Rifle in 270 and/or 30-06

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cmdc

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I have rifles in 7mm-08 and 260 Rem, which are dandy, but I want to add the more common calibers to my collection. I am left handed, and have narrowed my choices down to the Ruger Hawkeye stainless/laminate, Savage Weather Warrior and Tikka T3 Lite stainless/synthetic. Which of these would you recommend and which caliber, or both.

Thanks
 
When I buy a 30-06, I know I will never shoot it as a 30-06.
I take the barrel off, cut threads, cut chamber, and have my self a 270, 260, or 257.
I shoot mule deer at long range.
 
If you like to tinker with guns the Savage is your choice. .270 or .30-06 not a huge difference between the two so get what is in stock. I like the tikka if you want a stock gun to shoot great out of the box. Not a huge fan of Ruger bolt guns.
 
but I want to add the more common calibers to my collection.
Click to expand...

IMO you'll never go wrong with a .30-06. Great ammo availability and you can hunt anything in the lower 48 with confidence.

Of the rifles you mention, the only one I have experience with is the Ruger 77 and I don't have a single bad thing to say about it. Great gun.
 
When asked, .270 or .30-06 I sometimes defend my choice (.270 Win), but end up recommending a .30-06 anyway. The '06 can do about anything a person might want to do.

It loses a few inches of computer-calculated "point blank range" to the .270, 130 grain, but it's still more flexible, due to the availability of loaded ammo choices.
 
I have a Ruger and have had several. They are a quality product. I have not had one that will group as well as the other two rifles you listed but it will put a cold bore shot where you want it.

I'd have to agree with Adelbridge about Savage and Tikka. And I'd choose it in .30-06. You'll have an array of bullets to choose from. Its killed everything from Nazis to brown bear.
 
Tikka is my favorite though the length of pull is a tad long for someone my size, but I will deal with the extra length for that kind of accuracy yikes!
30-06 vs 270 depends entirely on what you will be hunting, I like a 270 for deer and a 30 caliber for anything larger.
 
You certainly don't need both a 270 and a 30-06. In 1925 they were 2 very different rounds, but in 2013 with the better loads in both 270 and 30-06 they are twins. There is nothing one will do that the other won't with careful bullet selection. Of course the same is true with the 260 and 7-08 you have now. There will be very little advantage moving to a 270 or 30-06 either.

I started with a 30-06 in 1974 and just never saw the need to change or have both. If I'd started with the 270 I'd say the same thing. About the only advantage the 30-06 has is a wider range of factory loads, but for a handloader it is a wash.

As to rifles, being lefty limits your options. None would be my first pick as a righty, but I'd probably select the Hawkeye, but in standard walnut or synthetic if it is available in lefty. I don't want a laminated stock. My 2nd choice is the Tikka.
 
Interesting comments. The Ruger isn't offered in synthetic left hand. Only laminate. It is heavier than the Tikka as well.

The reason I want the synthetic/laminate and stainless is for the extra bit of all-weather protection, obviously, as I spend most of my time in FL. My other hunting rifles(BAR and X-Bolt) are blue/wood. Beautiful guns, to me anyway, and I wanted something I wouldn't feel so bad about banging around in the Florida woods and humidity.

I know that the 7mm-08 and 260 are plenty for this area, but since I wanted more of an all-weather rifle, decided to go with a more common caliber as well.
 
Since you already have a 260 and a 7mm-08 both of which are dang near perfect deer rounds go with the 30-06 so you have an overkill gun in case you get to go on a trophy hog hunt, there is nothing I would hunt with a 270 that I would not be just as confident in using a 7mm-08, the 30-06 can be in a slightly different class with 180-220gr bullets. The 30-06 is my second favorite round to handload right behind the 6.5x55.
 
Mine is a 6.5x55 and no suprise the recoil is next to nothing (much like a 260) My 06 is a Savage 110 Snythetic which is almost the same weight (like a 4oz difference) the recoil is not bad at all but it has a nice recoil pad on it which you could put on the Tikka if it stings. I would not hesitate for a second to shoot a T3 in 06.
 
Is there really anything a .270 can do that a .284 (7mm-08) can't? .260, .270, and .284 seems like an awful lot of overlap. I'd go with a .30-06 at the least.
 
Great thread! I can't comment about any of the three rifles, as I have not owned them.

I can say that the .270 Win will drop a Russian boar, a whitetail deer or a ram with absolute authority, one shot. Then again, so does the .30-06 Sprg. I like both cartridges. For my own person likes, without owning the rifles, my interest is to purchase a Ruger. Too many people have said too many good things about the Rugers for it not be true. Since I already have a Winchester M70 Super Grade in .270 Win, I would likely take the .30-06 Sprg for my purposes. Then again, that .270 Win... :D

Oh heck. Do you want a half-dozen doughnuts (.30-06), or 6 doughnut holes .270 Win). Seems the only difference is the -06 is a bit bigger, like the doughnut versus the doughnut holes. Both taste good, the later comes from the prior, just like the .270 Win comes from the .30-06's parent case.

So, do you want milk of coffee with those pastries?!

Geno
 
Oh please don't get me wrong, nothing in the world wrong with a 270 I love them, but if you already have a 260 and 7mm-08 don't get something in between them get a 30 caliber, sure it is an overkill on deer but plenty of people love them anyways.
I have hunted exactly once with my 06 in the past year it is too much gun to be my go to, but I love handloading it, you can do darn near anything with a 30-06 if you can roll your own.
 
it is funny how many replies a thread like this gets. it is like deciding between coke and pepsi between 20 guys defending their brand lol
 
Yes, I agree there is overlap, no question about it. My main reasons for this are an all-weather rifle and a more mainstream caliber. I do not hand load, and factory ammunition for the 08 and 260 for premium stuff is pretty expensive to go out and blast away. I know, I know, it's my fault for not being a reloader, but I just haven't found the time for it, and I can afford to buy the stuff, but still it gets pricey.

I'm sure I can find ammunition in 270 and 30-06 on most shelves, but at the shop I frequent they only had two boxes of 7mm-08 and no 260. I just ordered a bunch of ammo in 7mm-08 and 260 from Midway. I got 27 boxes of assorted ammunition and it was $1100, and they were out of most of what was listed on their website, and weren't taking backorders. I'm hoping that won't be the case with the long action calibers we're talking about.
 
I prefer the 270 myself but will almost always recommend the 30-06. Once you get above Mule Deer the 06 has a distinct advantage of having a much better selection of heavier bullets. That's not to say the 270 is a slouch for large North American game.
 
Thanks guys. Not to muddy the waters, but some have recommended .30 cal., so really how far behind the 30-06 is the .308 for elk and such?
 
No elk around here but I would use a quality 180gr 308 for any hog that ever walked, I have a 180gr SGK handload worked up just for that purpose in fact :D
That said the 06 is just better at handling 180 grainers, the larger case gives it a clear advantage if you were wanting those 180s to fly flat. In factory form you are looking at a 90-100fps difference, and with handloads you can be looking at 150fps spread between the two.
 
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