.270 vs 7mm mag?

Status
Not open for further replies.
.....maybe deer?

If coyotes are your primary target, and an occasional deer, I'd say .243 and forget both the .270 and the 7mm mag. Both the .270 and the 7 mag are way bigger than you need for 'yotes.

The 7mm mag is more gun than the .270, but only if the 7mm mag has a mag length barrel, ideally 26". Similarly, if a .270 is shackled with a 22" bbl, it will come up short in ballistics against any longer barreled rifle in 7mm mag. All generally speaking, as some rifles are faster/slower despite barrel lengths.

The 7mm mag can use heavier bullets than the .270, which allows it to take on bigger critters. If elk, moose and big bears are a possibility, a full grown 7mm mag will have an edge over the .270. The 7mm mag takes a mag length action, which will make it a heavier and longer rifle in most instances than any .270, similarly barreled and stocked. The .243 will almost always be shorter and lighter. All that matters if one plans to carry it very far.
 
I was wondering why someone decided to revive a 5yr old thread
Click to expand...

But since they have, and it seems to be relevant I'll add to the thread.

A lot has changed since 2012, and a lot hasn't. As to the original question, a 7 mag shoots bullets 10 gr heavier and and .007" larger in diameter to about the same speed with a little more recoil. On paper the 7 mag wins, but by a slight margin that most people cannot use. Trajectories are nearly identical and 10 gr of bullet weight and a .007" bigger hole won't make any difference.

The trend today is toward moderate powered short action cartridges and away from anything magnum. The better bullets, optics and rifles were available in 2012, but were just beginning to be discovered. I think this is why the thread was revived. In 2012 fewer people would have considered 308 in the same discussion as a 7mm mag. Today they do.

In the 1970's the extra speed of magnum cartridges was more of an advantage than today. Range finders, high BC bullets, and multiple aiming point scopes have made the need for flat shooting cartridges far less important. Better bullets retain energy much better at long range making less powerful rounds more appealing.

At 200 yards a 308 firing a modern very high BC 180 gr bullet hits with more energy than an old school 300 WM firing a very low BC 180 gr bullet. And the 308 does it with 1/2 the recoil. The 300 WM still shoots a little flatter, but that is easier to compensate for.

Of course the better bullets help with the magnums as well. But you reach the point where the technology surpasses the shooters skills. Most shooters are discovering that a 260/6.5 Creedmoor, 7-08, 308 or similar round today will do anything the old school magnums used to do out to 300-400 yards and that is about as far as most guys can shoot. The magnums don't start to become an advantage until you start shooting at 600-700 yards. Even the traditional long action rounds like 270 and 30-06 are much less popular than they used to be for the same reasons.
 
The OP started out wanting to know best .270w, or 7mm rem mag...???

And then she turned into a few extra cartridges that some of us like better, or thats what we always use, no one mentioned, however 7x57, 6.5x55, 8mm mauser, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 SAUM GAP 4S, 6.5 PRC, 7.5X55 mauser, and so on.......
I like both the 7mag and .270 winchester to a fault, never undergunned with those two.....never.....( deer elk coyote)
 
OP is still 5 years old. Probably doesn't mean Mastergunner isn't still arguing with his brother. snicker.
There's no real purpose for any magnum cartridge for hunting anything in North America. Magnums are the result of the most successful marketing campaign in history. Hunters have been trained by the assorted gun rag writers to think that a magnum is necessary and better for the long range shots most are not capable of making in the first place.
The 7mm Mag will not do anything a .270 Win will not with far less recoil and muzzle blast. Means the likelihood of the average hunter practicing with it are slim.
 
When it come to versatility, the 300 win mag is hard to beat (if you reload). You could load a 100gr plinker up to a staggering 240gr bullet. I’m more of a 30cal guy, but if i had to choose between the two. I’d pick the .270. Mostly because of a greater number of bullet selections and availability of commercial ammo. 7mm does demand a much higher cost. However, if you do reload, you can cut the price to a minimum. Again, I’d go with the .270 for your intended purpose. You could kill coyotes, deer, black bear, antelope and you even take it on that once in a lifetime elk hunt. I hope this helps!
 
Wow, so many cartridges come to mind. Not one of them is 270 Win, or 7mm Rem Mag.

260 Rem
6.5X57 Mauser
257 Roberts
7mm-08
243 Win
6mm Rem
6.5-06
6.5-284

And then there are the wildcat rounds.
25 Souper and others.
 
I remember reading an article by a guy who was a government shooter who kept elk herds in check. His go-to caliber was the 270. Just my .02.
 
I remember reading an article by a guy who was a government shooter who kept elk herds in check. His go-to caliber was the 270. Just my .02.]
Click to expand...
Despite the fact the Govt. uses the .270 Win, it is still an excellent cartridge.
 
My 270 always does job 7mm magnum way to much gun for deer and recoil. I have friend used one on moose didn’t do the job. I have another friend lost deer to 25-06 so it happens. I like the 270 my 243 and the 7-08 all have done the job no need for anything else on mullies or white tails or pigs and coyotes.
 
I don't and never did like the 270 but I really like the 7mmRM so no question in my mind. The 7mmRM is a step up and handles bigger critters better at the cost of more recoil. Nothing's free.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top