270 for varmint?

[glockorama]

Is the 270 acceptable for small varmint hunting, like prairie dogs, gophers,etc. Or is it too much?

[KCB]

Well I guess if your not concerned with saving pelts its ok I have exploded lots of little animals and done some damage to coyotes with a .270.

[cat9x]

little much. .17 Remington centerfire, .204 Ruger, 6mm Remington, .223 Remington - if the .270 is all you got that'll have to do.

[j.chappell]

Any rifle can be a varmint rifle!

I shoot groundhogs with my 257 WBY! Is it more expensive than say a 223, yeah, but I get more shooting time and practice varmint hunting with my medium to large game rifles this way.

I have used my 45-70 for varmint hunting. I'll bet you will find a lot more people than you think use their deer rifles for varmints.

J.

[ryalred]

Any rifle can be used for varmints, but the larger calibers are unnecessary--they are more expensive to shoot and they destroy the animal. Plus, a typical varmint rifle, say the 22-250, will have a flatter trajectory and thus it will be a little easier to hit smaller targets consistently without having to compensate for trajectory too much.

[j.chappell]

Any rifle can be used for varmints, but the larger calibers are unnecessary--they are more expensive to shoot and they destroy the animal. Plus, a typical varmint rifle, say the 22-250, will have a flatter trajectory and thus it will be a little easier to hit smaller targets consistently without having to compensate for trajectory too much.

Did you not read my post, I stated that it was more expensive but the whole point I was making is that it is excellent practice for big game hunting. You develop better shooting skills, range estimation, and build a lot of confidence in your ability as a shooter.

Destroy the animal, yeah, and your 22-250 doesn’t. Mine happens to turn anything smaller than a coyote inside out. If you are after pelts you can load solids in anything and have but a tiny little hole to deal with.

I like to shoot my big game rifles more than a few days a year and varmints no matter what their size give me that opportunity.

If you don’t like the challenge of range estimation, hitting a small distant target, shooting your rifles, or don’t like the added cost by all means use your dedicated varmint rig. I just happen to like using rifles that don’t get to see a lot of action through out the year.

You also haven’t taken into consideration that some people are not lucky enough to be able to afford a dedicated varmint rifle.

J.

[cat9x]

here we go...

[j.chappell]

glockorama,

What exactly are you asking?

Can you use the 270 for varmints, yes.

Is it overkill, yes.

Would it be fun, yes.

Would you want to go to a PD town with it being your only rifle, no.

If you reload you can do magic with any caliber.

cat9x,

He asked about varmints not furbearers and like I said you can load anyhting to use for pelts. What I'd like to ask you is why is a 6mm Rem ok but a 270 not? Is it becasue it has been advertised as a dual purpose round and the 270 a big game rifle? Have you ever used a 6mm Rem?

I have varmint guns in 17 REM, 22 Hornet, 221 Fireball, 222 REM, 223 REM, 224 WBY MAG, 22-250 REM, 243 WIN, 6mm REM, and 308 WIN.

If you are shooting yotes or fox for pelts you use a load for that. If you are using it for PD, ground squirrels, groundhogs, or yotes and fox for the heck of it, it really doesnt matter what you use.

So is the 270 a dedicated varmint rifle, no. Can it be used for varmints, yes. Is it too much, that all depends on the inteded use, whether you handload or not, and your personal preference.

J.

[j.chappell]

cat9x,

here we go...

I see, good day gentlemen.

J.

[SKULLANDCROSSBONES65]

G'day, when I first got my .270 it had to be big enough to cope with anything that I came across. It was likely to be my only center fire rifle.the .270 can cope with 150 grain projectiles, so that puts it up with the 30 cal stuff like the .308 & 30-06. I've recently out some 90 grain reloads over my chrony and had 3700 f/s, I dont think the 22-250 could match that with a heavy projectile. If you have the skill to hit small targets with your .270 at 300+ range it should make the big game shooting better.
I now have an old .222 but the .270 is still my first choice. I can get tighter groups with the .222 but I think that is still just nerves. 400 shots in 13 years is not enough practice for me to be comfortable using the gun. So I need to practice on any target I can find.
At 20 feet the .270 turned rabbits into mince with a little bit of fluff. Very messy.

[jdscholer]

Kind of funny! We've got another thread going about the suitability of the 243 for deer. I use and love both, and would shoot my 270 better if I shot it for varmints more often. jd

[nate45]

I shot this group in 1979 with a .270 built on a 1909 Argentine Mauser action. Wish I still had it, but it would have long since needed a new barrel to get this kind of accuracy.




Every deer, coyote, javelina, etc I every shot with it and that 110 grain Sierra bullet DRT.

[LateNightFlight]

I have a small array of varmint rigs, .223s and one 220 Swift, but prior to owning these; I used a .243 for both varmints and deer. And before that, a 30'06. My reason for swapping away the '06 for a .243 was because I wasn't in the position to own a deer rifle and a varmint rig. Heck, I was a working student who could barely afford the gas and a range fee on the same day! Life is often about 'The Useful Compromise.'

Recoil is often an issue. Is your bigger gun making you shoot better or worse? For me, frequent shooting with the .22s translate to better shooting with my 7mm mag, but there is a down side. You can develop some inconsistency in your shooting if the guns are very different. (For me, it seems to be about triggers.) If you've been driving your five speed much, and suddenly move over to your automatic, you'll find yourself ready to clutch and waving a hand in the air for a stick that isn't there. This is precisely why some varminters switch over to their big guns before a season, and they will sure enough make a prairie dog trip with this justification in mind. For others, it may never be a problem.

In the end, there's only a couple of primary issues: 1) Cost 2) Recoil Some would make 3) pelt damage, but as Chappell pointed out, that's easily fixed with bullet selection. (I'm knowingly broadening the scope beyond the OP's specifics. Work with me here. ) I had some '06 kills where it was difficult to find entry/exit. And some might add 4) a safety consideration, but I’ll kick that to the curb straight away. Your safety considerations, training and habits should disregard caliber. You’ll never develop any reckless tendency if you train yourself to treat them as if they were all lasers, be they 22lr or 7 mm RUMs.

So, no wrong answer. This is an individual thing where personal preference and availability rule the topic. And where pelts aren't an issue (for most people they aren’t) I credit the big guns for being humane. We all pull shots. Anyone who claims they don’t is ******* away their credibility. A hit pulled behind the diaphragm with a 270 has a very different result than a foul hit with a 17. Those regrettable scenarios always favor the bigger guns.

If I had to sell everything off, I’d keep the one I almost never use now and I’d be back with my 243. If it happened to be a 270, so be it. That would be my “varmint gun” and I’d shoot it happily because of everything it has going for it. Bonus that some little critter varminting will keep me super tuned with that rig, over-kill or not.

So, is your 270 a rig for little vermin? In the words of Napoleon Dynamite, “Heck, yeah!”

[New_Pollution1086]

do you have a .270?

do you want to varmint hunt?

go for it.

some people get so damn emotional about guns.

T

[FrankenMauser]

In my opinion, it is a bit too much cartridge. But.... my family does it anyway.

Our favorite bullet for "not-to-be-eaten" game is the Speer 100 grain hollow point. It stabilizes better than the 90 grain (for us), and still expands explosively. We have found IMR/H4895, IMR 4064, and H380 to all perform well. (I prefer H4895, but my brothers love the 4064 load.)

In 2000 or 2001, on a family prarie dog shoot in Wyoming; two of my brothers' .270 Winchesters claimed more prarie dogs than any other weapons in the group. Present were several .223s, my .220 Swift, a .375 H&H, a few 8x57s, a handful of 7.62x39s, and a lone .22 WMR. (Which sadly, also beat the .220 Swift that day; even on 200+ yard shots.)

The .270 Win and .270 WSM are too much cartridge. But, man is it fun to use them.

And for the record, I own a .243, .220 Swift, and .22 WMR; for varmints. The .270 is still more fun in most situations. (And allows you to practice with your hunting rifle, if it is the .270.)

[fbrown333@suddenlink]

I load my own and use Sierra's 90 grain hollw point boat tail behind 53.5 grains of H380 (WOW) works great on deer I would think it would be good for any small to medium game depending on your plans but that is just me. If you want to keep the hide shoot them in the head. Any weapon will work you could lob 9mm's in like morters if you want or sneak up on them and use the bayonet/war hatchet I guess what I am saying or trying to say is go for it, have a good time and sharpen those skills at the same time. JMO