Trying to decide on a 270 or 30-06

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Wendyj

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I noticed husband fooling around with 270 and 30-06 in gun shop last weekend. He was eyeballing the Savage 110 and the TC Venture. I asked him why those 2 calibers and he had a 270 about 30 years ago and said he had just never owned a 30-06. I think since we've got the reloading bug he just wants another caliber to load. He has a lot of rifles but mostly shoots bench with 260 and 308. Hunts with his Rem 7 mm mag , 300 WSM , and 338 Ultra mag for distance. Wood hunts with my 7-08 and his 45-70. He hunts mostly white tail, Mulies and antelope. Once every 6-8 years an occasional elk hunt and bear. Any pros and cons to either caliber or his choice of rifles. Says he only wants it for a truck gun just in case he's out and decides to hunt.
 
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Either one would be excellent and both are used to hunt very similar game.

Might I suggest since you mention .308 maybe you should consider the .30-06 because of bullet commonality for reloading.

Since he has a 260 I am not sure what the 270 really gains, and also since you have a .308 there isn't much difference in the .30-06 (note I said much).

So, get either or get both! :-)
 
The 260 is a bull barrel with a ten round mag. It's primarily for bench shooting only but our state does allow the ten round magazine. Unfortunately some of the western states don't allow it. Had thought a out the 30-06 since we exclusively use 180 grain bullets out of the 308.
 
Commonality of projectiles among the .308, .300 WSM, and .30-06 (if he gets it) would mean considerable savings regarding feeding the new rifle. With the .300WSM and .338 UM, you already have something that'll drop anything in the western hemisphere. The .270 will be kinder to your shoulder, though it CAN be loaded to kick hard.

The .270 Win and the .260 Remington also have similar capabilities. Unless he just has a need to own a .270 or .30-06, you might consider a .243 Winchester or .25-06, for varmints.
 
Wendyj wrote:

Trying to decide on a 270 or 30-06

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I noticed husband fooling around with 270 and 30-06 in gun shop last weekend. ..... Says he only wants it for a truck gun just in case he's out and decides to hunt.
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Ask him a little more about a "truck rifle"?!

To me neither one (270 or 30-06) scope bolt action rifle would make a good "truck rifle". My "truck rifles" are all iron sighted; As any bump, jar or something dropped on it could knock the scope off zero.
 
His idea of a truck fun is whoever he's shooting with that says lets go to the back 40 and see if the new blind is showing any sign. Most of these are our hors riding friends and have some pretty fair acreage offering some decent 100-240 yard shots. The 6.5 X 55 he has been trying to find everywhere in a Sako or Tikka at a decent rate. The 338 ultra mag never comes out of the safe if he isn't going to grizzly country. He use a 22_250 and 223 for varmints.
 
I'm not a fan of the .270. My opinion is: The 30/06 is hard to beat if you can handle the recoil. If looking for something easier to shoot(with the added feature of a flatter long range trajectory), go to the 25/06 which I much prefer over the over-sensationalized .270.
 
It's not for me and recoil doesn't bother him at all. I probably worded op wrong as I guess I'm trying to figure out whether to but the TC Venture or the Savage 110. He would prefer a Tikka I'm sure but a little too much money this time of year. I'm sure he would be happy with either caliber. Both rifles were used with synthetic stocks. I know the TC guarantees 1 inch groups but only TC we own is a muzzle loader. His 308 is a Model 11 and his 300wsm is a model 16. Everything else we have are Tikks, Sako, and Remington.
 
Everybody ought to have a 30-06, and a 270 Win. Both are great calibers. I have shot the 30-06 in competition out to 1000 yards, it is very accurate. I think the 270 Win is at its best with a 130 grain bullet, and a 130 grain moving 3000 fps is devastating on game.
 
With the calibers he has he already has one that will do about any job better than the 270 or the 30-06. That don`t mean he could`t use another rifle though. A heavier one for bench shooting or a liter one for easier carry. You did not mention a good round for varmints though. A 22-250, a 243 or maybe go a little on the wild side and go with a 6-284 wildcat if he is going to load his own.
 
I love me a 270, own one myself...but having said that, the 06 is more versatile as far as bullet weights available. You can load light and fast as effectively as the 270, or heavy and harder hitting.

Both are terrific cartridges in my opinion. I don't currently own an 06 but have in the past... I'll have another again at some point... and I won't be getting rid of the 270. I like variety just for the fun of it.

If he reloads, getting the 06 does make sense on the front of bullet interchangeability with other rifles he already has, as previously mentioned.

If that's not important, the 270 is a fine choice to fill that "I just want one" need.. :)

I agree with Slamfire on bullet weights for the 270. Mine favors the 130gr bullets as well. It is amazingly accurate with the 130gr, but is marginally average with 150gr bullets..
 
.270 "over-sensationalized", really? That's a little bit harsh don't you think? I feel it's reputation is well deserved, along with the 30-06.
 
*If he hand loads there is nothing you can do with one that can't be done with the other until you get to bullets 200 gr or heavier. Then the 30-06 has an edge.

*With the best loads a 30-06 will drop less than 2" more at 500 yards. With the better 150-160 gr bullets a 270 will take any animal the 30-06 will take with 180's.

* If someone handed anyone either of them and didn't tell them which they were shooting you couldn't tell which were which by recoil.

*The 7-08 and 308 you have will do anything a 270 or 30-06 will do 50 yards closer.

* The 7 mag and 300 WSM will do anything the 270 and 30-06 will do 50 yards farther away.

*The 338 Ultra mag arguably doesn't do anything the 300 WSM won't do.

You don't NEED either 270 or 30-06, but I find the 30-06 more versatile in that heavier bullets can be used. Compared to 270 caliber there are many, many more options for good bullets that will do about everything needed in a rifle.

Of course those same bullets can be used in 308. For the intended purpose I'd by a 2nd rifle in 308 and simply set it up very differently than the one you have. Something with a compact 18-20" barrel in a trim lightweight gun. Something along the lines of the Ruger Scout rifle.
 
Because you reload, there isn't anything I'd shoot with a 30-06 that I wouldn't shoot with a 270 Winchester. Maybe the choice should be between the two weapons you're looking at instead.
 
Back in my very-active messing-around years with my first '06, I loaded all manner of stuff: 00 Buck and five grains of pistol powder as a squirrel load. 80-grain pistol bullet with a bunch of 3031 for jackrabbits (mucho ruinacious, at near 4,000 ft/sec). 150 for deer. 169-grain gas-checks with 20 grains of 2400 for plinking.
 
I would lean hard toward the 30-06, savage 110 or Rem 700. It's far and away the most versatile round for up or down the grain weight. Lots of fun to reload for. I like the .270 but find they are rather picky one gun to the next and usually like one bullet. I have lots of 06's and can load heavy or light and shoot 1/2'' or less either way.
 
I'd say a coin flip, too; however, you're already loading a 308. It matches the '06 with light bullets, but you can get an honest 2800fps with 180s in a 22" '06. That's 100fps less than a 150 out of a 270.
 
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