a pointless caliber. It does nothing that the 30-06 or .308 can't do.

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Actually, it does.

The 270 can shoot a 150gr bullet (roughly equal in SD to a 180gr 308) far flatter than the 30-06 or 308 can shoot that 180gr bullet. We're not talking a half inch at 300 yards; we're talking three plus inches difference (depending on the bullets being used). The 270 is just enough of everything without too much of anything.

There are a few chamberings (e.g. 6.5/284 or 6.5mm-06) that can best the 270 in the SD and BC game. But for a factory chambering with ammo available everywhere, the 270 is one of the most versatile, flattest shootin' game chamberings you can find.

Specific to the question at hand; it's easier to use the 270 as a varmint gun than it is to use a 243 on larger game. The 243 is fine for whitetail, but runs out of steam pretty quickly as the deer get larger.

IMO, the .270 makes a somewhat better coyote rifle than the .243 does a deer rifle.

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Exactly.

For what it's worth - I have two 700SPS SS bolt guns, one in 270 and one in 25-06. The 25-06 is for the smaller stuff and the 270 is for the larger stuff. But either can be used in a pinch for anything between coyote and mulies.

IMO, the .270 makes a somewhat better coyote rifle than the .243 does a deer rifle.

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That really is a helluva line.

Great choice Magwa45. I got the same thing but in stainless and love it. The .270 is a great caliber for many different animals to hunt.

Never believed the college professor Jack O'Connor and his 270 fit every thing.

Elmer Keith was more to my liking 270 good varmint cartridge for deer and blackies the 333OKH or its modern equivalent the 338/06 for starters.

+ 1 on 270

Flattest shooting round I've ever owned. Never once has a dear been shot with mine that hasnt dropped in their tracks. Same goes for yotes. Ive even taken several unlucky pararie dogs with that gun out past 200 yards. I do however also like the 308 but wont be trading my 270 for one. All around great caliber, guess you have to own one to know it.

.270win

I have a .243win and a .270win. For everything you listed .270win.

This summer I worked up a number of .270 loads to introduce a friend to the high power rifle. I was loaning him my Winchester Model 70 Featherweight. I have twins in .243 and .270.

Loads from 27 to 36 grains of H4895 under 100 grain and 130 grain Hornady and Winchester bullets. These all felt just like the .243 for recoil. Didn't run them through the chrono, but the Hodgdon site has the fps info. My friend enjoyed shooting these loads, as did I. After a couple trips to the range, and a couple hundred rounds down range I moved him up to full loads for hunting purposes. I will continue to use the light loads for practice and targets. We were comfortably shooting with just light shirts on, just like a .243

I have not bought any of the commercial youth loads available, but would guess that they perform about like these. Look at the Hodgdon site under data and youth.

Elmer Keith was more to my liking 270 good varmint cartridge for deer and blackies the 333OKH or its modern equivalent the 338/06 for starters.

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Key difference being that Keith didn't, for practical purposes, have any decent bullets to work with. A careful review of his writing reveals that he had trouble with bullet failure even with his big calibers. When your bullets are so bad that .338" at relatively low speed still occasionally blow up on deer and elk, it's not really fair to blame the cartridge.

To put it bluntly, there's not a deer that ever lived that can stand up to a .277" FailSafe through the shoulders.

Not that there's anything wrong with the cannons, if that's what you like.

Boy, did you just open a can o' worms. Why not compromise a little and get a .25-06?

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no no no. he should get a 260 Remington.

I have and like both. If your primary bullets are over 100 grains I'd go 270, If under 100 grains I'd go 243.

strictly from a cost point of view, you can load a lot of special interest bullets in 6mm/243, up to 115 grains, and with silvertip or corelokt bullet, you will drop any deer you wanna. you can also proly reload forever, on one good stash of powder , as well.

A couple of points were brought up earlier about an easy-to-forget class of cartridges between the .243 and .270. Namely, the 6.5 mm (.257 to .264) cartridges (non-Magnum, of course.) For one, you have the outstanding 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser which is pretty widely available as well as versatile. Same for the .25-'06.
Were I in the market for a versatile varmint through deer (and maybe a little bigger) rifle, a 6.5mm is probably what I would choose.

270 v 3006

Another thing Jack O'Connor said is "if there is any difference between the 270 and the 3006, I plain can't see it!" or words to that effect. The book with the quote is in my bedroom and the wife is sleeping I will dig it out tomorrow.

Let the game dictate the choice. I have had a lot of experience with the 3006 and none with the 270 (boy, I've been tempted sometimes). The 3006 is a bit of a handful at times and I suppose the 270 wouldn't feel much different. If you want to trin a kid to shoot with it, Federal (I think) has some low recoil ammo, just the shot for a beginner.
Mick

I worked several years cutting meat in a game processing shop in Wyoming. I grew up with a 30-06 since my dad was a WWII vet and he swore by that caliber, But after seeing so many deer blown to bits, I learned to appreciate the smaller rifles. Personally My favorite is an model 1899 250-3000 savage for deer and antilope. I think it hits a little harder than a .243 (Does anyone have the actual ballistics comparing .243s and 250 savages?) This is a perfect round for Coyotes too. I've hit several at over 500 yards. I don't beleive in shooting deer this far with anything--if you cant get closer your not much of a hunter anyway. I'm just into lever actions and I think savage is superior. I think plastic guns are a sin-- where's the tradition? I still have my 06 and I take it when I'm after elk and moose, but for everything else I think we should all consider downsizing. A .270 is a step in the right direction. consider also .257 Roberts, 25-06, 7mm (not mag) or 7mm-08, .250 savage and .243 -- anything smaller than .243 is not legal at least here in Wyoming and that is probably a good thing. I've never been around a .260 rem or seen shells for one for sale. I'm sure it's a fine caliber but I like to think that if I run out of ammo I can get some at about any ammo shop I come to.

My kids learned to hunt with 243's; now the 270 is the schizzle for them, oldest one recently made me happy with a new addition to the family.
I don't own a non-mag 30 caliber rifle.Killed alot of short/long range deer with one, but somehow migrated to the 7mm stuff.

Two totally different cartridges

One is a long action necked down .30-06 and the other is a necked down .308 wich. If you are a new shooter or recoil sensitive then the .243 may be the ticket. Againts hogs It's rather marginal. Use premium bullets if you must. The .243 is supposed to be for the hunter that can't afford two rifles that may want to hunt varmints and large, non dangerous game.

As an all around big game round the .270 has a lot going for it. Range, accuracy and a wide variety of loadings.

If you are set on the 2, I would definately opt in favor of the .270. There is just a little more you can do it with it and you would be set for ALL North American game animals.

270 is one of the top 10 most efficient, best energy , with flat shooting, standard carts ever made. Far better than a 243.

well

last year my 3 friends dropped 3 dear. one with a .30-06, one with a .270win,the other a .243win. All with one shot. The the .270 is faster than the .30-06 with 150gr. and the .243 with 100 gr. bullets. 1.5 inches high at 100 yards will give you dead on hold for 200 yard shots. .270 hits just as hard as the .30-06 and with the right bullet and good shot placement can take elk. I know this is all personal pref. but the .30-06 Isnt the only hunting round out there. i could also start giving numbers for the .300wby with 150gr. bullets which just beats the heck out of all cal. listed. the .308 is a good cart. as well. powder charge about as big as the .243 and can use 180gr. bullets. and would buy one for these reasons alone now that i reload and have a coffee can of brass already. I sold my .308win for a .270win and enjoyed a vol. increase and a reduction in recoil impulse. I currently have both the .243 and a .270win. I work hard for the money I make and when I go deer hunting, I feel the .270 would perform better at 200 If the opp. presented itself. yes yes I know the .243 "could" do it, but the .270 "would" do it. The .270 is a little much for coyote but I dont think it will hurt their feelings.

I moved back to the old home town of Austintatious in 1963, and among other needs I figured a deer rifle would be a Good Thing. I ran across a Sears&Sawbuck .270 for $70, and stuck a Weaver K4 on it. Got back into reloading.

I killed several deer with the Remington 130-grain Bronze Point, ahead of a slightly compressed load of the old 4831. Easy loading: Fill the case, tap it, scrape across the mouth and then seat the bullet. Not quite a max load.

My billfold improved and I got my present '06 and a little Sako Forester carbine in .243. I've collected a bit over 20 deer with each.

With the .243, I've almost exclusively used Sierra's 85-grain HPBT, and mostly taken neck shots inside of 200 yards. Those deer dressed out most usually at 120 pounds or less. I wouldn't use the .243 on mulies. That bullet is on the nasty side for a poor old coyote, spreading innards across a half-acre or so.

I'd say the .270 is a more all-around cartridge than the .243, unless you're a skilled enough hunter to get pretty close to larger deer. I wouldn't select one for prairie dog shooting, but that's purely a recoil issue--and makes my shoulder hurt, just thinking about turning loose a hundred rounds or more in a day.

Art