270 win vs. 30-06 are they that different?

[AAM]

270 win vs. 30-06 are they that different?

[Jerry A.]

Not terribly. The .270 is just a 30-06 case necked down to .277 with no other changes. The .270 will shoot somewhat flatter, but the 30-06 has a wider variety of bullet weights, especially on the heavier end.

[Treestand]

Ditto~Jerry A.
Well Put! The .270 is a great Cal. But the 06-is better over all for a ONE Gun Hunter.

[Guest]

AGAIN? REALLY??

[FirstBubba]

Let's see?
One is .277, the other is .308.
You can buy 90 grain hollow points for a .270. Not for an '06.
You can purchase factory ammo with 220 grain bullets. Not for a .270.

Actually, attempting to compare the two is foolish!

[JustTakeMeHunting14]

well yes they are different. They both serve a very similar purpose though. The .270 is a lighter cartridge, and although it is suitable for elk and other animals of that size, I have always considered it as more of a deer rifle. That said, I have met several hunters that will only use a .270 for elk. A 30-06 is a more powerful gun so I think it is more suitable as an overall big game rifle. But if you can't handle the extra recoil and develop a flinch then it doesn't matter because your not as accurate. My point is, see if you can shoot both before you buy. The trick to being an accurate rifleman is finding a gun that fits you well, is accurate, and dependable. Shoot what works for you because it doesn't matter if you shoot a .300 ultra mag big game won't go down if you can't hit them accurately.

[99explorer]

Actually, I've always felt that the 130-grain .270 had a sharper kick than the 150-grain .30-06 because of the higher velocity. The recoil of the .30-06 seems to be more of a sustained push, unlike the sharp jolt of the .270. JMO.

[ITHACASXS]

This depends on what you'll be hunting. Example: If you are hunting gray squirrels only, go with the .270, if just fox squirrels, 30-06 all the way.

[country road]

I feed my .27o cartridges cabbage and peas, whereas my .30-06 is more of an oatmeal eater.

[DakotaMan]

Both are great cartridges made from the same case. I prefer the .270 if I am shooting deer sized game and smaller; especially for longer range shots over open fields. It has more speed with its smaller weight bullets and consequently a flatter trajectory. It will work fine for elk sized game but does not work as well in the trees as the larger 30-06 bullets.

I like the 30-06 when hunting in thicker timbers and for larger fare like elk. The fine lighter weight hunting bullets now available for the 30-06 do make it quite useful on open fields too though.

If I am hunting game sized from prairie dogs to deer, especially in the open fields, I still prefer the 25-06, the next caliber down in that fine case. I feel it has the lightest recoil of the three by far; especially with 75g bullets. For me, the .270 has the sharpest recoil and that can affect some people's accuracy and their enjoyment of the rifle.

I like speed because I shoot running game and the smaller the bullet, the faster it goes. This helps reduce lead and helps me hit a vital area more predictably.

[Ga hunter]

.308

[remingman870]

You won't notice a big differance between the two as far as ballistics goes until you go out past 200 300yds, the 06 is heavier than the 270 wich giving it the mass to go farther and to not get wind blown as much. As far as a deer hunting goes both are great rounds, if I was to go elk hunting on the other hand I would favor the 30-06 just because it has that little bit of extra mass so at farther ranges it has more punch behind it. But both would do the job.

[Jim in Mo]

It's the '06 that will digest 90gr loads from Rem not the 270. There is no caliber to my knowledge that is factory loaded to so many bullet weights. That is the virtue of the '06, that and bullet diameter.

[Andjohns]

Don't let someone tell you the 270 shoots much flatter than the 30-06. People who should know better often say it, and write about it, but it simply isn't true. Ballistic facts are undeniable.

Really, the 30-06 is just a finger width below the 270 at 300 yards. Please stop listening to the unenlightened and base your decision on actual data.

The flattest factory loads I can find online are the Hornady Superperformance.

The 30-06 150 Grain SST has a trajectory of -6.4 at 300 yards. The 270 130 grain SST is -5.7 at 300 yards.

So for factory rounds; the 270 a very slight 0.7 inch flatter at 300 yards. The width of a finger.

Reloaders can do better. Check this out from the Nosler reloading guide 8:

30-06, 125 grain Accubond, 57.5 grains of Varget powder gives 3418 ft per second muzzle velocity and -5.3 trajectory at 300 yards.

270, 130 grain Accubond, 51 grains of Norma 204 powder gives 3503 ft per second muzzle velocity and -4.9 trajectory at 300 yards.

So for reloaders; the 270 is a very, very slight 0.4 inch flatter at 300 yards. The width of a pinky finger.

You don't need to buy a new 270 for your hunting trip out west. You can effectively turn your old 06 into a 270 with some better ammunition.

Unfortunately you cannot turn a 270 into an 06 as effectively. The 270 simply does not shoot 160+ grain bullets well. The 30-06 is excellent in the 165 to 180 grain bullet range, where really only a 30 caliber magnum can beat it.

I guess that's why even the unenlightened tell us the 30-06 is the most versatile cartridge in the world. Happy hunting.

[shawn earle]

Well the 30/06 loses velocity while shooting a heavier bullet with more energy. But if you put 150 grain bullets in both of them they are about identical. The 30/06 is more versatile and capable of taking much heavier game with the heavier bullets. The .270 is the perfect rifle if your only shooting deer and prairie dogs though. Could take black bears with it as well, but I would want a much heavier bullet than 150 grain if shooting anything bigger. So it depends on what your gonna use it for? The 30/06 is defineately more versatile though. That's not an opinion it's a known fact. Everything from grey squirrels to Polar Bear and Moose can easily be taken with an 06