.270 bolt: which one?

[AStone]

EZ, thanks for posing that clarifying question.
Let's see what other opinions comes in.

I too like and appreciate Remingtons, as I mentioned above.

But I agree, there's something interesting about the Tikkas. Finnish, eh? It would be interesting to know more about Finnish hunting culture.

Hmmm. Wonder if there are any Finns on THR?...

<Ponders starting a new thread in the hunting forum...>

 

[kbheiner7]

Are you referring to the problem that Sako had with one lot of its SS barrels? I wasn't aware that any Tikka's had this problem. I just played it safe and bought a blued Sako. Love it!

NEM, don't get me wrong on the Remington, I absolutely love the actions in those rifles. I just tend to like brands that others just don't use or shoot as much. Sako, Tikka, CZ, Huglu, Howa, etc.

I found a thread on another board with pics of 3 differrent Tikkas that went ka-boom. It kinda surprised me - I've always been a fan of Sako products. My first rifle was a Sako action and barrel my grandpa mated to a stock he carved by hand.

 

[Sulaco]

Jeez, talk about over-analyzing. At this rate you will still be deciding come this time next year! Just buy a durn rifle and shoot it. Any major centerfire rifle cartridge made between .260 and .300 WinMag will kill whatever you point it at. And all manufacturers make good rifles. Just go to the store and see which one fits!

 

[AStone]

Jeez, talk about over-analyzing. At this rate you will still be deciding come this time next year! Just buy a durn rifle and shoot it. Any major centerfire rifle cartridge made between .260 and .300 WinMag will kill whatever you point it at. And all manufacturers make good rifles. Just go to the store and see which one fits!

Hahaha...

Yeah, I understand your sentiment, but it's just the way I do things.

I can't afford but one rifle (I'm pretty poor right now), and i want it to be the right one for me. I don't want to buy one, then have to sell it a year from now to get something different.

Besides, being an academic scientist type, doing it this way is way more fun.

And, I can't afford the rifle for a few more weeks to months, so this gives me some way to focus my urges.

Nem

 

[Sulaco]

Hahaha...

Yeah, I understand your sentiment, but it's just the way I do things.

I can't afford but one rifle (I'm pretty poor right now), and i want it to be the right one for me. I don't want to buy one, then have to sell it a year from now to get something different.

Besides, being an academic scientist type, doing it this way is way more fun.

And, I can't afford the rifle for a few more weeks to months, so this gives me some way to focus my urges.

Nem

In that case, here's my two cents.

Calibers
Mostly subjective and up to the individual. I think .308 would be ideal for you because it is a large enough caliber for most any type of game you might hunt and it does not have as much recoil as say a .270. It is also a short action caliber which means rifles are smaller and lighter. Plus, lots of ammo choices since it is a military caliber too.

Brands
Also up to the person. I will stick to what I said about finding one that fits. I think if you go and hold a dozen or so, you will see what I mean. I am partial to Remington but QC is an issue with them of late. Savage seems to have there stuff together and they have those nice Acutriggers.

Model
Depends on what you will be doing most of the time. A lightweight deer gun will have more perceived recoil and wouldn't be comfortable to shoot all day at the range. A heavy barrel benchrest or varmint type rifle will be fun to shoot all day but heavy to carry. The longer barrel will also catch on every limb in the woods.

I think 22" is optimal for a .308 and at least 6.5 pounds to lessen recoil. I am partial to wood stocks but synthetic might be your thing.

 

[AStone]

Sounds like good advice to consider, Sulaco. I resonate with much of it.

Thanks for throwing in your two cents worth.

Nem

 

[Sulaco]

Sounds like good advice to consider, Sulaco. I resonate with much of it.

Thanks for throwing in your two cents worth.

Nem

Sure no problem. Oh and if you get bored, see here.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/index2d.rifles.htm

 

[AStone]

Sure no problem. Oh and if you get bored, see here.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/index2d.rifles.htm

Wow, what a collection. Prolific writer, he is.

I've read several of his essays in the past, including several during this search, but have never found the mother load (table of contents) before.

Thanks. Good reading.

Nem

 

[GeoW]

I did not read all of the posts so this could have been said. If you are concerned about recoil of the .270 look at it this way. It won't kick as bad as your 870 pump

That being said, I own six 30-06's but I prefer rifles based on the .308 length cartridge. I prefer the 7mm-08 but theres the 243, 260, 308, and the 358 to choose from.

I would go with the Savage as a barrel swap is an easy at home task and you can pick up take-off barrels for around $40 for the common calibers, around $100 for some of the more popular, heavy, stainless barrels. Savage, Stevens, cheap but man, do they shoot.

GeoW

 

[Sulaco]

Wow, what a collection. Prolific writer, he is.

I've read several of his essays in the past, including several during this search, but have never found the mother load (table of contents) before.

Thanks. Good reading.

Sure, no problem. You can get even more info if you join his site.

I would go with the Savage as a barrel swap is an easy at home task and you can pick up take-off barrels for around $40 for the common calibers, around $100 for some of the more popular, heavy, stainless barrels. Savage, Stevens, cheap but man, do they shoot.

I agree. I didn't want to say any specific brand because I still believe it is a very personal choice (I.E., you get what everyone else recommends and then six months later wish you had gotten something else entirely) but if it were my choice, I would go with a Savage. Even though the synthetic stocks are crap and the wood stocks look like a 3 year old made them, they still shoot like heck and are dirt cheap.

 

[No_Brakes23]

I found a thread on another board with pics of 3 differrent Tikkas that went ka-boom. It kinda surprised me - I've always been a fan of Sako products. My first rifle was a Sako action and barrel my grandpa mated to a stock he carved by hand.

I got hit in the face with wood from the stock of a Tikka that kB'd a couple lanes over at San Gabriel Valley Gun Club last year.

The action held the round, though. No one was hurt.

 

[AStone]

I got hit in the face with wood from the stock of a Tikka that kB'd a couple lanes over at San Gabriel Valley Gun Club last year.

The action held the round, though. No one was hurt.

Geez, the Tikka is moving towards the bottom of my list about now...

 

[AStone]

I would go with the Savage as a barrel swap is an easy at home task and you can pick up take-off barrels for around $40 for the common calibers, around $100 for some of the more popular, heavy, stainless barrels. Savage, Stevens, cheap but man, do they shoot.

How interesting.

OK, so I'm going to stick my neck out here and explain what I think you mean by this idea. Please forgive my ignorance, as I've never heard or read about such a thing.

Are you saying that I can buy one gun with barrels of different calibers (as long as they're in that '.308 class') and switch the calibers by switching barrels?

Nem

 

[AStone]

I did not read all of the posts so this could have been said. If you are concerned about recoil of the .270 look at it this way. It won't kick as bad as your 870 pump

GeoW, I did address that point in an earlier post, but no problem. Not entirely relevant here.

I prefer the 7mm-08 ...

I'm curious and interested to know why you prefer the 7mm08. Is there something about that caliber that you find appealing?

Obviously, I'm still all over the map about which caliber I'll wind up with. I hear what Sulaco is saying about .308, and it's a strong contender. I haven't ruled out .270, but it's not at the top of my list; just seems like more than I need or want.

But the 7mm08 has an appeal, even though I'm not sure I can articulate what it is yet.

So, I'd be curious to hear of your (and other's) opinions & experiences with it.

Nem

 

[LT 102]

If your not dead set on SS barrel you can get a Rem 700 ADL out of wally world for $299. My wife gave me one for christmas. It feels solid, and the action is smooth. They are blued with a synthetic stock in either 30.06 or .270. Then you could get your rifle AND put good glass on it and stay within $600 with cash to spare for ammo

 

[Sulaco]

7mm-08 us just a necked down .308 cartridge designed to hold a smaller bullet. While it is an ideal Whitetail deer cartridge, I think you guys up north have some bigger critters that might fair better being shot with larger bullets. So I still say stick with the .308.

7mm-08 is a 139gr bullet, .308 is usually a 150gr bullet. Same case.

Ballistically they are almost identical with the .308 having more energy and the 7mm-08 having a tad more velocity.

 

[one-shot-one]

necked down rounds

the .270 is a .30-06 case necked down to .277
a 7mm-08 is a .308 case necked down to .284 so basicaly the things said about the .270 vs the -06 go for the 7mm-08 vs the .308.
the slightly smaller dia. projectile will offer slightly less recoil and flater shooting in the same rifle while the .30's offer heavier bullet weights.
all are good rounds and should bring down an elk inside of 200-250 yards with good bullets if your careful with your shots.

 

[GeoW]

How interesting.

OK, so I'm going to stick my neck out here and explain what I think you mean by this idea. Please forgive my ignorance, as I've never heard or read about such a thing.

Are you saying that I can buy one gun with barrels of different calibers (as long as they're in that '.308 class') and switch the calibers by switching barrels?

Nem

Yes! as a matter of fact, with the long action, 30-06 length, you can screw any barrel you want into it, 458 Win Mag to 223 for example. This would be a drastic swap and would require a bolt face swap and a magazine box swap, around $25 total.
I use a short action, .308 length, for that family and smaller cartridges. A long action for 30-06 class and larger, magnum, calibers.
As for your question on the 7mm-08, just personal preference and ballistics
I am a fan of metric bullets loaded in domestic cases. 6.5mm, 7mm, 8mm, to name a few. They are made into the 260 Rem, 7mm-08, and 8mm Rem Mag. In the 270 class of long cartridge, my favorite is the 280 Rem. Just a necked down 30-06. It is 7mm and once was named 7mm-06 and later, 7mm Remington Express. Not sure really why I like them but there's something about the arithmetic in combination with the ballistics that turns me on to them. That, and to me, the 7mm-08 doesn't kick near as much as the 308, which I definately am taking nothing away from. I own four of them.
GeoW

 

[coyote204]

I have a Remington 700 ADL synthetic with 22" bbl. and a Weatherby Vanguard (Walnut stock) .270 with 24"bbl. I am a big Remington fan, but if I had my choice, and I do, the Weatherby goes with me every time. It is very accurate with Remington or Hornady factory ammo and the recoil is considerably less than the 700 ADL synthetic. The stock fits me better and the added weight of the Weatherby helps absorb recoil.

I would like to make another suggestion. How about the .257 Roberts? The recoil is actually less than a .243 and the .257 is a very versatile caliber.

 

[AStone]

Coyote, thanks for your input.

Actually, I'd sort of forgotten about this thread, as my thinking about which rifle to buy got yanked out of the .270 realm by some of the posts on this thread.

I have no doubt that the .270 is a great caliber, but it's not appearing the right one for me. (When I started this thread, I think I jumped the gun, so to speak. I had concluded that it was the right caliber for me based on inadequate research.)

I'm now considering something in .30 caliber, either .30-06 or .308. (I'm leaning strongly towards the .308 at the moment.)

Still, I hope this thread will continue to be a useful resource for others looking for .270. Lot's of good info in here. I learned a lot from it.

Nem

 

[rangerruck]

get you some 120 grnsrs in 270, lighter kick. also savage sells one of their models witha 24 or 26 in bbl. will greatly reduce kick and imp accuracy. you would do yourself a HUGE FAVOR by looking at the cz rifles. they will smoke all the above, they also have the 6.5 swedish calibre, which is the best all around cartridge ever made.

 

[Wilburs Horse]

.270 Win kicks almost the same as a 30.06 etc... At least close enough to not matter.

Take a look at 7MM-08 or, if you reload, 260 Remington. Both of those are lighter recoiling and will getRdone. The 7MM-08 will work on everything in the PNW.


Savage would be my choice then the Tikka.

No the .270 doesn't kick almost like a 30-06. I would say the .270 kick is about 70% as hard as the 30-06.

Don't forget the 7mm Rem. Express. All the rifles you mentioned are fine ones.

 

[Wilburs Horse]

All things being equal, the 7mm/08 would be better than the .270. But, in the "real world" you will find a better selection of bullets in .270 than any other caliber, except .30-06.

From the Winchester website:

S270CT 270 Winchester 140 gr. Supreme® AccuBond™ CT®
S270X 270 Winchester 140 gr. Supreme® Fail Safe®
SBST270 270 Winchester 130 gr. Supreme® Ballistic Silvertip®
SXP270W 270 Winchester 150 gr. Supreme Elite™ XP3™
X2703 270 Winchester 130 gr. Super-X® Silvertip®
X2704 270 Winchester 150 gr. Super-X® Power-Point®
X2705 270 Winchester 130 gr. Super-X® Power-Point®

That selection should handle every game animal in the lower 48, except for Grizzly bear and elk. I know at least one man who swears by the 130 gr. Power-point for everything he shoots, deer, pig and an occasional bear.

Geoff
Who suggests a good reloader and practice, practice, practice.

There are more bullet choices in .308, 7mm, 6mm, and .223 than there are in .277.

 

[GeoW]

get you some 120 grnsrs in 270, lighter kick.

*Less knock down as well.

also savage sells one of their models witha 24 or 26 in bbl. will greatly reduce kick and imp accuracy.

*Weighs close to 12 pounds, maybe more.

you would do yourself a HUGE FAVOR by looking at the cz rifles. they will smoke all the above, they also have the 6.5 swedish calibre, which is the best all around cartridge ever made.

*Any facts to back this up?

*GeoW

The 7mm express as it was labled 20 years ago or longer or better known as the .280 is an excellent choice especially for the recoil sensetive as it is down loaded from the factory to be safely fired in the auto loaders for which it was first chambered. Shoots easy. Can be hot rodded if handloaded.

270 kicks less than the 30-06 with a 120 gr bullet but increase the 270 to a 150 gr bullet and they should kick the same. Same going forward, same comming backward. Thinks it's one of the laws of physics.

 

[kenjs1]

splitting hairs

Nemotocyst- all of this is way over blown. Find a rifle that fits you and buy it.
As for caliber: I have shot 30-06, 270, 308 and 7mm08 in guns of similar weight and design. I find the 30-06 to be noticeably harder and the others to have neglible differences. If a 270 bothers you a 308 is going to bother you and so is a 7mm08. When using the most common weights the 270 uses the lightest bullets and that factors in - especially against the 30 calibers. I felt no recoil discernable difference between the 7mm08's I have shot and the 270's. A decent rifle - like the Remington 700 shooting 130 grain 270 bullets is perfectly manageable but what you want to make sure is that your rifle is FUN to shoot. I am 5'6 about 145 and shooting a CZ550 all day long at the range is nothing but fun- and that is even off a bench where recoil is at its maximum. It is a tad on the heavy side and has a wonderful decellerator pad, both help. How light a rifle do you "need"? I compare walknig with a rifle to quail hunting where I can take a loaded 12 gauge and vest full of shells and cover half a dozen miles. people walk 100 yards to a stand and want a light weight rifle. Doesn't make sense - least not all the time. If walking long distances in mountainous\hill terrain then it is a real concern and something a little lighter, with a 22" or even 20" barrel is maybe preferable - but whatever you do, do not get a rifle that is too light. Remember a few ounces goes a long way with recoil. One point to consider - size of a person has less to do with felt recoil than posture. Recoil can and often does hit a heavier person harder. Sounds crazy but there you go. If you are that worried about recoil then the only gun for you is a 243 - after that I would , and do, suggest perhaps a 6.5x55 as a tremendously effective round all out of proportion to its tiny kick. I undertand the preference for more common calibers though but get this, there is nothing wrong with using a 243. I went back to my old 6mm (shoots the same 243 bullets just a tad faster) this year and shot the two biggest bucks of my life with it. One at about 170 yards, the other about 100- both one shot kills. My sister used it to get her first deer too- one shot at 70 yards. Two had complete pass through, the other was quartering towards and it went about as far as a bullet can go without coming out the other side. You will not do yourself any good buying a rifle whose trigger you aren't looking forward to pulling.
As far as rifle: I think a discontinued remington 700 ADL is EXACTLY what you are looking for. Good accuracy, nice recoil pad, not too heavy or too light, and seelling for way below their worth. How is that match against your checklist/ If not -then the SPS is still reasonably priced. The Tikka will be light and will kick and cost so much that you will end up looking for a cheap scope to put on it - don't do it. I actually like them but don;t think it is for you right now. Save and get decent optics - $200 will get you there, $275 will have you in heaven. Quite honestly, I like the 243 for a first rifle. The ease of shooting makes for deveopment of good shooting skills. Start out on a 30-06 and it will be hard to tame a flinch.