270 Win or 30-06??

[NTL]

Good day all,

I posted a thread a while back with regards to different rifles I was kind of going through, and I have my heart set on a Model 70 Supergrade.
At first I was definately going to be going with the 30-06, but after reading more into it, I was leaning more towards the 270. The 270 shoots flatter, but how is it affected at ranges of 500+? Shooting out past 500 isn't for hunting, more for me to see what I can do further and further out. And of course, in favour of the 06, I fell almost guilty buying a nice bolt gun and not having it a 30 calibre.

The amount of information/debate on what is better/more versatile/can do everything is immense. The internet seems to have an almost 50/50 split on these 2 calibres, mostly seems to just be personal preference.

As I had stated in my original post, this gun will be both a hunter and a range gun (not competition shooting, just for me to go practice and see what I can do with the rifle).


What are you guys in preference of? And why? Both hunting and range experiences (takedown capabilities and how far out have you guys pushed both these rounds?)

Cheers,
Andy

[Smokepole]

If it was me and I was going to shoot at longer ranges, I'd split the difference and get a .280 Remington, or better yet, the Ackley Improved version since it's no longer a wildcat. Just because the selection of high BC bullets is much better in .284 than in .277, and the .284 bullets are lighter with less recoil than bullets with comparable BCs in .308. The high BC is better not so much because of flatter trajectories, but more because of the wind-bucking capabilities for longer ranges where wind is the biggest hurdle.

[NTL]

Smokepole,

The only problem with that is the availability of ammunition as I do not have or plan to buy any reloading equipment in the near future. Also in town here, there is not a ton of selection when it comes to more specialized rounds (I was 6.5 curious for a while). And of course: cost. The 270 and 06 are both fairly reasonable when it comes to actual rounds etc.

I will keep my eye out though as there is a gun show coming up in the next couple weeks here.

Cheers,
Andy

[colohunter303]

Long range = .270 in my opinion. The caliber performs like a magnum, trajectory wise, when using 130 grain bullets. My brother swears by his for everything. He makes hits out to, and sometimes beyond, 500 yards. If you are good enough to do it, a 130 grain accubond from a .270 has the punch to take down anything out to 400+ yards when placed in the boiler room. I have seen it work its magic in person many times.

In regards to a nice bolt gun being in .30 caliber. The great Jack O'Connor's favorite rifles were pre '64 win 70's in .270 and we all know the kind of shots he was capable of on game.

[Smokepole]

Well, standard .280 Remington ammo. has pretty good availability. Maybe not at the local hardware store, but at places like Midway you can pretty much get what you want.

[elmbow]

Well...........the .270 and the '06 are close when it comes to ammo selection, and prices at your local gun store. For sure the nod goes to the '06 in that category, especially the large range of bullet weights available for the '06. Smokepole's logic is good for a handloader, but if you are limited to store bought, have a real world budget, and like to shoot, stick to the two being discussed. The .270 will kick less, and is tough to beat from varmints through deer sized game. I love the .270 and will hunt elk with it any day of the week, but...my preferred bullet in the .270 for elk is the 150 Partition. Will lighter bullets do the job? Ya, I'd use a premium 140 grainer, but I would never use a130 grainer on elk.

The '06 is the better elk cartridge of the two. The '06 makes a great deer gun with bullets in the 150-165 range. Can you take it after varmints? Ya. Will you want to? Probably not. And a 180 grain bullet kicks a fair bit more than a 140 grainer.

As to long range? A .308 180 bullet has a higher SD than does a comparable .270 140 grain bullet, and going beyond 400 yards will carry better than the .270 bullet. Assuming normal .270 and '06 MV's.

[Smokepole]

Sorry elmbow, I have to disagree with your contention that a .280 Remington is the province of handloaders. If you can't procure a wide variety of .280 ammo. from the comfort of your computer, then shooting long-range is surely beyond your capabilities regardless of the cartridge chosen.

[hunting1]

My vote is for the 06! If you want to try and shoot long distance than shoot some 180-NAB and get a CDS Leupold. 600-yards is easily done!

[Kmassaro]

The advent of laser rangefinders, CDS dials and the like, and ballistic programs makes trajectory differences less significant....if you have time to use them. A well set up 270, sighted in 3.5" high at 100 yds, can be held on fur at 375 and still hit vitals.

I like the 270, and regularly kill elk between 300-500 plus yds. But you'll be well served with a 30-06, too. In my early years, everything we owned had a hard steel butt plate, so I went after a lighter recoiling rifle. Pachmyr Decelerators improved my recoil tolerance greatly.

Good bullets minimize the difference between the two. I've had partitions penetrate a long ways on elk, and whistle through them even at extreme distances.

One other advantage of a 270 is that the trajectory is very similar to a 300 WM. If you get a matched pair, as a friend of mine just did, you're pretty well set.

But you'll be extremely well served with a 30-06. Much of this is "Ginger or Mary Ann"?

[snakey2]

Ginger or Mary Ann? Do you prefer the innocent type (270) or the lady with experience who knows what a man wants (30-06)? I have owned both and both will do what you want but I still have the 06!