Question with the .270
 

I am looking to buy my first deer rifle because I have just gotten into deer hunting. My dad has introduced me, and now I am hooked. He shoots a .30-30 marlin lever action that I like, but I was thinking of getting something along the lines of a .270.

My question is how do you like shooting your .270 at the range? Don't misunderstand me, this is my deer rifle, but I know realistically that in one season I won't shoot more than a few shots at actual deer. 99% of the shooting I do will be at a range, and I am luck enough to have on less than ten minutes from my house.

The big factor will be accuracy, recoil, and cost of shooting. As I understand it the .270 is about as accurate as it gets, so recoil is the main concern for ease/fun of shotting for an afternoon at the range.

RE: Question with the .270
 

270 has some recoil to it, but not as much as a 30-06 or a 300win mag or even a slug gun for that matter.

Im a pretty large fellow at 6'1' 265 and its really not too bad to shoot for fun at the range.

270 shoot incredibly flat with 130gr factory loads. I have mine sighted in 2" high at 100 and i am still dead on at 12 o'clockat 250yrds. Very honestly I cannot see a better round that is more suited for whitetail deer. I know alot of guys who shoot just regular core-lokt ammo and do very well with their 270...Me personally I shoot hornady 130 SP and get amazing 1.5" or less groups with it and it is just devistating when it strikes and animal you can tell all the energy is being transfered.

Very honestly any high powered rifle or slug gunthat has the ability to throw a 100-300grain projectile accuratly at 2000ft/s or more is devistating when it strikes a deer. A 270 offers you a good medium weight bullet of 100-150grains (165 ifyou reload)traveling upwards of 3000ft/s (At the muzzle) delivering a flat shooting, very accurate, mild recoiling rifle. It is a great round, I love mine....

Still there are alot of awesome calibers out there for whitetail. 243, 7mm-08, 30-30, 30-06, 257, 280, 270, ect...

RE: Question with the .270
 

270was my first deer gun. shot many a deer. switched to a 300 win mag about 5 yr ago. only 2 deer since.

RE: Question with the .270
 

To me it would all depend on how much you plan on shooting at the range. I personally wouldn't want to spend days at a range shooting a .270 as mine used to beat my shoulder up pretty good after about 15 rounds. If I understand you correctly it seems that you want a gun to just "shoot" that will double as a good deer gun, then I would probably atleast consider a 7mm 08 too. It has quite a bit less recoil, but it will drop deer with the best of them. Iam not sure on ammo cost, but can't imagine there is a big price differance. Again this is just my opinion.

RE: Question with the .270
 

The ideal situation would be if you could shoot a few calibers and see what level of recoil is too much for you...

The .270 is a great deer caliber, my bother and his son both have one, the problem is, they don't like to shoot as much as I do so I sight them in for them...Both are pretty experienced hunters, but they don't like recoil and both admit it...

I'd also consider a 7mm-08 and a .243...My other brother has a 7mm-08 and it does kick a bit less than the .270 (I sight his rifles in as well...)

I shoota .243, the beauty of that caliber is that I also use it for crows, groundhogs, coyotes, etc., so I shoot year round...I go to the range and shoot a box of bullets and think nothing of it...A couple of other advantages is the low recoil so you never lose sight of the deer after pulling the trigger and you can also shoot it from your off shoulder...It's tougher for me to shoot a .270 left handed (I'm a righty)
and keep the scope from my eye...

RE: Question with the .270
 

go check price of ammo where you will be buying it at. compare these calibers, .243, 25-06 7mm-08, .270 , .308, .30-06, 7 mag . 280, 30-30, then decide.

RE: Question with the .270
 

The 270 is one of the best all round cartridges. it is my personal favorite. i reload for my remington 700 CDL and the first time i shot 140 grain Hornady interlock boattail spitzers, i shot a 15/16" group. i shoot it at close to 2930 fps. It dropped my deer in its tracks this year. i dont have a problem with its recoil, it doesnt bother me at all. yet, my remington has that nice R3 recoil pad. But i dont think it would be too bothersome if you shot it a lot at the range. if you can get the bullet in the right spot it will put any deer down very quickly and ethically.

RE: Question with the .270
 

Yea i was going to say...lose sight of a deer really isnt an option with the 270. 5 of the 6 i have shot havent gone too far after that 130gr hornady goes through em.

I can shoot a box of 270 rounds and think nothing of it...i just love pulling the trigger you really get used to the recoil...And once you get to that point your aim becomes absolutly deadly out to 250yrds.

243 is a real sweet shooter and very capable deer caliber....mine groups under an inch at 100 but i just lend that gun out on occasion at deer camp and use it around the farms I hunt.

For a deer round...I like the 270 or 7mm08....for bigger game...300win mag or 7mm Rem Mag (one of these is next for me)

The 243 shoots everything else and has very little recoil...ground hogs, coons, and hopefully a coyote soon.

RE: Question with the .270
 

I can't shoot a box of 270's and think nothing of it. I'm small-framed, and both of my shoulders were re-built. The pain doesn't affect my accuracy, but my 270 isn't fun for me to bench shoot. So I bought a Marlin 30-30 last year as my primary deer rifle, with the 270 as a back-up, and it's easy on my shoulder. Most of my hunting is in woods anyways, and if I get into a situation where I need my 270, I'll use it.

RE: Question with the .270
 

The 270 has been my go to gun for years. I've shot 30 to 40 rounds on the bench and it didn't seem to bother me all that bad, not like a 06 does. Two years ago I went to a 270wsm and it sort of gets the nod over the 270. Still nothing wrong with the 270 it still fines it way into the pickup. Zeak

RE: Question with the .270
 

I have a 270 as my main deer rifle and it doesn't have to much recoil at all. It is plenty accurate and I can shoot over a box of ammo and never get sore if I use the proper form.

RE: Question with the .270
 

A Limbsaver or Pachmyer Decelerator recoil pad for the rifle and a Past recoil pad for you will make the range sessions much more tolerable. I can shoot 40 rounds of 30-06 full-house loads without a problem.

RE: Question with the .270
 

Try sending a bunch of 425 gr hard cast bullets at near 1900 fps from a Marlin 1895, you'll think that 270 is a bb gun, but then this is a whole nother kind of fun!

RE: Question with the .270
 

I'll pass on this one.

RE: Question with the .270
 

Thanks for all the input fellas.

Yea, i think big earl put it best when he said this is primarily a gun that I want to use at the range, and it will double as a deer rifle. I have a 12 gauge shotgun now, and I can deer hunt with buckshot or slugs no problem. Most of my usual hunting spots are wooded, so I am limited to a 100 yard shot most of the time. I wouldn't be opposed to going smaller than .270, just seeing as how it will be the only rifle I have for a while, I would rather be have to much gun than not enough.

RE: Question with the .270
 

If the 12 gauge doesnt bother you the 270 would be a walk in the park. The 270 is one of the all time greats for good reason.

RE: Question with the .270
 

why not a marlin 30 30 like your dad

RE: Question with the .270
 

Here's a comparison of recoil energy for the cartridges that have been discussed in this thread:

Rifle Recoil Recoil
Weight Energy Velocity
.243 Win. (100 at 2960) 7.5 8.8 8.7
.25-06 Rem. (120 at 3000) 8.0 12.5 10.0
.270 Win. (130 at 3140) 8.0 16.5 n/a
.270 Win. (150 at 2900) 8.0 17.0 11.7
.280 Rem. (140 at 3000) 8.0 17.2 11.8
7mm-08 Rem. (140 at 2860) 8.0 12.6 10.1
7mm Rem. Mag. (150 at 3100) 8.5 19.2 12.1
.308 Win. (150 at 2800) 7.5 15.8 11.7
.30-06 Spfd. (150 at 2910) 8.0 17.6 11.9
.30-30 Win. (150 at 2400) 7.5 10.6 9.5
.300 Win. Mag. (180 at 2960) 8.5 25.9 14.0

RE: Question with the .270
 

If you don't like the recoil of standard factory ammo you can buy the managed recoil loads available. You could shoot these at the range and move to standard loads when hunting season arrives or use the managed recoil loads if the distances you will be shooting are 200 yards or less.

RE: Question with the .270
 

............You got it !!!!

RE: Question with the .270
 

but a limbsaver recoil pad for about $30 and use that

it will cut the recoil in half

i use one on my 3 1/2" 12 guage using buckshot/goose/turkey loads..can fire 20 shots in one session, and not even bruise. makes it feel like a 20 guage

if you are going to shoot a lot, reloading will save the most $ over time. if you don't reload, consider a 308. surplus ammo can be bought for much less and a 308 is a great big game rifle

RE: Question with the .270
 

For deer shooting, for anything up to the size fa caribou, you just cannot beat a good .270. It is also quite good at the range. I would say the same for a nice .25/'06. But for bigger game as well, I would choose the .280 Remington or .30/'06 for their heavier bullets..

RE: Question with the .270
 

The .270 and 30-06 will always be among the best but IMO the .280 has the advantages over both.

RE: Question with the .270
 

270 is great aso try 308 the recoil is stillmild but cost of most ammo on average is considerably less

RE: Question with the .270
 

Try shooting one to see if you can handle the recoil. If you find that it is too stout take a look at a .243 or a 7mm-08. Both will get the job done quite well, and both are pretty mild recoiling.

RE: Question with the .270
 

The 270 is a great if notperfect choice for deer. The 270 has low recoil and plenty of knock down power to kill any deer at any reasonable range. My old 270 was pleasent to shoot at the range.Ammo for the 270 is cheap & easy to find.
One other caliber to consider that has even less recoil than the 270 is the 25-06. The 25-06 is the gun of choice for many ranch raise boy & girls in my neck of the woods. The 25-06 ammo around here is cheap & easy to find also.

RE: Question with the .270
 

+1 very true.

RE: Question with the .270
 

I spent a better part of a year deciding on the caliber of my rifle two years ago. I'm not a big guy 5' 10" 180 lbs and I find the recoil very manageable. After considering recoil, accuracy, makes, budget and cost of ammo, I chose a Browning A-Bolt Composite Stalker .270 Win. Not sorry I did. Shooting Hornady 130gr. SST's, Punching 1/2" groups at 100 yards. The first season in use netted me a huge doe at about 100 yards and a last day buck downed at 250 on a dead run. Season two took a decent 6x6 at 360 yards. All one shot kills. So don't have any doubts, this calibre is great.

RE: Question with the .270
 

Agreed! Even O'Connor admitted this fact! The only reason I can think of for the existence of the .270 is that Brenneke had already designed the 7X64mm before Winchester brought out the .270. IMO, Win. would have made theirs a 7mm also, if someone had not already beat them to the punch!

(There was a 6.9X57mm Chinese [Mauser??] cartridge that useda .277" bullet, like the 270 Win.. Maybe this oddball inspired Winchester. Who knows? Even COTW has no real info on this Chinese round, ca. late 19th Century/early 20th.)

RE: Question with the .270
 

my .270 kicks less than my .30-30 I'd say.

Any grown man and a .270 should not be any issue.

I love to shoot mine at the range, its a sweet package.

RE: Question with the .270
 

The .270 Winchester is a great deer rifle.....but so are a lot of other less punishing rifles.

At the range from a sand bag or shooting prairie dogs the .270 can be punishing.....it's not a fun gun to shoot....it's a serious hunting rifle much like a .30-06. It will substitute for a varmint rifle but best for infrequent types of varminting like woodchucks and coyotes where one ofter shoots less than five rounds a day.

IMO you would be far better served with something like a .257 Roberts or a .243 Winchester or a .260 Remington or 6.5 X 55 Mauser! or .25-06.....it's up to you

RE: Question with the .270
 

270 is a very good round. It's fast, shoot's flat and has minimal recoil when compared to the 06 or any mag off the bench. Me, i love that 30 cal. round. Think about it take your 06 your 300 mag and it's the same bullet fired out of the 308. Minimal recoil accurate as hell and compared to mag ammo cheap to shoot. Federal 150 grain power shock for deer or black bear you need nothing more. price wise 400.00 and up. Just because it's fast dosen't' mean it's accurate.