.270 Win - history, general info, how does it stack up?

[Dorrin79]

Went and shot my new (old) .270 Saturday. I was impressed with the round's recoil in a bolt-action rifle (nowhere near as punishing as 8mm Mauser, but still stout).

So, where did the .270 come from? The rounds seemed as long as 30-06, is that what it was based on? How does it compare to .308 / 30-06 / 7x57 / etc?

What is the effective range? MV/ME? Trajectories? Best factory load (I still don't reload)?

What kind of game can it take (I'm assuming it is fine for deer...)

Thanks!

 

[BigG]

It's a necked down 30/06 and uses .277 vs .308 bullets. It gains a little more velocity using 130 gr bullets vs 150 in the 06. The heaviest factory bullet is 150 gr while the 06 goes to 220 so is better on heavier built animals. The 270 is highly acclaimed as a long range rifle, especially by the late Jack O'Connor.

It was first introduced in the Win Model 54 during the 1920s, IIRC.

 

[one-shot-one]

EXCELLENT

the .270 is one of my favorite rounds probably because i took my first deer with it. stick with the 130 gr. bullets, i like win. silver tips but most top quality bulletts will work. try serveral brands in your rifle to see what groups best for you. you can step up to the 150 gr. if you want to hunt moose or bear, but realy the probably wont know the differance, it is just conventinal wisdom to go to weightyer bulletts for heavy weight game.

 

[Jim K]

In spite of what has been written, the .270 Winchester is not really a necked down .30-'06. The .270 case is longer than the .30-'06 case (2.540 vs. 2.494), so resized .30-'06 cases will be a tad short, though usable. Expanded .270 cases will not fit in a .30-'06 chamber.

The caliber was introduced in 1925 with the Winchester Model 54, and, as BigG says, was a favorite of many gun writers, especially Jack O'Connor. It has always been considered a better long range performer than the .30-'06.

The bullets are .277" diameter, which is a true 7mm (bullets designated 7mm are actually .284", the groove diameter) and selection is adequate though not as plentiful as .30 bullets.

The .270 is fine for deer and game of that general size, including antelope, mountain sheep, etc. Most hunters consider it a bit light for bear or large game like elk or moose. With the 90 grain bullet, it works well as a varmint load.

Jim

 

[ClarkEMyers]

It's a necked down .30-'03

It's a necked down .30-'03 - almost forgotten.

 

[Mannlicher]

I have enjoyed using the .270 for many years. I have found it to be adequate for any of my hunting needs, indeed, too much so for much of my Whitetail hunting.
The cartridge has been around for probably 70+ years, and nothing out there now really does a better job.

 

[Zeke Menuar]

The 270 was the first real hunting rifle I picked out and bought for myself. My Tupperware Special is simple to load for, very accurate and has virtually no recoil. Another plus is that it shoots to point of aim with what ever load I dream up for it, and I have about 5 or six loads for it.

ZM

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Clark,

Thank you. That was rattling around in the brain trying to get out, one of those "I should also mention" things that I couldn't remember. I think I have what's his name's disease.

Jim

 

[nico]

From my somewhat limited (especially compared to most of the people here) experience with my .270 M77, my only complaint with the .270 is the lack of cheap ammunition. It seems to be a great hunting round and is a lot of fun to shoot, but I think the .308 is a better plinking round purely based on the price of the ammo.

 

[slabsides]

The .270 Winchester is a good choice as an all-around rifle for America and Europe...everything from rodents (with available 90 grain bullets) to big stuff like moose and elk (150 grains and up to 170 grains in reloads) can be taken with this round. The famous Jack O'Connor even took bears with his. I think he took it to Africa for plains game too.
Most .270 rifles are quite accurate, a trait they seem to share with other '7mm family' rounds. The 'standard' load with 130 grain bullet shoots very flat, and you should have a good 'scope setup to get all that this rifle/load can provide.
.270 loads aren't available in cheapie surplus varieties...it's a serious cartridge for serious shooters, and most of the loads available are not bargain-priced. This is a strike against it for the 'bangety-bang' shooter. But if you are interested in performance and accuracy, premium factory or precise handloads will give you a new appreciation of the caliber.
Get yourself an inexpensive reloading outfit, and go for it!

 

[Remander]

My dad has killed 3 to 6 whitetail deer every year for the last 20+ years with an old .270 and a Leupold scope (he has changed scopes on occasion).

It drops 'em dead or within sight most of the time; sometimes a little blood tracking is required to find the dead deer. He loves it.

He doesn't target shoot, he just hunts. Sights it in with a round or two or three each fall, and he's off.

He finally had to have it cleaned last year when it got so gummed up the action was sticking. Seriously: this was the first cleaning in many years.

When he told me about his cleaning history, I laughed and immediately thought of all the posts on barrel break-in, cleaning regimines, etc. that folks worry about so much, but they probably haven't bagged 1/10 of the game he has.

I'm one of those people who cleans a gun after almost every day of shooting, but this goes to show you that it's not always necessary.

 

[Lone Star]

Dorrin-

I suggest that you hie yourself to a large public or university library and see if they have back issues of, "Outdoor Life". Or, get Jack O'Connor's books like., "The Hunting Rifle" or, "The Rifle Book". Either way, read what old Jack said about the .270. He left, "Outdoor Life" in 1972, but wrote for, "Petersen's Hunting" until his death in Jan., 1978. He was a wry, witty scribe, with enormous field eperience.

He said that he shot clean through a zebra and a gemsbok ( a large oryx) and other large, tough game with the 130 grain Nosler Partition bullet in the 270. He hunted all over the world with the .270, and his experience was VERY positive.

Entrepreneur Robert M. Lee has, I believe, even shot lions with the .270.

You can get the 150 grain Nosler in Federal factory ammo. There are many other good bulletrs, but I've sighted in my Winchester M70 Classic Featherweight for that round, as it will cover the gamut from javelina to moose.

Given its ability to shoot about as flat as its Magnum competition and the way it kills, I think you'll be happy with the .270 on any game within its reasonable size range. Even O'Connor used a .338, a .375 H&H Magnum, and a .416 Rigby when he felt he'd be stretching the .270.

O'Connor said that the .270 and the .30/06 were his favorite rounds, and acknowledged that the .30/06 was more versatile, but he felt that the average hunter benefitted form the 270's lighter recoil and flatter trajectory.

Lone Star

 

[Sodbuster]

It's a pretty fair varmit round. High praise from Elmer Keith. (I shoot one too)