Questions about caliber for large game

l.viita

l.viita

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Hey there,

I am starting to look for a hunting rifle and I am hesitant about the best caliber for large game like deer, elk, moose. I am hesitant between .270 win and .308 (I've already tried that caliber and it's not too bad when it comes to recoil). I've always been a fan of Sako bolt actions, so the caliber would need to be available for various Sako models (I like the Bavarian ones or 85, but I'm also considering buying a used one, maybe an older model).

That being said, would .270 be enough for larger game like moose? Would .308 be a better versatile option? What about the price for the ammos, is there a big difference between the two?
I would also like to use that gun for target shooting, so the cost/availability of the ammo would be in important factor for me!

Thanks in advance for your input! :)
 
Between the two I would pick the 270, before the internet, back when moose and grizzly tags were available over the counter, the 270 was considered to be a big gun around here.

That said the 308 isn't a booby trap.

At the end of the day between the two I would pick the RIFLE that you like best.
 
Nothing wrong with your suggestions. Either one will serve you well. You could also look into .30-06 as it offers plenty of options, and ammunition is readily available even in remote areas.
 
I'd go with the .308. There's more ammo available and it's a touch more forgiving with shot placement. .270 isn't a slouch either, but I'd go with the .308.
 
nothing wrong with either caliber, enough bullet options with both to serve your needs. I like 308 just because its a more "universal" caliber, nothing more.
 
Either 270 or 308 would do the job for your intended use,.. but I would lean in the direction of the 308 for a couple reasons already mentioned above,.. ammo/bullet selection,.. short action,.. and a little bit more forgiving if shot placement is off a bit.

BUT,...if you are looking for "versatility",.. the 30-06 offers more than 270 or 308.
 
I have killed whitetail with .308 win, .270 win, 30-06 sprg, 6.5 Swedish, .7mm Rem Mag, .303 brit and 30-30, Within the proper distances the deer wont know the difference and you wont be able to tell one caliber from another when looking at the hole in the animal. So long story short both are good. The rifle i have with me more then the others is my .270...

Also 6.5x55 swedish is the caliber of choice for moose in Scandinavia. .270 is almost the same bullet but with a bit better velocity and has plenty of versatility. 130 grain winchester power points. All the versatility i have ever needed in mine lol.
 
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Thanks for your input! Maybe someday I'll stumble upon an acquaintance that has a .270 rifle so I could give it a try and compare! After a few shots of .308 I tend to get a large bruise on the shoulder :') though it's nothing I can't handle.

I did notice .308 seems easier to find in local stores than .270 (well the selection of weight/bullet type). I wonder though, if 6.5x55 swedish is easy to find in Canada... I'll also look into 30-06 as it might be another good option!
 
I would definitely go with 270. I would also stay away from the 130 gr even tho that is what it made it's reputation. 140 or 150. If shooting factory ammo it is hard to beat the Rem 150 gr corelokt.
 
l.viita said:
After a few shots of .308 I tend to get a large bruise on the shoulder :') though it's nothing I can't handle.
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A .308 should not cause bruising... you might want to get to the range with an experienced shooter and work on technique.
 
I recommend 308. although currently, I'm using 270 WIN for my primary hunting/target rifle.

dimension wise, the case diameter is the same, the 270 is quite a bit longer than the 308, hence the bigger recoil.
I prefer lighter recoil rounds, it's just easier to shoot a lighter recoil rifle, every spring, it takes me 10-20 rounds of 270win to get the recoil under control, and I find I can shoot 223 and 6.5x55 better than my 270. unless you practice year round, lighter recoil will translate to better accuracy. I can take the recoil from 25 rounds of 375H&H, but the accuracy isn't going to be there. rifle is a tool, don't need to prove to your buddies you can take more recoil. (recoil tolerance doesn't correlate to your **** size, lol)


270 bullets have better BC, but the better Ballistic Coefficient is only noticeable pass 500 yards. within 3-400 yards, there isn't much difference between 270 and 308.
interestingly, the 308win 150gr and 270win 150gr have the same muzzle velocity. 308 is more efficient on powder.
Most bullet manufacturers recommend a minimum velocity of 1900-1800fps for bullet to properly expand. 308 with 150gr bullet, max range is 500 yards. 270 with 150gr bullet gets you out to 600 yards. it's not that hard to sneak up 100 yards.

I believe 308 is better for hunting. For a hunting/target shooting hybrid, 270 has a slight edge pass 500 yards. but in long range competition 308 gets to 1000m without issues, 308 just require bit more practice in wind reading.
the bullet diameter of 308 is slightly bigger, therefore the wound channel will be wider, and have better takedown power.

for hunting the only reason for 270win is when you really need to anchor the animal by smashing the front shoulder blades. I shot my first bear in the head with a 270win 130gr Barnes TSX, the bullet punched through the skull, neck and right shoulder blade. I recovered the bullet under the skin. the skinny bullet helps to penetrate the heavy bones.

308 use less powder and the bullets are more abundant, so reloading wise 308 is better.

I guess it depends on how much money and time you want to spend to learn wind reading.



brain fart...I don't get how people toss out statements without and reasons attached...
 
Tabacco Brook said:
Either 270 or 308 would do the job for your intended use,.. but I would lean in the direction of the 308 for a couple reasons already mentioned above,.. ammo/bullet selection,.. short action,.. and a little bit more forgiving if shot placement is off a bit.

BUT,...if you are looking for "versatility",.. the 30-06 offers more than 270 or 308.
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This is my opnion as well. It's hard not to recommend a 30-06 as a general all around hunting rifle. Of my hunting rifles, 30-06 is one of the "smaller" ones which is a little funny, but it's also the most likely to get snatched out of the safe on any given day. I've used it on moose, caribou and muskox with almost boring efficiency. That's not to say that the 270 wouldn't be perfectly capable on game up to moose. It wouldn't hurt my feeling to "have" to use one if push came to shove (now that I think of it, I might have to do just that this fall if my Alberta draws hit). As usual I recommend using premium bullets, but they're not uncommon so really it's a non-issue. I've never been a fan of the 308. No good reason, just cartridge-bigotry I guess.
 
Flip side here, love the 308, shot it for over 5 decades now, versatile, accurate, reliable, has not failed me yet, should serve your purpose well.
That Sako Bavarian is a fine looking rifle, cheers
 
If the 308 causes bruising, I would ask an experienced shooter to go with you and observe your shooting. it should not cause bruising, unless you are holding it wrong. I was shooting a 308 at 9 years old, and I was not a big kid. That being said, if you are afraid of the '08, you are likely to flinch, which takes a lot of shooting to get rid of ($$). Might I suggest you look at either the 7-08 or better yet, a 6.5 X 55? The 6.5 actually kills a little better than the 308 according to the experts, and recoil is very light. A 243 is also a good candidate, if a little light for moose. Not saying it won't do the trick, with premium heavier bullets, but placement becomes critical.
 
The advantage of a .308 is that it can be had in a short light rifle, while having ballistics that are suitable for big game hunting. Light rifles produce more recoil than heavier rifles firing the same load. That said,its difficult to understand how you might get a bruise from a .308 and not from a .270. If both are loaded with 150 gr bullets, and fired in rifles of equal weight, the .270 kicks more, because it uses more powder than the .308. But perhaps the .308's LOP is too long, the rifle is very light, or perhaps it just needs a recoil pad.
 
Boomer said:
The advantage of a .308 is that it can be had in a short light rifle, while having ballistics that are suitable for big game hunting. Light rifles produce more recoil than heavier rifles firing the same load. That said,its difficult to understand how you might get a bruise from a .308 and not from a .270. If both are loaded with 150 gr bullets, and fired in rifles of equal weight, the .270 kicks more, because it uses more powder than the .308. But perhaps the .308's LOP is too long, the rifle is very light, or perhaps it just needs a recoil pad.
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To be fair, I'm a 5'2" woman that tends to get bruised easily (I get bruises when people jokingly fist bump by arm). But the .308 I tried was a short rifle (ruger gunsite scout) with a 16.1" barrel. It is a fairly light gun and it's the perfect size for me pretty much (compared to a benelli nova 12 gage for instance). I doubt the technique is the issue as the stock is in my shoulder "nook", directly on the muscly part of between the shoulder and chest under the clavicle. I don't recall how much gr the bullets had though at the time.


Thank you all so much for your insight! I don't have many hunters in my entourage so I'm glad to have seasoned hunters's opinions on the matter!

Also sorry if I make some mistakes in English at times or don't use the proper word. I like to think I'm fairly bilingual but sometimes it's not easy to know all specific terms regarding a more precise subject.
 
l.viita said:
To be fair, I'm a 5'2" woman that tends to get bruised easily (I get bruises when people jokingly fist bump by arm). But the .308 I tried was a short rifle (ruger gunsite scout) with a 16.1" barrel. It is a fairly light gun and it's the perfect size for me pretty much (compared to a benelli nova 12 gage for instance). I doubt the technique is the issue as the stock is in my shoulder "nook", directly on the muscly part of between the shoulder and chest under the clavicle. I don't recall how much gr the bullets had though at the time.


Thank you all so much for your insight! I don't have many hunters in my entourage so I'm glad to have seasoned hunters's opinions on the matter!

Also sorry if I make some mistakes in English at times or don't use the proper word. I like to think I'm fairly bilingual but sometimes it's not easy to know all specific terms regarding a more precise subject.
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If you want a 308, you can get a shooting pad that will help or wear a shooting jacket with a shoulder pad, but if you are looking at buying new, I'd highly suggest a 6.5 X 55. Just as a side note, have you thought of the little Savage/Stevens bolt action 30-30's? You can get them for around $300 (used is the only option AFAIK), but it's a great little deer gun and will do the job on moose with proper placement. (In my experience, moose are easier to kill than deer - but I'm not sure it's still legal for moose in QC.) Ammo is probably easier to find than for the 6,5.

Another option is to get a braked 308, but you would want hearing protection as they are noisy.
 
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