The Accurate Reloading Forums
The 270 Winchester
09 April 2016, 03:31
DoublessThe 270 Winchester
quote:
Originally posted by MHC_TX:
Didn't Elmer Keith say it (the 270) was a good coyote gun. Personally, I'm partial to 200gr/.308 caliber bullets.....they just seem to kill from any angle and shoot flat. I do have a custom .270Win and it shoots lights out, but for me it is an deer/antelope rifle. If the task is bigger than that then I'm using a 300hh or 338WinMag. I don't want to have to limit myself to a broadside shot if that's all that is presented.
If I was limited to one rifle for "thin skinned" animals it wouldn't be a 270......mine would be a 300 Mag.
Actually, what I think he said was that 30-caliber rifles and smaller were good for nothing bigger than a coyote. But that was a long time ago, when bullets were not near what they are now...
09 April 2016, 04:21
MickinColoI've seen a good number of elk killed with the 270 Win, over the years. I own a 270 Win. but rarely sh0ot it. A Ruger 77M with tang safety. I don't know why but the cartridge just bores me to death.
09 April 2016, 05:15
416Tanzanquote:
Personally, I'm partial to 200gr/.308 caliber bullets.....they just seem to kill from any angle and shoot flat.
Just about right.
- - Personally, I'm partial to 225gr/.338 caliber bullets.....they just seem to kill from any angle and shoot flat.
But I still like the .270Winnie.
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"A well-rounded hunting battery might include:
500 AccRel Nyati, 416 Rigby or 416 Ruger, 375Ruger or 338WM, 308 or 270, 243, 223" --
Conserving creation, hunting the harvest.
09 April 2016, 07:45
Bren7X64I've been a gun-owner for over 40 years and never owned a 270 until 2 months ago.
I bought a BRNO ZKK 600 in .270 to convert to a 9.3x62, but found a better example (with a pop-up peep sight) to do the job on, so I've still got a .270. The previous owner cut the stock down so the LOP was maybe 10" - so a new Boyds stock and I'm looking forward to trying it.
I can always rebarrel to .280 or 7x64 if I hate it.
The one reason I never had one before is none of my friends had one and told me it was worth much. Yes, JOC did, but I was an Elmer fan so everything JOC said had to be filtered through Elmer.
Second reason. Most of the hunting I was doing in RSA was bushveld where 120 yards is a long shot, and a bullet travelling at 3,000+ fps with a standard bullet would cause a lot of meat damage.
--
Promise me, when I die, don't let my wife sell my guns for what I told I her I paid for them.
09 April 2016, 08:29
Savage_99Agreed on the 270 Win:
JOC wrote it was a good cartridge when I started reloading in 1953 and it's in the realm.
We shot the 30-06 here in New England at game and targets. Soldiers used it to win wars.
There are many decent cartridges. I found a Ruger 'Express' and it was a 270 so I am loading that one now.
Get the 'power' or optic that your eye likes instead of what someone else says.
When we go to the doctor they ask us what lens we like!
Do that with your optics.
09 April 2016, 15:16
sharps4590In one book either by Elmer or about him he also said "the 270 is one %$*& fine cartridge". So is about everything based on the -06 case, the 57mm Mauser case or the 375 H&H case. If a person thinks about it a little bit the majority of most popular cartridges are based on one of those three. One could just about exclude the -06 because it is essentially based on the 57mm Mauser case.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me". John 14:6
09 April 2016, 20:53
416Tanzanquote:
So is about everything based on the -06 case,
a wonderful cartridge.
Yes, I'll grant that,
and I would add the 308 family for the small bore, and the 458 (or now beltless Ruger) family for the medium bores. But most things on the 375H&H are best redone. The 375 is a great cartridge in spite of its skinny design. The big bores are much better off with a Rigby (or now Lapua) or 460 Weatherby base. The Ruger and RUM cases can serve as their smaller-package compromise, like the 308 and 284s in small-medium bores.
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"A well-rounded hunting battery might include:
500 AccRel Nyati, 416 Rigby or 416 Ruger, 375Ruger or 338WM, 308 or 270, 243, 223" --
Conserving creation, hunting the harvest.
13 April 2016, 22:47
AtkinsonI liked Duckdears post wherein he stated 2800 FPS was a magic number more or less..
I couldn't agree more it is in med. wt. calibers for sure..add to that in the big bores for Africa 2400 is the magic number..Two good rules to live by..
Ive shot more game with a .270 than any other caliber, so much it got boringly repeatable, perfect performance, so I bought and 06, same problem..Guess if push came to shove, Id opt for the 30-06 on elk and larger, and the 270 for smaller game...well maybe!

The best case scenario post was by MHC-TX in that if one takes the shots as they come on animals such as elk, the 30-06 with a 200 gr. Nosler is the way to go, and some places where I hunt elk the Texas heart shot is all you get. Not .270 country, and better yet take your .338 or 9.3x62 in that thick stuff where the big bulls live.
Picking a favorite caliber isn't written in stone, what is written in stone is the circumstances of your hunt determine the caliber, and there is no perfect do it all, the 30-06 is close but only worth a half of a ceeegar!

Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120
rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
14 April 2016, 00:25
416Tanzanquote:
I liked Duckdears post wherein he stated 2800 FPS was a magic number more or less..
I couldn't agree more it is in med. wt. calibers for sure..add to that in the big bores for Africa 2400 is the magic number..Two good rules to live by.
I think that we can simplify life by using 2800fps for everything, one "rule/pattern".
So then, the 416Rigby with 307CEB and 350 TTSX and 500 Nyati 360 gn at 2800fps.
As a compromise, I would opt for 2600 fps for Africa. The 500 AR-Nyati sends a 450gn GSC at 2600fps. I just like a little more speed for shots that are 200-300 yards.
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"A well-rounded hunting battery might include:
500 AccRel Nyati, 416 Rigby or 416 Ruger, 375Ruger or 338WM, 308 or 270, 243, 223" --
Conserving creation, hunting the harvest.
Don't use the 130 under 100 yds ,too much meat lost. The 150 works fine for most ranges,
14 April 2016, 06:00
Heym 450/400If I'm not sure what to take..I grab a .270
I also prefer something heavier then 130 as well.
15 April 2016, 20:09
chuck375I'm a fan of the 150g Nosler Partitions in 270 moving at a sedate 2900 to 3000 fps.
Regards,
Chuck
"There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit"
Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness"
15 April 2016, 21:33
ZekeShikarI've always had a little magnum-itis! (now going on over 50 years of big game hunting)
The magic mark for me is anything north of 3000fps. That's the beauty of the 270 Win. You guys can be happy with 2800 and I can be happier with 3000+ MV.
It's the best of both worlds!
I agree that a fragile 130 gr pill, delivered at under 100 yards, creates lots of damage but a 130 Barnes or Partition does not excessively damage meat with proper placement. To me it's all about bullet selection second and bullet placement first...but that's another topic for discussion.
Keep up the good works,
Zeke
16 April 2016, 04:36
smallfryI have shot mostly 130s and 150s. I think a guy is better off with the 150s for elk, moose and brown bears but I haven't been able proved it. I've shot elk with both and have got similar penetration but that isn't shocking really considering it's difficult to determine what penetrates better on game when things get fractional. My only moose with a 270 was with a 150 NP. Great caliber though.
I am back from a long Hiatus... or whatever.
Take care.
smallfry
16 April 2016, 05:58
chuck375I like the 150g Partitions mainly because our rifles shoot them fast (3000 fps) and accurately (sub MOA). Their performance on game is outstanding but there are a lot of great bullets today that are as good or better. Their BC is pretty good too.
Regards,
Chuck
"There's a saying in prize fighting, everyone's got a plan until they get hit"
Michael Douglas "The Ghost And The Darkness"
17 April 2016, 09:09
Sean Russellquote:
Originally posted by chuck375:
I'm a fan of the 150g Nosler Partitions in 270 moving at a sedate 2900 to 3000 fps.
That worked for my grandfather, and has been working for me since 1973.
"The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane." Mark Twain
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17 April 2016, 17:57
jeffeossoits a great round, for all that it's a darn fine knockoff of the original 7x64.
with good bullets,25-06 to 35 whelen -- truth be told, i'd take the 7x64 as a preference, but it would only be my preference --all of them are great