30-06 or 270

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since 1925

This debate has been going on since the .270 hit the market in what, 1925??

If I believed I would never get to hunt anything bigger than a whitetail, the .270 alone would suit me fine. (and does) As many others have mentioned, a tad flatter and easier to shoot (for most) with the 130 gr slug.

If I thought an elk, moose or big bear was in my future, or maybe a trip to Africa, an '06 (for big plains game) with heavy "premium" bullets would have a slight edge in my book.

Not to say a .270 with premo slugs won't take an elk or kudu or zebra, but a big 165/180 /.30 would be more of a comfort.

My only '06's are Garands.
 
Both are great calibers, but the 30.06 has many options as far as ammo. Therefore I think it is more versatile. :)
 
I asked Yogi Berra which was the better cartridge-----the .06' or the .270? He said that the '06 was superior on any given day, and vice versa.:D
 
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.
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5th: When you start taking on moose and large bears, the '06 has the better options from 180 up to 220 gr.

The 130 gr. bullet in .270 will shoot flatter and delivers more wollop than the '06 150 gr. The 180 gr., energy wise, outperfoms any other load in either caliber.

Yes, I know, engergy isn't the only factor to consider. Sometimes deep penetration and the ability to defeat heavy bone (220 gr.) might be a wiser choice in some situations. And other times, a flatter shooting 150 gr. still has plenty of energy.
 
My 1 & only deer rifle is a Remington 700 Mountain in .270 with a Tasco scope.

Bought it about 1993 or so - it has a wooden stock. I've never felt the need for anything else in a deer rifle.
 
Big Shrek said:
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
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:barf:

Looks like you haven't really compared the two calibers, Mr. Bear ain't gonna be gnawing on your bones thinking "Glad this guy had "just" a .270 instead of a .30-06". If he's going to drop with one shot with a .30-06, then it's going to do the same with a .270.:rolleyes:
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Shrek
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
Click to expand...

Looks like you haven't really compared the two calibers, Mr. Bear ain't gonna be gnawing on your bones thinking "Glad this guy had "just" a .270 instead of a .30-06". If he's going to drop with one shot with a .30-06, then it's going to do the same with a .270.
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If I was carrying a .270 in the woods and run up on Mr. Black Bear, I wouldn't have a problem facing it with a .270 or even a smaller caliber. The .270 is not a weak caliber, but not the most powerful either. No telling how many bears have been taken with the 30-30 and similar calibers. Naturally if I was strictly bear hunting I might choose a bigger caliber such as the 30.06 or .300 WIN. MAG.
 
This thread is going nowhere fast.... like most XXX vs .30-06 and .270 vs XXX threads. :(


As per the topic...
I own both.
The .270 is my go-to rifle (Ruger M77 MkII). Nothing in North America is going to soak up one of my (properly chosen) 130 gr or 140 gr projectiles, and live to tell about it.

The .30-06 is a great rifle (Marlin XL7). Nothing in North America is going to soak up one of my (properly chosen) 165/168 gr or 180 gr projectiles, and live to tell about it.

The differences between them?
The .270 shoots flatter. The .270 is heavier (my particular rifle). My .30-06 used to be slightly more accurate than the .270 (I remedied that). The .277" bore size doesn't have quite as many bullets (or factory loads) available. (But that doesn't matter much. Most of the "extra" .30 caliber offerings are too light, too heavy, or are match bullets.)

...Which means.......
Absolutely nothing. I use the .30-06 when I don't want to haul around the extra heft of the .270.

I even rank 8x57mm Mauser, 7.62x54R, and a few other cartridges right up there with the .270 and .30-06. What matters more than cartridge selection, is what weapon you choose, how you set up that weapon, and what your intended use is.

Dead is dead; whether it's paper or animal.


Moral of the story:
Get what's available to you, in a rifle you like. (There's slightly more room in my heart for a .270, though.) ;)
 
My first big caliber rifle is a weatherby 30-06. It is fairly heavy with a good kick. My second was a tika .308. It was really light with a good kick. My third was a Browning .270. It is medium weight with a light kick. What does it all mean about .270 vs 30-06? Nothing at all. All cartridges have their designed use. Buy your rifle based on your intended use.
 
What a hard decision, I love both, so we have both, the 3006 recoils a lil harder, but my .270 is still lighter and very flat shooting, I can't make up my mind!:confused:
 
What a hard decision, I love both, so we have both, the 3006 recoils a lil harder, but my .270 is still lighter and very flat shooting, I can't make up my mind!
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If you don't already own one of the chamberings... you'll never notice the difference in how "flat shooting" they are.
 
If I didn't have one I'd have the other. For a general purpose big game rifle I'd be well served either way. My choice turned 100 five years ago, BTW.
 
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