308 Winchester or 270?

Decide what kind of rifle grabs your imagination, then consider the chamberings that are available for that particular rifle, rather than limit yourself to just two cartridges. There are no bad cartridges, but some cartridges are impractical for some applications. You might as well consider everything that is readily available. While there are no bad cartridges, there are some pretty crummy rifles out there, so don't let cost alone be your deciding factor.

Things you need to consider are:
your budget, as it relates to whether you should buy new or used,
your previous shooting experience,
what the rifle is for,
under what conditions will the rifle be used,
what type of action do you prefer,
stock material, as it relates to the ease of fitting the rifle to you,
barrel length, as it relates to A) balance B) the ballistic performance of the cartridge,
rifle balance, does it shoulder and point naturally, or do you struggle to find the target, then struggle to stay on target,
can you cycle the action with the piece shouldered or is it too long to reach, is the action too stiff, or is the piece too muzzle heavy to hold while the action is cyucled,
is the trigger manageable, if not is it adjustable, if not are after market triggers available for that rifle,
iron sights, or plain barrel, hint - if the rifle has irons you can start shooting right away if you can't afford both the rifle and a scope,
ease of mounting a scope, hint - if the rifle has to be drilled and tapped for scope mounting, it increases the cost of the rifle,
choice of quick detachable, or permanent scope mounts, hint - QD mounts allow quick for scope changes or switching between glass and irons,
a realistic estimation of how frequently you'll shoot,
cost of ammunition based on how frequently you'll shoot, hint - 20 rounds a week per year = 1040 rounds @ $2/ea = $2080/year
availability of ammunition and/or components if you intend to handload.
 
My Avatar says .308 Win but my younger brother has used only a .270 since the 1970's. Everything we have shot has died and the animals didn't notice the any differences between the two cartridges. Funny how that works.
 
StoneHorse said:
My Avatar says .308 Win but my younger brother has used only a .270 since the 1970's. Everything we have shot has died and the animals didn't notice the any differences between the two cartridges. Funny how that works.
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;)
Did you take a poll? Was it double blind? How did you manage the control group?
;)
 
Availability of ammo and bullet selection, cost and much more forgiving in barrel length / weight and life. Also, pairs well for hunting, sport, plinking in semi auto or bolt, consistency and familiarity goes a long way. 308 does a fine job on all our big game within range. 270 is nice and flat for distant shots (good for open spaces), much longer barrel, that is where it's sectional density and velocity matters. 308 lets you be a lot more selective, for a lot more occasions. Plenty will disagree, but 308 is a really nice sweet spot, and I don't like 30-06.

SuperCub said:
For what reason? I own two 308s and no 270s, but do not see any real diff. esp here in NB where deer hunting is what we do most.
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Nothing wrong with 30-06. If I did it over again I’d go 308 and a 300 win mag. 7mm for flat shooting. 270 is nice but not enough high b.c ammo options
 
xdmer said:
Availability of ammo and bullet selection, cost and much more forgiving in barrel length / weight and life. Also, pairs well for hunting, sport, plinking in semi auto or bolt, consistency and familiarity goes a long way. 308 does a fine job on all our big game within range. 270 is nice and flat for distant shots (good for open spaces), much longer barrel, that is where it's sectional density and velocity matters. 308 lets you be a lot more selective, for a lot more occasions. Plenty will disagree, but 308 is a really nice sweet spot, and I don't like 30-06.
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Sounds magical. :)
 
Where you live and hunt should be an important consideration as to what caliber you choose,
(bush vs. open country) (north vs. south) (east vs west)
almost as important as what type of game you want to hunt.

When I go to gun shows, I notice there are more .270 and 7MM guns for sale on the prairies, as opposed to BC where 30 caliber seems to be more common.

Here in the Rockies, where I hunt, and spend lots of time walking the back country, there's always a chance of running into a grizzly,
it's already happened to me.

Not to mention that on any given day during the season, I could be looking for a white tail, mule deer, elk or moose.

For me I'd take either my 30'06, 7MM, or 300 WM, (much more versatile)

If I had to choose between a .270 or a .308 though, I'd take a .308 (loaded up fairly hot with a good bullet)

If you want to go north and hunt Bison, you can't legally use a .270 in some areas.

Hunting regulations set minimum standards for bison hunting firearms.

Here in BC it's 175 grain bullets that retain a minimum 2000 FP of energy at 100 yds,
in the Yukon it's 30 cal, 180 grain, with a muzzle velocity of 2800 fps.

Basically it's a 30'06 or bigger, (unless you're a reloader, depending on your bullet choice, etc. etc.)

I'd rather be "over gunned" with a rifle I can shoot well, than walking around with something that's barely adequate.
 
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The 270 win is also a versatile cartridge. 110 gr ttsx at 3400fps would be devastating on coyotes and pronghorn antelope. 130 gr, well what can you say about it for deer? 140, 150 and 160 for elk and moose. It will also kill a grizzly as well as a 308 win. Both are excellent cartridges.
 
SuperCub said:
270s are very popular in Ont. for that very reason. I grew up in Fergus and know lots of guys that used them w/o any issues at all.

There's really no reason to pick one over the other. I'd choose the gun I liked best not based on chambering.
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Very sound advice.
I have owned 3 different 308's and 2 270's, a 270 is still in the lockup only because I live it Ontario.
At our camp there is no 270's used at all, and 3 308's, I use a 257 Roberts and a 243.
If I was only looking at 1 hunting rifle and did not have any caliber restrictions I would go crazy with all the choices.
Thank god we don't have to be restricted to only one.
Saying that my 257 will probably be the last rifle I have when the end draws near.

David
 
AP said:
Yes ... my first centerfire rifle was a Remington M600 Mohawk 308 and my second was a Sako 270W .... I still have them both and there are no plans to get rid of them.
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Yup .... That's the perfect combo.

Short 308 with small scope for beating the bush and a longer 270 with a larger scope for longer shooting. Both would offer good flexibility if the situation required it.
 
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