30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

This will be my first gun so I need some help.
I've been browsing this board and found these 3 guns the most preferd for deer.
I live in Florida, so deer or hog is what I'll be hunting.Most likely under 150 yards.
I've had a lot of experiance with .22 but nothing bigger.
I also prefer bolt action.

So which of these 3 do feel is most sutable for my needs?
And what model?

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

For hogs and deer in florida I would use the 7mm-08 as you don't need the power of the other three for your small bodied deer at your ranges.If you had plans on hunting bigger game I would go with the 7mm mag as it is the flattest shooting and most powerful of the three you mention.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Well any of the 3 you mentioned are good for anything in North America for all but maybe the great bears and Alaskan moose, but I'm sure each of the 3 have taken more than thier share of both bear & moose.
The 270 will be the lightest of the three in recoil and in most bolt guns , it's a pleasure to shoot. The 06 & the 7mag offer you a wider range of bullet weights for different game and are a tad more versatile. The 7-08 that sj mentioned is good along with the 7mm mauser and 6.5 swede. There's alot to choose from and everyone has thier favorite caliber. If you can go to a local range ,maybe you'll be able to find someone to help you out and let you actually shoot the different calibers before you decide.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

30-06. You can find good deals on ammo.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

7mm Mag. Good luck.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

I just struggled with this same question ( I think the thread is still on the first page). my best suggestion is to go with the one that you like the best. I've always been partial to the 30'06 since it was our WWI rifle, and it was good enough for us to kick the crap outa' all the bad guys way back then, and proved to be a quite capable round since then. The ammo is plentiful and you can theoretically take game at distances that exceed my shooting skill. I also like the fact that within the distances you are usually going to see and shoot at game, that big 30 cal has some serious knockdown power. If you do have to track an animal, there should usually be a nice blood trail.

David

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Well I would use the .308 or the 30-06 they are both good rounds and you can find good deals on ammo too.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

First let me say Welcome to the board X Commercial Fisherman. As to your three choices you have probably picked the three most popular guns used for deer and they all work fine .If you intend to shoot factory ammo I would suggest the 270 win or the 30-06 unless you want to buy the premium ammo for the 7 mm mag . In my opinion they don't use a hard enough bullet for for the extra speed of the 7mm Mag in the cheaper rounds . Other than that they will all work great on deer . Good Luck with your choice.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Thanks for the help.
Hopefully by next season I'll have a gun and be able to go out and kill my first deer.

Does anyone suggest a brand and model.
I was looking at the Remington 30.06 model 700

Edited by - Xcommercial fisherman on 12/29/2002 17:19:20

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

30.06, going away.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

X-fisherman--- That's a good choice in both rifle & caliber. I got my Model 700 in 06 back in 1973--- It has never let me down & never has given me a problem. I suggest you also put a good scope on it. A 4x Leupold would be good.

I suggest that you throw a Winchester, Ruger, And Remington all up to your shoulder. See which one feels the best to you, then buy it. They are all good guns.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Can you put a scope on a gun with sights?

Like these.


The ones I see at Remington.com that don't have sights are in SS/synthetic and I like the blued/wood better.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

You can put a scope on any of them but since most people use scopes they don't bother putting sights on some rifles.As for the wood blue vs synthetic I assume you are only considering appearance in your preference.Stainless and synthetic aren't built for looks but instead for rust resistance,durability and consistancy.The stainless is much less rust prone which may be of interest for someone such as yourself living in florida where rain is common.It requires less maintenance in humid environments.Synthetic stocks are stronger and much more stable in higher humidity.Wood absorbs moisture and the point of impact will often change when humidity changes.This does not happen with synthetic stocks.I added this information as from your posts you appear to be new to firearms and I thought you should have as much information as possible to help make your choice in firearms a little easier.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

i have never hunted hogs so i can't base my opinion on that. but i would go with a " short action " caliber. something that you can find ammo almost anywhere and won't break your wallet.

308win, 7mm-08rem, 260rem,

the 308win is about 100FPS +/- under the 30-06sprg. just that not real good going over 180gr.s

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Whats the difference between 30.06 & 30-06sprg
and whats rem & win?

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Xfisherman-- Rem is short for Remington
Win is short for Winchester

30/06 and 30/06 sprg are the same sprg is short for springfield---The original maker of the round.


My rifle is the 1st one on yout reply-- Yes you can mount a scope on that rifle & leave the iron sites on the gun. That's exactly what I did.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Go with the 7mm-08. Less recoil than the 06, more power than the .270. If you have future plans to hunt larger game, and can only buy one gun, go with the 7mm Mag. I currently us a Remington model 7 SS in 7mm-08, and Nosler ballistic tip 140 gr. for my deer hunting. The combo does an excellent job on deer size game.....

Edited by - 7mmUltraMag on 12/31/2002 10:39:11

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Whats the difference between the 7mm & 7mm-08?

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Well I'm pretty much set on the 30.06.
What does 30.06 stand for anyway.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

30/06 30 stands for 30 cailber 06 stands for 1906 the year is was adopted by the US Army as their standard round.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

X COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN,Welcome to the board. The 30-06 is a great choice. The 30-06 means 30 caliber and developed or adopted in 1906.The Remington 700 is a nice rifle.Depending on the money you want to spend. Savage makes some package deals and are quite accurate rifles for a reasonable price. I prefer Ruger's. The M-77's are a nice Bolt Action.I like the S/S models with the synthetic stocks.If you stick with a Remington may I suggest staying away from their model 710 and their semi autos.If you stick with a Rem 700 you'll have an accurate rifle that will meet your needs.All the cailbers you listed are great for deer and hogs.If you plan on going out west I would choose the 7mm Rem Mag.Flatter shooting.
Ruger Redhawk

Support the NRA...Protecting our Gun Rights and Freedoms is everybody's responsibility. Ruger Redhawk A proud NRA Life Member since 1977.

Edited by - ruger-redhawk on 12/31/2002 14:29:32

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Buy one of each!!

SOUTH ARKANSAS REBEL

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Soark, Just one of each? Oh I forgot with Remington's you'll need a back up.LOL.Glad to see you're still kickin'. Happy New Year
Ruger Redhawk

Support the NRA...Protecting our Gun Rights and Freedoms is everybody's responsibility. Ruger Redhawk A proud NRA Life Member since 1977.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

My advice would be to try and shoot each of the three, and see which you like the best. Each caliber is good choice for your situation, so it comes to personal preference. Also, no matter what caliber you go with make sure you get a qaulity gun that is accurate. The caliber of a rifle is not nearly as important as shot placement, and familiarity with the weapon so practice when you get it.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Xcommercialfisherman-I have got to ask.Since you know so little about cartridges which is obvious by the questions you ask (and we don't mind answering by the way) how did you decide on the 30-06?

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Well from what I gather from the posts the 30-06 seems to be the middle ground in power and recoil. Also the fact that it has a wider range of ammo.
Also it will be months before I get a gun and the 30-06 is not set in stone as the one I'll be getting.

I have shot a 30-30 before. What is the recoil of the 30-06 compaired to the 30-30?

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

While the 30-06 certainly is a balanced cartridge (as are many others including the 7mm-08,308,280rem and 7mm remmag)I wouldn't be too swayed by the weight range of available bullets.I am betting that you like most other shooters would never have a use for any bullet less than 150 gr or more than 180gr anyway.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

You suggest the 7mm-08.
Whats the difference between the 7mm & 7mm-08?

Why do you prefer the 7mm over the 30-06?

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Xcommercialfisherman-7mm-describes nothing but a caliber.When most people say 7mm they usually mean the 7mm rem mag.The 7mm-08 is basically the 308 cartridge case with a 7mm bullet.For deer sized game it is probably one of the best cartridges available as it has more than enough power for any deer, shoots reasonably flat and has mild recoil.The 7mm rem mag has a larger case but shoots flatter and carries more power making it more suitable for elk and moose as well as deer.It also has more recoil than the 7mm-08.The reason that I prefer the 7mm rem mag over the 30-06 is that it shoots flatter and carries more energy especially at longer distances.It's recoil is slightly more than the 30-06 but is easily tolerated by most people.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

When folks mention the 7mm they're usually refering to the 7mm Remington magnum. The 7mm-08 is the same caliber with a smaller cartridge. The magnum will have more power and will have a greater effective range. It will also kick a bit more. The 7mm-08 is sometimes described as more pleasureable to shoot. All other things being equal, it has less recoil. Here's a small quote from Nosler's Reloading Guide 5th edition. The author is refering to taking a deer at a short range.

"It doesn't take a shot clear to the county line. Nor does it take excessive smashing power. What it does take is a rifle that's been made familiar with pleasant shooting practice..." "When shooters have had their fill of hard-kicking ear-abusing big-cased wonders, the 7mm-08 will be there, still taking game just as effectively as ever."

If you plan on taking game within 300 yards you probably don't have a real "need" for a magnum. All of the calibers that've been mentioned would be fine for hogs or deer within that range.

Check out ammo availability and prices in your area. I was a little curious myself, and looked around while out shopping today. Good old Wal-Mart had 5 different types of 30-06 ammo, all around $20 a box. I shoot a 270WSM (short magnum) and finding ammo can be frustrating. Equivalant ammos to some of the 30-06 i saw can run $30 to $35 a box. Wal-Mart had not 270WSM or 7mm-08 ammo available.

As for manufacturers, you might want to check out Browning and Tikka. I have a Browning A-Bolt and am very happy with it. I've read a lot of good things about Tikka rifles on these boards also.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Nah ruger no backup needed. i just like more!
you can never have to many guns you know . of course you know!!

Happy new year.

SOUTH ARKANSAS REBEL

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

the round was made in 1903 and was offically adopted by the government in 1906.it originally was with a 220gr. round nosed bullet.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

Xcommercial fisherman, while you will see a decidedly big improvement in power in the .30-06 over the .30-30, recoil might not be a significant increase because the guns built for .30-06 are usually a little heavier than guns built for .30-30

You'll know you touched off more with the '06, but it won't bite your shoulder as much as you might think!!!

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

xcomercial fisherman any one of the 3(270- 30-06- 7 mm rem mag ) are hard to beat. I own 1 of each, I use the 270 win the most. I've shot blacktail,whitetail,mule deer . Mostly blacktail deer with these rifles. I live on Vancouver Island,BC Canada. The avarage shot being about 100yrds to 350yrds To 350 yrds the 270win or 30-06 are great. The 7mm rem mag 350yrds + is even better. But use good quality bullets in the 7mm rem mag, some of the cheaper ones blow up on the surface.Lots of wasted meat.

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

xcomercial fisherman,
I am new to this as well and received a lot of great advice from this group.

I have a .270 and my dad has a .30-06 - They are both Ruger Mark II (mentioned above). I am no expert - I am a pure novice but I like the Rugers and have heard from others that they good rifle for what you pay for it.

My understanding is that the .270 is flat shooting and the .30-06 offers more versatility with bullet weights.

The only thing I would do differently is that I would have bought the synthetic stock with the stainless barrel. I bought my gun second hand from my brother so I didnt get to pick.

Good luck
Bill

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

gotta toss in my 2 cents ...... again. The 30-06 was developed in 1906 not 1903. in 1903 when the springfield 03 rifle was developed it used a 30-03 cartridge. there is a pretty good article on it at www.chuckhawks.com/30-06.htm
if you can stand to shoot a 12 guage with buckshot or slugs, you won't have any trouble with the '06. Some of my reason for prefering the .30-06 is nastalgia. It was our WWI weapon. and was used by our forces in WWII also. It was used by our snipers until being replaced by the .308 . it's an awesome round. First designed as a man killer it has effectively been used to kill just about every type of land creature on planet earth. While I wouldn't hunt Grizzley with it, I know that many have, and they lived to tell about it.
David

RE: 30.06, .270 or 7mm
 

I would go with a 270.