What's the real-world difference between a 270 win. and a 270 Weatherby Magnum both with 24" barrels?

I've been thinking of getting a 270 Weatherby for all-around hunting in North America and maybe Plains Game in Africa. This would complement my 300 Win mag. on some of the larger game hunts and I'd load 150 or 160 gr. bullets. It would also be my primary for some of my longer range hunts using 130-140 gr. bullets for different deer, antelope etc.

Thoughts? Or should I just stick with a 270 Winchester?

Theoretically, you would be able to push more velocity with the .270 Wby, especially with 150gr bullets. But since you own a .300WM, you don't need the benefits of a .270Wby. The .270 Win has plenty of velocity for antelope / deer / pigs / coyote. I find it minimal for larger game, but is effective when used with good bullets and proper shot placement.

The .270 ammo is easier to find, cheaper, and easier for re-load. If you didn't have that .300 and needed a one rifle battery, then moving to the Wby might make sense.---But then again, I'm not a big fan of the Weatherby cartridges.

The 270 Weatherby is an odd ball round and not popular.

You will not find ammo for it and the resale will be poor.

Instead look at other rounds. The 270 Win, 7mm RM and 30-06 will do similar things and make much more sense.

I just bought a used Mark V in 270 Weatherby with a 26" barrel. I love it. 150g Partitions at 3250 fps make it an awesome sheep, goat, and elk rifle. I also love the 270 Win. Since you already have a 300 Mag, I agree with mdstewart that a 270 Win makes more sense. The only reason I bought the 270 Weatherby is that I've always wanted one, gave my 270 Win to my son, and I got a great deal. They are both great calibers.

quote:

What's the real-world difference between a 270 win. and a 270 Weatherby Magnum both with 24" barrels?

ONE LESS CARTRIDGE IN THE MAGAZINE!

A factor that is well worth thinking about if you shoot in extreme wet or extreme cold weather.

For me, in British conditions, shooting at less than two hundred yards, that one extra cartridge trumps ANY velocity advantage that the Weatherby (or 7mm Remington Magnum) has over the 270 Winchester or 280 Remington.

The cartridges are in the dry and I don't have to fumble with wet or cold fingers to load an extra round.

Indeed the big advantage is that I can load the magazine, in the dry, with FOUR cartridges and then when ready to shoot work the bolt to put a round in the previously empty chamber.

ONE UP AND FOUR DOWN BEATS ONE UP AND THREE DOWN.

I have owned a 270 Wby and liked it, but in my opinion, it just seemed inefficient. It took too much powder to gain just a little more performance.

Mine was a tack driver.

Actually the same question could be asked between the 280 Rem and 7mm Mag, and the 30-06 and the 300 Win Mag. The differences between each of the standard vs magnum cartridges are about the same.

quote:

What's the real-world difference between a 270 win. and a 270 Weatherby Magnum both with 24" barrels?

About 200 fps. Not enough to make any real difference in the field at any normal ranges. That doesn't mean that the Weatherby has no value though. I love my AccuMark in .257 even though I know it has little advantage over the .25-06. I wanted a .257 since I was a teenager - I've had three .257 Weatherby rifles in the past 30 years. Many times it is not about power or efficiency or logic - it's about what you want and what makes you happy. Don't let the nay-sayers disuade you just because they can't afford a nice rifle.....


/

Get both. I like them but the weatherby just hits harder. I know there is only so many FPS difference but it shows. If deer hunting I would probably pick up the 270 win but elk I would opt for the weatherby

250-300fps. I think it is all a mind thing. The magnum factor just sounds better just, think if the 270win. was referred to as the 270win. magnum. I read an article years ago in Deer and Big Game Rifles called The Magnificent 7, which compared the 7mm Rem. Mag to the 30-06 when using them on elk. Same scenario about 200fps. You can only kill an animal dead. Dead is Dead. It's all in what a man wants to use. I do say always bring enough gun though, you wouldn't take a 223 to shoot cape buffalo.

I only have the Weatherby version, but many of my friends use the Winchester. I think if you are going to be hunting where 200+ yard shots are a good possibility, I would take the Weatherby version. Not that it won't work within 200 yards, for me, the flatter trajectory makes it worth it. For some, it might not make a difference.

I also bought a .300 Winchester this year, I plan on using the .300 for my elk/moose/caribou rifle, and the .270 Weatherby for my deer/antelope rifle. That's the plan, anyway, and for hunting deer in thicker country around home, I could use either, but I won't know what I will use until I head out in the morning.

On another note, why get a .270 Weatherby with a 24" barrel? If you are going to get the benefit of the higher velocity, try to get a 26" tube. That's just me, not that anything I do makes any sense, though.

Personally, I like the 270 winchester. I would opt for the 270WSM over the WBY if I needed more velocity.

The WSMs and Weatherby's really come into their own with heavier bullets. A 165g spitzer at 3150 fps easily equals the 7mm Mag and is plenty for all but the biggest bears (and some would say it's sufficient for them with the right bullets).

Ballistics with 150-grain Nosler BTip drop in inches:

Cartridge.....MV.....100..200..300...400.....500...500fpe
.270 WCF...3000...3.6...4.3....0...-10.1...-26.8..1516
.270 WBY...3200...3.0...3.7....0....-8.7....-23.1..1756

So, no practical difference between the two out to 400 yards. No one can hold well enough on big game in the field to tell a difference in drop of 1.4" at 400 yards. And at 500 yards, only 240 fpe more energy with the Weatherby. No game would know the difference either, although perhaps the deer which steps out at 75 yards which would have less meat damage with the slower WCF cartridge.

Get whichever one makes you the happiest, knowing that in the real world it makes no difference. I love my AccuMark!



.

quote:

Originally posted by TX Nimrod:

quote:

What's the real-world difference between a 270 win. and a 270 Weatherby Magnum both with 24" barrels?

About 200 fps. Not enough to make any real difference in the field at any normal ranges. That doesn't mean that the Weatherby has no value though. I love my AccuMark in .257 even though I know it has little advantage over the .25-06. I wanted a .257 since I was a teenager - I've had three .257 Weatherby rifles in the past 30 years. Many times it is not about power or efficiency or logic - it's about what you want and what makes you happy. Don't let the nay-sayers disuade you just because they can't afford a nice rifle.....


/

I have never owned a Weatherby because I never considered them to be a NICE rifle.

If you look at the ballistic numbers you will see that the 270WBY gives you around a 100 yard advantage over the 270 Win.

So if you want a 270 bore rifle, I would go with the 270 Win in a real lightweight rifle.

Personally I think if you have a good 300 Mag, then I would get a 308 with an 18" to 20" barrel, as to have a rifle lighter and handier when doing those hunts where you will not be shooting over 300 yards.

That way you can use the same bullets when reloading for the 300 and the 308.

If sticking with the 24 in barrels, I'd go WCF. The 270 Bee may be my favorite of all cartidges, but as stated above, the diffrence is neglidgeable. That being said - the bee IS faster and if you don't mind the price of brass and powder you get a little better trajectory, a little less wind drift, and alotta cool factor. Jump to a 26 inch barrel and you will have a noticeable diffrence in drift, especially out at 300 yards and beyond. You only live once.

Another observation is that, unless you've a shed load of 277" bullets is that if you want faster in 150 or 160 grain?

Do as I am and get a 7mm Remington Magnum. It'll give you a wide selection of 150 to 160 grain bullets that are always hard to find in 277" and also you can always load it to effectively 270 Winchester +P (if such a thing existed) levels.

I don't think that 270 Weatherby offers any practical benefit over 270 Winchester (in 150 or 160 grain bullet weights) that can't be in practical terms achieved more easily by 7mm Remington Magnum.

The nice thing about the 270 Weatherby is you can shoot Sierra 90g HPBTs at 3700 fps for varmints, 130g Partitions at 3350 fps for mule deer or sheep and 160g Partitions at 3150 fps for bigger stuff (elk and bear). No flies on the 7mm Mag either though

$14/box ammo at Walmart. Just keeping it real

quote:

Originally posted by Jon Beutler:
$14/box ammo at Walmart. Just keeping it real

Yup, my son got his first elk with 130g CoreLokt PSPs from Walmart using the 270 I handed down to him two years ago.

Interesting thing is that 270 Wby velocities are often quoted from a 26" bbl and 270 Win from a 24" or even 22". This can often explain some of the Wby advantage in velocity.

My 270 Win has a 27.5" bbl and it best accuracyload puts a 150 NP out just at 3000fps with sub MOA performance. I can dump more powder in the case and get 3300fps but not with the same level of on target results.

Obviously, other rifles might and probably do give their best with hotter loads. That being said a 130gr at 3100fps and a 150gr at 3000fps with sub MOA accuracy are my preference. And so far everything has died out to 550yds, often DRT. Correct bullet choice and placement count far more than a few fps.

The other point is that when you get way "out there" yardage wise you are going to contend with hold-over or click ups anyway, no matter what caliber you choose. At less than 400yds the advantage is less in practice than on paper. You still have to get the yardage spot on.

Agree, I've been shooting 150g Partitions at 3030 fps out of a 22" barrel Rem BDL for about 40 years. I expect to get 3250 fps out of my 270 Weatherby with it's 26" tube. If I hadn't given my 270 to my son, I wouldn't have bought the Weatherby, but once I had given it to him, I got such a good deal on it I couldn't resist.

270 WBY: About 300% more for factory ammo for about 5% increase in performance. I like my 270 Win.

In 26" barrels the 270 will see up to about 2950 with 150 grainers and 3150 with 130 grainers. The 270 Wby will see 3250 and 3450.

I have also had 270/308 Norma and 270/300 Win.

If you are happy with max 270 Win ballistics any of the 270 mags will give those with reduced loads and no pressure and case life just this side of forever.

I have shot 100s or pigs and goats and 1000s of roos with both. One place where the 270 Magnum is better is with some heavy bullets that can be a bit hard but they work on the light game.

You can also easily make 270 Wby brass from 7mm Rem cases or neck up 264s. The will be a little shorter in the neck that Wby brass.

You can do everything with 150 grainers in the 270 Wby as they will be a good 100 f/s faster than 130s in the 270 Win. The Wby also puts a good 100 f/s plus on the 270 WSM.

How does the 270 wby act in a 22" or 24" barrel?

If one has a 270win or 7mmRM an upgrade to .270wea really makes no sence. However I had no rifle down in that area and chose the WEA round for the upper ballistical advantages it does offer in all bulletweighs up to 180grains over the .270, 7mmRM, 30-06.
Since I reload anyway, stuffing the x-tra 15-17grain of powder into a WEAcase has presented no problems so far

quote:

Originally posted by Jon Beutler:
How does the 270 wby act in a 22" or 24" barrel?

The are several blokes on a Denmark run Wby forum with both Mark Vs (26") and Vanguards (24") and in some cases the Vanguards were slightly faster.

As a side note the 270 Wby is Ed Weatherby's favourite.

But there is no way I would want 270 Wby with 22" barrel and especially shooting 100 grainers. They are already serious crackers in the 26" barrel. But if loaded back to 270 Win their blast is not as sharp as a 270 Win.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hunter54:
What's the real-world difference between a 270 win. and a 270 Weatherby Magnum both with 24" barrels?

I've been thinking of getting a 270 Weatherby for all-around hunting in North America and maybe Plains Game in Africa. This would complement my 300 Win mag. on some of the larger game hunts and I'd load 150 or 160 gr. bullets. It would also be my primary for some of my longer range hunts using 130-140 gr. bullets for different deer, antelope etc.

Thoughts? Or should I
I stayed with the .270 Win. That said, I am now reconsidering my decision. While I love the .270 win. and it has killed elk, kudu, zebra etc. I often wonder if having the weatherby would make a difference.

Mate I know you didn't mention it but split the difference with a WSM maybe?
short action to differ from the .30 Win Mag and its believed the .270 wsm has the advantage over the original cartridge.

Im also wondering how common the 7 WSM is in your neck of the woods... if you reload its a moot point.

if its hunting, aslong as you have 40 brass on you, you're pretty good to go for a while.

WL

People need to remember that it is the same bullet, and it is the bullet that does the work.

Just choose how fast you need for your hunting conditions and get a cartridge that does that.

i've got a lot of good memories of a 270win. but for more punch in Africa I prefer a 338WM or more. Again, remember that one chooses a bullet and with a reasonable delivery system.

quote:

I have owned a 270 Wby and liked it, but in my opinion, it just seemed inefficient. It took too much powder to gain just a little more performance.

I have a .300 Weatherby and had a .340, but in reality, especially for a handloader/reloader it takes more powder to gain not that much more velocity/energy.

From what I have experienced over the years, the main reason to get a weatherby, is simply because a person wants one.

I remember when the .30-378 came out. Quite a few guys in this part of north Texas bought one thinking it was the "Cats Meow" for long range shots at deer on wheat fields and after the initial sighting in session and buying a couple of boxes of factory ammo many of those guns were sold or relegated to the gun safe and are only taken out and shot letting someone that claims they have no problem shooting "Hard Kicking" rifles, find out how hard a rifle can kick.

Factor in the availability of ammo if circumstances arose where you had to buy some and the Weatherby's lose some of their appeal. JMO.

Crazy--
I think I hear you saying that a 300weath is just a 30 cal bullet,
and a 340 Weatherby is just a .338 bullet.



If someone wants FAST,
then load a 110grain TTSX in a 270Win to 3400fps. it'll git her done.
But my wife is happy with her 375 for Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by Hunter54:
What's the real-world difference between a 270 win. and a 270 Weatherby Magnum both with 24" barrels?

The rifle. If you like Weatherby rifles, the magnum round works a treat. Yes, we own one.

Actually the advantage of the 270 Win is that if you load 130 gr 270 Win and 180 gr 300 Win to 3000 fps (easily done and well lower than Max) you have ballistic twins.

I like the way you think though I am not a fan of the all around mediocre - master of none type of thinking. I have no use for the 7 mm Rem or the .3006. I prefer the aforementioned 2 Win cartridges instead of one 7 mag or '06. Just me, not worth discussing.

The Wby offers no advantage in that. It's in the .300 and .338 calibers where there is a good argument for any Wby advantage. What's not to like in a 250 gr .338 cal bullet @ 3000 fps....

quote:

What's not to like in a 250 gr .338 cal bullet @ 3000 fps....

For that level of heat a person should choose the 338Lapua, and even then, its factory rating is below 250gr at 3000fps.

quote:

Crazy--I think I hear you saying that a 300weath is just a 30 cal bullet, and a 340 Weatherby is just a .338 bullet.

Pretty much. I did some research on the various calibers a few years back and with the .30 calibers starting with the .308 and going up to the .30-378 the increase in powder/recoil/muzzle blast to gain the extra few feet of muzzle velocity/muzzle energy, out to 500 yards just does not really seem worthy it is a hunter can accurately place their shots.

I am pretty sure the critters being shot with any of the .308 thru .30-378, can not tell the difference, and if all bullets are placed accurately on target I doubt that very many hunters could tell the difference.

I like the bigger guns, but having used various calibers over the years, accurate shot placement, in my opinion trumps size/speed/energy any day.

I've had many .270 Wins over the years, and currently have two. I've also a WSM and a Weatherby. Always had a weak spot for the Win.

In my real world one of the .270 Wins only does 2900 fps with a 130 grain bullet with all the H4831 I can burn in it, and I'm not being shy about pouring the powder to it. Its a 22" barrel, but that s a common thing in the real world.

My 26" .270 Weatherby takes the same bullet to 3500 with a charge of 7828 that is a grain under max in most manuals. Its a little hard to ignore velocity differences of 600 fps. Leaving out trajectory for a minute, the Weatherby will match my slow Win 300 yards farther out. My other, somewhat faster .270 Win comes up 200 yards short.

Those that don't think that 600 fps is going to make a difference on game should trade their 30-06s for 30-30s.

Check out the Barnes data, especially 270 WIn vs. 270 WSM with the 110 grain TTSX. There is under 100fps difference.

Anyway, most 270Wins will push a 130grain bullet 3100fps, or 3150 in a longer barrel. 3100fps is fast enough for my hunting, but the 110TTSX does 3400fps if someone is so inclined.

180 grain .308 bullet from a .30-06 or a .300 Weatherby. Centered heart shot at 275 yards from either, is the hunter or the deer going to be able to actual tell any difference?