30-06 vs. .270 win

[dannyblake10]

so as a hunting round, which of these two is all around the best
it will mostly be used for deer and maybe stuff just a hair larger, no grizzly or anything of that nature
im looking for pros and cons of both, and does anybody own both?
so what would suit this purpose the best?

thanks,
Danny

[Crankylove]

The best one would be the rifle you get the better deal on. There isn't a big enough difference between those two to really matter to me. About the only difference I see is the .30-06 will have a larger selection of bullet weights to shoot, but the .270 will shoot a little flatter. Both are easy to find factory ammo and handload for, and come in quite a variety of rifles. Have a few of each in my family, and honestly, if you have one, you don't need the other.

[Crosshair]

30-06 because of the larger selection of available bullet weights that make it more versatile than the .270.

[dannyblake10]

ok
because the rifle im looking at (winchester model 70 featherweight) is the same price, same weight, same lentgh, and same everything else for both of these calibers.
since the .270 packs a little less punch, is it made up for in a higher velocity
and is it a much bigger difference in how flat it travels?

[IDAHO83501]

Both are great, the .270 shoots flatter, and packs enough punch to take down a bull elk at 300 plus yards. I like fast and flat, so I'd choose the .270:cool:

[Buzzcook]

Flip a coin. The 06 can shoot larger projectiles. The .270 has somewhat flatter trajectory and maybe a bit less recoil.
The feather weight is a great gun and it comes in several calibers. If you don't plan to hunt giant grizzly, then you can afford to get a lighter round than either. The 7mm-08 or 7x57, the 260 and 6.5x55 are all cartridges that will do moose and elk. They won't hurt your shoulder doing it.

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

There is no "vs." here. They're both great cartridges. They're about the same in my eyes, get the one with the bullet weight you're after and you can't go wrong.

[tyrajam]

There is one big difference between the two. Well, that is if you consider 31/1000s of an inch a big difference:rolleyes:. If not, pick whichever one gives you the warm fuzzies. Or better yet, one of both!

[dannyblake10]

i also have a remington m700 in .308 so i didnt really take into consideration that i could use that if i needed somehting for larger game
its just a heavy rifle

[dannyblake10]

oh trust me
i wish i could get both!!!
but theres this little factor getting in the way
its called money

[koolminx]

If you can hit where the cross hairs lie, then the -06 will be the better gun bar none ALL the time.

Comparatively, if you want to take out a tank, what's a better gun, a 88mm mortar or a 105mm howitzer?

Bigger is always better as long as you can handle the gun and hit what you are aiming at. I would much rather an -06 on an elk at 300 yards than a 270 at 200 yards.

That's my two cents...

[cornbush]

If you are going to top out on elk sized game go with the 270, if anything bigger go with the '06. Or you could flip a coin and win either way.:D

[trooper3385]

That's a tough one. I've always been a 270 man but I have to admit, the 06 would be a little more versitable due to a wider ranger of bullet weights. If it's going to be for deer hunting 90% of the time, I would go with the 270. If elk is in the future, I would go with the 06. Atleast with those 2 choices. If it was my choice of calibers and elk size animals were in the near future, I would grab my 300 win mag or weatherby mag. It might not be absolutely necessary, but sorry guys, I like magnums for larger animals.

[James R. Burke]

I would go with the 06, but that is just me. They are both really close to call, you could not go wrong with either one.

[Art Eatman]

Deer and elk? For the average hunter who doesn't reload, it's a case of six of one, half-dozen of the other. I've killed deer with both cartridges, and they all were equally dead.

[BIGR]

I must say that I have never owned a 270 so I don't know how effective they are. For some reason the 270 has never appealed to me, I guess because I thought the 30.06 was so close to it caliber wise. Some people talk like the 270 is like a death ray on big game. Without a doubt that caliber have claimed many game animals. Since I own 4 30.06 rifles I am not trying to be too one sided. The 30.06 does have a larger selection of bullets and it will handle the larger bullets better. Myself I like a 180 grain bullet on deer since I hunt in thick areas. With the 180 grain bullet I don't have much meat damage and it puts those whitetails down quick. Yes, I know the lighter bullets will kill deer just fine and probably drop less at a greater distance but my hunting is 25 feet to 90 yards and I am not taking the long shots due to the terrain.
Both calibers are excellent, but it all boils down to shot placement.

[matt_3479]

Im going to have to say the 270. win

[GeauxTide]

If a 22" barrel, go with the '06, if a 24" barrel, go with the 270. You'll be at 2800fps with 150s in 30, and 2900 with 130s in 27 in 22" barrels.

[sc928porsche]

There are a lot more 06 rifles out there than the 270. A lot better choices for bullets if you reload, and ammo if you dont in the 06. 270 is nice, but the 06 is a bit better.

[sasquatch]

I shoot a Model 70 Featherweight in .270, and my sons have Browning A-Bolt Hunters in .30-'06.

I reload for both calibers:
-- 150 gr. .270 Nosler Partition with 54 gr. of IMR 4350......2750 FPS.
-- 180 gr. '06 Nosler Partion with 54 gr. of IMR 4350......2660 FPS.
-- 180 gr. '06 CT Fail Safe with 54 gr. of IMR 4350.....2660 FPS.

All are very accurate loads.

My personal opinion is that the .270 is marginal for elk, so I use a .300 Win Mag when hunting elk.

I love my .270 Win., but you just can't go wrong with either caliber for deer.

[Colorado Redneck]

Muzzle 100 yd 200 yd 300 yd
3060/2702 2851/2345 2651/2028 2460/1746


Muzzle 100 yd 200 yd 300 yd
2910/2820 2686/2403 2473/2037 2270/1716


The upper data is for a 270 Win Hornady 130 gr. Interbond.
The trajectory at 300 yards is – 6.3 inches if zeroed at 200

The lower data is for 30-06 150 gr. Hornady Interbond
The trajectory at 300 yards is -7.4 inches if zeroed at 200

I would say they are a wash. Either is a great round. If you hunt in the west, where the shots can be long, the 270 has a bit of an edge for deer and antelope. For elk, the 30-06 has a bit of an edge, as it can shoot heavier bullets that with higher sectional density and with more downrange energy. But just a bit. Many elk and moose have been taken with the 270. Flip a coin. (I prefer 270 :D)

[UniversalFrost]

I go for 30/06 due to ability to load light and load real heavy (220gr), a .270 is a good deer caliber, but if you ever need to load heavy then you just can't do it.

I have owned several .270's and even gave one to my elderly mother as a x-mas gift last year, but my go to all around rifles are all 30/06. anywhere you go you will find 30/06 ammo (including a gas station in the middle of alaska when i had one of my bags with my ammo in it stolen and had to get ammo for my caribou hunt) Even in europe I was able to easily get 30/06 ammo. 308 would be the next caliber I would choose to do just about all, but .270 would only use on deer sized animals and smaller or maybe a 100yd shot on elk, but that would be it.

if i could buy just 3 center fire rifles they would be in 243win 30/06 and 375 H&H (must have for bear in the north). the .243 and 30/06 can easily be loaded to shoot anything on north or south america.

[chow chow]

I have a Garand and that says it clearly.

[Para Bellum]

It's like .45 or 9x19. The .30-06 being the .45 and the .270 being the 9x19.

I'd take a .308 by the way (sorry) :o

[williamd]

Someone took the great 30-06 case and made the 270 step child. 06 is more versatile and remains probably history's best round. 308 is close. 223 (5.56) is not!
I like 280 and 25-06, too. In fact, of all the 30-06 family the 270 is at the bottom of my (personal) list.

[James R. Burke]

A wash with a 20 grain differnce.

[HiBC]

This is why there is a .280 Rem/7mm express !! But then,there is the 7-08,:-)!!!!

I suggest you choose something between a .243 and a .375 H+H and call it good.

[fyimo]

I have had both for a long time and hunted in Colorado for 28 years and I would get the 30-06 if Elk is on the agenda only because you can shoot bullets heavier then the 150 grain. Don't get me wrong I and my sons have killed Elk with a 270 but none of us go that light anymore. I love the 270 for Deer and Antelope but when I hunt Elk it's a 30-06 or larger rifle.

:D

[rdsii64]

When it comes to a do all rifle, you can't beat the tried and true .30-06. A rifle chambered in .30-06 is the best hunting implement every taken afield.
When loaded with the heavier bullets, there is nothing that walks on the North American continent that can survive a well placed shot out to 400 yards with a rifle chambered in .30-06 loaded with a 210 grain well constucted hunting bullet.

load it with a much lighter 175 grain target bullet and you have weapon that can make first round hits from distances of 1200 yards. to put that into perspective 880 yards is half a mile.

load it with the still lighter 110 grain vmax bullet, and you have the most destructive varmint rifle ever seen.

For the hand loader there way more .30 caliber bullets to choose from than .27 caliber bullets. For those that don't hand load, there is a larger variety of .30-06 rounds than .270

if its a one gun party, you would be a fool to over look the tried and true .30-06

[rbernie]

I have both and like them equally. It's funny, though, that when folk talk about the broader bullet selection for the 30-06, they kinda gloss over the fact that most 30-06 rifles won't shoot a 220gr spitzer worth a darn due to the common 1:10" rifling twist rate. ;)

My 270s do well in the 90gr-150gr range, and my 30-06s do well in the 125gr-180gr range. From a sectional density perspective, that's pretty much a wash.

I have 270s because they share light bullets with my 6.8SPC. I have 30-06s because they share light bullets with my 30-30 single-shots. Neither chambering has let me down in any way, and both can dispatch pretty much any game in the lower 48 when mated to bullets appropriate to the quarry.

Since I tend to hunt stuff that weighs less than half a ton (and, in the case of these itty bitty Texas deer, are actually quite light and relatively easy to drop), the lighter bullets in the 270 are appealing to me. If I lived in places where elk hunting was the predominant use, then perhaps the 180gr 30-06 offerings would sway me t'other way.

[mtnman]

My brother and I had this argument for years. Although I will never addmit it to him in the 18 years we carried on the debate I honestly from the standpoint of hunting deer could not see any difference. We shot about 80 deer each in that time in several different counties and they were all dead all within 0 to 75 yards. In that time neither of us lost a hit deer. We now both use M 77 Hawkeyes in .300 RCM I think this is the ultimate woods rifle.

[DiscoRacing]

i have one .270 and two 30.06. I use the .06 myself.

[cole k]

I have one .30-06 hunting rifle that was my go to rifle for about 20 years.
Then I bought my first .270 Win. I now have two. My .30-06 hasn't been on the hill in over 10 years.

Pick the rifle that fits you best and go huntin'.

[XD Gunner]

so as a hunting round, which of these two is all around the best

From my understanding (I own multiple examples of each caliber) the .30-06 is more potent under 200-250 yards, but the .270 carries more energy past that range.

I like them both, but personally, my .270's get shot more. I have seen what both cartridges do to game, and there really isn't a <usable> difference between them, even though some are going to argue one is decidedly better than the other.

[Countertop]

so as a hunting round, which of these two is all around the best

.280 Remington!:D!:D!:D!:D!:D!:D!

But seriously, I think the 1st response was about right.
The best one would be the rifle you get the better deal on.

[Hog Buster]

And so the debate goes on. The best cartridge for deer, the .270 or the 30/06. I've been hearing this for many years. I own both and don't find much difference in either's deer killing ability. There's always a bit of difference in guns, the trigger pull, the way it points, the sights, and so on. Some just feel better than others. Any caliber from .243 to 30/06 will kill anything North America has to offer, and then some.

Those of us who are long in the tooth usually have several calibers and usually have a favorite. In most instances it isn't because of caliber, it's for one of the reasons above. I am a trigger freak. I want a crisp, clean breaking, wide trigger. My Model 70 has that. It just so happens that it is 30'06. Not that I don't hunt with my others, (17HMR thru 45/70 Government) but the Model 70 is my favorite.

Bullet weight, brand of powder, brand of bullets and a ton of other factors will never be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. Recoil, muzzle flash, soft point, hollow point, ballistic tip and on and on, the debate will continue forever.

Next time this debate gets going strong, just think about ice cream, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, etc. That's why they're made, so you can have your individual choice.

[Todd1700]

Well there is no bad choice with either so that's a good thing to keep in mind. I'd let the type of land I was on and what I hunted be my guide. If you hunt deer sized animals in really wide open country then the flatter trajectory of a 270 and a 130gr bullet might be best. Closer ranges I'd take the 30-06 for more thump. If you plan to step up to elk or moose sized animals one day then I'd definately take the 30-06 due to it's ability to use 180 grain bullets for those bigger boys.

[Art Eatman]

With a 200-yard zero, the .270 will be about five inches low at 300 versus the '06 being six inches low. To me, that's a trivial amount of difference. At 400, the '06 is then two feet low, approximately; at 500, about four feet low. The .270 doesn't do appreciably better. (Using 30- and 150-grain loads.)

"Not enough flatter to matter."

[ZeroJunk]

This is sort of what PO Ackley said, " the average shooter couldn't hit a flock of circus tents at the distance the difference in trajectory would become a factor"

[ARDogman]

I love this talk. Old and beat to death, but I always like the discussion. Since I started reading this thread, I've retrieved my 3006 from the safe to handle it some. I have a 1967 BAR in 3006, it's been shot maybe 80 times TOTAL. It's pretty money. HOWEVER, my Remington 700 CDL in .270 is the one I would prefer to shoot, almost without variation. You just get whatever one you want, doesn't matter. Then, as time goes on, pick up the other...even if it's 5 years before you have the scratch for it.

As for the comment about lethality on anything roaming North America...that should be amended to exclude Ndamukong Suh...

[Hog Buster]

Dogdude

Ndamukong Suh?........Football?........A waste of land for a good skeet range....

[Pointer]

Flat shooting 270? My auntie's butt!
Zeroed at 300 yds the mid-range trajectory differs about 3/4 inch...

Shooting the same weight bullet... both .270 and 30-06
pretty much the same and very few people can tell the difference in the groups sizes.

At distances beyond 350, the 30-06 will carry a much heavier bullet to the POI and deliver it very satisfactorily.

The .270 is a little brother to the .30-06 and it only recoils a little less because it shoots puny bullets from a much smaller selection tan the thirty... :p

Ask yourself why long distance comp shooters and snipers
use the 30 caliber bullet more than any other... and why they don't use the 270. :rolleyes:

[tachunter]

Ask yourself why long distance comp shooters and snipers
use the 30 caliber bullet more than any other... and why they don't use the 270.

First of all LR comp shooters prefer the 6mm and it rules over all cartridges in that respect. Secondly snipers use the 308 because that's what they are given. Third the 7mag shoots better than both the 30-06 and the 308 so why don't snipers use the 7mag then? Lets elaborate. A lot of things come into play here. The military looks at weight of a given cartridge to carry in bulk, how much that cartridge cost, what ranges are going to be engaged, accuracy, knock down power etc. Thus the reasoning of the 308. You can carry more, use much less powder to push that projectile (which cost a great deal less in the long run), have enough energy to cause damage at greater distances, and you can still make engagements up to 1k accurately. Thus the wide variety of bullets for the 30 caliber. The military has multi million dollar contracts for the 30 caliber projectile. So manufacturers are going to spend a great deal of time and money developing quality projectiles in that caliber. Exactly the reasoning for why SOME comp shooters use the 308 because of the wide variety of projectiles available. Just because "comp shooters" and "snipers" don't use the 270 doesn't mean that cartridge can't be as accurate or even more accurate. Lets remember these guys are using 8k rifles. I’m currently in the process of building a custom 270 and having Krieger do the work to hush you 308 guys up. It will be a while before the build is completed as time and patience are a virtue to a quality custom build, but when it is completed I will post the rifle along with the groups. I figure if I can shoot sub-moa with my 55 year old pre-64 and hand loads, a modern custom build should do just as well or better. I've found Berger and Sierras .277 match projectiles are very accurate. Ok now I’m done.

[FrankenMauser]

Ask yourself why long distance comp shooters and snipers
use the 30 caliber bullet more than any other... and why they don't use the 270.

And just how many competition bullets are available in the .277" diameter?

Availability of components is a major factor in shooters deciding what to use. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a matter of 'the demand creates a supply'. In competition shooting, the supply must be created before the demand; for the general population to consider a change. (Not to mention the competition classes that don't allow a .277" bore to compete.)

The .30-06 is a great all-around cartridge. In particular, it does well with heavy bullets. (Much like the 8x57JS Mauser, which offers a better sectional density and often outperforms the 06 with heavy stuff...)

Since I am not into all-around performance, I choose to tailor my rifles to the situations they are intended to be used in.
The .270 Winchester was designed around 100-140gr projectiles. Anything over 150gr is a waste of time. I sling 130s at Antelope, Deer, Elk and anything that will fit in a dutch oven. I vaporize rabbits, prairie dogs, and squirrels with 100gr HPs. I have Elk loads that range from 130-150gr, but the 130s are what a .270 loves. I like what mine will do.

However, it doesn't fit the bill, all of the time. When I need heavier projectiles, I step up to the 8x57JS or 7.62x54R. (Look at some ballistics charts and reloading data. The 7.62x54R keeps right up with the 06 for most loads, and actually scales better for certain heavier bullets {more efficient, more velocity - I suspect case shape}).

I'll check with my dad. The day I dropped three antelope with my .270, this year, he dropped one with his 06. I'll see if his was more dead than mine.

[mtnman]

My brother and I had this arguemant for 20 years he had the 06 and me the .270. In the end I decided there is not a spit worth of difference in them except bullet size. If I were hunting Griz I would want the 06 if I were shooting rabbits the .270 but both will do either job in a pinch. To let you know how the 20 year argument went, we now both tote Ruger M77 Hawkwyes in 300 RCM.

[Deerhunter]

I was out hunting a few years ago with my buddy. He has a 30-06 and I have a 270. We had 3 deer come up to us. We both pulled up and on 3 we shot. My deer dropped right where it was his ran about 25 yards. Both are great and will do the job. I saw in the OP that it will be used for deer so either is going to be more than enough.

[kraigwy]

They are both too close to really make a differance.

Personally I use the 270 for Elk, not saying its better, its that my '06 loading is set up for target shooting.

Having said that, PERSONALLY, I think they are both too heavy for deer/antilope. For that class of animal I like the 243/257 Roberts.

I'll stick to my 257 Roberts for deer, 270 for elk, and '06 for my match M1.

BUT if we all agree about what gun/ammo is best, there would be nothing to talk about and we wouldnt have TFL or other gun forums.

That would really suck.

[A_Gamehog]

3,000fps and 3,000 ft. lbs. what's not to like?

The Hornady high energy loads. They were named "Light magnum?"

They use a powder not available to the reloaders. This is factory

ammo that has high accuracy to boot. The 180 grain 30-06 is the better

Elk load in my experience. They both are almost perfect for Deer.

How could anyone argue against the Late Jack O'Connor?

How many of us bought those Remington 55 grain Accelerators in 30-06

when they first came out? Thinking we had 22-250 accuracy only to

find we did not? The 30-06 has more history and bullet weights.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


Hornady SUPERFORMANCE Ammunition 30-06 Springfield 150 Grain SST

Ballistics Information:

•Muzzle Velocity: 3080 fps

•Muzzle Energy: 3159 ft. lbs


$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Hornady SUPERFORMANCE Ammunition 270 Winchester 140 Grain SST

Ballistics Information:

•Muzzle Velocity: 3090 fps

•Muzzle Energy: 2968 ft. lbs.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$




I think there is not enough difference to matter also.

[mtnman]

Well stated

[Dougw47]

...paid $25 to have the trigger adjusted, everything I have put the crosshairs on since that date has fallen to one 130gr bullet per head of game.

Call me satisfied. I have other rifles, this one just gets carried the most.