Should I sell my .270?

[Olympus]

It's been gathering dust and taking up space in my safe for a lot of years. It's a standard Browning A-Bolt Hunter with an old Simmons Whitetail Classic scope. I stopped shooting it because I hated the recoil and accuracy was just so-so (might have been related to a developed flinch also). I have slowly scaled back to a .25-06 synthetic stainless and a beautiful .243 Ruger No.1 (synthetic for woods and bad weather and the Ruger for comfortable box blind hunting).

I don't shoot the .270 and I don't like the recoil at all. The only reason I've hung on to it is because it was a Christmas gift from my dad many years ago. But on the flip side, I've traded guns he's given me in the past. We used to have a tradition of trading a deer rifle for something else after the rifle killed a deer. So I've gone through several deer rifles growing up.

Ideally, I'd like to sell the .270 and replace it with something else of similar quality. Decent piece of wood, but not too pretty to use, better scope, and a caliber that recoils no more than the .25-06. My whitetail hunting shots are 100 yards or less in the woods and potentially 300 or 400 yards in the fields I hunt, but my stand positions are such that eventually the deer walk to within 50 to 100 yards of me.

What should I do? Keep the .270 since it was a gift or replace it with something I'll actually use?

 

[Arkansas Paul]

it was a Christmas gift from my dad many years ago.

Which is why it should never leave your possession.
Spend $150 and have a muzzle break installed. It will make it louder but will decrease the recoil to something similar to the .25-06 you speak of.

This is just my opinion. Others don't attach sentimental value to objects.
I don't know how you feel about such things, but you may regret the decision down the road. I'm sure I would.

 

[IlikeSA]

One day your dad may be gone and you will miss that rifle. Just a thought.

 

[CB900F]

Olympus;

Or, you could split the difference as it were. Keep the gun & rebarrel it. Myself, I'd go to the 6.5 X 55mm Swedish Mauser, a caliber I have a lot of experience with. Milder recoil and truly excellent accuracy. The Swede does best on a standard length action, such as you already have, and the heirloom factor remains. I greatly admire the A-bolt, possibly it would be worth it to you to have it restocked in the future with the type of wood you indicated you want.

900F

 

[readyeddy]

I would try shooting reduced recoil ammo.

 

[Olympus]

I have read about the Hodgdon 4895 reduced loads, but I'd be investing more than $100 into brass, power, bullets, and dies to experiment with whether the recoil reduction was worth it.

I also looked the factory reduced recoil loads like the Hornady Custom Lite, but it gives a wide range of 25% to 50% reduction. There's no way to tell without trying I guess.

I like the idea of rebarreling the gun in a different caliber, but I don't have any gunsmith that I trust to do the work. And it might turn out that the cost of a new barrel and labor could be almost as much as a brand new gun.

 

[gamestalker]

Another direction to go in, would be to install mercury tubes. I installed mercury tubes in several rifles over the years, and they really helped to tame them down. Two in a .338 WM made that rifle very user friendly, so considering a .270 isn't all that nasty, one mercury tube should make it much more tolerable to shoot. The down side is that they cost about $80 a piece, and considering how recoil sensitive you sound, you'd probably want two of them, thus making a brake probably be the most economic direction to go in.

But I sure wouldn't sell it. Browning's are nice, I wouldn't be dumping that rifle for something more tolerable, I'd just make it more tolerable.

GS

 

[Arkansas Paul]

And it might turn out that the cost of a new barrel and labor could be almost as much as a brand new gun.

It would.

Do some research into the muzzle break idea I suggested in post 2.
My brother had a 7mm Rem Mag and he is rather recoil sensitive. It kicks about like a .308 now. That's a pretty good reduction.

Also the Hodgdon youth loads do indeed make a big difference. My dad is 68 and not in the best health. He can't handle heavy recoil like he used to. We loaded the Hodgdon loads in his .308 and his .30-06 and he handles them just fine now. I wouldn't shoot a deer past about 200 yds or so, but heck he shakes so bad these days, he couldn't hit one that far anyway.

We just like having him in the woods with us though. You never know how long they're gonna be with us. Which is why the 3 guns I have that he gifted to me will never leave my possession. Ever.

 

[JimKirk]

I suggest you give the light weight Barnes TTSX bullets a try in your .270 Win. ... the 95 gr TTSX(3600 fps) or the 110 gr TTSX(3400 fps) ... these would have less recoil and be very effective for the purpose you give...

Don't over look the Barnes in the .25/06 either .... 80 gr TTSX(3800 fps) or the 100 gr TTSX (3350 fps) ...

 

[CB900F]

Olympus;

A rebarrel may indeed cost as much as buying another rifle, but there are some very real advantages to doing so. Number 1, you can to some extant control the costs, and perhaps more importantly, the rate of expenditure. There's quite a bit of difference in the cost of an Adams & Bennett barrel blank and a Lilja. Given that you use a good gunsmith, the action will be trued and the barrel will be properly mounted concentric to the action, etc., all the bells & whistles done correctly. The results on paper should be obvious, they certainly were to me. If you don't know of any decent gunsmiths capable of the work I can suggest a couple who have done work for me & I'm very happy with the work done. Many good smiths will accept a down payment, usually the cost of the blank, and the remainder upon completion of the work.

My custom Swede, with a Lilja barrel will quite reliably shoot .4's-.5's with it's hunting weight barrel. Those are three shot groups at 100 yards. This is a hunting gun & in a hunting situation if you get more than two shots you're dealing with a particularly stupid animal. The best it's ever done is a three-shot .261" group. A downside would be that you'll almost certainly want to upgrade the glass on the gun. I own and use Simmons but I don't have that brand on hunting guns. Those wear rather more expensive glass that to my mind fit the purpose better. Reliability and tracking being the major issues.

Your nickle, your choice, but the satisfaction factor in retaining the legacy and getting something that's custom yours shouldn't be ignored.

900F

 

[Frostbite]

A decent recoil pad is where I would start.

Then, I would try reduced loads, the suggested mercury tubes I had no idea existed before I read that previous post (is that inertia related?), and finally the muzzle break if still necessary.

More noise is not welcomed from my hunting rifle because I do not wear hearing protection when I hunt deer (which I always do otherwise, be it at the range or when using the chainsaw).

Selling a rifle my father gave me is the last thing I would do, especially my Browning .270 Winchester (mine is the semi-automatic model). Just my opinion.

 

[Olympus]

Good points. I'm not a big Browning fan, so that has been part of the reason. I may start picking up components for the 4895 loads and give that a try. If that's still too much recoil, then at least I gave it a good try.

 

[bearman49709]

If you can tell the difference between a .25-06 and a .270 Win it has a lot more to do with the rifle than the caliber.
I would use reduced recoil loads first, if you need more help put a different recoil pad on.

 

[Lafitte]

Back a long time ago I gave my dad a .270 because he wanted a gun with "reduced" recoil. It is strange how preception of recoil changes. I wish I had that gun now.

Lafitte

 

[jogar80]

I second the suggestion to install a muzzle brake. Its cheap, you keep the rifle your dad gave you, and recoil will be about that of a .243, if not less.

 

[jmr40]

The problem with recoil is between your ears. There isn't enough difference in 270 recoil and 25-06 to notice.

If you don't like the rifle and it doesn't shoot well sell it and move on.

 

[Geno]

A Williams Guide Series break will reduce the recoil to a .223 Rem level. I put one on my Mark V, .300 Win Mag. Awesome product!!

(About 2/3s down the page) Link: http://williamsgunsight.com/gunsmith_service_michigan.htm

Geno

 

[J-Bar]

Is there another person in the family who might cherish a rifle from your Dad? Give a gift of love and family history. Better than selling it outright.

If Dad is still living, discuss it with him first. If he is into guns he will understand.

 

[BSA1]

Usually six months the after I sell or a trade a gun regardless of how long it has been since I last shot it I will find a need for it.

 

[The Big D]

I would try shooting reduced recoil ammo.

Me too - give this a try:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/88...-grain-core-lokt-pointed-soft-point-box-of-20

And if that doesn't work, there are lots of reduced power loads with Trail Boss and 4895 that take the idea even further.

 

[clearcut]

I didn't like the recoil of my 30-06 so new pad and 35 grn. 4895 w/150 grn. cast now I love it! Maybe you know some one that loads for .270 that can help you out.
CC

 

[Olympus]

I can tell a big difference in recoil in my 270 Abolt and 25-06 Encore Pro Hunter. The 25-06 is doable. I don't like to shoot it for fun, but it doesn't make me grit my teeth before pulling the trigger either. Now my 243, I like to shoot that for fun!

I will give the 4895 loads a try. I found a pound locally for $20. Lee dies are cheap and 100 bullets won't be too bad. I can probably find used brass for cheap. Hodgdon says 60% of max loading for your bullet. Max charge for 120gr SST is 46gr so 60% of that is 27.0gr. So that's where I would start and work up I guess.

 

[49willys]

Don't never sell none your guns!

 

[loose noose]

I shoot both the .270, and the 30-06, I do believe you are aware the .270 is simply just a necked down 30-06 and believed to be a lot flatter projectile than the later; and not to mention the 25-06 is still a necked down 30-06. The only difference is the weight of the bullets that each perform on.

I am a firm believer in a cushy recoil pad to tame recoil, especially on my 45-70 Marlin. I myself prefer the Limb Saver. You might also have the length of pull on that Browning checked before you get rid of it.

 

[billybob44]

Careful here.....

I can tell a big difference in recoil in my 270 Abolt and 25-06 Encore Pro Hunter. The 25-06 is doable. I don't like to shoot it for fun, but it doesn't make me grit my teeth before pulling the trigger either. Now my 243, I like to shoot that for fun!

I will give the 4895 loads a try. I found a pound locally for $20. Lee dies are cheap and 100 bullets won't be too bad. I can probably find used brass for cheap. Hodgdon says 60% of max loading for your bullet. Max charge for 120gr SST is 46gr so 60% of that is 27.0gr. So that's where I would start and work up I guess.

On my check of the Hodgdon manual, for H4895, and a 120gr. bullet, Min=42.0gr.---Max=45.0gr.

IMO, using a 27.0gr. of H4895 for a 120gr. projectile in a .270 Win. is ASKING for problems..???

You NEED to get with a local reloader/shop, and ask for help....Bill