308 Win Heft or 270 Win Flight

[Roamin_Wade]

Between the 308 Win and the 270 Win, which would you want to take a 500 yard shot with at a Mule Deer? Take into consideration all the different weights, bullet designs, powder charges and barrel lengths. Please also include the particular round you would use and also why you would choose it. I’ve been pondering this and I’m not sure which I’d use. Looking for insight and opinions. Thanks!

[Wyosmith]

270
I have both. Both are fine, but the 270 is easier because it drifts a bit less and shoots a bit flatter with 150 grain bullets being compared, or the 160 grain 270 compared to the 165 gr 308.

[big al hunter]

Both will do the job. If I had both, I would choose the more accurate rifle. If they shot equally well ....I would take the 270. But I have an affinity for the '06 family of cartridges. Someone with more love for the 308 could argue that a little lighter gun and shorter action is better. I haven't met a muley that noticed the difference yet

[FrankenMauser]

I'm a .270 guy. You give me a choice between .308 Win and .270 Win, and I'm grabbing the .270.

But, most importantly, I'm far more familiar with my .270 Win than any .308 available to me. I know that .270. We have history.

Take what you prefer. A rifle that you like and know is better than something you don't.


Ammo? I'm a big fan of 140 gr Partitions in .270 Win. 140 Ballistic Tips would be a close second. There are plenty of other good bullets, too. But the above are what I would use (and usually do).
This year, however, I had the barrel chopped and threaded on Ol' Reliable, and my "one load to rule them all" with the 140 gr Partition no longer shot well ... and I didn't have time to re-tune it. So, I ran factory Hornady American Whitetail 130 gr (Interlock). The bullet isn't as tough as a Partition, but it's still plenty good for a Muley and tougher than something like a Core-Lokt.

The ballistic coefficient of all of the above bullets are "poor" by modern standards, but they're still good enough for 500 yards.


One data point to ponder. It proves nothing, but may be worth thinking about:
I hit a doe antelope in the center of the chest at about 400 yards with that American Whitetail / 130 gr Interlock. The bullet penetrated about 30-32 inches, before stopping on the ball of the left hip. It went through hide, muscle, bone, heart, lung, a little bit of liver, shed the jacket somewhere in the guts (full of grass), and then the core burrowed its way through muscle to the hip. I believe the core would have exited, had it not hit the ball of the femur.

Yes, it's a single data point. But I've seen many similar (or better) performances with similar or 'weaker' bullets.

For Muleys, I'd still be willing to use Core-Lokts if it's all that I had available. The .270 Win 130 gr Core-Lokt (whether factory loaded or handloaded), in particular, has done very well for me in past years, and the same goes for many other people in my family. The 165 gr Core-Lokts (found in .308 Win and .30-06), however, seem far more fragile and have destroyed far too much meat for me to use them. I would NOT use a 165 gr Core-Lokt if I was using a .308.

[jmr40]

The 270 shoots a LITTLE flatter, about 5-6" @500 yards which isn't that much. If anyone can compensate for 36" of bullet drop another 5-6" or so isn't that hard. Both impact with enough speed at 500+ for bullets to expand and both are shooting bullets heavy enough to penetrate deep enough.

It's close and either would work, but I'd use my 308's because they are more accurate than the 270's I've shot.

[old roper]

I drew one of our early buck hunts here in Co and unit backs up to Continental Divide, takes few years to draw. I used 270 with 150gr ABLR and got pretty nice 5x5 buck, one shot. It wasn't long shot I was hoping but too good to pass up. I take 30-06 as back up rifle, don't own 308.

270 and 30-06 have same McMillan,same scope and I could hunt deer tag with 30-06 if I want. I did that last year on buck tag about 4 days of 9 day season.

[GeauxTide]

Neither. A 7mmRM with a 160 Partition @ 3000fps.

[taylorce1]

Either, as shooting to 500 and beyond is more about the person pulling the trigger than the cartridge used. You're well beyond point blank range when you talk about taking game at 500 yards, so it boils down is the shooter capable or not. Both are capable, the question is are you?

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Having such a shot. 500 yrds? 308 is the better of the two cartridges commented. (I Googled which of the two >is< preferred for the purpose.)

[Pathfinder45]

What Taylorforce said is true. I would choose a 270 and try to stalk closer. As far as the cartridges themselves go, the 270 is a higher performance caliber, but I doubt that a well hit deer could tell the difference. Individual rifles can vary a lot in terms of accuracy, especially at that distance. I think it takes a lot of practice to make a good clean, first-shot hit at that range, out in real hunting conditions. If I was preparing for a hunt like that, I would forsake shooting other rifles for a good while and devote a lot more trigger time with the one most capable rifle. And get rid of the bench rest too.
My 270 shoots most accurately at long range with 150 grain Nosler Partition bullets. So that's what I would use....in this rifle.

[stillquietvoice]

I don't have a 270, my 308 isn't ready to hunt with yet so I'd use my 7mm08. It like the others is quite capable energy wise and scary accurate.

[44 AMP]

Between the 308 Win and the 270 Win, which would you want to take a 500 yard shot with at a Mule Deer?

For me, the answer is neither. I won't take a 500yd shot at a deer. For me, it is a matter of hunting ethics, not mechanical ability. I'll take (and have made) 500yd shots on varmints, but I will not do so on a big game animal.

One of a previous generation's writers once said something like "if you take a shot at a game animal over 300 yards away, you should be forced to write yourself a letter, longhand, in triplicate (no carbons) explaining in detail WHY you HAD to take that shot".

I've always thought that was pretty sound advice.

Please don't argue about how that 500yd shot might be "the only one you get". So what if it is? I have more respect for the guy who declines a shot, salutes the game and goes home empty handed to hunt again another day than I have for the guy who takes a long shot just because its there.

Any rifle is capable of making that 500yd shot, but damn few shooter are as capable as their rifles.

[old roper]

I've draw 3 early buck tags since I move to Co 1977 and last tag is only buck I've taken on those tags. Two have been in Holy Cross and last one was above timberline.

I have box of Remington 300 Ultra mag,180 Nosler Partition and they give ballistic out to 500yds and new box they give ballistic out to 400yd for
300 Ulra mag,300mag,300WSM and 30-06. I got box Federal 30-06,180gr Partition,endorsement from RMEF and they have ballistic to 400yd.

[Mobuck]

At 500 yards and beyond, "most" hunting rounds are dropping like thrown rocks so not all that much diff.
W/o a range card, a good rangefinder, a wind-o-meter, and a lot of experience---save your bullets.

[std7mag]

While i'm not a fan of the 270, it would be the one i would choose.

308 reminds me too much of a bag of Skittles. Taste the rainbow (trajectory).

My personal preference would have monokers of 7mm, 284, 280.
Oh, maybe something in the 7.21 family.


But that's just me.

[Blue Duck]

I have shot both calibers a lot, and frankly, I would just shoot the rifle I had that was more accurate and had the best scope and trigger, if I was choosing between the .308 and .270 but I would hope to get a closer shot if possible, and would prefer 300yds or less, and 200yds would make even happier.

If I was actually expecting a 500yds shot, I would probably choose more gun, but If I was going to have to pack that gun up a mountain first, then I might just choose the lightest accurate rifle I owned in the .308 or .270 class.

[Pathfinder45]

44AMP:

I have more respect for the guy who declines a shot, salutes the game and goes home empty handed to hunt again another day than I have for the guy who takes a long shot just because its there.

Well said, sir, well said.

[reynolds357]

Posts: 6,376
At 500 yards and beyond, "most" hunting rounds are dropping like thrown rocks so not all that much diff.
W/o a range card, a good rangefinder, a wind-o-meter, and a lot of experience---save your bullets.

500 is pretty easy.

[lordvader]

If you can hit at target a 500 yards consistently with no problem, then it doesn't really matter. Go with which ever caliber you like best.

[Tallest]

While I tend to agree with 44AMP, I would be interested to know the context in which you're (potentially) planning a 500 yd shot.

If you go through with it and take the shot, all things being equal in your ability to hit the target with either rifle, I would personally take the 308 Win. 165 grn Sierra Game King over top end H4895.

[reynolds357]

When in the beanfield, I usually use 7RUM. It is overkill for deer, but it is very forgiving if you miss your dope a smudge.

[jersurf101]

I was a big .270 fan at distance for many years. Fact of the matter is you learn your drop, practice and be able to make the shot at the distance you feel comfortable. I used my .270 because it was the most accurate rifle I owned but if that rifle had been in .308 then I would have learned to use that out to 500.

Now if I want to take shots over 350 I bring my 300 wsm and 165 Nosler accubonds. In general I want a bullet with good sectional density but still retains its speed. I used 150 Speer Grand slams in .270.

Caliber matters less than how well you know and can shoot your rifle.

[gw44]

I think I would take the .30cal bullet !!!

[kraigwy]

Math is your friend.

Compare the two, using Hornady 150 IBs for both.

The 270 Win goes sub sonic at 1500 yards. The 308 goes Sub sonic at 1150 yards

The 270 Win use to suffer from the lack of long range bullets. Thats not the case to day, there are several excellent bullets out there. I prefer the 150 gn Hornady IB myself esp. on Elk.

At 500 yards either would do the job, but move beyond that the 270 shines.

Hunting ethics aside, I like playing at distance shooting. I can fairly constantly hit a 18 inch gong at 1400 yards with my 270, I'm lucky to do it with my 308 even using 175 Gr SMKs or Hornady 178 A-Max.

But again, at normal ethical hunting ranges both would work fine.

My complaint is that Hornady seems to have given up on the IB in favor of the ELD-X bullets. I have hunted with both, in my 257 Rbts, 270 Win, '06 and found the IB to be a better hunting round. A bit more pricy but its worth it to me.

[Picher]

First, I'd need to know EXACTLY what the range was, then, would need to know where the bullet would strike below the crosshairs at that distance and what the wind velocity/direction would do to that particular bullet weight/BC/muzzle velocity. Next, I'd need a stable, sitting position, preferably with a solid rest.

The deer must be nearly motionless and would have to be 90* angle to the shot, which would allow a high shoulder/lung hit and the most forgiving angle of the shot.

Next, I'd have to be comfortable, hands warm and my vision through the scope clear and unobstructed.

Next, I'd think about whether I wanted to shoot that deer and whether I had a good means of getting it out to the meat cutter. For instance...if there was a deep canyon between us...no shot.

My .270 Remington will out-shoot most .308 hunting rifles. It shoots 1/2 MOA and I know how much to raise the crosshairs to make a 500 yard shot. The 140 grain Accubond bullets would do the job very well at that distance.

All things being a go, I still may not shoot, because I really don't like venison.