270 vs 7mm vs 308

[Ridgerunner665]

Yep...you're right.

As matter of fact the same can be said of the 125 grain bullets...but out to 300 yards they are pretty flat.

The 110 VMAX can launch at 3100 fps with a BC of .290
The 125's and 130's can launch at 2850 fps with a BC of around .285
And the 150's can launch at 2,750 with a BC of around .430

Maximum point blank range with a 3 inch "kill zone" (groundhogs head for example)

110 VMAX...247 yards (46.4 inches of drop at 500 yards)
Nosler 125 grain Ballistic Tip...235 yards (48.9 inches of drop at 500 yards)
Nosler 150 grain Ballistic Tip...231 yards (48.7 inches of drop at 500 yards)

For comparison...a 270 with a 110 grain VMAX at 3200 fps.
262 yards (37.2 inches of drop at 500 yards)

 

[logjam]

My friend, while I hate to sound like a fuddy duddy; it really doesn't make much difference which round you buy.

The 270 will shoot a little flatter than a 308, but we're talking a few inches. The 7mm will shoot a little harder than a 270, but an awful lot of game has been taken with a 270. A 7mm mag is a good shooter too, and it shoots flat, but man that thing goes "bang".

A 308 is going to shoot a little softer, they don't kick as hard as a 7mm and you can also load a heavier bullet.

I own a shoot a 308 and a 270 and they kill just fine and shoot great. The 270 is a bit sexier...if a gun can be sexy. The 308 is falling from popular favor, but that's just fad speaking.

If you get a 308 you'll love it and it'll shoot just fine. If you get a 7mm you might be able to stretch it to 500 yards, but who actually takes such a shot? Not me.

A 270 has some old world charm, and they've been shooting them for decades and decades and decades. But a .30 can be loaded with a 180 bullet....moose anyone?

I'd go with the 308 and enjoy it.

 

[tblt]

go with the 270

 

[d2wing]

I think the .308 gives you a little more leeway in bullet choice for big game, but there isn't much difference in them. The .270 being flatter shooting is more myth than fact. Slightly flatter than a .308 but not much. Any is plenty.

 

[jbech123]

Any of them are fine, I like the 308 for bullet weight selection, but overall they are all more than capable of taking all but Brown Bears. The 7mag will probably generate more recoil than the average shooter can comfortably handle from the bench, you just have to decide if that is worth some extra power.

 

[woof]

For $50 I can administer a set of highly sophisticated tests whose metrics will determine unequivocally which cartridge is right for you. I even take paypal.

 

[Matrix187]

The 7mm mag is the best of the three for extremely long range shooting. But, for most people the negligable difference between the 7mm mags ability and the other calibers mentioned at long range wont matter. So, in my opinion, go for the cheaper cartridges. .308 or .270 will do the trick.

 

[Big Bill]

Woof - I may take you up on your offer. Then if it isn't as advertized, I can get Pay Pal to refund my money.

 

[Mike2]

Ill do those same tests for 25pesos!!! going once, going twice......

 

[woof]

Big Bill, No refunds for buyer's remorse . You would have to prove that my recommendation was wrong.

 

[Heck]

I have a 7mm and a .270. The .270 is a lot easier on the shoulder but I love the magnum. Can't really go wrong with either.

 

[357sigRog]

.270 for me

 

[elmerfudd]

It's pretty much just a matter of how much gun you need and how much gun you're comfortable shooting.

For me, I can shoot anything up to heavy loads in a 30-06 before the recoil starts to affect my shooting to any significant degree. You might be different and have either a higher or a lower tolerance for recoil.

As for killing power, all three would easily be adequate for any North American game short of big bears, moose or buffalo. They'd do the job on those too, but ideally I'd want something bigger.

Living in Pennsylvania are you really going to need to take a shot at more than 300 yards? If not, then there's no real reason to buy a really fast, flat shooting rifle.

 

[rangerruck]

308 will be cheapest ammo though...

 

[JimmAr]

7mm for long range application hands down is the best.. out of the 3..308 is everywhere.. and very accurate.. but it falls short to take it to those extensive long ranges accurately..

 

[Matrix187]

Well, the .308 is accurate at long range, evident by it's use by alot of snipers and by competition shooters. But, you have to know how to compensate for the bullet drop effectively

 

[NELSONs02]

I have never been a fan of non-magnum long actions. If you want something that shoots as flat as the .270 get the 7mm-08. Or just get a 7mm mag. The regular long actions can almost be matched in performance by the .308 family. So i say go BIG or get a short action. Just my opinion though, many members on here would probably say i'm nuts.

Or get a short mag? CRAP!

 

[jbech123]

Well, the .308 is accurate at long range, evident by it's use by alot of snipers and by competition shooters. But, you have to know how to compensate for the bullet drop effectively

That is true. Where the 308 would fall short is having sufficient energy at the longer ranges. The average guy shouldn't be doing it anyway, but a 7mag is more what you want to actually shoot game beyond 500.

 

[jjohnson]

They're all good.

Oh, they're ALL good. I doubt anybody who swears by one of the three that the other two are worthless.

From the ballistic standpoint, they're pretty close. If you like milsurp ammo, you have one choice. If you prefer a long action, one choice. If you think 7mm is the best caliber.... ooh, getting pretty close there....

Realistically, as hunting calibers, they're all in the same class: big enough to do the job, accurate enough to do the job, blah blah blah. No, they're not identical but they're close enough that (excepting myriad specialty ammo types in 308) whatever is on the receiving end won't know the difference.