I am about to buy a new whitetail rifle. Since it will be primarily a whitetail rifle, I am leaning towards the .270. However, since I want to make occasional elk hunts, I was wondering if I should get the 7mm instead. I guess the question is, will the 7mm be too much for average Texas whitetail hunting? And will it recoil substantially harder than the .270?

In the same weight and model rifle, the 7mm will have slightly more kick. To me the difference isn't enough to worry about.

As far as "too much" I've never believed in being over gunned for anything provided the shooter can handle the recoil and blast. If you can handle the 7mm Mag, it will make a super whitetail rifle. I hunted with one for several years and killed a number of deer with it.

Redfish...do not let recoil be an issue when deciding between the 2...my buddy has a 270 and when he shoots it alongside me at the range it blasts and recoils like a 7 mag according to him.I find the recoil is a draw between the 2. They both kill exactly the same(deer drop at the shot) If you are going to occasionally go Elk/Muledeer hunting it would be hard to pick between the two...they both shoot so similiar and pretty much what one can do the other can do also. The only benefit of the 7mm is the use of 160 and 175 grain bullets and that is about it and the rifle will most likely be 1/2 heavier because of the magnum barrel contour. If you want the best of both worlds consider a 270 wsm or a 7 wsm .....I can hear the critics howling now.

oldelkhunter: I looked at that 270 wsm and thought seriously about it. great gun, but my only hesitation was that the ammo is harder to come by and doesn't offer as much variety. This could change in time, but who really knows.

being an elk hunter, what do you prefer for those guys? Should it really be a separate rifle from your deer rifle?

I have a .270 Wby Mag and have taken two whitetails, three mule deer, one pronghorn and two elk with it. All the deer and elk were taken with a 150 gr Partition and the antelope with a 130 gr Ballistic Tip. The closest shot was 40 yds (whitetail) and the farthest, 325 yds (5pt bull elk). None required a second shot and seven of the eight animals never took another step. The eighth was recovered about 40 yds from where it was hit. This round is essentially a cross between the two rounds you're considering, so I hope this helps.

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

My grandfather gave me his .270 about 8 years ago and it has accounted for countless whitetails and two elk for him and three elk for me. I have never felt "undergunned" when using it on elk. For some reason I have never been a big fan of belted cartriges, just a personal thing. I would pick the .270 if you are goung to use it for animals deer to elk and would opt for the 7mag, or as oldelkhunter said the 7mm WSM, if you might want a moose one day, but that could be an excuse to buy another gun.

Look for a place where you can shoot both guns if possible. Either borrowed from friends or a range that has guns for rent. The 7mm <u>will</u> kick more. It holds more powder and a heavier bullet but generally the gun is heavier too so it won't be much more.

I have a 7mm and wife has a .270. Both are great calibers, ammo is anywhere. I would recommend the 7mm though as it would be better for larger game across the board. If you have a 270 that you really like/good deal I wouldn't say don't buy it. However, if you are going to the store to buy a new one of either I would <u>definately</u> go with the 7mm.

Of course, if I was buying a new rifle I'd probably get a .300 WSM. I've seen the difference between the .270., .284 (7mm) and the .308 (30 cal) and I believe the 30 is the best of the 3 as far as bullet construction, availability, and energy transfer on impact while still having a very fast round.

Power
http://www.powerandfury.net/hunt.html

I have used both extensively, and have to agree with Jack O'Connor's comparitive evaluation: There isn't a dime's worth of difference between them for deer hunting!! If you handload, you can get just a tad more performance out of the 7 Mag., because it is downloaded by the factories (for some reason I have never understood), and, it will use a 175-grain bullet, a definite advantage for big bears and moose!!

Keep yore powder dry!!

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Given the same choice I would choose the 7mm mag for increased energy and slightly flatter trajectory.I have never found the recoil of the 7mm mag to be a problem.