I am looking to by a new rifle: I have narrowed it down to 270 WSM, 270, or 30-06? Anyone with solid advice on these calibers please? Will be hunting small game (coyotes), white tail, hogs, and maybe some longe-range shots as well. Most likely it will be the Cooper M52. Thank you

Any of your choices will work. My favorite is the .270 of the ones you listed. My all time favorite to do what you are taking about is the .257 (Up to 250 yards).

I've used both calibres extensively - admittedly on African game. I gave the 30/06 to my son after buying a 270. They're both superb, time-proven calibres with lots of flexibility. If I had to choose one, it would be the 30/06 - there's not much the 270 can do that the 30/06 can't do, & some things the 30/06 does really well that the 270 does not do that well.

quote:

Originally posted by eurocentric:
I am looking to by a new rifle: I have narrowed it down to 270 WSM, 270, or 30-06? Anyone with solid advice on these calibers please? Will be hunting small game (coyotes), white tail, hogs, and maybe some long-range shots as well. Most likely it will be the Cooper M52. Thank you

quote:

Originally posted by Ignobilis:
If I had to choose one, it would be the 30/06 - there's not much the 270 can do that the 30/06 can't do, & some things the 30/06 does really well that the 270 does not do that well.

30-'06 hands down for that reason and more.

Bullet choice (hundreds of bullets available from 100g - 220g) and overall "do-everything-ness," varmints to moose-sized game, it is either a 30-'06 or a 300 WinMag.

If you are going to do much long-range shooting with VLD's and such, you might want to think
about a slightly faster twist barrel.

I shot an Ed Brown Marine Tactical in 30-'06 a few years ago ($3500 rifle). I asked the gentleman why he chose 30-'06 instead of 308 or some other caliber?

He said he would probably be able to afford one rifle of this quality, and the 30-'06 was the first choice for a "do all" cartridge.
That rifle was unbelievable...

Off the shelf premium ammo, 5 shots under one inch.

I have used both the 06 and the .270 for many years on all sorts of game and I am forever a fan of both but I suppose if it came down to fish or cut bait then I would go with the time honored 30-06, it just cannot be beat, and has an advantage on the heavier game.....

Is there a reason you dont have a 280 on your list? In terms of performance and bullet weights available, it splits the difference quite nicely between the 06 and 270.
Just a thought
boet

How about very light bullets for Small-Game? how does the 270 compare with the 30-06 in that department?

For your purposes I'd go .270. Why deal with the extra recoil if the .270 is perfectly adequate. If you ever need more gun buy a 30'06 but I've hunted a lot with both using equally accurate rifles and over time I've gotten so I just don't use the 30'06.

Of those listed ... the 30-06 because it never ends with just varmints, piggies and white tails

The 30-06 also can do less meat damage to WTs if reasonable bullets are used, and mine go in the freezer for consumption!

30-06 --- best all around available

Given the game you want to hunt, the .270 WSM for the reloader is the way to go. I shoot some awesome rifles in .257 Wby, 7mm STW, .300 Winny, .338 Lapua, and .340 Wby. In long range shooting my .270 WSM takes a back seat to none, particularly the .270 and 30-06. Good shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by holzauge:
Why deal with the extra recoil if the .270 is perfectly adequate.

What EXTRA recoil?
There is virtually NO difference in recoil between a 30-'06 and a 270. Shoot both with the same weight bullet and see what I mean. There is about 100 ft/lbs of difference in energy between 150g loads in a .270 and a 30-'06.

I have shot IDENTICAL Winchester 70s, one a .270 and one a 30-'06. No difference. Could not tell which was the 270 until I was told.

The myth of a .270 having less recoil is fostered by the same people who say a lightweight Win Model 94 30-30 doesn't kick.
AND

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
Of those listed ... the 30-06 because it never ends with just varmints, piggies and white tails

Well the 30/06 is a all round Rifle. It can go big boar or it can go small boar. It can go from 125gr to 220gr bullets. I have one.

30-06!

I like them both. The .280 is a marvelous combination of the two. Having said that, my 7 x 57 does about all I can ask for. Rifle weight is slightly lighter in the 7 and game never seems to know the difference. A perfect child's or woman's gun that Dad seems to latch on at first chance. Lot's of bullet selections too.

The bottom lione is this: the .270 will give you everything that you need for the game you mentioned. But the .30-06 allows you to use a wider range of bullet weights (up to 220g).

You could not go wrong with either one. You will not be dissapointed with either one.

quote:

For your purposes I'd go .270. Why deal with the extra recoil if the .270 is perfectly adequate. If you ever need more gun buy a 30'06 but I've hunted a lot with both using equally accurate rifles and over time I've gotten so I just don't use the 30'06.

My thoughts exactly.

For the uses you describe, the .270 Winchester is the best choice by just a little. It provides a slight edge over the .30-06 when ranges are long and game is light.

The WSM would be okay if you're enamored of cartridges of that design, but ammunition will be more costly and less available than the others and it really doesn't provide performance much different from the good old .270 WCF. Your magazine capacity will also be more limited with this cartridge, if that seems important to you.

Given the choice of the .270 and the 30-06 --the shortie isn't in the running-- it would have to be the 06. But why not have the best of both worlds with the .280? The 7x64 (aka .280) has a time honored reputation in Europe and Africa.

Perhaps a .300 would be more to your liking !.
Loaded up or down it's hard to beat . As is the 06 . Everything you listed for hunting can be done with a .270 with NO problem .

How ever if you should ever decide on hunting something larger , then the .30 cal is a better choice . .300 WSM or .300 win Mag or .300 RUM .

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

I would go for a 30-06 were it me. For all the reasons mentioned.

Jacobite ; Your not a plasterer or were one are you ?. Curious is all as I Knew a Don Nelson years back and shot with him . EF&G Range !.

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

Nope I am an electrician and my Dad who was also Don Nelson was a drunk.

From your description:
A 270 Winchester sounds like the icecream to go on the apple pie!!!!

You will be just fine with either a .30-06 or a .270 Winchester.....but my vote is for the .270

Hornady offers .308" dia. "30 cal." bullets in 86 gr. on the light end and 220 gr. on the heavy end.

Bolt action 30-06 and the Springfield '06 brass will manage the heavy loads for the "big stuff." And the 86 gr. bullets will provide the flat trajectory for smaller game at long distance.

Mostly the case volume in 30-06 brass makes it a versatile caliber for all sorts of applications.

It's a work-horse, long-standing, classical favorite for a reason -- like that old Ford Pickup that just won't die.

I lucked into a Weatherby Vanguard (Howa), polymer stock, Leupold VX II, 3 - 9x 40mm in about 85% at a pawn shop, "20% off" -- $350 out the door.

Damn! Such a deal!

Ohhhhhhhhh yeah . . . the other nice thing about 30-06:

You're out in the woods, nothing around except "Bubba's Beer n' Burger," they sell gas, ice, coffee to go.

"You sell ammo?"

"Nooooooooooo . . . what caliber are you looking for?"

"Thirty aught six?"

"Hold on . . . Bubba's got a box of that out in the truck . . . You can borrow some."

I guess it depends on what is important to you. You say it is your first rifle. Perhaps you should buy the cartridge that has a bit less recoil but is more than adequate for any WT deer or hog. The 270 winchester shooting 130 grain bullets has done it all, does not kick as much, and while being able to do it all, does not require you to stretch a point with a very light boolet out of the 30-06. All three are excellent choices, the WSM is going to a bit louder and kick more at least my 300WSM is.

If settling on just one medium bore caliber in a bolt gun, it would hands down, be a .30-06 with 180 grain bullets. Had a few .270s and though it's a great caliber, never took to them as the .06.

quote:

Originally posted by 45-70 Govt.:
Ohhhhhhhhh yeah . . . the other nice thing about 30-06:

You're out in the woods, nothing around except "Bubba's Beer n' Burger," they sell gas, ice, coffee to go.

"You sell ammo?"

"Nooooooooooo . . . what caliber are you looking for?"

"Thirty aught six?"

"Hold on . . . Bubba's got a box of that out in the truck . . . You can borrow some."

Yep.

Try that with the 270WSM...

The .270WSM just because it's new and sexy. All good calibres though.

I have shot a lot of varmints with the 110 gr. 30-06..and I would opt for a 30-06 over about any caliber for an all around gun...

But I suppose if varmints were primary and big game was secondary, then the .270 would be better by a tad...

Either one is about as good as it gets, its a hard choice and you could toss the .280 in there also, not much difference in the 3 of them..Its a win, win, solution.

I own and shoot all three!!! If you are recoil finicky you wont like thw WSM with anything bigger than 130 grn bullets. The .270 win shoots 130 grn bullets great! But my 06 will do it all...light bullets/heavy bullets and everything in between and I would bet it has KILLED every type of animal (two legged included) on this planet...dead.

Everyone will have their favorite and you'll get/have gotten lots of suggestions. But for the range of commercial ammo and the extremely wide variety of reloading components, you just can't beat the 30-06. You can hand load everything from light varmint loads to heavy elk loads. It can also be an exceptionally good long range gun.

I believe the 30-06 is a better choice....especially if down the road you end up hunting larger game (or hunting where you may encounter large predators).

Cheers,

Dan

I love my .270 win, but the barrel is on the last shots, I think I'll replace it with a 280 Rem. If I didnt have bigger guns for moose I'd go for the 30.06.

WSM gives you a little more power than the 270 win, and is a slick little cartridge, but I've found it to be finicky, and hard on brass.

If you don't like reciol, which I certainly don't, I'd go with the 270. I shoot at least a box almost every weekend and have calmed the flinch i developed shooting magnums.

270 win is the best balance between power, recoil, and value, IMO.

quote:

Damn! Such a deal!

Ohhhhhhhhh yeah . . . the other nice thing about 30-06:

You're out in the woods, nothing around except "Bubba's Beer n' Burger," they sell gas, ice, coffee to go.

"You sell ammo?"

"Nooooooooooo . . . what caliber are you looking for?"

"Thirty aught six?"

"Hold on . . . Bubba's got a box of that out in the truck . . . You can borrow some."

This may have been the case some 40 years ago, but I have never seen it. My whole family is ex-military and not one '06 in the mix. I think my grandpa had one, but I cant even remember seeing it. Of the 20 or so people that I have hunted with in the last 10 years not one '06 in camp.

There is no doubt that this is a good caliber, but dont make your decision on what extra bullets your hunting partner may have in the trunk of his car. If that is the case, the day you forget your bullets just happens to be the day that your buddy brings his pappys 30-40 lever for old times sakes.

Ok So ordered a Cooper Model 52 in 30-06, I am also purchasing a Marlin in 270.

quote:

Originally posted by eurocentric:
Ok So ordered a Cooper Model 52 in 30-06, I am also purchasing a Marlin in 270.

Good choice if you can't decide buy both!!

I've used several carts and feel that everyone should at least own a 30-06 or two or three...... There's just not much you can't do with an 06.

Good Luck

Reloader