.270 Winchester for plains game

Jerome,
Thank you for the explanation of a confusing matter. I have seen the 7mm rule many times ( including on this site), and the way it is stated it looked like it was a regulation.

.416 Rigby said:

I agree with most everything that has been said, but I would like to point out three things.

First, you didn't say where you were going to be hunting and whether or not DG might be present. If there is no DG in the area, your .270 with well constructed bullets in the 140-150 grain class will do you fine, providing you shoot it well. However, if DG will be present in your hunting area, carry a .375 as a a minimum with a soft up and solids down in case you become involved in a "situation" with a buff, lion or elephant.

Second, one big advantage of a .30/06 is that you can shoot 180, 200 or 220 grain loads in it. Heavy for caliber bullets are do well in Africa, especially in bushveldt conditions.

Third, should your ammunition supply become lost in transit or should you run low on cartridges, it is much more likely that your PH will have .30/06 on hand than it is he will have .270.

I highly recommend taking two rifles. You can't go wrong with a well made controlled round feed rifle in .375 and a clone of it in .30/06 (or, I suppose, .270).

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I don't know where we would be hunting, as I've said I'm 14 so I'm not the financial man, so I really can't tell you. I can't even tell you when we would be going, because I really don't know. My dad has been wanting to go to Africa for many years, but finances have always stopped him. We are hoping that soon we will have the money, but with the way the economy is who knows how that will go.

Hi, I am still fiarly new to hunting, and always wondered if a .270 will take down a good size bluewildebeest, the answer is: YES. Shot a nice big bull, around 26 inches at about 220m with my .270, 150gr, no problem. Shot placement is vital.

johana said:

Hi, I am still fiarly new to hunting, and always wondered if a .270 will take down a good size bluewildebeest, the answer is: YES. Shot a nice big bull, around 26 inches at about 220m with my .270, 150gr, no problem. Shot placement is vital.

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Well Johana now you have that sorted. Bwb is tough critters that can cause you a long day's hunting if wounded. Like one member stated somewhere on a forum, Bwb are all born sick and they get better with each shot taken at them. Since i started hunting in 1975, anually hunting Springok, Oryx and Kudu - I have culled more animals with my .270 than i can recall. With good bullets you can expand your .270 horizons up to kudu as well, bearing in mind as you correctly stated - shot placement is everything x 10

I'm probably in the minority but I feel a .270 is too light for larger plainsgame (oryx, hartebeest, etc.) I know most folks say it'll get the job done w/practice & more practice & very good shot placement...but none of us make a "very good shot" on EACH & EVERY trigger squeeze. There are scores of fat buzzards & hyenas attesting to this...I feel strongly that Bigger is Better ( w/in the shooter's capabilities...)

Case in point; On our 1st plainsgame hunt my wife & I were offered 2 nice rifles to use, a Weatherby .30/'06 & a Brno .375 H&H, both with ammo appropriate for large animals And each had the same scope ("Lynx" RSA-made, I think)...we fired mult. shots w/each @ paper---right on @ 100 meters, both. We both started w/the '06 and required more than 1 shot to kill an oryx & a hartebeest. Switching to the .375, a zebra, giraffe, blue wildebeest, & another hatebeest (culled b/c it was sick) dropped dead @ 1 shot...all shots were about 120 yds or less...Coincidence? Maybe...but if i were a deer and had to be hit by a vehicle (weird scenario, I know), I'd rather be run over by a bus than a VW bug...

One last note...check out the Official Regs. for several African Countries... a few, if I read correctly, require .30 cal or 7mm for kudu sized game...

joester said:

I'm probably in the minority but I feel a .270 is too light for larger plainsgame (oryx, hartebeest, etc.) I know most folks say it'll get the job done w/practice & more practice & very good shot placement...but none of us make a "very good shot" on EACH & EVERY trigger squeeze. There are scores of fat buzzards & hyenas attesting to this...I feel strongly that Bigger is Better ( w/in the shooter's capabilities...)

Case in point; On our 1st plainsgame hunt my wife & I were offered 2 nice rifles to use, a Weatherby .30/'06 & a Brno .375 H&H, both with ammo appropriate for large animals And each had the same scope ("Lynx" RSA-made, I think)...we fired mult. shots w/each @ paper---right on @ 100 meters, both. We both started w/the '06 and required more than 1 shot to kill an oryx & a hartebeest. Switching to the .375, a zebra, giraffe, blue wildebeest, & another hatebeest (culled b/c it was sick) dropped dead @ 1 shot...all shots were about 120 yds or less...Coincidence? Maybe...but if i were a deer and had to be hit by a vehicle (weird scenario, I know), I'd rather be run over by a bus than a VW bug...

One last note...check out the Official Regs. for several African Countries... a few, if I read correctly, require .30 cal or 7mm for kudu sized game...

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Thanks Joester - agreed - if you have the option for a heavier than .270 cal on larger plains game - naturally go this route.

In my opinion and experience - if your shot placement is off with a .270 the animal will make just the same in the opposite direction, as when poorly shot with a 30-06 or .375 or 300 Win Mag - which i have seen a lot off in my hunting days.
I am by no means a sniper-like shot, but i have hunted kudu and Oryx successfully with my .270 for years before i upgraded caliber to 30-06 - and i upgraded in cal purely because eland was on the menu and i wil not use less than .30 cal on these for the obvious.

I have had bad shots with my.270 and 30-06 on Springbuck, warthog, Kudu, Oryx, etc. etc. and i have seen fellow hunters having similar bad shots with 300 Win Mag's .375's etc. on the same animals - resulting in tracking wounded animals - no matter what the caliber. It is by no means a guarantee that having a bad shot with a larger caliber will down your animal than having a bad shot with a lesser caliber.
The .270 is up to the task if it is the only caliber you have - using premium bullets in 150 gr, placing your shot proper - it will down any plains game up to kudu. In my book it is shot placement - period.

Then on the .30 cal / 7 mm aspect - if i am not mistaken - i have read somewhere - i think it was an article by Gregor Woods in a local Magazine, that a .270 is in fact a true 7 mm ? Perhps one of our caliber fundis here on AH care to correct me if i am wrong here?

fhm3006 said:

The .270 is up to the task if it is the only caliber you have - using premium bullets in 150 gr, placing your shot proper - it will down any plains game up to kudu. In my book it is shot placement - period.

Then on the .30 cal / 7 mm aspect - if i am not mistaken - i have read somewhere - i think it was an article by Gregor Woods in a local Magazine, that a .270 is in fact a true 7 mm ? Perhaps one of our caliber fundis here on AH care to correct me if i am wrong here?

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fhm you are on the money with your recollections.
As the ruler measures.
A .270 is actually .277 inches in diameter which is BIGGER than 7mm proper.

0.2756 inches equals 7.0000 millimeters

This contest has gone on since the beginning of time. Always funny to see how personal preferences are expressed.

Shot placement is it and confidence is a big deal too.
If you feel comfortable with larger calibers then use them.

When you use that bigger caliber on plains game make sure there is nothing behind those critters you are shooting at in Africa as you pay for extra wounded animals too!

BRICKBURN said:

fhm you are on the money with your recollections.
As the ruler measures.
A .270 is actually .277 inches in diameter which is BIGGER than 7mm proper.

0.2756 inches equals 7.0000 millimeters

This contest has gone on since the beginning of time. Always funny to see how personal preferences are expressed.

Shot placement is it and confidence is a big deal too.
If you feel comfortable with larger calibers then use them.

When you use that bigger caliber on plains game make sure there is nothing behind those critters you are shooting at in Africa as you pay for extra wounded animals too!

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But a 7mm magnum round is loaded with a .284" diameter bullet, not that .008" makes a difference. The difference in using a 7mm over a .270 is simply the larger weighted bullets and the amount of powder available to drive them.

Personally I own both a .270 and a 7mm magnum. Short of eland, I don't think I'd hesitate to use a .270 loaded with 150gr A-Frames on any of the PG animals if that's as big a caliber that I could shoot proficiently. For me, I can shoot larger calibers proficiently and so when it comes to Africa, the .270 will most likely stay home.

Oops, I must write more clearly.
.008 makes a difference in the details.

Phil, I was thinking of bigger being .375H&H.

All the rest below that, use what you are comfortable with and shoot well.

I'm stil new here, so no long input from me, but what I can say about that caliber is that I inhereted my grandfathers brno zkk 600 in 270 win, and have been hunting with that rifle on nearly all my hunts. I load 170gr rhino points (not too common), and you also get 160gr from hornaby which works great on any of the game the others mentioned here.
I also used it weekly this year to shoot for rations, and did not lose a single animal. It ranged from impala to bluewildebeest.
Also my competition gun with good results, so accuracy is no problem for a 270 win.

Keep well and good luck.
Peet

Hi All,

I have used .30-06 180 grain Federal Power-Shok exclusively, and since it works, I have not used or recommended anything else. In 2008, I bought an inexpensive Marlin XL-7, slapped on a Burris Scope I found on ebay and went to town dropping several Kudu and Blue Wildebeest with one shot at between 75-100 yards. Never needed a follow up. Never had to chase a wounded animal. The bullet in all cases went in one side, through the animal, and got caught just below the skin on the opposite side. 100% bullet recovery and they held together.

I hate chasing wounded animals. It is a waste of time and not ethical to make an animal suffer more then necessary. That is why I like to use a caliber that gets the job done quickly. The best rifle to use is the one you are best at shooting, but it is hard to beat the .30-06 on plains game.

Cheers,

BSR

Ok I've got one more thing to throw in, in the last couple of days I've been doing a little Experiment I setup a 1/2 inch steel plate at 200 yard shooting off hand as I don't have my shooting bench built yet (start on that this weekend) the first group I used a 30-06 hand loaded with 165gr Hornady Interlock at a speed of around 2600+ FPS as you can see in the pic Group 1 punched holes through the 1/2" steel plate. In group 2 I used a 270 Win loaded with 140gr Hornady Interlock traveling at about the same rate of speed and Group 2 punched holes in the 1/2" steel plate with 25gr less bullet and the holes were almost the same size, in Group 3 though I used the same 270 Win loaded with Hornady 150gr SST traveling within 35 fps as the other two the SST did not punch through the steel plate. So I guess My question is this, if you use a good bullet as used in groups 1 & 2 and will be shooting at the same distance round or about Do you really think the animal will be able to tell the difference?

A factor not considered in your test with steel is bullet performance. Controlled expansion bullets with a 270 will work far better than light for caliber in the .30's. (Extreme example.) Steel doesn't emulate anything but steel, but does give you a good look at energy.

A solid in both will make a .030" difference in exit wound size. Whether that makes a difference depends on so many other factors it is really impossible to tell.

Between similar calibers it is much more about confidence and proficiency.

rodell said:

A factor not considered in your test with steel is bullet performance. Controlled expansion bullets with a 270 will work far better than light for caliber in the .30's. (Extreme example.) Steel doesn't emulate anything but steel, but does give you a good look at energy.

A solid in both will make a .030" difference in exit wound size. Whether that makes a difference depends on so many other factors it is really impossible to tell.

Between similar calibers it is much more about confidence and proficiency.

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I agree 100% there are so many factors its hard to narrow it down, the fact is with the first shots it was suppose to be a gong when the bullets punched through it even set me back a step, my recommendation is use as big of a gun as you can shoot with Confidents with good quality Bullets.

You bring a good point up Bob, bullet performance is hugely responsible for a animals quick death. Shot placement is everything, but bullet performance counts too! I would not bash the SST too much, it is not made to travel through a steel plate. But if you shoot a animals in the lungs on a broadside shot or going away shot...it is super deadly. The problem with soft bullets is they are not good for the quartering too shoot and don't break bones as well as other bullets.

trigger creep said:

AlSpeath, your views of the .270 are clearly diluted by your apparent infatuation with the .30-06 and 7X57 Mauser. The funny thing is, The 7X57 and the .270 are identical in killing power under 250 yards, out past which the .270 surpasses it, yet to use the .270 is an obamination worthy of eternal punishment. The .270 with a 160 gn partition will do every bit as well as the 7x57 with a 175 partition.

I also do not appreciate being called a necked down hunter and I wish that you would continue to discuss this in a mature manner.

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Ok I apologise if you were offended. I didn't know you were only 14 and assumed you had a sense of humor.
I have been fortunate enough to have hunted hundreds of animals in my "mature" existance which was the basis of the advice I gave you. My experience with .270's has not been good and I would never recommend it to any hunter coming to Africa. Same goes for 7mm rem mag. Good shot placement but lots and lots of wounded animals. I will always recommend 30-06 or .308 over a .270 - and a .300 win mag or .300H&H mag over a 7mm mag. Bell shot 1,011 elephant with a 7X57 (.275 Rigby) and I knew old PH's who shot hundreds of buffalo to supply meant to the mines with a 30-06 220gr but I can't recommend a 7X57 for an elephant safari or 30-06 for buffalo.

Just a couple of comments on your post:
1) 7X57 and .270 are not "identical". The 7X57mm has very good penetrating ability due to a fast twist rate that enables it to fire long, heavy bullets with a high sectional density. It was great in it's day and still loved by many but .30-06 or .308 are better for plains game.
2) Most calibers perform best with the bullet weight they were designed for. .270 is 130gr but you will find only fragments in your animal. Barnes 140 gr Triple Shock bullet is probably your best bet (if you can't afford a 30-06). .270 160gr defeats the purpose - especially if you think you can shoot "out past 250 yds".
3) I assume an "Obamination" refers to the mess the US President has made of the economy.

This is the best hunting website I have found. It contains a wealth of information on all aspects of African hunting. Jerome has done an outstanding job of providing almost everything you could want to know about hunting in Africa.
You've had a lot of good advice from experienced hunters in this thread. Whether you take it or not is really up to you.

enysse said:

You bring a good point up Bob, bullet performance is hugely responsible for a animals quick death. Shot placement is everything, but bullet performance counts too! I would not bash the SST too much, it is not made to travel through a steel plate. But if you shoot a animals in the lungs on a broadside shot or going away shot...it is super deadly. The problem with soft bullets is they are not good for the quartering too shoot and don't break bones as well as other bullets.

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Oh I'm not going to slam the SST I myself have taken lots of Whitetails with them and I havn't lost one yet and last year while doing a fawn distress call I got a hog that came in for a free meal. I just wouldn't recommend them for African game larger then a Blesbok.

I would agree about the SST. Not a big game bullet. Whitetail, impala, blesbok sized animals. It is a great bullet for that sized game. I use it in my slug gun for deer. You go to larger game you need to go to the Interbond. In the right combo you could go up to eland.

saprof said:

Hi All,

I have used .30-06 180 grain Federal Power-Shok exclusively, and since it works, I have not used or recommended anything else. In 2008, I bought an inexpensive Marlin XL-7, slapped on a Burris Scope I found on ebay and went to town dropping several Kudu and Blue Wildebeest with one shot at between 75-100 yards. Never needed a follow up. Never had to chase a wounded animal. The bullet in all cases went in one side, through the animal, and got caught just below the skin on the opposite side. 100% bullet recovery and they held together.

I hate chasing wounded animals. It is a waste of time and not ethical to make an animal suffer more then necessary. That is why I like to use a caliber that gets the job done quickly. The best rifle to use is the one you are best at shooting, but it is hard to beat the .30-06 on plains game.

Cheers,

BSR

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Good to know. I'm still saving for my probably once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa to hunt. But have given a lot of thought to what I'd bring. As is the case with all my hunts, I'll bring two guns -- a backup in case something goes awry with the first, and for selection for various game. The first is my .35 Whelen. I had it custom made on a Czech VZ-24 action for elk, and have noted it should do just fine out to 250 yards on any plains game out there. The other was a toss up between a .280 Remington AI and .30-06. They're both great cartridges. But I'll likely be bringing the .30-06 due to the ability to use heavier bullets. The longer range and flatter trajectory of the .280 will probably be wasted, as I understand most shots in the areas I've been looking won't be more than 300 yards at most.

This past summer I took an .06 Ackley, and a .375 H&H. Used the .06 past 200 (Springbuck and Kudu) everything else was taken with the .375. With the Barnes Triple Shocks the animals were just anchored. I think Redleg stated it fairly well this is not like hunting deer from a stand. Opportunities come quickly and are more often than not are not the picture perfect broadside shot. Having that larger caliber is a definate advantage.