Colorado Luckydog

The sheer ability of being able to stalk an elk within 500 yards and not being detected, is nothing short of amazing. How do you guys ever get so close?

I wish I could learn to hunt that way.

These remarks are not intended to anyone with a physical handicap. I respect those guys way to much.

Howler

Bull pucky..the chit just gets deeper..You're tellin' us that a 2.5" high sight in at 100 yards with a 150 gr. partition out of a .270 is going to hit low at 200 yards. Ah...yeah right..

needs_recoil

THe 270 win at 200 doesnt hit as hard as my stw at 500. Never meant it to sound like the 270 isnt flat shooting. I know it wont hit low at 200 with a 2.5 inch sight in. My 270 hits dead on at 300 with a 2 inch sight in.

All I have been trying to say is that a 25 caliber can kill elk just as easily as a 270 or 3006 will.

Wheatley

Real elk hunters, thats funny! I have been hunting elk for 16 years and the only gun I have ever hunted with is a 270. Two of the 3 brothers have .270, my father has hunted elk for 40 years with his ruger #1 in .270. I have used 130 and 150 grain bullets and never had any problems. First elk was taken at 350 yards with a 150gr NP. All other shots have been in the 75 - 200 yard range. I know multiple other hunters that hunt elk every year with their .270s because that is what they prefer. You can't make someone like your favorite caliber. I know alot of people that also think the 300 mag is the only rifle that is capable of killing elk. I prefer the 67# bow over rifle hunting anyway but I thought I would chime in on what I have used and had great success with. BTW if I am not successful on the archery hunt this year I will be packing my .270 with the 150gr bullet as usual.

Scott Gags

I would load up the 270 and have at it. You will loose approx 75 yards max range to an 06 but within that limit there will not be problems.

I am a fan of the Interbond bullet and would suggest you look at that bullet if you handload. It has a .525 BC and 90+% weight retention and generates a large mushroom. They would extend a 270s range to match much of the 06 ammo out there even when shooting the 180s.

moosemike

How exactly does the .270 "lose range" to a .30-06?

Scott Gags

The 06 has higher KE and momentum at the muzzle. Both have plenty of energy at the muzzle of course but as the bullet travels downrange and looses KE due to friction at some point the round is not adaquate to consistantly kill. Many peg this number between 1,200 to 2,000 ft/lbs KE for Elk. When you compare the two rounds when they hit say 1,500 ft/lbs KE there is approx 75 yards on average that separate the two.

Of course BC plays a big role but on average the BC of the 30 will match or exceed the BC for a .277 cal bullet of similar sectional density so the energy advantage is carried downrange.

That is why I suggested the Interbond for the 270. Despite starting off with less energy it is so efficient thru the air that it actually starts to "chase down" most 30 caliber hunting bullets. At say 400-500 yards it will equal or exceed the energy of a 180 grain Nosler Partition from an 06 for example.

txhunter58

But you can do the same thing with the '06: use a better velocity retaining bullet. Therefore, the 270 will always "lose distance" if you compare apples to apples (or 150gr interbonds to 150 gr interbonds).

AND, bigger bullets always get the nod in my book when velocities drop. If you compare 180 gr bullet and a 130 gr bullet that both have 1200 ft lbs of energy on impact, the 180 is going to have more stopping power.

You can't look just at ft lbs as velocity drops. It is nothing more than a mathmatical formula that squares the velocity, so it therefore slanted toward faster bullets. That is fine if you are using relatively small lead with fast velocities. However, big slugs will still kill effectively at lower velocities even though the ft lbs doesn't look that good.

Everyone has to use what they are comfortable with. Math just fuels the debate!

If you want more fuel, look at the Taylor index. It reconizes that big, slow bullets KILL. Gives you another Math problem/results to compare.

bigbulls

If you guys are going to start comparing terminal performance of bullets of different calibers then you must compare the same bullet design/construction with as close as possible sectional densities.

A 150 grain .277" bullet compares very closely to a 180 grain .308" bullet of the same design and construction.

If you compare the 150 and 180 interbonds at published factory velocities of 2830 for the .270 and 2700 for the 30-06, the .270 gives up only 10 yards to the heavier 30-06 bullet to reach the 1500 foot pound mark.

440 yards for the .270 and 450 yards for the 30-06.

I don't think the dead elk is going to give a rip one way or the other.



.

Scott Gags

The Interbond is the exception to the rule which is why I mentioned it. The 150 grain .277 cal interbond has a .525 BC. When lauched at 2830 it carrys 1500 ft/lbs to about 440 yards just ten yards less than the 30 caliber 180 with a .480 BC.

The 150 grain .277 cal interbond is a bit of a freak with a BC that high so it skews the comparison in favor of the .277.