The 270 Winchester and old myths.

The only reason the 280R didn't completely eclipse the 270W is because Remington dropped the ball when they introduced it. If the .280 were properly loaded from the start we would all be talking about the .270 as if it were a cool old cartridge our grandpas used to use. LOL :) :) :)

Not only did it not completely eclipse it....it never got close . Im off shooting my old cartridge this AM :)
 
Not only did it not completely eclipse it....it never got close . Im off shooting my old cartridge this AM :)

And I am sure it will work just as designed. In the end thats the kicker is that there is so little difference between most cartridges that its hardly worth mention. However not only do we mention it but we feel compelled to discuss it over and over from every angle. It might be why my old lady thinks I'm nuts when it comes to guns.
 
If you stuck to 130's in the .270 and 180's in the .30-06 they might seem like different rifles...

Bingo. This is where both cartridges really shine and how they're actually used most of the time. I think it's fair to say, the most common bullets for the following calibers are listed below:

30'06 - 180gr
308 - 165gr
270 130gr

The 30'06 here provides the most recoil AND the most energy down range. It is also the second most affected by bullet drop and has a shorter range than the 270 but greater range than the 308.

The 270 has the furthest range and lowest bullet drop. It provides greater energy to target than the 308.

The 308 has the same recoil as the 270 when the latter is pushing 130gr and the 308 is pushing 165. They provide very similar energy downrange with an edge to the 270 and the 270 has further range. When looking at these facts, the 270 is a superior cartridge to the 308.

The 30'06 is neither inferior or superior to the 270. One hits harder (180gr), the other shoots further and flatter (130gr) with less recoil. They're different cartridges.
 
Here are the numbers to support the above. Taken from Federal Premium ammunition.

Energy in Foot lbs. 100 Yard Increments.

P270TT1--------P308TT2----------------------P3006TT1

270 Win--------308 Win. (7.62x51mm)------30-06 Spring. (7.62x63mm)

2703-----------2671---------------------------2913

2330-----------2294---------------------------2542

2001-----------1961---------------------------2208

1711-----------1667---------------------------1911

1454-----------1408---------------------------1644

1228-----------1182---------------------------1408

And now Trajectory. 100 Yard increments.

P270TT1--------P308TT2----------------------P3006TT1

270 Win--------308 Win. (7.62x51mm)------30-06 Spring. (7.62x63mm)

0.5-----------0.9---------------------------0.9

1.4-----------2.0---------------------------2

0-------------0-----------------------------0

-6.4-----------8.6---------------------------8.4

-18.7----------24.7--------------------------23.9

-38------------49.9--------------------------47.7


So there we have it. The 30'06 shoots hardest on both ends with middle of the road trajectory.

The 308 delivers less energy than both the 270 and the 30'06 despite having a bullet that weighs 35 grains more than the 270. It actually has the worst trajectory of the three.

The 270 is superior to the 308 in every way. The 270 and 30'06 trade blows. One of harder hitting, the other flatter shooting.
 
So by those standards, all calibers within your prescribed "drop zone" at 300 are the same ?


Not all calibers, but all chambering listed on my charts will perform similarly within 300 yards. The bullet drops will be within a few inches of each other, and the energies will be comparable enough to kill whatever you want with proper bullet selection and proper shot placement. So there's very little difference between a .270, .280, 30-06 in reality.

It handles light bullets better than its parent case,the 30-06 and the 06 handles heavy bullets better. Between the two there are a pile of calibers which perform the same and a whole bunch which perform differently. In other words, the 270 is better than some calibers and worse than others. Make sense? :D

A 30-06 with a 150 grain bullet will be indistinguishable in the field from a .270 with 130gr.

a 30-06 with 180 gr bullet will be indistinguishable from a 270 with a 160 gr bullet.

Any differences are imaginary at best.

Make sense:HR: ?

These have far more similarities than differences. d:h:
 
But if you compare the .270 130 grain to the .30-06 180 grain - areas where the two are best respectively - what would you say?

I'd say that if you put a 130gr TTSX bullet in your .270 you will have something that will shoot flatter and penetrate deeper than the standard "30-06 180gr bullet" load.

And I'd say if you want 130gr .270 trajectory in your 30-06, put a 130 or 150gr bullet in it.

We can play with numbers and variables all day....it's still like the intraweb in the 90's.:p
 
But if you compare the .270 130 grain to the .30-06 180 grain - areas where the two are best respectively - what would you say?





I'd say that if you put a 130gr TTSX bullet in your .270 you will have something that will shoot flatter and penetrate deeper than the standard "30-06 180gr bullet" load.

And I'd say if you want 130gr .270 trajectory in your 30-06, put a 130 or 150gr bullet in it.

We can play with numbers and variables all day....it's still like the intraweb in the 90's.:p



This is very close to what I'd say as well. The bonded bullets, and even moreso the TSX's and TTSX's, have changed the big differences we're used to.

More specifically, Heavy for caliber will perform the same regardless of the caliber used, and light for caliber will perform the same regardless of the caliber used. Caliber is less important than bullet selection. And with a TSX or an Accubond, I don't even NEED a heavy for caliber bullet anymore. I have a Husqvarna 30-06 dialed in with a 150gr TTSX going 2930 fps. That'll do a moose or elk just fine. So would a .270 with 130 TTSX.

But, even with standard bullets, heavy for caliber will perform the same accross the board of calibers [assuming the same case size], and light for caliber will perform the same across the board with the same assumption. If I really liked the 180gr 30-06, then I could just put in a 160gr in my 6.5-06, and you'd NEVER be able to tell the difference. Trajectory would be nearly identical, an so would performance on game.

So then am I crazy for having a 6.5-06, a couple .270's, a couple .280's, and a few 30-06's when they can all do the same thing? Yes [but I'm not ready to sell:)].
 
Let's keep this from dying. Hard core and casual .270 users should post their accomplishments with this cartridge. I personally have coyotes to moose under my bel with this cartridge. 130gr Sierras to 150gr Partitions. At least 40 big game animals from 25 to 535yds. Who else?
 
First kill with the 270 that I recall was a coyote. First crack at him I missed at 280 or so, but a raking shot nailed him the second try at 340. Bullet was a 160gr Partition. There was a Mule Deer with a [gag] 140 Barnes X, those early fmj style ones.

The BIL has shot lots of game with his Grandfather's 270. Topping the list would be the first bull Elk he got. He belly crawled 200yds across open country to cut the range down to a modest 430yds. One shot with a 130gr Grand Slam as it quartered towards him, head down grazing. Bullet struck the neck and killed it instantly. Nugget is a big fan of having a bipod on his rifle, paid off that day. Other hunters in the area were watching the stalk and could not believe how that bull dropped in its tracks, they figured he was packing some massive hammer of Thor.

He's taken his mountain lion with it using his Grandad's loads, gotten a bear or two, nice whitetails and a great Antelope too. Almost forgot the moose too. Had to get him a 30 super to put the 270 away before he wore it out.
 
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