30-06 or 270

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Are people STILL arguing about this? :D

Not to be telling my age, but I VIVIDLY remember two of my friends arguing about "which is better".. the .270 or the '06 back when I was in the 10th grade. I believe Nixon had not been elected president yet, at that point. :eek:

I know the OP didn't ask "which is better", but it usually degrades into that black/white type of discussion pretty quickly. :rolleyes:

My answer the the .270 vs. '06 question is "yes". ;)
 
Both are great rounds.

I think the 270 Win is at its best with a 130 grain bullet at 3000 fps.

Muzzle blast was enough that the shooter next to me this weekend complained.

Out to 300 yards the trajectory of either a 270 or 30-06 is a wash. Having pulled enough targets in Highpower matches, mid range, and Long Range, I don't think people should be blasting at animals past 300 yards regardless of caliber.

If you have a good 200 yard zero then you are very likely to be within a pie pan at 300 yards. Bullet drop and bullet drift due to wind make hitting a target the size of a pie pan past 300 yards unlikely.

Rarely do I hit the 12 ten ring first shot at 500/600 yards even though I am shooting the same loads with the same dope as last match on the same range. That is why you get two sighters so you can adjust your sights and get them in the middle. You don't get sighters when hunting.
 
If I were going for game larger than Deer\Black Bear I would choose the 30-06. That being said, most of the time my 30-06 sits in the caninet while the .270 comes with me, probably because that particular rifle shoots the best.
 
What is the difference between the SPS and the ADL? I'm at Dick's and they don't have any SPS but they do have stainless ADL for $479.00. Thanks guys.
 
Looking at Remington 700 SPS but not sure if I want 30-06 or 270. Any pros or cons to either
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This sort of question comes up often and it's always fun to answer. However, I wonder how you expect us to come up with an intelligent answer when you haven't mentioned what you intend to use the gun for?

The generic answer is that despite the forests worth of paper and the bazillions of electons devoted to the subject is that the two cartridges are very similar. This is to be expected since they both use the same case with only 3 hundredths of a inch difference in the diameter of their bullets.

The 270 shoots a little flatter, kicks a little less and is a little bit less powerful. The 30-06 hits a little harder, doesn't shoot quite as flat and kicks a little more.

If the largest animal I planned on hunting were deer I'd probably get a 270. If I planned on including elk I'd prefer a 30-06. If I had a rifle in either I liked I wouldn't think of getting one in the other. (I own several 30-06s and no 270s.)

No animal solidly hit with a 270 is ever going to run away thinking "Thank God that wasn't a 30-06!". Or vice versa.
 
270 vs. 30-06

Lots of pros for both, no cons I can think of.
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Best 1 line comparison between the two that I've ever seen.

Now all you have to do is find a rifle in either caliber that is comfortable to carry and fits you well.
 
True, doofus, but natman's comment is very good: "No animal solidly hit with a 270 is ever going to run away thinking "Thank God that wasn't a 30-06!". Or vice versa."

Actually, the one and only reason the .270 was created was to give hunters something to argue about after hunting season was ended.

:D:D:D
 
Art that's spot on. The availability of ammo and selection of bullet weights makes the '06 a no brainer IMO. I own a couple of 270's, a 280 and a whole bunch of 30'06's plus slough of other calibers but if I were picking just one, it would be the '06.
 
I have to redo my first post because at 900 yards the 270 drops 2.4 inches less than the 30-06. Before that the 06 rules the roost. Although i know a guy with a 270 who only holds a couple inches high at 500 yards because it shoots so flat! lol ED K
 
Ancient Discussion but still fun

:D

I have shot 06's for years and love it dearly. About 2 years ago a gunsmith friend of mine and .270 proponent convinced me to get one and try it. I know have 2 calibers I love but consider them just about equal.

First they use the same case (.270 is just a necked down .06).
Second the recoil difference (at least in my 2 rifles) are pretty much equal.
Third, Kinetic energy levels can be loaded pretty much equal.
Fourth, until you get into what I consider extreme long range, trajectory can be loaded pretty much equal.

Now, to the people who suggested there isn't any "cheap" .270 ammo for target or plinking rounds, I say PRVI......... You can find 130 or 140 PRVI ammo for $14-15 a box. The online companies (Midway, Natches, etc.) have sales quite regularly and our local CAbelas also recently had a sale.

My advice, find the rifle that fits you, and you like and buy it in whichever caliber is available. If they have both, well heck buy 1 or each and enjoy comparing them.:D
 
I own a .30-.06 and a .270. Either one is a great caliber. With the .30-06 you
have a better selection of bullets for handloading as said in another post.

If I could only have one to start with I would probably go with the .30-06.

or maybe I would go with the .270.

tough decision....lol.

Maybe that is why I own both.

You could argue this one all day long and then for the rest of the week and then some.

Whatever you decided I don't think you will be disappointed.
 
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Buy one of each in the same rifle and scope. Sight in the 270 2 inches high with with 130 grainers and sight-in the 30-06 3 inches high with 180 grainers. When you go hunting for deer, use the 270, anything bigger, grab the 30-06. Take both with you each time and one can serve as a back-up to the other if needed. Keep both clean, pass them on to your kids/grandkids and they can do the same.
 
I've been a .270 shooter for over forty years. I guess some might say I drank a bit of the "Kool Aid" early on as passed down from my father who had a fabulous custom .270 FN Mauser action built in Germany in 1951 while in the service. And yes, he was an avid reader of Mr. O'C's writings, among others. That said, fabulous shooters that they certainly are out of virtually any rifle chambering it, and after owning a few .30-06s as well (just because) do remain modestly biased, all these years it could have just as easily been an '06 . Tomato, tomahto, like a lot of folks have commented. Also as the one poster said so well, lots of pros to both, few cons to speak of for either. (Yes, there are fine points to argue either way)

I do think, as has also been mentioned, if deer (of any size) is the largest quarry, the .270 is as far as you need to go. It IS the quintssential deer rifle, IMO. If you already have a .270 (only or as your largest cal.) and going elk hunting, I certainly wouldn't feel the need to get another rifle. OTOH, if starting from scratch and elk are at least equal with deer on the anticipated hunting agenda, I might opt for the '06- "just because" :)

Btw, Jack really liked the '06 as well. Tales of his being over-enamored with the .270 are exaggerated. They've made for good, uh, tales. He certainly had his opinions and really liked the .270, obviously one of his faves, but was actually very objective as a keen observer and commenter on the art and science of firearms, cartridges, and hunting--and had many favorites...loved lots of calibers/cartridges in the .270's general vicinity, and below and beyond for their respective purposes. He'd find discussions about the Jack O'Connor Kool Aid amusing.
 
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If I come upon a bear in the woods and it starts getting aggresive, and I'm only carrying a .270...
the first thing I think is "OHSQUISH!", then try to figure out how to quickly fire a good shot with the .270,
then follow up with the entire mag outta my Glock 20, until the bear stops moving.

With a .30-06 in hand, its just picking my shot on the bear, then watching it drop. That's the difference ;)
 
If you don't handload then the 30-06 wins with more factory ammunition choices to match up to your rifle.

And if you do handload then the 30-06 wins because there are many more 308 caliber bullets offered than 274 caliber bullets offered.

But that shouldn't stop anyone from getting a 270 if they want one. I traded mine away because I couldn't justify having only one 270 when I have a bunch of 30 caliber rifles. Cheaper for me to reload that way by eliminating the "odd man out."

Jimro
 
what are you looking to do with it?

I have one of each, I do favor the .270. Plenty of gun for deer and elk sized game. Both are A+ in my book for hunting rounds, their are plenty of good offerings in .270 ammo and reloading stuff.

Not real sure why everyone seems to think you need 600 different load options for a caliber.

If your looking to shoot long range targets, (1000ish yards) I wouldnt look at either for that. but as hunters you cannot go wrong with either.
 
Not real sure why everyone seems to think you need 600 different load options for a caliber.
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Nobody said "need". When comparing two rounds that are as close in performance as the 270 and 30-06 simply having more options to choose from in both commercial loadings and reloading components makes sense for someone looking to maximize hunting options.

This doesn't really matter if your rifle shoots everything equally well. But finicky rifles do happen. If your 270 only shoots Winchester White Box 130 grain soft point loads that is fine for deer or antelope, but not what I would consider "humane" for elk or bear. Simply having more options means you have a better chance of finding that "elk or bear" load that works out of your rifle.

So no one needs more options, but like cupholders in my truck, they sure are nice to have.

Jimro
 
270 - little faster, slightly less recoil
06 - little bigger chunk of lead

For larger game, I would give the advantage to the 06 but for deer and hogs either one is a great choice. Pick whichever one you like because you won't go wrong either way.
 
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