Deciding on a Caliber

[AZwarts]

Hey guys I'm having a problem deciding between a .270 and 30-06. I live in AZ and this will be my primary hunting rifle so that means i might be taking shots at to 400 yards. I would really like a 300 win mag but it has to be light on the shoulder so My dad will shoot it to. I will be hunting anything from deer to elk,bear, desert big horn, and antelope along with a couple of yotes.

[hooligan1]

It's hard to choose because of the stuff you can do with the 06, having said that the .270 shoots a little flatter, less recoil. Why are these your only options? Check out the 7mm rem mag if the recoil's no factor. Anyway Good luck and Happy shootin dude!!

[natman]

Despite all that's said, there's not a huge difference between a 270 and a 30-06. However, since you mentioned elk, I'd take the larger, heavier bullet of the 30-06.

[AZwarts]

Thanks. Thats why im leaning towards the 06. I can shoot a 7 mag fine but my dad is going to start hunting with me and he cant shoot a 7 mag.

[JagFarlane]

As much as I'm a fan of the .270, since you're considering elk I'd go with the '06.

[AZwarts]

how much difference is there between a '06 and a .308

[JiminTexas]

I see this all the time. You want a gun that will hunt anything from rabbits to grizly bears. It just doesn't exist. True, the 30-06 has a greater variety of loads and bullets available, but it isn't going to be perfect for everythiing. As we say in the old country, " A skinny cow is not a gazelle". Just get used to the fact that you'll need more than one gun.

[jmortimer]

You can't go wrong with either but for me it would be .30-06

[cerberus65]

You might look for a limbsaver recoil pad for your 7 mag. When I first bought my .30-06 it had a rubber piece on the end of the stock that was fairly hard. I shot it twice and went and got a limbsaver. After that shooting it is no trouble at all.

For the large end of the animals you mentioned I'd pick the .30-06. But I have a friend who used to hunt elk with a .270 and was successful at it. So if you hadn't mentioned bears I might have said .270 since it's plenty for deer and antelope. But I'll stick with .30-06 and suggest you get something in .223, .22-250, or .243 for the coyotes.

[Major Dave (retired)]

primarily in the heavy bullet loads. The .308 is at a slight disadvantage, velocity wise, with 180 grain and heavier.

The .308 can be put into a short action rifle, for three advantages:
1. short actions are stiffer than long actions, leading to better inherent accuracy
2. quicker bolt throw with a short action
3. Lighter weight for a short action rifle (about 1/4 pound, IIRC).

[roy reali]

Hey guys I'm having a problem deciding between a .270 and 30-06.

If you reload, split the difference. Get a .280 Remington.

[lefteyedom]

Buy the rifle that fits you!!

Nothing wrong with hunting Elk with a 270.
Nothing wrong with hunting Coyotes with a 30/06

Get a 270 with a 24" barrel and a 4X12X40 scope and you are done.

OR

A 30/06 with a 24" barrel and a 3X9X40 scope and you are done.

:D

[chris in va]

Might want to consider something like a Handi Rifle so you can swap out barrels and would be considerably less expensive than multiple guns.

[sc928porsche]

IMO you should go with the 30-06. Better bullet selection, ammo is readily available anywhere at less cost.

[UpstateGlocker]

Ditto lefteyedom, and same can be said for .308. You are best off with the .223/22-250 and 308/30-06 two gun solution, but you can download the 308 or 30-06 whereas you can't go too far uploading a 22/250. If you are limited to 1 gun, go with a 308 if you really need lighter recoil or 30-06 if you expect to do a lot of elk and bear hunting. They are the most versatile rounds in rifledom.

[NWPilgrim]

Since you are NOT asking for the cartridge to shoot anything from prairie dogs to grizzly bear, but rather a very common range from antelope to black bear, then either .270 or .30-06 will fill the bill fine. Use the heavier (150 gr in .270 or 180 gr in .'06) or premium bullets on the elk and bear (Partition, Barnes TSX, any bonded bullet, etc).

I also would favor the .30-06 for the readily available wide selection of bullets. If your dad is recoil sensitive then the .270 might be better as with heavy for caliber bullets it is a bit lighter than the .06. The .270 also shoots a bit flatter. Out to 300 yds not much difference in trajectory for the same sectional density bullets, but out to 400 you would start to notice.

Modern premium bullets really expand the practical range and performance of the old timers. They are still great general purpose cartridges.

[Rob96]

The 308 can take from varmint to elk, some say even moose.

[SwampYankee]

I think it depends on how much you are willing to spend on ammo.

If you are reloading, it probably doesn't matter too much. If you are only shooting 20 rounds a year it probably doesnt matter much. If you are shooting a lot and buying ammo off the shelf, it may make more of a difference. I reload everything but .380 at this point so I'm not sure what the difference is in prices among factory ammo calibers but I suspect .308 will be the cheapest.

[TXGunNut]

This 30-06 fan thinks you need to take a look @ the 6.5/260 family of cartridges. They have a reputation of being a soft-recoiling, hard-hitting round.

[handlerer2]

I think that you may have ommited a cartridge worthy of consideration. I'm speaking of the 280 Remington. IMO as valid a choice as the 30-06 and again IMO superior for a reloader to the 270 Win. There are many bullet choices from less than 100gr to 195 gr. I have owned an Encore and reloaded for 280 in the past and I still regret letting that combo get away. I still have the dies, so who knows. Rem still offers rifles in 280 and others may also. Worth considering.

[lefteyedom]

I reread your post so here is a P.S.

If your Dad wants to hunt buy him a used 30.06 Savage 110 or Stevens. It is a good gun and can be found fairly cheap. If it does not have a scope then get a Redfield 3X9.

If you really want to cut the cost you can buy a 30.06 as well and share the ammo cost with your father.

Right now on Gunbroker there several 30/06 for less than $300. You could buy two used 30.06 for less than $600.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=196148811

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=196759897


Sharing a gun with someone is a major pain. Each person sights the rifle differently. Two hunters can work together with two rifles otherwise it turns into a goat rope.

[Tbag]

Is it just me being sensitive:p, have both and unless I load real heavy into the 06, both calibers recoil almost the same being long action rounds. The 308 is an option to look at though as it can be loaded down or up quite a bit and takes the middle ground pretty well.

Ditto on the Sim's LimbSaver Recoil pad...it works and is a good investment.

[OlCrip]

Lest we forget another shooter from Arizona years ago, Jack O'Connor. Used his .270 on everything from jack rabbits to Grizzley and never felt undergunned. And on the flip side, Elmer Keith didn't think that the '06 was even powerful enough for Coyote. Just some nostalgia, folk. A return to those thrilling days of yesteryear. Hi Yo, Silver. Awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. ;)

[dahermit]

The .270 made its reputation with the 130 grain bullet. It makes little sense to choose a .270 over a 30-06 then use 150 grain bullets in it. If you plan on using 150 grain or heaver, choose the 30-06.

[Art Eatman]

With recoil and elk in the equation, I'd suggest the '06 with a Limbsaver recoil pad. The '06 will kill deer far beyond the skill-level of the average shooter, as my father proved in front of witnesses several times--three times that I know of, calling shots at 500 yards.

If you load your own ammo and hunt in the lower 48, the '06 is good for everything from squirrels on up. Lead bullets are great for plinking and practice.

[taylorce1]

The .270 made its reputation with the 130 grain bullet. It makes little sense to choose a .270 over a 30-06 then use 150 grain bullets in it. If you plan on using 150 grain or heaver, choose the 30-06.

Nothing wrong with 150 grain bullets in the .270 since you can get above 2900 fps pretty easily with them if you handload. However I wouldn't feel undergunned for elk using a premium bullet such as Nosler Partition or Barnes TSX in 130 grain. I've killed a few cow elk with the .270 and 150 grain Partition out to 250 yards, all went down pretty easy.

Good thing about the .270 is it will nearly mimick the 7mm Rem Mag in trajectory. Doubt I'd take an elk at 400 yards or beyond with the .270 but no problem for deer and pronghorn. I think the recoil of an 06 with 180 grain bullets is very similar to the 7mm Rem Mag using 140 grain bullets.

[Picher]

The .270 Win., shooting 130 grain bullets is the 400 yard champ! Using a boat-tailed bullet, it will be at least 4 inches flatter than the 30-06!

I've taken deer at that range with handloaded 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and a healthy dose of Reloder 22. One shot-one kill!!!

[hooligan1]

Last weekend I shot some Hornady 130gr SST ammo through my 110, it loves it!:) It shot it alot tighter than the Rem Corelokt. Having said that I did shoot a 70 doe with a 140 gr Partition bullet once and it completely traversed the deer from left front shoulder to right in front of the right ham, nothing was left intact in between.....nothing....;)the .270 win WILL do the job and my final question is CAN YOU?????:cool: Let's not let the trajectory of our rifles make up for our impotence as a hunter!!!:)

[skoro]

I will be hunting anything from deer to elk,bear, desert big horn, and antelope along with a couple of yotes.

My thinking is that for BIG critters like elk and bears the -06 is better medicine. The 270 is just about perfect for all the rest.

[GeauxTide]

Elk and bear would indicate a heavier bullet, so the vote goes to the '06. My shoulder has never been able to determine the difference in recoil from a 7mmRM and an '06 since the mag is .5 to .75 of a pound heavier. IMHO, a 7mmRM pushing a 160 Nosler Partition to 3000fps is one of the best all around loads.

[edrice]

Probably no one should choose a hunting cartridge without first reading this Ross Seyfried article -

http://forums.gunsamerica.com/yaf_postst128_Busting-the-Magnum-Myth--Choosing-YOUR-Ideal-Hunting-Cartridge.aspx

Ed

[NWCP]

When choosing a field rifle I wanted the best of both worlds as well. I needed something light enough to carry, easy on the shoulder and easy to feed. While the .270 and 30-06 are both great rounds I went with the .308. Been happy with it ever since.

[bigbird34]

This is a No brainer....30-06,of course....I own 3 of them :DJim

[Palmetto-Pride]

the '06 is good for everything from squirrels on up.

Wow can we say overkill....lol

I have shot many deer with a 130gr .270 at various yards from 30-300+, but I also could have done the same thing with a 30-06 sorry I cant help...lol

[imacanuk]

Get the .270, and use barnes bullets in 130 grains. This will wreck an elk. Just simple cup-and-core bullets work fine for deer.

If your dad can handle a 30-06 with 180 grain loads, then he should have no more difficulty with a 7 mag. The recoil between those two is so close that it is really dependant on how the gun fits, not what it's chambered in.

I would opt for the 7 mag, but the 30-06 is a very versitle round and will kill anything you listed.

Does it seem like I'm not really committing here? Well, that's because any of the 3 will do what you ask. Just find a gun that you like and fits well. Then go kill stuff. All 3 are versatile performers with the right bullets.

[christcorp]

Neither: Get a 7mm Remington mag. With bullet weights from 110 - 175 grains, it will shoot anything in north america. I live in Wyoming, and 300-400 yard shots at antelope is not uncommon. I have also shot deer, elk, moose, mountain lion, sheep, as well as varmints like coyotes. The 7mm Remington Magnum is flatter shooting and harder hitting than the 30-06. I have sold 5 hunting rifles over the last 10 years, but I'll never sell my 7mm Mag. The only way is if I was to move to a place back east where 150-200 yard shots are the max, in thick woods. Then I'd use my 30-30 Marlin with Hornady Lever Revolution Ammo. (By the way; if you've never shot pointed tip ammo in your 30-30 (safely), you don't know what you're missing. Anyway, go with the 7mm mag.