Mountain Rifle Cartridge

I know what I want now - but will have to wait for my M1A Scout Squad to sell before I can order everything, though.

It costs a bit more, but I'll probably go with Conetrol "custum" rings and bases in stainless for the Browning Stainless Stalker in .270 with BOSS.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?fid=001B&cid=035&tid=008

I've had Conetrol rings and bases in the past... They are very strong, can be slammed down very low - and nothing else looks as good, period.

http://www.conetrol.com/images-pg/70C2.jpg

I've had them on a Winchester model 70 Sporter Magnum in .338 Win mag, and on a Browning BLR in .308. In both cases, I was completely satisfied.
 
Choices for .277" vs .284" bullets the choice is obvious for me. .277" suffers from weak bullet selection. 7mm-08 will do every thing the 270 can and then some,it is blessed with the efficacy of the .308. Short action helps by shaving a few ounces off the weight of the rifle.Did I mention bullet selection ? Not very many spin off cartridges from the 270,just a goofy dia. it works in the 270 and not much else.
 
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Choices for .277" vs .284" bullets the choice is obvious for me. .277" suffers from weak bullet selection.
....Did I mention bullet selection ?
How many bullets do you actually need?

For me, it's just one: 140 gr Nosler Partitions (and I'd be just fine with 130s, instead).

Last time I checked, every big game tag I have filled with my .270 was the result of a bullet passing through the animal's vital organs, rather than the number of different .277" bullets on the shelves in my reloading room. ;)


And...
If you compare .277" and .284" bullet selections, the vast majority of "extra" bullets available in .284" diameter are match bullets, not hunting bullets. Match bullets are useless in a mountain rifle. So, there's no point in even considering the availability of such things.

Even if you do consider .277" bullet selection to be "limited", just for hunting bullets in the 110-150 gr weight range, you still get:
Berger Hunting VLDs, Hunting FBs, Classic Hunter FBs, Classic Hunter VLDs, and more...
Barnes TSXs, TTSXs, LRXs, and TAC-X.
CT Ballistic Silvertips.
Cutting Edge Hunting VLDs, ESP Raptors, ESP Raptor ERs, and Tactical Hunting VLDs.
Federal Trophy Copper Tipped,
Hornady SSTs, Interlocks, Interbonds, and GMXs.
Nosler Partitions, Ballistic Tips, Accubonds, Accubond LRs, E-Tips, and more...
Norma Oryx, and Vulcans.
North Fork Bonded bullets.
Remington Core-Lokts, Core-Lokt Ultra Bondeds, and Bronze Points.
Sierra Pro-Hunters, and Game Kings.
Speer Hot-Cors, (basic) Spitzers, Grand Slams, Deep Curls, Trophy-Bonded-Tipped, and more...
Swift A-Frames, and Scirocco IIs.
Winchester Silvertips, XP3s, and Power Max Bondeds.
Woodleigh Soft Points, and Protected Points.
And many more....

If you can't find a good hunting bullet in there, you have a serious problem.
 
^^
You forgot Matrix bullets, they make some pretty cool 165 and 175 grain VLD's in .277
With bullets, like 75grain Armor Piercing, 83-110grain varmint bullets, and up to the 180 grain Woodleigh PP, with just about every weight in between, I'd hardly call the .277 caliber limited in bullet selection.
With light bullets it's pretty much a .22-250 on steroids, shooting bullets twice the mass of .22-250 loadings, with similar velocity, trajectory and ballistic coefficients.
With heavier bullets, it's pretty much a slightly flatter and lighter recoiling .30-06
IMO the .270 Winchester, with the right loads, has the potential to give you everything you'd want or need, from a .22-250, .243, and .308/.30-06, in one caliber. With one exception, it can't be used in a 'short action.'
Hardly a tradeoff, IMO. I have no problem carrying my Scoped Ruger M77 in the mountains. I'm not sure of the exact weight, but it's probably a hair over 8.5lbs with the scope and 4 rounds in the mag. I don't think the weight savings of a short action would make any difference to me.
 
JD0x0 said:
You forgot Matrix bullets, they make some pretty cool 165 and 175 grain VLD's in .277
With bullets, like 75grain Armor Piercing, 83-110grain varmint bullets, and up to the 180 grain Woodleigh PP, with just about every weight in between, I'd hardly call the .277 caliber limited in bullet selection.

What limits the .270 now isn't bullet selection, it is the twist rate of its barrels. I doubt any of the factory rifles have a 1:9'"or 1:8" twist rate to handle such bullets.
 
What limits the .270 now isn't bullet selection, it is the twist rate of its barrels. I doubt any of the factory rifles have a 1:9'"or 1:8" twist rate to handle such bullets.
I have no experience shooting them, but the 165grain VLD, and Woodleigh's 180 PP are both said to stabilize in standard 1:10 twist barrels. The Matrix 175grain VLD would need a faster twist, though.
That bullet isn't really needed, IMO, unless you're shooting 1000+ yards. The 150 grain Nosler accubond 'Long range' bullet lists a G1 BC of .625 which is comparable to 168VLD's in .284 caliber.
 
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If you are worried about weight, take a look at the Savage light weight hunter. 6 lbs even in .270 Win. I have one in 6.5 Creedmoor at 5.5 lbs. Its a sweet rifle.
The Browning is a good rifle. I just thought I would mention the Savage since weight is of utmost concern to you.
 
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