# 270 WSM



## Robert A. Langager (Feb 22, 2002)

Hey, I am in the market for a new rifle. Growing up in MN I had no use for one (slugs only). But now in NC I can finally get one. I am limited in my choices for 2 reasons: First and foremost, I am left-handed. And secondly, I am poor. So that narrows the field down to something used, or a new Savage 11/111.

I am leaning towards a stainless model 16. However, it is only available in short action. Leaving me with .243, 7mm-08, .308, .270 WSM and , .300 WSM for choices. I have read a lot of ballistics info and am leaning towards the .270 WSM.

Does anyone have any experience with the new short mags? Good, bad? How does the recoil of the .270 WSM compare to the .270 Win?

Thanks for the help.

RC


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## zogman (Mar 20, 2002)

I've read alot and listened alot and I don't think I am not ready to jump on the WSM bandwagon yet. Over the last 40 years I have owned 3 diferent .270's. I grew up worshiping Jack O"Conner. If I was going to start all over I would get a .280 Remington. Main reason being you can get slightlier heavier bullets than the .270. Would use it not only for deer but moose and elk also (let the war begin). However that being said you will get your best advice from Plainsmen. He shots alot and is very objective. I also prefer the Remington model 700 over the others although I have never owned a Savage. :2cents:


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Hey good evening Robert. My wife purchased a Browning Stainless Stalker in 300 WSM for me on our anniversary a couple years ago. My reloads match factory ammo, but I can't surpass it like I do with my standard 300 Win Mag. My only real beef is that it doesn't eject well. I am not sure if the problem is the rifle or the ejection is poor because the case is ejected upward and strikes the windage turret of my Leupold tactical scope. I should remove the scope and test it, but I don't like to mess with a rifle that shoots ½ inch groups at 100 yards.

I think the 277 bore diameter is a fine caliber. It makes a very good antelope and deer rifle. For larger game I would opt for the 308 diameter.

Here is what I think is good with the following scenarios.
Deer and antelope 25, 270, 0r 300 WSM
Deer or antelope beyond 400 yards 270 or 300 WSM
Deer or antelope beyond 600 yards 300 WSM
Elk, moose, bear 300 WSM
Deer under 400 yards, elk under 300 yards, bear over bait the good old 308, or 300 WSM for the heavy bullets.


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## SniperPride (Sep 20, 2004)

I totally agree, Ive had several customers come in with extractor/ejector problems in wsm, besides that it just doesnt have enough plus' to outdo the good ole .300 win mag.


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

I think the 270 wsm have more power and range then you give it credit for.

Deer under 400 yards, elk under 300 yards, bear over bait the good old 308, or 300 WSM for the heavy bullets.

270 wsm should work jus fine for all of those. Unless you're shooting grizzly, I don't see why a 270 wouldnt work.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

TANATA

I do think the 270 would be fine for all those animals listed. I think at 300 yards a deer would never know the difference if it was hit with the 270 or 300 WSM. I think at 500 yards there would be a difference. I all honesty I would not hesitate to shoot at an elk at 300 yards with the 270 WSM, but I would prefer the 300 WSM. You are absolutely right the 270 WSM is a very capable round, but I would prefer the heavier bullet capabilities of the 30 calibers in some instances.

I have a 270 Winchester and think it is a very capable round. I can get 150 gr bullets doing approximately 3070 fps out of a 24 inch barrel. I have shot perhaps 200 rounds through it in the last year, but I have not shot any animals with it. I have been so enamored with my new Remington 700P that many of my guns have lied languishing in the vault this year.

I think if Robert is going to get a left handed short action the 270 WSM would be a very good choice. Personally though, I would prefer the 300 WSM. Not a big difference, but I lean that way.


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## goosehtr4life (Dec 16, 2002)

http://www.remington.com/ammo/balli...ter seeing what it was capable of.. :2cents:


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

goosehtr4life

Yes a 280 is a fine rifle, but he is looking specifically for a short action. That is like going to the dealer and trying to buy a car, but all he wants to sell you is a pickup.


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## goosehtr4life (Dec 16, 2002)

:beer: I know, just bored at work yesterday!!!

Also, I will always state a case for the .280...

:sniper:


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

So your a leftist, er lefty huh... no surprise there I guess :lol: Just kidding!
You might want to take a look at Ruger #1s they are nice guns to shoot carry and clean and the action allows a 26 inch barrel in a standard length gun which will give velocities very similar to a mag in a 24 inch barrel. And they do it a lower ammo costs and reduced recoil. There are a lot of nice used ones on the market here in the South east. 99.9% of the time the first shot is the one that matters anyway. A 280 remington will shoot as fast as a 7 mag in the shorter barrel.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

goosehtr4life

Sorry, I understand that.

With the number 1 like Bob recommended the 280 becomes a possibility too.


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## Robert A. Langager (Feb 22, 2002)

Thanks for the input guys. The reason why I am leaning towards a Savage is due to their great accuracy and the fact that they have the most options for leftists like me and MT. Plus they are cheap, and that REALLY helps too.

Anyhow, that being said. I really liked the idea of the stainless Savage, however it only comes in short action for leftists. The good old .308 Win is another option for the short action as well.

I could go for the long action Savage as well, which is something that I am also looking into. My choices then would be .25-06, .270 Win, .30-06, .300 Win Mag, 7mm Rem Mag, and .338 Win Mag. Now, I am lot looking for a cannon and am very wary of recoil so the mags are ruled out.

I have heard some about the new WSMs but am wary of the trends and fads. Short action, long action, doesn't really matter a whole lot to me. I know there are considerations as far as weight and size are concerned but I really am looking for something that is versatile and can be loaded in a variety of loads with reasonable recoil.

The idea of a single shot is a good one too. I do have a NEF/HR Handi-Rifle in .22-250 and could simply have it fitted with another barrel of the caliber of my choice. But for some reason, I have the idea of a bolt action in my head. I did look at Ruger #1s at Gunsamerica.com but they are pretty pricey for me.

I can pretty much get a stainless Savage model 16 for about $450 and the regular blued model 111 for less than $400. This is for new.

I have been looking at used Savage 10/110s as well. They range from $250-$450 usually with rings, bases, and a crappy scope. For a bit more, I can get a new one with the new-fangled Accu-trigger.

That is where I am coming from. Please keep the feedback coming.

Thanks!
RC


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## Robert A. Langager (Feb 22, 2002)

We surely can't be done talking about this yet? :wink:


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I wouldn't even consider any kind of magnum for deer hunting, I don't like recoil at all. Ruger # 1s are available on the usd market for about 400 bucks I think and they are usaually not shot much so they are in real good shape. Your idea of a 308 for the SE or Minn is a great idea. If you really read and study reloading manuals almost all these calibers have little of no practical difference at sensible ranges. And 308 shells are available everywhere cheap. I've seen elk shot with a 308 at about 100 yards and it dropped them no problem. You read a lot about the 400 yard shots but if you hunt the right spots you can usaually get well under that and a 308 will easily kill any deer or elk at that range( up to 400 yards), and I know that from personal experience. Its also an inherently accurate caliber. 
January is a real good time to be looking because the dealers know that most of the long gun demand is down until late september when deer season is approaching.


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## OneShotOneKill (Feb 13, 2004)

*308 Winchester is a definite winning way to go!* You don't need a magnum rifle cartridge for Elk sized game.

If you are talking really cheap look at these rifles:

http://www.hr1871.com/firearms/index.ph ... ubcat=6#18
http://www.rossiusa.com/products/gunsel ... series=RFC


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Robert

You aren't getting many responses because you were already on your way to a good decision. Savage has excellent accuracy right out of the box. You can change calibers by switching barrels yourself. Stainless resists rust and I am a practical person that wants my rifles to last if I forget to clean once in a while.

I don't have a 280, but the guys who like them like them for a reason. That being said, the only reason for me to go to a long action would be for a magnum. Mine shoots under 1/3 inch at 100 yards, and I would never trade it. I don't expect everyone to like magnums that well, and OSOK is right some people should shoot lighter, they would shoot better.

If you were within the ranges I listed in my previous post I would perhaps recommend the 308 as many others have. The short powder column lends to very good accuracy. The heavy 30 calibers have excellent ballistic coefficient and energy retention. The 280, and 270 are good in that department also. For practice you can always find 308 on sale, and they are available everywhere.

I can't say anything bad about any of them, but bigger will let you shoot bigger animals, and shoot further. Decide what you will hunt, and your range limitations, and that should settle it. If your like me though in a couple years you will want to upgrade, so don't settle for what will do, buy what will fit your bill today, and tomorrow.

I bought my trailer to small, built my shop to small, didn't buy a big enough boat. One of these centuries I'll catch on.


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## Cannonball (Mar 7, 2006)

Wow, what a question.

I entered this discussion because one of the best elk hunters I know, who has gotten his elk almost every year for the past 25 years, uses a .308 Winchester model 88 lever action. When he bought his son and daughter rifles so they could hunt with him, he bought them .308 turn bolt guns.

Another hunter with an incredible elk kill count, used several guns but settled on an 8mm-o6 using the then popular 225 grain 8mm Speer bullet, pushed with IMR4064. I'm thinking he was sucessful for 20 years unbroken with that gun.

My elk count comes to only 2. The first one at 75 yards with a 30-40 full dress military Krag, long ago, the second at much longer range, with a Ruger .338 Win.

Elk hunters and Alaska brown bear hunters seem to move up in rifle caliber selection, while deer hunters seem to move down in caliber, sometimes.

What does this mean? I think, you will do better if you spend a lot time at the range, until you know exactly whatever your choice rifle caliber is, will do...


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## thorpebe (Oct 3, 2003)

I dont think that you will be disappointed with the savage. I have a savage in 243 and I really like it. I have been looking at getting a 270 WSM and I think that I am going to go with Tikka. I have not heard one bad thing about these guns so I am leaning towards getting one. They are roughly $100 more than the savage but have heard that the out of the box accuracy is good and it also has a nice trigger and the action seems to be real nice also. I do not know if they make it in left hand though. If price is a big deal go with the savage and put a little more into the optics.


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## honkbuster3 (Jan 11, 2006)

I like the 270 a lot and it is low on recoil but has a heavy hitting power. But in my opinion the best rifle for any animal on the North American continent is the 30-06. It is the all around rifle and the best for any game. It is deadly accurate and is low on recoil. Both are great rifles and I have heard nothing but good things abou tboth calibers. Good luck on what evr one you choose :beer:


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