# 270 vs. 30-06



## trapper

i was woundering what rifle would be better for shooting deer by looking at all the aspects like range nock down power versitile fore shooting yotes and varmits and carrige grain wise wich deer rifle would be better the 270 or the 30-06.


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## bgoldhunter

I prefer the .270, in my opinion the best whitetail cartridge ever invented. I would much rather use one for varmints as well.


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## usmarine0352

.270 will be cheaper. But if you want more velocity, flatter shooting, and more knock down power go for the .270 Winchester Short Mag, it's great. And just as powerful almost as a 30-06. :sniper:


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## Slinger70

How's the 30.06 a flatter trajectory when the .270 is faster?


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## NDTerminator

270 or 30-06? Six of one, half dozen of the other. The 06' has a wider variety of bullets available, the 270 has the edge in regard to trajectory on shots over 250 yards or so...


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## apeterson

I have a 270 I have shot lots and lots of deer with it... My dad has a .06 and has shot lots of deer with it.... both are good guns... 270 suppose to be able to shoot flatter and longer... I dont thing either of us have shot a deer over 250 yards, and at that range I can not believe there is much difference as long as the scope is sighted in correctly...


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## Curt Grindeland

Both are great guns. I however prefer the .270 because it shoots flatter. Most of my shots are 200 to 450 yard shots. Just my opinion. You would be happy with either gun for deer. I use my .270 on coyotes too.

Curt


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## alsatian

.270 is better suited to the deer/varmint class. If you don't have other rifles in your inventory, however, the .30-06 would be an excellent first rifle as you can hunt any North American game with it: coyotes, deer, pronghorn antelope, big horn sheep, mountain goat, elk, moose, caribou, black bear, grizzly bear, brown bear, pigs, and whatever I missed. Yes, people prefer something heavier for grizzly bear and brown bear, but historically an awful lot of these big bears have been taken with the .30-06.

If you have other rifles, maybe something that is suitable for elk/moose, why not consider the .25-06? Certainly excellent for deer and pronghorn antelope. Maybe the .25-06 is more "right sized" for coyote hunting.


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## apeterson

good post! I agree!


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## Lil Sand Bay

I've got a custom Savage 110L in 270. with a 3X7 Leupold Compact, grew up reading Jack O'Conner. I've had it for twenty years and it's a great firearm. Thankfully it loves Federals right off the shelf.
It's a wonderful deer cartridge but I've also made one shot kills on two elk and a moose over the years using nothing more fancy then 150 gr. factory Feds.


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## headhunter

All around award goes to the 30-06. When choosing a backup rifle the 06 got my choice for ammo selection/availability and somewhat close trajectory similiarities with my 7mag. with both rifles I can sight in 2 inches high at 100 yards and still bullseye the boiler room at 300 yards. The 270 would be in the same ballpark or better than the 06 in the trajectory dept but I like the 30 caliber for big bucks better. Currently loading 150 through the 06 .


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## tommydogtv

30-06 by far better. I use 150 gr and it takes them down like nothing. I got it last year and i have got 2 bucks with it already. One dropped on the spot and the other ran 10 yards. And a 30-06 will do a little better in the brush.


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## Ron Gilmore

For those that claim .270 are flatter and faster shooting, do some comparison in equal bullet weights. The .270 comes in second in every category behind the 30-.06 MV,Energy bullet drop etc.......

You can get factory bullets, from 125 to 220 with a 06 one of the most diverse factory loaded calibers ever made. I am not knocking the .270 but based on ballistic charts put out by the factory ammo companies and using them as a guide it is not superior to a 06. The difference between loads and such is minimal and both are great deer guns.

You may gain an advantage for varmints with the .270 if you plan to hand load but not otherwise.


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## bandman

.270 cuz i own 2 and thats all i shoot. never one problem and lots of memories made. could never part w/ them and never see myself shooting anything else for deer. until the day comes i actually buy or try a different caliber im right at home with the 270. 
maybe a little bit bias reply but i dont actually have anything to complain about when it comes to my 2 babies. :lol:


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## RiveRat

I have a model 70 in 270 and an A-bolt in 30-06. I load the 270 for light and fast (open country) and the 06 for timber country stuff. Both are great. If you are recoil sensitive, I think that the 270 is a little better in that department. If I had to choose only one, it would be the 06 as I think it's the most versatile of the two.


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## bowshot

i dont understand why everyone thinks the 06 is too big for varmints it works great on chucks and crows for me, and ive only missed 2 deer with it so ill stick to it, best shot with it so far on a deer is a head shot at 372 after my buddy missed it twice with his 7mm stw


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## duckdowner007

270 all the way


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## honkbuster3

30-06 no question, I love that rifle and i have confidence shooting anything with it. It a killer' :wink:


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## 147 Grain

The 270 Win is not "cheaper to shoot" and while it has a slight edge over the 30-06 in trajectory, it's not enough to matter one bit in the field.

While I like the 270, it's not as versatile for all-around use as the 30-06, it is still the #1 selling big game caliber in the world today.


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## haveuseen1

Just to throw in a curve, what about the 280?

-Chris


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## R y a n

haveuseen1 said:


> Just to throw in a curve, what about the 280?
> 
> -Chris


Best all around caliber there is for deer hunting! Essentially exactly why it was developed was to be the best of both worlds of the 2 previous mentioned guns! It also has better ballistics than either choice!

:stirpot:

I own a Remington 700 Synthetic Mtn. Rifle in .280. For its combination of light weight, small size, easy recoil, flat trajectory, and heavy hitting impact, there is nothing better.

This entire .270 vs 30/06 debate is pointless. There really isn't any reason to debate the two.

Ryan

.


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## huntin1

Ben Elli said:


> This entire .270 vs 30/06 debate is pointless. There really isn't any reason to debate the two.
> 
> Ryan
> 
> .


I agree!

Besides, every one knows that the .308 is better than either one.

Boy, that's going to start a sh%# storm, so I'll add that this is only my opinion and your mileage may vary! 

huntin1


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## roostman

boy you start talking guns or dogs and you could get a different answer out of everybody, both guns are great along with a whole lotta other ones as you probably figured out by now. What gun are you leaning toward? The next question is what brand? I say go with the Rem. 700 in what ever caliber you chose and top it with a Leopold scope? Boy this should stir the pot.


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## arctic plainsman

Jack O Connor said.........


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## DeerLover07

bandman said:


> .270 cuz i own 2 and thats all i shoot. never one problem and lots of memories made. could never part w/ them and never see myself shooting anything else for deer. until the day comes i actually buy or try a different caliber im right at home with the 270.
> maybe a little bit bias reply but i dont actually have anything to complain about when it comes to my 2 babies. :lol:


You should try a 30-06.


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## Starky

If you're primarily hunting deer size game I would go with the .06 but if you plan on doing more predator type hunting then the .270 would be better. It's hard to find heavy bullets for the .270 just as it's hard to find smaller bullets for the 30-06.


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## usmarine0352

*.270 Winchester Short Mag (WSM)*
Why not Best of both Worlds.

But: if you were to go for one I'd say:

.270 and only because you said you need it for varmint hunting, too.

If it was strictly deer and BIGGER, I'd say .30-06. But because you said deer and SMALLER, I'd choose the caliber that will likely be a little LESS expensive.

Also, you don't want to pound your shoulder if your shooint 200 rounds a day at gophers.

:sniper:


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## sdeprie

270 vs 30-06. I really appreciated that input about the 280. I have always maintained that if the 280 was introduced in a bolt gun the same time as the 270, the 270 would have died a quick death. No appreciable difference in ballistics and much better bullet choices in 7mm. On the same note, I think you will find not enough difference in ballistics with similar bullets from 270 (or 280) and 30-06. The same weight bullet will start out faster in the 30-06 and the heavier bullet will have a higher sectional density and should carry better. Plus, as mentioned, the outstanding bullet selection in 30 caliber, from 100 gr to 250 (yes, 250) gr. One of my favorite rifles is a NEF single shot in 280 Rem, but no collector, or hunter, or just plain shooter should be without at least one 30-06. In my opinion, it truly is the best balance of power vs recoil, bullet wt, sectional density, etc.


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## Invector

The differances of a 30-06 and a .270 has been disputed since our fathers fathers were around. Form here in ND I moved for 2 years to CO and even there I hurd it, then back here to ND I still hear it. The fact is the .270 is just a bit smaller, bit flatter slug path, and a bit less impact. The 30-06 has more power behind the hit for most part. If you look at the loads form factory you will see how the 30-06 does come in many types of rounds, but if you reload your own you can almost put anything into any cal type (thats almost not all). IMHO a .270 is made for deer hunting while the 30-06 is a bit more versital round from varmints to elk. Again this thing has been debated for so long that it makes my head hurt.

I myself have been fond of the .270 short mag over the .270 and 30-06. :huh: why I dont know.


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## HuntermanTee

i was wondering what would be better for deer/groundhogs.i was thinking of 243 or 270 maybe 7mm-08.my shots on deer are from 50 to 250 yrds.mostly 50 to 100 . on groundhogs 140 at the most. i was wondering if rem. 710s are any good. i have herd that there the worst piece of crap rem. ever came out with,but i am a die hard core rem. fan what other gun would be nice for 500 dollors or less any help would be great THANKS


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## HuntermanTee

270 is what you want for what youre going to be doing. 270 wsm is great it shoots FLAT.it has more power than a 30-06 believe it or not. it has less recoil than a 30-06.ammo is 25.00 a box . either one will work let us know what caliber you get


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## sdeprie

Hunterman tee, I'm somewhat confused by your last 2 posts. Are you interested in a 243 or 7-08, do you want/like the Rem 710, you recommend the 270 or the 270 wsm. One thing I was not confused by, however. I'm not sure how you came up with the 270 wsm is more powerful than the 30-06. If I'm not mistaken, the wsm's were designed to equal or slightly exceed the power of the 30-06 case in a given bore with a shorter case. The 270 wsm may gain some velocity, but I'm not sure it gains enough to make it more powerful than the 30-06. It is probably more powerful than the 270 win, but I'm not sure it's significant. Their goal was to put the same power in a shorter package. I have a 710 in 30-06. It will never be a 700, and I have not shot it enough to wear out a barrel, by any means. I have heard complaints that the trigger is cheap, the magazine is cheap, the bolt is cheap. Folks, the rifle is cheap, but it does the job with a smooth action for $200 less than any other Remington I could have gotten. In other words, I like mine. And, it now comes in 7mm Remington Magnum (and a few others), and a new youth version in 243 (not sure if I care for that one). I have 2 magazines and plan to get a couple more, just in case one breaks. I can get them for about $10. (That's a heck of a lot less than I can get another magazine for my Win 100 in 308, anybody have an extra? :wink: ).


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## HuntermanTee

i would like to get a 270 wsm....but my uncle wants me to get somthing smaller caliber. he is the one who is going to be paying for some of it thoe. so thats y i put up that last post. you need to have at least 900 ft pounds in energy to kill a deer.a 270wsm has around 3100 ft pounds at the muzzle. a 30-06 has 2800 to 3000 ft pounds at the muzzle. i am going to get a mossberg 100 ATR i have herd nothing bad about them and i have spent countless hours on the internet looking them up. i wasnt to sure about it. it sounded to good to be true 244 dollers at walmart 1 in. groups at 100 yrds . one had shot .75 with factory ammo with nothing done with it .trigger 4.5 to 5 pounds on the trigger free floated barrle all the way from the top to bottom i saw picters of a doller bill went down it top to bottom.slick bolt through. it has features from all the good desighns out there, desighns from savage to remington 700 series THANKS


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## HuntermanTee

i would like to get a 270 wsm....but my uncle wants me to get somthing smaller caliber. he is the one who is going to be paying for some of it thoe. so thats y i put up that last post. you need to have at least 900 ft pounds in energy to kill a deer.a 270wsm has around 3100 ft pounds at the muzzle. a 30-06 has 2800 to 3000 ft pounds at the muzzle. i am going to get a mossberg 100 ATR i have herd nothing bad about them and i have spent countless hours on the internet looking them up. i wasnt to sure about it. it sounded to good to be true 244 dollers at walmart 1 in. groups at 100 yrds . one had shot .75 with factory ammo with nothing done with it .trigger 4.5 to 5 pounds on the trigger free floated barrle all the way from the top to bottom i saw picters of a doller bill went down it top to bottom.slick bolt through. it has features from all the good desighns out there, desighns from savage to remington 700 series THANKS


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## sdeprie

I can't speak to the ballistics of the 270 wsm, but my reloading data shows the 30-06 able to attain 2800 fps with a 180 grain bullet for 3100 ft/lb at the muzzle. If anyone has reloading data for the wsms, you can let me know if I'm missing something. The pressures to get a 270 caliber bullet of 180 gr to 2800 fps would be...... high. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I'd be surprised. I guess you have heard this from me before, I'm not a fan of the 270 caliber in general. Just my foible, but I think anything the 270 bullet can do the 7 mm bullet can do better with a great deal more bullet selection. I'm not saying it doesn't work, it's just not for me. If there is anything that competes with the 30 caliber, in my book, it would be 7 mm, possibly 6.5 mm (if it had a great deal more selection).


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## HuntermanTee

example... 270 wsm muzzle ft pounds 3,325 30-06 ft pounds muzzle 2,913 270 wsm 100 yrds ft pounds 2,941 30-06 100 yrds ft pounds 2,542 270 wsm 200 yrds ft pounds 2,595 30-06 200 yrds ft pounds 2,208 270 wsm 300 yrds ft pounds 2,283 30-06 300 yrds ft pounds 1,910 270 wsm 400 yrds ft pounds 2,002 30-06 400 yrds ft pounds 1,644 270 wsm 500 yrds ft pounds 1,748 30-06 500 yrds ft pounds 1,409 270 wsm....150 gr. 30-06....180 gr. both with remington scirroco bullets go to remington ballistics ....google...........


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## sdeprie

Thanks, but you're still just giving me the ft/lbs that I have a hard time buying. How about the muzzle velocity, bullet selection, etc. According to my ballistics program, that's about 3100 fps with the 150 gr bullet, which is nearly 270 Weatherby performance (the Weatherby can max out at 3200 fps, in the Hornady handbook). I really think you are using (or are being given) really optimistic information. If it performs like that for you, more power to you. I remain skeptic. It may not have the performance edge, but I still like my 308 (for short action) and 30-06 based cartridges. They have all the performance I can use at this time. I don't think I have anyplace around here I can see (game) at 400 yards, much less shoot at it.  My last long shot was about 80 yards. I use a red dot on most of my hunting rifles, because the range is so short. With my unmodified Mauser, I can bonk 'em on the head with the 29" barrel. Saves reloading.


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## Wingmaster55

Well I live in iowa so we cant use rifles four deer but we have a .270 rifle for coyotes and when we go out to montana to hunt mule deer. We went with the .270 because of the long range capability of it and the fact it has less recoil which will alow you to shoot more accuratly but the bullet selecton isnt as good but we use 130 grain on mule deer and at 300 yards there still is plenty of knock down power. We also use 110 grain i think or 100 gr. on coyotes. We have tried a 150 but doesnt seem to have the range as the 130 grain does. But the 7mm. is a really nice rifle also with a little bigger grain selection.


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## sdeprie

Ah, Iowa had their first rifle season for deer last year. True, it was a special season, late, and for does only, but there's hope yet. By the way, I'm a displaced Iowan. When I retire, I'll be going back (less than 8 years, now). All true about the 270. I never said sell yours if you have one, or even don't get one. I talked my brother into getting a Remington model 7 in 270. It's a good rifle. I'll just keep my 280.


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## HuntermanTee

the ft pounds is the power .look it up. you have to go to the remington ballistics it gives you energy in FT POUNDS ,velocity,trajectory up to 500 yrds


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## clampdaddy

If you somehow forget your ammo at home 9 times out of 10 you can pop into a neiboring deer camp and borrow some 30-06 ammo.
My 270wsm recoils about the same as my 30-06 but shoots quite abit flater...I like it.
The 25-06 would be perfect for what you want, awsome predator cartridge, great deer catridge, shoots realy flat, and doesn't kick quite as much as the others.

WHAT SAY THE BRETHEREN?!?!?!?!


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## sdeprie

I can't disagree, much, but want to remind you, recoil is the result of a bunch of factors. The worst case of scope eye I've ever gotten was from my 25-06. My 358 Win has surprisingly mild recoil, especially from a log for a stock. In the same vein, my .58 muzzel-loader feels less than my .50 cal with the same powder load, but with a bullet nearly twice as heavy. Shoot em all, then choose. Heck, why choose, just buy em all.


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## DrHenley

trapper said:


> i was woundering what rifle would be better for shooting deer by looking at all the aspects like range nock down power versitile fore shooting yotes and varmits and carrige grain wise wich deer rifle would be better the 270 or the 30-06.


I've hunted deer with 3 270s and 4 30-06s. I have a sentimental attachment to 30-06 because my first rifle was a 30-06, and I've killed a lot more deer with 30-06 than with 270. There are pros and cons that more or less even out, which is why neither one comes out a clear winner.

The two biggest advantages the 30-06 has are bullet selection and diameter. The larger diameter allows the 30-06 to achieve higher velocities with the same bullet weights as the 270 but at lower pressures.

The two biggest advantages the 270 has are that it's loaded to a higher pressure, and that lighter bullets can have the same ballistic coefficient as much heavier bullets in 30-06.

The upper limit for bullet weight in the 270 is about 160 grains. I think the 160 grain Partition is the only bullet that heavy, and I did not have acceptable accuracy with the heavy Partition. I have used a 150 grain Ballistic Tip in 270 for 1000 yard match, and it performed admirably. I shot a buck at 70 yards with the same load, and the bullet completely disintegrated when it hit a rib. That was 3 years ago, and it was the last time I deer hunted with a 270. If they made bonded 150 grain bullets in .277, I would probably still be hunting deer with it.

The 30-06 is the all around champ, and with 220 grain bullets can take anything on the continent, but the 270 nudges it out at long range and on varmints.


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