.270 vs .30-06 for 400 yard shots?
09-06-2018, 04:55 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 4
.270 vs .30-06 for 400 yard shots?
Hello, this is my first post here. I apologize for coming so close to asking the old question that makes everyone moan and groan but I want to ask your opinions on my particular application.
I hunt my family farm and joining personal property in NC. My deer are pretty small and a 200 lb buck would be sure something to talk about.
I am by choice primarily a woods guy that likes getting close and usually spend more time with archery tackle or a .30-30. I have long preferred the 06 for more consistent blood trails and less bruising up close than the .270. Yet I have never really tried to shoot much past 200 or so.
I have a much older vastly more experienced hunting friend (gets a heck of a buck almost every year, also a 1000 yard wildcat guy) that just shakes his head and says that as pressured as our deer are around here that the best way to see something good is fill the feeder up, wait for the November fun, and shoot long while never ever going into the woods and spooking up the area. He says the crazy pressure from our hundreds of small farms and our fickle mountain winds just makes hunting close too hard for the big old bucks. He has advised me to start treating older bucks like another species and to stop doing the stuff that fills the freezers with does.
My property has a spot where I know I could get a good predictable 350-400 yard shot if I decided to practice up and try it that way for a change. I can't get closer without blowing my cover, I can indeed back up as I gain experience if needed.
I am concerned about terminal performance on my small deer. I wonder if at that range if the lighter faster remaining bullet speed of the .270 (probably a 130 or 140 SST) will trump the .30-06 165 SST ( assume everything is handloaded to near book max levels)? I will not shoot if it is clearly windy, and I can practice the elevation. What I can't change is bullet performance at reduced speeds and energy vs diameter (whatever that is actually worth). I know this is not really long range at all and that I why I am hoping to not need to get into the 200 grain VLD class of bullet.
Over the years I have already worked out my clear preference for the .30-06 within 200 yards but I need your help working out what to at least expect at almost double that yardage.
Thanks
I hunt my family farm and joining personal property in NC. My deer are pretty small and a 200 lb buck would be sure something to talk about.
I am by choice primarily a woods guy that likes getting close and usually spend more time with archery tackle or a .30-30. I have long preferred the 06 for more consistent blood trails and less bruising up close than the .270. Yet I have never really tried to shoot much past 200 or so.
I have a much older vastly more experienced hunting friend (gets a heck of a buck almost every year, also a 1000 yard wildcat guy) that just shakes his head and says that as pressured as our deer are around here that the best way to see something good is fill the feeder up, wait for the November fun, and shoot long while never ever going into the woods and spooking up the area. He says the crazy pressure from our hundreds of small farms and our fickle mountain winds just makes hunting close too hard for the big old bucks. He has advised me to start treating older bucks like another species and to stop doing the stuff that fills the freezers with does.
My property has a spot where I know I could get a good predictable 350-400 yard shot if I decided to practice up and try it that way for a change. I can't get closer without blowing my cover, I can indeed back up as I gain experience if needed.
I am concerned about terminal performance on my small deer. I wonder if at that range if the lighter faster remaining bullet speed of the .270 (probably a 130 or 140 SST) will trump the .30-06 165 SST ( assume everything is handloaded to near book max levels)? I will not shoot if it is clearly windy, and I can practice the elevation. What I can't change is bullet performance at reduced speeds and energy vs diameter (whatever that is actually worth). I know this is not really long range at all and that I why I am hoping to not need to get into the 200 grain VLD class of bullet.
Over the years I have already worked out my clear preference for the .30-06 within 200 yards but I need your help working out what to at least expect at almost double that yardage.
Thanks
09-06-2018, 05:08 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: west central wi USA
Posts: 2,242
Check a ballistics table for each cartridge. You'll find that the trajectories are not so different that you could blame the cartridge for a miss, and the 30-06 will have significantly more energy at 400 yd. Can you shoot that far accurately?
09-06-2018, 05:23 PM
#3
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 4
No, not yet. That is off the table for this season. I just want to sort this out and know what to practice with this spring. And I am not asking about which one will be easier to hit with trajectory wise. I am wondering about which one will work better kn the terminal end for smallish deer at reduced speeds. I am worried about poke throughs. Thanks.
09-06-2018, 05:41 PM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Knee Deep in FL Muck
Posts: 286
I've killed plenty of pigs 300-400 yards with my .270win. Never shot a deer that far. But it's plenty lethal for my FL piggies. Practice practice practice. Wind starts turning into a real issue after 300 yards. I run 150g SSTs. being pushed in the 2900fps range. It flat out hits them like a mack truck. FYI there is quit a bit of poi drop after 400.
09-06-2018, 05:53 PM
#5
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 4
I've killed plenty of pigs 300-400 yards with my .270win. Never shot a deer that far. But it's plenty lethal for my FL piggies. Practice practice practice. Wind starts turning into a real issue after 300 yards. I run 150g SSTs. being pushed in the 2900fps range. It flat out hits them like a mack truck. FYI there is quit a bit of poi drop after 400.
09-06-2018, 06:32 PM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: WI&UP
Posts: 751
I hunt woods, under 100. I do enjoy playing with ballistic calculators for setting my scope up. I happen to use Nikon spot on.
my guess if you are hunting farm fields and it runs no big deal. WhixWhich is why some guys will say it is just as dead with my little gun. Where I hunt if it runs, it is a pie. 270 has shot lots of deer. Never used one I go bigger. I would look at trajectory and if you can seypt you scope up for the ranges youveantvwith 3006. I like to set up so I I just aim for most shots, but know 5he path if need too, such that I am plus or minus an inch or so at my close ranges.
I'd get a range finder if you got some extra cash. I might do that before buying another gun. I know some will say people shot deer without them, and I agree. I can afford peniciln, so if needed it I would buy it, even though many got by without. I wouldn't buy $$$ but I am tight,
my guess if you are hunting farm fields and it runs no big deal. WhixWhich is why some guys will say it is just as dead with my little gun. Where I hunt if it runs, it is a pie. 270 has shot lots of deer. Never used one I go bigger. I would look at trajectory and if you can seypt you scope up for the ranges youveantvwith 3006. I like to set up so I I just aim for most shots, but know 5he path if need too, such that I am plus or minus an inch or so at my close ranges.
I'd get a range finder if you got some extra cash. I might do that before buying another gun. I know some will say people shot deer without them, and I agree. I can afford peniciln, so if needed it I would buy it, even though many got by without. I wouldn't buy $$$ but I am tight,
Last edited by Berserker; 09-06-2018 at 06:37 PM.
09-06-2018, 06:51 PM
#7
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
Welcome to the forum!
I don't believe it really matters in this instance . Shoot whichever you are more comfortable with. Sounds like the .30-06. both are perfectly fine at 400 yards .
-Jake
I don't believe it really matters in this instance . Shoot whichever you are more comfortable with. Sounds like the .30-06. both are perfectly fine at 400 yards .
-Jake
09-07-2018, 04:40 AM
#8
Spike
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 41
I agree that you should shoot with whichever one you feel more comfortable with. Also, take that advice about getting a big buck only at long distances with a grain of salt. There are a lot of uncontrollable variables including LUCK. Although, how much time does your buddy spend in the field, does he watch for sign and patterns? There are a lot of things you can do to improve your odds and I think the first (and most fun) is just getting out there in the field. Just my two cents... Good luck and welcome to the forum.
