cdn1canhunt
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- southwestern ontario
62 .... Southeastern Ontario ? Used to hunt in 68 and 76 yes much less restrictions....maybe lower population density?
ontario hunter opinions pls...
- Thread starter Smcx
- Start date
For sure.... Complete middle of nowhere.... North part of the tweed tamworth area....
Thanks very much for the help! Things are making sense now. Looks like a .270 might be in my future.
... or not?!? am I reading right or is a .270 bullet actually .277 in diameter? That would disqualify it for small game right?
nevermind... found this.
"Answer from the MNR
The MNR stance on this section is that we use the nominal calibre of the firearm in determining compliance. That is, even though as you have correctly suggested, the actual dimensions of a .270 cal. shell are .277, we accept that rifle as being a .270 and therefore treat it as a legal firearm within the restricted areas."
... or not?!? am I reading right or is a .270 bullet actually .277 in diameter? That would disqualify it for small game right?
nevermind... found this.
"Answer from the MNR
The MNR stance on this section is that we use the nominal calibre of the firearm in determining compliance. That is, even though as you have correctly suggested, the actual dimensions of a .270 cal. shell are .277, we accept that rifle as being a .270 and therefore treat it as a legal firearm within the restricted areas."
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Good on you for picking that up..... And yes, they go strictly by headstamp...
What a stupid rule..... .270 is one of the longer range non magnum calibers out there..... Lol
I am no .270 fan...... But there is no practical need to convert one to an aught six IMOP...... It would be much cheaper to adjust which bullet and charge you use to your intended purpose than it would be to convert.....
Ok. What would you suggest instead of .270? I'm not set on anything yet
Truthfully, I see the .270 as a do all gun.... And it is why I don't like it...... It does everything well, but doesn't excel at any one thing......
But, that is my opinion, ..... It is a great starter caliber for hunting medium to big game ....(meaning less than grizzly or bison size)
Buy a nice .270 in a quality rifle and you have something you can hunt anything in Ontario with.......
Don't worry about converting it, and when you get hooked on hunting, you will want a more dedicated cartridge....
For example, I will use your coyote hunt desire..... .270 is legal, but if you end up wanting to keep your furs, it will be hard on them.....
Ok. What would you suggest instead of .270? I'm not set on anything yet
Try a 6.5x55 swede? Or a .260 rem, .25-06, perhaps a .250 savage? Anything smaller and you're into cartridges that are not suitable for moose. The .250 is marginal at best.
.308 has the most versatile choice of ammo, you will hunt anything with it, bear, deer, moose, wolf, etc.. (No grizzly bear)..., I choose a .308 over a 270, look what is the most available ammo in your sector..., this is something to consider.
My 2 cents.
My 2 cents.
The 270 is more than enough for deer, moose and bear in Ontario plus every company out there that makes ammo loads 270 in a fair variety of choices. Plus it's considered one of the "common calibers" so you don't pay a premium for the bullets like you would with a 25.06 as an example.
The same could be said for the far more popular 30.06 or 308 but neither of those meet those caliber restrictions in your neck of the woods.
Unless you plan on hunting deer somewhere other than southwestern Ontario you are pretty much restricted to shotgun if you can use a modern firearm at all (there is bow only, bow/muzzle loader seasons as well) and there is next to no open season for bears down that way either.
So maybe you might reconsider what you plan on hunting and where.
If it is deer, moose and bear "with a rifle" then the 270 restriction wouldn't apply since you would have to travel "elsewhere" to hunt them with a rifle anyhow. You could go with a 30.06 or 308.
If you want to rifle hunt varmints etc "locally" then pick up a 223 - cheaper to shoot, easy on the shoulder, legal in your area etc
Toss in a 12 gauge 2 barrel combo (rifled and smooth with chokes) with that 223 and you can hunt "everything" in your area - and maybe wait to buy the larger bore until you actually have a trip planned where you can use it.
The same could be said for the far more popular 30.06 or 308 but neither of those meet those caliber restrictions in your neck of the woods.
Unless you plan on hunting deer somewhere other than southwestern Ontario you are pretty much restricted to shotgun if you can use a modern firearm at all (there is bow only, bow/muzzle loader seasons as well) and there is next to no open season for bears down that way either.
So maybe you might reconsider what you plan on hunting and where.
If it is deer, moose and bear "with a rifle" then the 270 restriction wouldn't apply since you would have to travel "elsewhere" to hunt them with a rifle anyhow. You could go with a 30.06 or 308.
If you want to rifle hunt varmints etc "locally" then pick up a 223 - cheaper to shoot, easy on the shoulder, legal in your area etc
Toss in a 12 gauge 2 barrel combo (rifled and smooth with chokes) with that 223 and you can hunt "everything" in your area - and maybe wait to buy the larger bore until you actually have a trip planned where you can use it.
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
You're better off to just buy a new gun. Its a job for a gun smith to do this task and ultimately not worth the cost.
As for your original question, it really depends where you hunt and what your targets are. There are no rifle seasons for deer, moose, or bear in southern ON. Where there are rifles season for those animals the "270" law doesnt effect them. It really only effects varmint hunting, in which case I would ditch the idea of a 270 because its rather overpowered for varmints.
Myself, I hunt in central ON (Muskoka-Parry Sound) and can use any calibre rifle I want. My go to is a 308win. I prefer it to the 3006 because its a short action, its cheaper to buy, and it has moderately lower recoil.
As I also suggested, a rifled 12 or 20 gauge is plenty for moose or deer and is legal most everywhere. The 20 gauge is good for ranges out past 200 yards. A good three-barrel set with a cantilever scope mount is a great all around gun for Ontario, some guys even hunt coyotes with buckshot or bb's.
With regard to your desire to hunt moose. Look in the regulations for the most southerly WMU's where they are hunted. Then look to see how many (few) tags are issued there. I am forever hearing guys complain that they cannot obtain moose tags in the areas where their cottages are located (i.e. usually in the most southerly of the zones where moose hunting is permitted.) Therefore in order to have even a small chance of drawing a tag you are going to have to plan on travelling quite far north. After considering all this you may decide moose hunting is going to be far off in your planning. If only deer are to be considered for a number of years then you may want to buy a smaller calibre rifle until the time comes when you are actually going to hunt moose.
As an example we travel 700 to 750 miles before hopping on a plane to where we moose hunt. The point being, it is not cheap. If you are a beginning hunter this may be beyond your budget for a number of years.
Jim
As an example we travel 700 to 750 miles before hopping on a plane to where we moose hunt. The point being, it is not cheap. If you are a beginning hunter this may be beyond your budget for a number of years.
Jim
Great points. Given where my cottage is, i guess it's actually central ontario, although that doesn't help with great moose numbers from what I've heard. I was just looking for a do it all rifle, and it sounds like that isn't the best idea
cdn1canhunt
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- southwestern ontario
A .270 is a do all caliber for Ontario imo! Ballistics are similar to .30-06 more than capable to take on a moose hunt.....but will keep you legal to hunt predators in Southern Ontario if you want a one gun battery!
For my hunting, shotguns and a .243 is all that has been required. My poor .30 cals barley ever leave the safe these days as sad as that is.
There is something to be said for just having one rifle. Familiarity usually breeds proficiency....being proficient with your rifle equals hunting/harvest success
For my hunting, shotguns and a .243 is all that has been required. My poor .30 cals barley ever leave the safe these days as sad as that is.
There is something to be said for just having one rifle. Familiarity usually breeds proficiency....being proficient with your rifle equals hunting/harvest success
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freezer filler
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Windsor, Ontario
270wsm
cdn1canhunt
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- southwestern ontario
No issue with WSM cals except they are usually more expensive for ammo and less available then standard Calibers. Only real benefit may be it's a short action round??
