Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
I have both available to use. I prefer the 270 for its speedier flat shooting performance. I guess its a no brain'er for me. 270 is the better of the two for what I hunt.
30-06 vs. 270
- Thread starter ¤_Ozark_¤_Hunter_¤
- Start date
Not enough difference to really matter but just for example
Using 150 SSTs in both my Model 70s, 24 in barrels:
270 Win MV 2750 1000 yard Vel 1782
30-06 MV 2900 1000 yard vel. 1675
First I don't see the 2900 fps MV for the '06,
Any way at normal hunting ranges I doubt any of us can tell the difference.
Using 150 SSTs in both my Model 70s, 24 in barrels:
270 Win MV 2750 1000 yard Vel 1782
30-06 MV 2900 1000 yard vel. 1675
First I don't see the 2900 fps MV for the '06,
Any way at normal hunting ranges I doubt any of us can tell the difference.
We had this discussion a few years back. If you look at a good high quality over the counter ammo like Hornady SST Superformance. The 30-06 150sst and the 270 130sst are just about identical in power and performance with the 270 130sst actually retaining a little bit more ft lbs at the 500 yard mark and less drop. In the end the real world practical hunting capabilities are identical. To try to discredit one of the other is silly. I will say I no longer hunt with a 300 Win Mag for any game now. I have replaced it with a 270 Winchester because it works well in a better more compact package. As a long time magnum fan, I realized I wasn't gaining anything over conventional calibers other than more recoil, heavier gun, and expensive ammo.
Last edited:
Looking at that picture, I'll take the heavier 30 caliber bullet, higher BC, less wind effect, and larger wound channel over the increased drop of 500 yards which almost none of us will ever attempt anyway. The .30/06 is perfectly matched with 180 grain bullets, and is substantially more effective on moose and bears than the lighter .270. Load a 200 grain, or 220 even and you have a real stopper that the 270 just can't be compared to...it's a completely different topic. Load it down to 120 to 150 and you're right in there with the .270 The ole O6 is just more versatile, and more effective on ALL game, not just deer sized game.
^^No, I am comparing standard SST loads across the calibers. But what the Hornady specs (show below from Hornady) is that a 270 Winchester stands up very well to even magnum capabilities if you choose your ammo correctly.
That said, not even the best 30-06 will shoot flatter than a 270 at 500 yards.
In the real world it means nothing on game and its effectiveness if shot correctly. So to try to declare a "winner" caliber is pointless.
That said, not even the best 30-06 will shoot flatter than a 270 at 500 yards.
In the real world it means nothing on game and its effectiveness if shot correctly. So to try to declare a "winner" caliber is pointless.
Last edited:
No, you are not. The 270 load is a Superformance load, which uses special powders to get better than standard velocity. There are Superformance loads for 30-06 and 300 mag. Either compare all standard SST or all Superformance and then make your point. As it is you've stacked the deck in the 270's favor.
You're also concluding that because the muzzle velocities are similar, the power is similar, ignoring that the 30 caliber bullets weigh 20 grains more and are larger in diameter.
Ugh....
I will repeat the reason for the specs again from Hornady.
"But what the Hornady specs (show below from Hornady) is that a 270 Winchester stands up very well to even magnum capabilities if you choose your ammo correctly."
It's just a simple demonstration that today's modern ammo will put a good standard caliber with good ballistic coefficients to levels that is classified as a magnum performance. (Look at the ft-lbs for muzzle energy at 500yards between the 300Win and 270. It's rather close). This is why I moved away from my magnum calibers because all my big game are taken well under 500 yards.
Just to add another facet to the equation, Magnums need a longer barrel to reach their magnum potential. Cut a 270 Weatherby barrel down to a conventional length and you will reduce its power to a standard 270 Winchester. This has been demonstrated many times.
No hidden agenda and certainly nothing to read into.
I will repeat the reason for the specs again from Hornady.
"But what the Hornady specs (show below from Hornady) is that a 270 Winchester stands up very well to even magnum capabilities if you choose your ammo correctly."
It's just a simple demonstration that today's modern ammo will put a good standard caliber with good ballistic coefficients to levels that is classified as a magnum performance. (Look at the ft-lbs for muzzle energy at 500yards between the 300Win and 270. It's rather close). This is why I moved away from my magnum calibers because all my big game are taken well under 500 yards.
Just to add another facet to the equation, Magnums need a longer barrel to reach their magnum potential. Cut a 270 Weatherby barrel down to a conventional length and you will reduce its power to a standard 270 Winchester. This has been demonstrated many times.
No hidden agenda and certainly nothing to read into.
Last edited:
Oh boy, let's see, I have always had an accurate 30-06, and I've owned a few .270's that would shoot very nicely.
I've shot more deer with a 30-06 including 2 =1 shot running kills at a little less than 100 yds, and I shot my farthest whitetail kill,(350 yds) with a 30-06.
Where could be the difference? Confidence in ones own rifle is the only apples to apples difference I ever had with the two, and I complete confidence in both those rifles...
Not in this conversation, but now I've developed a huge confidence in a different caliber the 7mm rem mag, which could be considered by few, that its overkill for whitetails, in retrospect I could load my .270 winchester to cleanly kill any game animal in north America not including big bears.
It just seems as if the more knockdown energy in loads from a 3006, makes it more of a do-all performer...I can cleanly take every animal in North America with a 30-06 Springfield.
I've shot more deer with a 30-06 including 2 =1 shot running kills at a little less than 100 yds, and I shot my farthest whitetail kill,(350 yds) with a 30-06.
Where could be the difference? Confidence in ones own rifle is the only apples to apples difference I ever had with the two, and I complete confidence in both those rifles...
Not in this conversation, but now I've developed a huge confidence in a different caliber the 7mm rem mag, which could be considered by few, that its overkill for whitetails, in retrospect I could load my .270 winchester to cleanly kill any game animal in north America not including big bears.
It just seems as if the more knockdown energy in loads from a 3006, makes it more of a do-all performer...I can cleanly take every animal in North America with a 30-06 Springfield.
I guess it depends on what you're trying to demonstrate. If you want to make the point that you can get magnum velocities (not performance) out of a 270 if:
1) you handicap the magnum with a heavier bullet
and
2) you compare a standard magnum load to a Superformance 270 load
then I guess you've made your point, although why that's important escapes me.
However, the statement:
is untrue on two counts:
1) You are not comparing standard loads across the calibers.
2) you are not comparing SST loads across the calibers.
Look, we can all stop arguing...because I've already said it. The .30/06 is vastly superior in every way to the 270. Now, the .270 isn't a bad cartridge if you're a girl scout or a man weighting under 110 pounds but aside from that, a hunter always mans up and chooses the O6 for a zillion reasons. One it's better than a 270, two... heavier bullets, 3...knock down power, four...larger wound channel, and five...any lady within earshot that hears you shoot a .30/06 experiences the O6 phenomenon ie, her panties spontaneously fly off and she instantly wants to make you a sandwich. Now, do ya want to collect Barbie dolls and shoot a .270?...of do you want to hunt with a .30/06 and have hot chicks and plenty of game in the freezer? I know which one I'm carrying...the O6 Springfield!
Gunwriters have been able to complete long and financially rewarding careers by expanding the 0.031" inch difference between a .308" and a .277" to a furlong or more.
I don't think it makes all that much of a difference on game animals. Deer don't come with digital indicators that flash "hit", "miss", or "insufficient bullet diameter". I am of the opinion that the 270 Win is at its best with a 130 grain bullet. I can pump a 130 just at or a little over 3000 fps in a 270Win and that round shoots very flat. I did shoot a deer using a 125 grain bullet in the 30-06. You can load the same bullet weight a little faster in the 30-06, regardless, the wound was devastating. The first bullet hit the hip socket and shattered the leg bone down to the knee and ruined the meat on that leg. The poor deer moved at when I pulled the trigger. The next shot went through the neck and it was an instant death.
When shilling for cartridges, gunwriters love to fall back on the speed and kinetic energy at distance, and given that KE is the square of the velocity, this method always favors the faster bullet. But I have shot enough rounds down range, out to 1000 yards, pulled the target and run the line, that I am of the opinion that 99.99% of shooters should not be shooting at things more than 300 yards away. Three hundred yards is a long distance and the target you have to hit for a humane kill is small. It is dishonest in my opinion, those Gunwriter 500, 600 yard comparisons between cartridges, when those distances are beyond the hitting capability of the average shooter. Out to 300 yards there is not a lot of difference between the 270 Win and 30-06. Or a 308 Winchester for that matter.
I don't think it makes all that much of a difference on game animals. Deer don't come with digital indicators that flash "hit", "miss", or "insufficient bullet diameter". I am of the opinion that the 270 Win is at its best with a 130 grain bullet. I can pump a 130 just at or a little over 3000 fps in a 270Win and that round shoots very flat. I did shoot a deer using a 125 grain bullet in the 30-06. You can load the same bullet weight a little faster in the 30-06, regardless, the wound was devastating. The first bullet hit the hip socket and shattered the leg bone down to the knee and ruined the meat on that leg. The poor deer moved at when I pulled the trigger. The next shot went through the neck and it was an instant death.
When shilling for cartridges, gunwriters love to fall back on the speed and kinetic energy at distance, and given that KE is the square of the velocity, this method always favors the faster bullet. But I have shot enough rounds down range, out to 1000 yards, pulled the target and run the line, that I am of the opinion that 99.99% of shooters should not be shooting at things more than 300 yards away. Three hundred yards is a long distance and the target you have to hit for a humane kill is small. It is dishonest in my opinion, those Gunwriter 500, 600 yard comparisons between cartridges, when those distances are beyond the hitting capability of the average shooter. Out to 300 yards there is not a lot of difference between the 270 Win and 30-06. Or a 308 Winchester for that matter.
Exactly. I own them all including the 300 and 7mm magnum and have killed enough with them to come to the conclusion that all well placed shots give the same bang-flop reaction on large whitetail. I want to get as close as possible. This is why I stopped using a 300win magnum considering most of my shots are under 100 yards. I like to practice out to 300 yards but that's not really a reality for the kind of hunting I do on whitetail and black bear. The longest shot I have ever had to make was 245 yards on a black bear.
That's why I tend to hunt with a 308 or 270 these days or even a handgun. Heck, I have even taken a few deer broadside with my 223 with Barnes 55grain TSX and it did the job nicely. That said, the 308, 270, 06 and up anchor big deer almost instantaneously compared to what I have seen with the 223,243,etc..
In the end I always end up with plenty of this...
Last edited:
I am a beer and cheese fan as well so the start of October I stock up on a lot of different kinds of beer and smoked cheese to go with all the venison. The right cigar, beer, cheese and venison combo can make a football Sunday. We made 100lbs of deer jerky last year just for my two kids that are 8yrs and 6yrs. We burn through jerky and balogna. FYI,...that is a milled smoked cheddar mixed in the bologna in the pic. It's a family favorite.
Last edited: