270 win the best?

I was shooting a 270 Winchester for deer and elk back in the '80s, but I convinced myself I "needed" a 30-06 - because with the 30-06's greater variety of bullet weights, it would be more versatile. So I traded my 270 off and got myself a 30-06.
The flip side is I never used anything but 165gr bullets in my 30-06 - for everything from rock chucks to coyotes to mule deer to elk. As a matter of fact, 165gr bullets are all I use in my 308 Norma Magnum. Yep, my 30 caliber rifles are sure a lot more versatile than my old 270 was.

 

Why? This has been a fun post lots of great points and solid conversation. Is 270 the end all? Of course not there, isn't one that ends it all but the 270 is MY fav and now I'm seeing a lot of other posters favorites as well. 270 not the end all is the consensus from weveryone here except you who simply states "delete".

 

Funny how that works

 

I was going to make a comment about the size of deer across the US. Minimum and best can be driven by where you live and the deer you hunt.

 

Have been using the .270 for over 30 years and it's my favorite---do have a couple other rifles (.30-06 and .308) but the .270 gets used the most-----gave up on getting beat up by the big magnums a long time ago.

 

Well as an all-around deer cartridge, I would say a strong case could be made.

 

My 30-06's never got to enjoy a 165 grain only diet, because those weren't always the best of the best in my rifles for what I was hunting or needed them to do. Yet, I must admit that 30 cal. 150 gr. corelokts smote truckloads of deer over the decades and would no doubt do the same to elk (this coming from the same person who has no qualms about killing deer or elk with 7mm 120 nbt).

On the other end of the scale, if you look at the state of Alaska, the minimum rifle bullet requirement to hunt bison is 175 gr. with a muzzle velocity of 2,800 fps. I don't know what the heaviest bullet for a .270 is but even getting a 180 grain partition up to that speed out of a 30-06 is almost a feat known only to the Compressed Powder Reloading Gods.

 

I'd wanted a 270 all my life, just got one last fall, a 700 Rem. Now, if not for keeping it for my son, I'd sell it. Done been said on here bunch times already. Ya, I'd out west, I'd max it out with something, but I've yet to find anything really fast & accurate both! It's easy to see, it's the most un versatile cartridge I've had anything to do with! To me now, all it's good for is 130 & 140gr. If Im going to 150g or more, I'd much rather have my 30-06. Not interested in the light varmint loads.
The 30-06, it's the king of versatile! I've already got 30-30/06 loads. You can go down to light bullets for varmints, and bullet selections are like stars in sky! And if I get ready for B.C.- Alaska, I can go up to 200g-220g, effectively! It's still the #1 cartridge in Alaska I do think? It's the ultimate mid range cartridge 150-165. I've got a load now that I've been easily getting 5/8"@ 100yds with 150g, and I believe almost there with 165g! And I've yet to see one that couldn't get good accuracy with 180 Rem CL factory ammo, which will kill anything just about!
And I'd much prefer the 7mm-08 or 7x57 now than the 270!
Just my honest conclusions!

 

I can’t believe this kind of troll thread about .270 Win still fishes people in. It’s only .270 that does this. It’s like a religion. It happens at least once a year and people still act surprised by it and have to go to war to decry or defend the “rifleman’s rifle/cartridge.”

 

Cult, is the word your looking for.

 

and we're proud of it

 

So we're the ones in Waco.

 

Well you'd be wrong. This has been tried and discussed for at least 40 years. No body has been very successful with the .270 in any matches I know of. But if you want to be the first go for it. I would be happy for you. Maybe with modern powders it can be done and if you can find such a case let me know.
I just did some checking. Nobody makes competition rifles in 270. Doesn't make the list of top competitors in any competition. Not on the list of top ten recommended cartridges. But You are welcome to your opinion.

 

Well I don't think many rational people are going to argue that the 270 is more versatile than the 30-06. But this discussion was framed as the most versatile deer cartridge, implying to me that we are talking across all species of deer at all ranges, short or long. In that case, 270 Win. is at least as good as 30-06. It is a bit flatter shooting. However the 30-06 might be a better brush buster. Take your pick? In almost all cases the 270 recoils less.

 

I have no argument with that. The other poster was claiming match accuracy in competition for the 270. A different matter. But yes, the .270 is a good deer caliber. The least accurate in it's class but good enough for normal hunting range for most people. It is certainly not the best or most versatile deer cartridge because if its instability and lack of ;long range accuracy but It is good enough for most. I agree that it shoots a little flatter because of lighter bullets.

 

I've had/used a lot of best cartridges, never drank that cool aid though. I mean deer right? As in, antlered, cloven hooves, hairy hided, flesh and blood deer? Like elk? Muleys? Whitetail? Reindeer? From 30' to 500 yards? Deer? Not the .280 ai? Not the 7-08? Not the .243? Not the .264/6.5xyz? Not the .30x xxx? Not the .270wsm? Not the 6.8 western? The .270 win is really the best huh?? I shamed my buddy on our muleys with the .22s and 6mms, for bigger, there's the 264/284 bag of tricks.....but to say it's the best??? I'll say the best one is whichever you enjoy using to tag out with, and that's not the .270 for me, but to all of you guys who do find it to be the best, just keep going out with it every chance you get.....

 

My Ruger Mk 1 270 Win is my favorite rifle for sentimental reasons. Someone will take it from wherever I’m living when I’m dead. I love the round. Confident within my 300 yard practical limit that it will kill dead anything I’m hunting with it (my 338 WM for anything that I’m less than confident with the 270). That’s as much as I’m willing to say. My .30-06 will go to my oldest. I’d really like to get a nice 308 Win for my younger son. I have a 7mm Mauser for my daughter. That’s all the hunting rifles I need.
Greg

 

Well, if you are looking at Alaska’s Bison minimum rifle requirements to denigrate the .270 Win, also then you can eliminate many of the other “superior” to the .270 Win. cartridges, starting with the vaunted 6.5 Creedmoor (need more?), 7mm-08 Rem., .257 Bob, 25-06, heck, my old 20” barrel Model 70 lightweight carbine in the fabled 30-06 Springfield wouldn’t qualify if they chronographed loads out of that 20” barrel. I don’t think the .308 Win would either, unless you had a 28” barrel. Besides, I believe the original post said DEER cartridge.

 

I have a stainless Ruger Hawkeye 270 that I really like and load pretty stout. I also shoot a stainless Tikka 270. That one has a longer throat and barrel so I think it can deliver a slight bit more thud. Now then I have a Kimber 270 WSM that really lays down the smack. It has a 24" barrel but really handles like a 22". At times I wonder if it is overkill, and whether it is necessary to wake up the whole valley, so I leave it home. Sometimes I take the ruger, which is bone stock with the LC6 trigger and Leupold VX2 scope. Not refined to the umpteenth degree, but a real solid rifle that will never let you down.

 

I have a competition chassis rifle in .270 Win. Also in .30-06. But I'm an oddball. Plus I don't shoot to compete, except with myself. So maybe it doesn't meet your definition of competition rifle.

 

I meant factory rifles designed for competition. They are very common now. There are many custom rifles in 270 mainly for hunting. Enjoy your rifle. It's a free country. They do make Long Range rifles in 30-06. I know a guy that shoot 30-06 in competition.

 

The heaviest .277 bullet I know of is the Nosler Partition 160gr. Used it once in Colorado on the elk thats mounted in the front room. Maybe 200-225 yards. One shot, staggered about ten steps and tipped over. I was impressed. Only time I used a .270 Win on elk. The others were taken with a 30-06 using 200gr Partitions. Anchors!

 

The heavy .277 bullet "craze" is just starting:

Nosler 170 grn BT, BC of .560:
https://www.nosler.com/270-caliber-170gr-ballistic-tip-hunting-50ct-2.html

Nosler .277 ABLR 165 grns, BC: .62
https://www.nosler.com/270-caliber-165gr-accubond-long-range.html

 

I don't see an instability issue? You act as though at 300 yards it shotguns. I simply stated if one chose to they could invest in the cartridge and build a rifle that could compete. For hunting tho it's plenty good.

 

Do you remember where you aimed on that elk?