Hey everyone. I got into hunting about 4 years ago and have been shooting a 270 since the beginning. I am thinking of upping the caliber for increased stopping power as I have moved on from hunting just deer to hunting elk and moose. Obviously everyone has preferences, but what has been your ideal caliber on your hunts?
Caliber
- Thread starter Zavluk
- Start date
Your 270 is perfectly adequate for elk or moose with heavier bullets. Many people use it with good results.
- Location
- West Central Alberta
Keep the .270 and add a 7mm rem mag for open country longshots and a .338wm if you hunt in the home of the big bears.
Yes, or 150 grain Partitions or Accubonds. or Swift Scirocco, or Norma Oryx or ..................... the list goes on.
The 270 with monolithic or bonded bullets is more than enough for any moose and elk.
But with all that said you wouldn't be a Gun Nut with a single rifle so a .338 may be in your future. LoL
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
You already have what you need to shoot elk and moose in the .270, if you’re bored with it fair enough. Buy something else to scratch the itch.
- Location
- Vancouver Island
I agree. I just started shooting longer range and the 270WSM that I use is perfect for the job. The accuracy and little recoil make for a deadly combo. If you pick your shots you’ll be able to drop anything. I also shoot a 30-06 but do not like it as much for longer range , although it is a larger calibre, the recoil and bullet flight path make it more difficult to make accurate shots. Heavy recoil.
OP, the folks telling you that you already have all you need are giving you very sound advice and there are a lot of very experienced hunters and history out there to back up their opinions.
I've personally done my best to avoid the 270Win, not because it isn't a competent cartridge/caliber but "only'' because the diameter of the bullets is a ''bastard'' size and because I almost exclusively hand load, for several different rifles that have the same bore diameters, none of which are .277, I've mostly avoided it.
That being said, I used one, which didn't belong to me, exclusively on Bear/Deer/Moose for one season, using 130-160 grain bullets.
I found the 130 grain bullets to be a bit on the light side, the 140/150 grain bullets to be just fine for everything I shot and the 160 grain bullets I used for Bears exclusively to have a bit more recoil than I prefer to live with, but were very accurate and never did recover one, from more than 15 bears take under a land owners permit that year, the longest shot being just over 150 long paces.
The same thing happened with the Deer and Moose, with the 140-150 grain bullets, shots were just under 100m and the bullets were placed through the boiler room appx 10cm under the spine. The bullets hit ribs going in and exiting. Neither animal, Mule Deer and Canada Moose went more than 20 yards before dropping.
The White Tails were taken with the 130 grain bullets, Nosler Partitions, for just over 2900fps. Both bullets expanded perfectly.
The animals didn't require a second shot as they were both visibly well hit.
One was around 75 meters and the other was just over 150 meters. That's almost point blank, which seems to be right in the average ranges I normally take game.
Both of those partition bullets hit bone. The first one hit middle of boiler room. Hit a rib going in expanded beautifully from the damage to the internals and hit a rib on the way out, then caught up in the hide, no exit hole.
Very similar performance on the second Deer which was twice as far out.
Nothing at all wrong with the performance of the Noslers. I just like a bullet that goes through and through, allowing the vacuum effect trailing the bullets passage to do what it does best.
If I were told the only rifle I could have was chambered for the 270Win, as long as I could use ''good bullets'' 140 grain - 150 grain weight. I wouldn't have anything to complain about.
I've personally done my best to avoid the 270Win, not because it isn't a competent cartridge/caliber but "only'' because the diameter of the bullets is a ''bastard'' size and because I almost exclusively hand load, for several different rifles that have the same bore diameters, none of which are .277, I've mostly avoided it.
That being said, I used one, which didn't belong to me, exclusively on Bear/Deer/Moose for one season, using 130-160 grain bullets.
I found the 130 grain bullets to be a bit on the light side, the 140/150 grain bullets to be just fine for everything I shot and the 160 grain bullets I used for Bears exclusively to have a bit more recoil than I prefer to live with, but were very accurate and never did recover one, from more than 15 bears take under a land owners permit that year, the longest shot being just over 150 long paces.
The same thing happened with the Deer and Moose, with the 140-150 grain bullets, shots were just under 100m and the bullets were placed through the boiler room appx 10cm under the spine. The bullets hit ribs going in and exiting. Neither animal, Mule Deer and Canada Moose went more than 20 yards before dropping.
The White Tails were taken with the 130 grain bullets, Nosler Partitions, for just over 2900fps. Both bullets expanded perfectly.
The animals didn't require a second shot as they were both visibly well hit.
One was around 75 meters and the other was just over 150 meters. That's almost point blank, which seems to be right in the average ranges I normally take game.
Both of those partition bullets hit bone. The first one hit middle of boiler room. Hit a rib going in expanded beautifully from the damage to the internals and hit a rib on the way out, then caught up in the hide, no exit hole.
Very similar performance on the second Deer which was twice as far out.
Nothing at all wrong with the performance of the Noslers. I just like a bullet that goes through and through, allowing the vacuum effect trailing the bullets passage to do what it does best.
If I were told the only rifle I could have was chambered for the 270Win, as long as I could use ''good bullets'' 140 grain - 150 grain weight. I wouldn't have anything to complain about.
150gr bullets in a 270 is a moose killer.
But there's nothing wrong in wanting a new rifle to step up a notch in power. The 300 Winmag is a step up. 7mm rem is not enough of a step up from .270 to be worthwhile imo.
But there's nothing wrong in wanting a new rifle to step up a notch in power. The 300 Winmag is a step up. 7mm rem is not enough of a step up from .270 to be worthwhile imo.
Ive used the 270 on both moose and elk. I just use heavier bullets. It isnt my favorite cartridge, but it works well on all the ungulates. - dan
OP, you need to ask why you chose the 270Win as a first rifle.
If it was given to you or was cheap at the time or???????
There is one thing you haven't mentioned. RECOIL TOLERANCE.
I've seen a LOT of good shooters whose abilities to get their shots on the intended target by stepping down from MAGNUMS to the 270Win improved dramatically.
Magnumitis has a decent base in reality as far as power goes.
A poorly place shot with a magnum round is just as innefective as a poorly place shot with a 270Win.
If your rifle is accurate and you're cleaning it properly/maintaining it properly to keep it that way, it's perfectly adequate and then some for any big game animal in North America.
If you can afford another rifle or just want another, go for it. However, if your present rifle is accurate and you can shoot it well, don't sell it to purchase your new endeavor. This is just a bit of hindsight on my personal experiences.
If it was given to you or was cheap at the time or???????
There is one thing you haven't mentioned. RECOIL TOLERANCE.
I've seen a LOT of good shooters whose abilities to get their shots on the intended target by stepping down from MAGNUMS to the 270Win improved dramatically.
Magnumitis has a decent base in reality as far as power goes.
A poorly place shot with a magnum round is just as innefective as a poorly place shot with a 270Win.
If your rifle is accurate and you're cleaning it properly/maintaining it properly to keep it that way, it's perfectly adequate and then some for any big game animal in North America.
If you can afford another rifle or just want another, go for it. However, if your present rifle is accurate and you can shoot it well, don't sell it to purchase your new endeavor. This is just a bit of hindsight on my personal experiences.
