Anyone use the .270 Winchester?

[hawkeyesatx]

I didn’t know this, but I found out why Jack O’Connor had such good success with the .270! He pretty much used, exclusively, 130 gr Nosler Partitions. We all know that they work extremely well, and penetrate like there’s no tomorrow!



Hawk

 

[rdog]

The Savage 110 is a great action with a floating bolt head & easy head space adjustment
i do not understand why some people think the are a POS.

 

[hawkeyesatx]

The Savage 110 is a great action with a floating bolt head & easy head space adjustment
i do not understand why some people think the are a POS.

You and me both!
The so called professionals who like the most expensive rifles out there, have more than likely never owned a fancy rifle.
And I’m pretty sure they’ve never owned a Savage 110 either.
I think a lot of peoples way of thinking would be changed if they owned Savage 110, or knew someone who did.
I didn’t know anything about Savage 110’s until after I bought mine some 30+ years ago, and after I fired mine, and saw it shoot a .75 inch group, I was astounded!


Hawk

 

[TMac]

Ok, I don’t brag, but I know my shooting skills, and hunting skills are higher than the “average joe”, and way better than any gun scribe I know of today that shoots or hunts.
I can sneak up to big game animals inside 250 yds more so than not.
Now, with that being said, I don’t hunt, or condone anyone shooting at big game animals at 1000+ yds, like I’ve seen a lot of YouTube man-bun channels do, while even using lesser cartridges.
I have taken big game animals out to 400 - 500 yds, but I waited, and made sure I could get a perfect, or near perfect broadside shot. Those were antelope, out on the rolling prairie in Wyoming.
Plus, I’ve used cartridges that the gun scribes stick their snooty noses up to using, and they’ve worked way better than they gave credit. Plus, I’ve used a .25-06, and it did it’s job extremely well on varmints and coyotes, but failed horribly when I used it deer hunting, while using 120 gr deer bullets, and getting that bullet into the vitals, and found out later, it didn’t even penetrate, and mortally wounded the poor animal.
Now, my question is this: If I use the .270, will it let me down?
Can I reasonably think I can use it for elk and above using heavier bullets?
I know me. I will put a bullet correctly where it should to ensure a reasonably fast, clean kill.
Is it fair to say, while hearing from you all, that the .270 can do the job I require of it?


Hawk

Hawk, I find your 25-06 issue perplexing. That had to be a tough deal. I suspect there was a bullet issue, not one of cartridge choice. I’ve had stellar results with the 25-06 on many antelope & deer, and a couple cow elk.

I’d go so far as to say anything one would sensibly shoot with a 130gr. bullet from a 270Win, could be done about as well with a 120gr. out of a 25-06, bullet type/construction being the same. It‘s a trade of 10 gr. of bullet weight for a little better SD, close to a push. Use heavier bullets in the 270 and the 25-06 falls behind.

I think you will find a friend should you decide to move towards the 270. I like mono 130’s & bonded 140’s for elk. Deer will fall to about any 130+, but with some of the faster loads, bonded bullets help up close and some with meat loss. So to answer one of your questions, no, the 270 won’t let you down, but pick a good bullet. Yes, it will do the job required of it, again, select a good bullet.

 

[rdog]

Just get a 6.5 Creedmore it the best cartridge of all time, Mice to T REX so they say
or a 243 win Seriously a 270 win is wonderful but it should have 24 to 26 inch bbl for best performance,

 

[Dr Ray]

I think of the 270 as the queen of the plains cartridge

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Just get a 6.5 Creedmore it the best cartridge of all time, Mice to T REX so they say
or a 243 win Seriously a 270 win is wonderful but it should have 24 to 26 inch bbl for best performance,

@rdog
Me thinks that the China flu and lock down is getting to you.
Start with the 25s then the 277 and go up.
Bob

 

[Hillbilly Marine]

I got to play with all kinds of rounds in my younger days by happenstance. Everything from .220 Swift to .375 H&H. I hunted deer early on with an original Sharps 45-70 and a worn out model 94 in 30-30. Being a voracious reader I ran across O'Conner around age 8 and wanted to get a .270 then. I had to wait until my Uncle let me use an old Remington .270 he got in a trade and boy I was hooked.

Now, where I hunted then the brush was fairly heavy and a long shot would be maybe 100 yards but that 130 grain bullet sure accounted for a lot of game. Later on I finally got my very own .270 Winchester (tang safety Ruger 77) and used it up and down the WV hills and NC coastal plains and never had any problems. Rifle go bang, dead deer, bear, groundhog, whatever.

That Ruger was stolen years ago but I now have another Ruger 77 and a Savage 110 in .270 Winchester. Over the years I have come to the conclusion the Jack O'conner was right about the .270 Winchester with a 130 grain bullet; just about perfect.

With today's bullets there is not much I wouldn't take with a .270. I have a large gap in rifles that I actually use in the field. .22 LR, .270 Winchester and a .416 Rigby. I have other toys but those are the three that get used for real about 95% of the time.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I got to play with all kinds of rounds in my younger days by happenstance. Everything from .220 Swift to .375 H&H. I hunted deer early on with an original Sharps 45-70 and a worn out model 94 in 30-30. Being a voracious reader I ran across O'Conner around age 8 and wanted to get a .270 then. I had to wait until my Uncle let me use an old Remington .270 he got in a trade and boy I was hooked.

Now, where I hunted then the brush was fairly heavy and a long shot would be maybe 100 yards but that 130 grain bullet sure accounted for a lot of game. Later on I finally got my very own .270 Winchester (tang safety Ruger 77) and used it up and down the WV hills and NC coastal plains and never had any problems. Rifle go bang, dead deer, bear, groundhog, whatever.

That Ruger was stolen years ago but I now have another Ruger 77 and a Savage 110 in .270 Winchester. Over the years I have come to the conclusion the Jack O'conner was right about the .270 Winchester with a 130 grain bullet; just about perfect.

With today's bullets there is not much I wouldn't take with a .270. I have a large gap in rifles that I actually use in the field. .22 LR, .270 Winchester and a .416 Rigby. I have other toys but those are the three that get used for real about 95% of the time.

@hawkeyesatx
Give the 25 ought six a go with Barnes or swift AFrame it will amaze you.
Bob

 

[hawkeyesatx]

@hawkeyesatx
Give the 25 ought six a go with Barnes or swift AFrame it will amaze you.
Bob

After my experience with the deer, the 120 gr Winchester protected point, and the deer going off, mortally wounded, no thanks.
Man! I was using it to take everything too! I shot gophers, rockchucks, prairie dogs,fox, coyote, and that deer. I didn’t have any problems. I was shooting 100 gr Sierra Game kings for all the varmints. Then I did my due diligence and did my homework on the Winchester cartridges. I thought they were good, and others recommended that I use them.
I even did my best shooting with that rifle. I was coming back from a coyote hunt. It was a fast moving blizzard, and I saw a coyote out at 425 - 450 yds. It wasn’t coming in. So I let out a rabbit squeak, it stopped broadside, and I took my shot, and hit it! It went down like a bag of bricks! Oh well!
The smallest caliber I use now for deer, is the 6.5x55! It’s never let me down.
I look forward to using the .270!

Hawk

 

[Hillbilly Marine]

@hawkeyesatx
Give the 25 ought six a go with Barnes or swift AFrame it will amaze you.
Bob

Bob, my cousin wore his .25-06 into a smoothbore. I helped him out as we both liked to shoot crows, groundhogs, fish, and the neighbors tomatoes. That thing was hell on a groundhog way out around 400 yards. He did test up a bunch of meat on whatever deer he shot. That was 40 years ago so the bullets weren't what they are now. He always used the lightest bullet he could find for speed and that probably helped the meat damage.

 

[Philip Glass]

I’m getting info on the .270 Winchester.

What has your experience been with it, for those who have used it?

What range of game have you gotten with yours, including African game, too?

What’s the largest animal anyone has taken with theirs, and how quickly did it dispatch the animal?

What’s the longest anyone has taken a big game animal with theirs?

If there is something I may have missed, please let me know about it and the .270 Winchester.


Hawk

Great deer gun but big not enough for Africa. If you are culling out of a breeder pen you’d be ok but if you are hurting hard and have long, marginal shots as are typical of a real hunt you can do better.
I just had 10 guys with me on safari. Most had .300 Win and smallest was 7mm Mag. All did well and all were glad to get my advice on caliber.
It is fun planning for safari and especially which rifle to bring!
Regards,
Philip

 

[Dr Ray]

I think of the 270 as the queen of the plains cartridge

Bob are you okay!?

Liking my 270!!
Well I can hardly believe it !!
It’s really you,Bob???

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob are you okay!?

Liking my 270!!
Well I can hardly believe it !!
It’s really you,Bob???

@Dr Ray
This me mate the 270 isn't a bad cartridge, better than the manbun and that other pissant cartridges that begins with a 2 and 4 and ends with a three. Yes I did own a 270 and used it to find out what all the hype was about. It didn't do anything my fast 25 couldn't do better so it became a Whelen. If a fast 25 isn't your thing the 270 is the next best tho.
Bob

 

[rdog]

What about the 280 Remington ? just a little more than the 270 ? i have a Weatherby MK5
280 and a re-barreled Vanguard in 270 win, i can not tell the difference on pigs 140 grain 270 v 150 grain 7mm.

 

[colorado]

I think the 280 Remington is a great caliber. I still love my 270, 90g Sierra HPBTs at 3500 fps for varmints, 150g Partitions at 3000 fps for everything else.

 

[rdog]

@Dr Ray
This me mate the 270 isn't a bad cartridge, better than the manbun and that other pissant cartridges that begins with a 2 and 4 and ends with a three. Yes I did own a 270 and used it to find out what all the hype was about. It didn't do anything my fast 25 couldn't do better so it became a Whelen. If a fast 25 isn't your thing the 270 is the next best tho.
Bob

We all should try to get Bob Nelson to love the 243 WIN for it is really a great cartridge my
daughter has a Weatherby Vanguard ladies edition, she has wacked many a pig &
goat & fox using 100 grain bullets. I like shooting it too! My eldest son has a Winchester
mod 70 featherweight in 243 also. his wife used it before they had kids.

 

[Ragman]

We all should try to get Bob Nelson to love the 243 WIN for it is really a great cartridge my
daughter has a Weatherby Vanguard ladies edition, she has wacked many a pig &
goat & fox using 100 grain bullets. I like shooting it too! My eldest son has a Winchester
mod 70 featherweight in 243 also. his wife used it before they had kids.

Agreed. My wife and father both shoot the .243 for whitetails here in Saskatchewan using 100 grain bullets and their bucks drop just as quickly as the ones I shoot with my .308 or 7mm RM. @Bob Nelson 35Whelen has almost inspired me to hunt with it this fall except I really had it in mind that I wanted to use my .30-30!
As for the .270 as I stated above, love it. I had one in a beautiful Ruger #1 and in a moment of lunacy, I sold it. Have regretted it ever since.

 

[Red Leg]

After my experience with the deer, the 120 gr Winchester protected point, and the deer going off, mortally wounded, no thanks.
Man! I was using it to take everything too! I shot gophers, rockchucks, prairie dogs,fox, coyote, and that deer. I didn’t have any problems. I was shooting 100 gr Sierra Game kings for all the varmints. Then I did my due diligence and did my homework on the Winchester cartridges. I thought they were good, and others recommended that I use them.
I even did my best shooting with that rifle. I was coming back from a coyote hunt. It was a fast moving blizzard, and I saw a coyote out at 425 - 450 yds. It wasn’t coming in. So I let out a rabbit squeak, it stopped broadside, and I took my shot, and hit it! It went down like a bag of bricks! Oh well!
The smallest caliber I use now for deer, is the 6.5x55! It’s never let me down.
I look forward to using the .270!

Hawk

A .25 is essentially a 6.5. Just saying.

I think I currently own four .270's and have used the caliber regularly for North American and European game since the mid - 70's. They have taken everything from fox and coyote, to roe deer and whitetail, to red stag and huge European wild boar - well over a hundred head of game. I have personally settled on the 140 gr tribe of bullets in the .270. A premium one will do anything a 150 will do with almost the same trajectory as the 130. Arguably, the .270 is the best deer cartridge ever created. No doubt a testiment to its continuing popularity.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I think the 280 Remington is a great caliber. I still love my 270, 90g Sierra HPBTs at 3500 fps for varmints, 150g Partitions at 3000 fps for everything else.

@colorado
So what does that do that a fast 25 won't do. An 87 grain out of my 25 a almost 3,800 makes small game jigsaws, so why the need for the 270.
Bob

Agreed. My wife and father both shoot the .243 for whitetails here in Saskatchewan using 100 grain bullets and their bucks drop just as quickly as the ones I shoot with my .308 or 7mm RM. @Bob Nelson 35Whelen has almost inspired me to hunt with it this fall except I really had it in mind that I wanted to use my .30-30!
As for the .270 as I stated above, love it. I had one in a beautiful Ruger #1 and in a moment of lunacy, I sold it. Have regretted it ever since.

@Ragman
With 100gn bullets it may work 90% of the time with ideal shots. In Australia most clowns that own a 243 use the 87 grainers that turn it into a great wounding caliber.
I still and always will hate the cartridge.
Bob