.270 vs. 30.06 looking to buy new gun

R

Rick Grigg

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I currently hunt with a .308 win. but am looking to buy another rifle.
Was really looking hard at an 06 but after doing some research on power delivered down range, I am leaning toward a .270.
My son is also just starting to hunt and recoil is a small consideration.
What do you all think?:)
 
Since a .308 will take care of anything in the lower 48 states, I'd give thought to a rifle for the youngun.

A .243 is plenty good for whitetail and varmints. A 7mm08 isn't much below a .308, really.

If your boy is a good shot, the lack of recoil of the .243 would work great. I've killed 20+ deer with mine...

Art
 
I think recoil is close enough (.270, .308, 30'06) that you'd be splitting hairs. If your son can't handle one, then he probably can't handle any. .270 would recoil less, but I've never really noticed much difference.

I agree that .243 would be a great choice, as would something like a 6.5 Swede. I think all calibers are great, you just need to set your priorities. If I only had one rifle, and was choosing another, I would look a different direction than the ones you choose. They are just too balistically similar.
 
Boy's rifle

Rick Gregg-I second Art's recommendation of a .243 Win for the lad. When my #1 son was young, and small, and slim, and wanting to get into deer hunting, that is the route he & I took. It worked to perfection. He grew out of the "youth" stock into a full-size stock, but the .243 remained his weapon of choice for deer. We studied deer anatomy, and he was/is a good enough marksman to place his shots, and every deer he ever aimed at went over like a ton of bricks.

Also agree that there isn't but a nickel's worth of difference between a .270 Win, a .308 Win, and a .30-'06. If you have any of the 3, you don't NEED either of the other 2.

Now if it's a question of "want" rather than "need," that's a whole different question.

If it's a difference in performance you want, you need to step outside the .270/.308/.30-'06 range. But that'll take more research on your part. Which is not a bad thing. :)
 
think recoil is close enough (.270, .308, 30'06) that you'd be splitting hairs.
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there isn't but a nickel's worth of difference between a .270 Win, a .308 Win, and a .30-'06
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I agree. If you can't handle the recoil of one caliber, you'll also have problems with the other calibers, too. If one caliber lacks the power to do the job, the other calibers probably will, too.

Buy another rifle, anyway, and make yourself happy; nothing wrong with that! Start your son with the .243. JMHO.
 
another vote for the .243 win. Its a great great caliber for deer at normal hunting ranges, and it won't beat him up.

the -06 based cartridges all feel about the same to me for the most part. ( an obvious exception would be a light load from a .25-06 compared to a heavy load from a .338-06 )
 
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I have no personal experience, but they are making 30-06 "reduced recoil" ammo that might fit the bill.
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Not sure about the 30-06 reduced recoil loads but I bought .270 reduced recoil loads for my wife. She said that there wasn't much difference between them and the regular loads.

I would also put a vote up for the .243 win. My sister uses a .243 and loves it. When my sister isn't hunting my brother-in-law puts his 30-06 away and takes the .243. My 10 yr old niece will also be using a .243 this year.
 
What do you hunt? That could make a difference. Without know more, it's pretty much 6 of one, half dozen of the other. I like .270 win - slightly flatter trajectory with a 130 gr bullet. Smidgeon less recoil. Take your pick. :)
 
Well my vote is for the .270 Winchester as well. You would be hard pressed to find a better Deer cartridge. Since you own a .308 there is no need to have a .30-06 unless you really want to try heavier than 180 grain bullets.

If you hand load you can start your son on the .270 pretty easy with some 90 grain bullets and let him shoot varmints and other small game with it. Then gradually work him into some heavier recoiling rounds up to the tried and true 130 grain bullet. I think the .270 is an adequate Elk caliber as well with 150 grain bullets if that is ever in the future.

Art made some very good points and I hate to disagree with him, but I can't put the .243 or 7-08 above the .270. I own the .243 and have very limited experience with the 7-08 and both are very good cartridges. It is just my personal opinion that the .270 is a superior performer on game animals.
 
I vote .270 good all around cartridge. EVERYONE has a '06 (with good reason). I like to be a bit different, that's why I would go with the .270. :)
 
I'm not putting anything above the .270; I'm just thinking of a kid's learning curve and comparative effectiveness.

Kids gotta learn to handle the adrenalin rush and all that self-control stuff. They gotta learn about not shooting at "way over yonder" deer. Gotta practice to get used to the particular rifle.

Why beat on the kid's shoulder?

I was a tall and skinny 16 years old when my father and uncle combined to put me into the '06 bidness. A 1917 Enfield. That steel buttplate "like to beat me to death". But I got good in spite of, not because of.

Art
 
What WAS the OP's question???

Art--My sediments exactly!

The .270 Win is a heck of a good deerslayer. Likewise the .308 Win. Likewise the .30-'06. And we could throw in a couple more, going in either direction: the .35 Whelen, or the 6.5x55 Swede. Not to mention the deer-killingest centerfire of 'em all, over the years, the .30-30.

However (there is always that darn "however!")
My son is also just starting to hunt and recoil is a small consideration.
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The OP asked for something that won't beat up his kid, not what is YOUR favorite deer cartridge!
 
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The old '06 is by far the more versatle, you can load up to 220gr bullets. If you're just hunting deer, I would say the 270 and 30'06 are so similar it really doesn't matter. But I have to tell you, GET A 6.5x55 Sweed! It is hands down the best deer cartridge in my highly biased opinion. It has practically the same recoil with a 140gr as the 243 with a 100gr (you can look it up if you don't believe me). And because the bullet has such a high bc, it carries well at long ranges. It is THE gun to start a youngster out with.
 
I have used both the .243 and the .30-06 in my years of hunting and love them both dearly. Both deserve the religious followings they have and will continue to have forever and have put loads of meat in the freezer. I for one am curious as to who here is a 7x57 fan...something tells me that round is direly underrated and underutilized for its potential. I also have a strong temptation to go with a .303 in the near future as a shop near me has one that is giving me an itch like few things have lately.
 
US factory loadings for the 7x57 are limited to 40,000 psi because of the existence of the old single-lug rifles that are "out there". With a modern rifle having two lugs, you can load right on up to .270 or .30-'06 pressures.

These three cartridges, with the usual 130-, 140- and 150-grain bullets, are pretty much equal, really. While the 7mm bullet of this weight is possibly the best for ballistic coefficient, the practical difference for typical deer-hunting distances isn't worth worrying about. Bambi sure won't care.

Art
 
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