The Famous ( Infamous?) .270 Winchester

Hawkeyes,

Yes, the 270 Win. really is that good. I have been shooting one for a few years now and have had some great results with it. My favorite deer load is 150 BT pushed with Reloder 23 powder. Very easy to get to 2900+ fps with RL23. I use the heavier bullet since I have the opportunity for 400 yard shots on whitetail deer and like the retained energy at 400 yards. Plus the 150 BT will give both good expansion and good penetration. For Elk I would switch to the 150 Partition or the 140 AB.

Here are a few of my prior posts with some of my results.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=33997
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=32493
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=36719

Dan

35Whelen,

That's a great report!
LOL Always the instigator (baiter)!
[emoji1]

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

NYDan,

That is a great account of the 150 BT, and that would be my first choice, in either 130 or 150 gr weight.
I read the other links you put in as well, excellent information there!
Thank you!

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

I started shooting the 270win when I was 12 years old and that is over 50 years ago, started reloading for it when I was 14 :wink:. I have harvested every big animal available to me here in Saskatchewan with that calibre, at first with a Remington left handed BDL and now for the last number of years with my lefty CDL. The only weight of bullet I have ever shot is the 130gr., using the Nosler Partition exclusively until they introduced the 130gr. AccuBond.
I was a little different as I do not load using 4831 which is the majority of people's go to powder, I load using 4350 as I have been able to obtain the speed and accuracy that I wanted so I never changed.
My oldest boy has shot his 270win in a Remington BDL DM for over 20 years and 2 years ago I had a opportunity to purchase a 7mm mag in the Sendero for him and when I told him I was going to trade his 270win on it he advised me that I would not be trading anything as he had know desire to shoot anything but his 270win :mrgreen:.
Now some say I am a little bit of a hypocrite as since starting to follow this forum and l listening to a certain good Doctor I have had a 280AI custom build for me and I can not dispute the information :roll: that the .284 is likely the best all around calibre manufactured.
But please never think you are at a disadvantage when you have a 270win in your hands .

Blessings,
Dan

Sask Boy,

Thank you for the first hand account.
I'm appreciating the knowledge and the cartridge a lot more now.
It's good to see that people have huge respect for it.

I realized that the hunting I will be doing with it is going to be coyote, deer, elk, and maybe moose.
The places I hunt don't have any nasty Bruins in them, thankfully.

Every time I see you post, it reminds me that I own a share in Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL team, and I ahould get up there at least once a season to watch them play. Hopefully, at some point, I can book a hunt up there as well.

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

Well you get up here for a game I will definitely have a good home cooked meal for you and a bed for you to use for a couple of nights.
Not many people in Regina that are not big time rider fans :wink:.

Blessings,
Dan

sask boy":1iwbonlf said:

Well you get up here for a game I will definitely have a good home cooked meal for you and a bed for you to use for a couple of nights.
Not many people in Regina that are not big time rider fans :wink:.

Blessings,
Dan

Click to expand...

Thank you Dan.
I'll take you up on that offer when the time comes.

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

I got a 270 WSM just about the time of OIF. My old man got me a M70 Classic in 270 WSM after I got back from Iraq the 2nd time. I lived in base housing back then and was sorta stuck to factory ammo. I used it for elk and Mule deer for quite a few years. I had been using a 300 Win before that and a 7mm Rem before that. With the 140 grain Accubonds as loaded by Winchester it was very accurate and when zeroed at 300 yards had very little drop to 400 yards and was easily manageable to 500. I’d thought I’d gotten a laser! Toppled elk and deer real handy like and the recoil was NICE.

Since then I’ve added two more 270’s to the safe. A Tikka T3X SuperLite and a P64 Featherweight. All of them are incredible shooting rifles and RL26 works amazing with the 130’s-150’s so far. Easy 3150 with the 130’s and 3050’ish with 150’s. Accurate and beyond easy to shoot well.

My little brother and I just did our first elk hunt together to which I still owe a post but he’d bout my 4th 270 from me last year. It is a Ruger M77 270. This past Summer we set him up to handloads his own ammo. With plain old Redding does, on a Rockchucker we used plain ol WW brass, CCI200, H4831SC and 140 grain Tipped Teophy Bonded Bear Claws. He had that rifle, with a 6x Weaver on top shooting MOA in no time and started pushing out to 300, 400 and 500 yards, learning the trajectory from shooting on his belly over a back pack. When it came time to kill his elk he took the shot at 240 yards and executed the elk with a perfect front leg shot that put her down for keeps. I was so danged proud and he looked and said “darn Scotty, I guess the 270 was plenty”! I hugged that kid, thanked the 270 for getting it done again without drama or .800BC Bullets, just good Bullets with moderate recoil and a little practice. Was cool to see it.

Oh, when we chrono’ed his load it measured a cool 2912 AVG. kinda made me realize it’s hardly ever the arrow it’s all about the Indian. Soft shooting cartridge and confidence and good trajectory make it a winner for a BG hunter. It’s funny for years I shunned the plain old 270 Win cause it was so popular, nowadays I like it more cause of all the people that shun it for its lack of high BC Bullets but I’ll be danged if it won’t keep crushing Hooved and furry footed animals with good Bullets.

As to shooting 130 or 140’s, old Bob Farese used to say what’s the danged difference but 20 grains, load what shoots and smile. That man along with a couple others I know took a mess of a pile of elk, deer and antelope with 130 Partitions in little custom jobs that were easy to carry but had the juice to get it done when the time came.

Over the years I have used the 270 and 30-06 almost exclusively for my western hunting. With the 270 I have taken a 170 inch bighorn out of the pecos wilderness, a large 7x7 bull elk in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico. When I started elk hunting all I had was a springfield 30-06 and a 30-30. Those two rifles accounted for many cow, spike (when they were legal in Colorado) and a few rag horns. My dream was always a 270 winchester for all of my hunting.
With my first Geology job I was able to get 270 built on a mauser action with a Douglas barrel and a semi-custom stock. I still have that rifle but it now has a McMillan stock. The last animal I took with that rifle was a nice pronghorn in Wyoming using 130 hornady interlock with 59.0 grs of RL22.
My current and last 270 is a Forbes (now manufactured by Barrett as their "field craft) with a 24 inch shaw barrel. This rifle shoot very tiny groups with just about any load or configuration. Currently:
Deer/Antelope loads are, 130 SST or ballistic tips with 57.2 of RL22, at 3138 fps/SD 9.2 or the same bullets with 59.1grs of RL26 at 3147fps/SD 2.2. Elk loads are 140 grain accubonds or trophy bonded tips with 56.0 grains of RL 22 at 3021fps or 56.8 grains of RL26 at 3030 fps. My heavy load is 150 grain Nosler Partition with 54.8 grains of RL 26 at 2905fps. My relationship with the 270 is unwavering and long-lasting. As a mountain hunter the Forbes with sling, scope, and 3 in the magazine weight 6lbs 11 oz. I think the 270 is just about perfect for antelope , deer, and sheep. Elk with the 270 works fine but my 30-06 with 165 partitions or 180 grains has just a little more woop-ass (just my observations).

Awesomely well said 270Elk! That’s a cool set up you have there!

I agree

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

I amaze myself some times with how ignorant I was when I was much younger.
My magnum-itis blinded me to other cartridges that are really good. I'm not embarrassed to say I haven't been a fan of the .30-06, mainly because my dad is such a staunch supporter of, " it can everything, and handle everything." The bullet trajectory is bit too arched for my liking, and if I need more power, I will gladly use my .300 Win. Mag.
Now, I never really noticed, or had any friends use a .270 in deer/elk camp.
I have no excuse as to why I didn't know then, but I know now.
The 7mm Rem Mag only has a slight advantage over the .270, as well as the .30-06 when it comes to power. The .270 will shoot flatter than the 06, and almost as flat as the 7mm Rem Mag. The 7mm Mag only extends the range by 25-35 yds.
Plus, the 06 and 7mm Mag has more recoil than the .270, and to me that isn't a win.
I know better now, and I can't wait to go afield now and see first hand what the grand .270 can do.
I, by ignorance, overlooked it before, but not now. Not again!

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

I bought my first new rifle in 1966, a Husquvarna imperial grade 270 with a 24 inch barrel. Killed my first 11 elk with it with 130g hand loads, and my wife is still killing with a 270. I prefer a 338 cal. for elk but would not hesitate to use a 270 if I needed to.

I used a Model 70 .270 Win for quite a few years on both Whitetail and Mule Deer and Antelope and all I used was 130gr SP in my reloads.
For what I used it for it was never lacking and almost seemed to much on Antelope. Then it jammed on me in Wyoming while I was Antelope Hunting and I lost confidence in it and sold it, right about then I caught Magmun Fever and pick up a .264 Win Mag. in a Model 70.
The .270 Win is a Excellent round as far as I am concerned and if my rifle would not have jammed I would still be carrying it out West for Deer & Antelope with 130 gr bullets.

I used a Model 70 .270 Win for quite a few years on both Whitetail and Mule Deer and Antelope and all I used was 130gr SP in my reloads.
For what I used it for it was never lacking and almost seemed to much on Antelope. Then it jammed on me in Wyoming while I was Antelope Hunting and I lost confidence in it and sold it, right about then I caught Magmun Fever and pick up a .264 Win Mag. in a Model 70.
The .270 Win is a Excellent round as far as I am concerned and if my rifle would not have jammed I would still be carrying it out West for Deer & Antelope with 130 gr bullets.
Makes me wonder if Guy needs a Remington 700 CDL .270 Win to fill the gap between the 25-06 and 30-06 let’s see .257 + .308 = .565 divide by 2 = .2825 Oh no, a .280 Rem or 270 Win should work.
Both Excellent Choices

I gotta say, this forum never ceases to amaze me. Someone can start a thread about a 100 year old cartridge basically saying “the .270 is a cool round, discuss” and we still to this day can fill pages with cool stories and anecdotes about an old cartridge that has probably been talked about to death. This thread has had my most eagerly awaited replies since it began.

I mean all this in no way facetiously. This thread will probably cost me a new rifle and scope purchase because now I want a .270, and am ashamed I’ve never shot one. Another thing this forum is good at.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

fightthenoise":bo8x0r47 said:

I gotta say, this forum never ceases to amaze me. Someone can start a thread about a 100 year old cartridge basically saying “the .270 is a cool round, discuss” and we still to this day can fill pages with cool stories and anecdotes about an old cartridge that has probably been talked about to death. This thread has had my most eagerly awaited replies since it began.

I mean all this in no way facetiously. This thread will probably cost me a new rifle and scope purchase because now I want a .270, and am ashamed I’ve never shot one. Another thing this forum is good at.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

I like it! That's the spirit. Don't be surprised when you really like it as well!

fightthenoise":3dpdoci6 said:

This thread will probably cost me a new rifle and scope purchase because now I want a .270, and am ashamed I’ve never shot one. Another thing this forum is good at.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Well, we have some real experts at spending other people's money. Always glad to see a fellow rifle crank compelled to pick up something new. :lol:

While my experience pales in comparison to most on this forum I would like to add my experience with the .270 Win.

I grew up hunting alongside my dad who had a Rem 700 in .270 Win. 22” barrel. My son now owns this rifle. My Dad loved the 130 gr. Bullet, 4831 combo. Super accurate and devastating on deer

I bought a 7 mag for my first rifle. I needed an elk rifle. Nothing but a magnum would do. I killed several elk with it but never enjoyed shooting it. I sold it a few years back and bought a .270 Win. I went with the Win over the WSM that both my Dad and Brother now shoot due to several factors. Mostly the expense for dies, brass, and rifle are a lot more money. If I need ammo I can find it literally anywhere at any time. As a public safety employee I look for the best bang for my buck so I can spend more on tags than equipment.

What I found with this new rifle is incredible accuracy and plenty of one shot
Kills. I have now killed 2 mule deer 400+ and 525 yards and a mature bull elk at 560 yards. The bull elk was a complete pass thru. I’m not a long range guy but shot these due to circumstances.

I use the 150 gr. Ballistic tips for deer and antelope and 150 gr. Partitions for elk. All handloads built to maximize my rifles potential. I like that bigger bullet and it has not let me down. Recoil is mild and performance is awesome.

I feel comfortable shooting anything with that rifle and one of those two loads. It just plain works and does not punish you in the process in the shoulder or the wallet.

Good luck!!

Silentstalker":13rhdot9 said:

While my experience pales in comparison to most on this forum I would like to add my experience with the .270 Win.

I grew up hunting alongside my dad who had a Rem 700 in .270 Win. 22” barrel. My son now owns this rifle. My Dad loved the 130 gr. Bullet, 4831 combo. Super accurate and devastating on deer

I bought a 7 mag for my first rifle. I needed an elk rifle. Nothing but a magnum would do. I killed several elk with it but never enjoyed shooting it. I sold it a few years back and bought a .270 Win. I went with the Win over the WSM that both my Dad and Brother now shoot due to several factors. Mostly the expense for dies, brass, and rifle are a lot more money. If I need ammo I can find it literally anywhere at any time. As a public safety employee I look for the best bang for my buck so I can spend more on tags than equipment.

What I found with this new rifle is incredible accuracy and plenty of one shot
Kills. I have now killed 2 mule deer 400+ and 525 yards and a mature bull elk at 560 yards. The bull elk was a complete pass thru. I’m not a long range guy but shot these due to circumstances.

I use the 150 gr. Ballistic tips for deer and antelope and 150 gr. Partitions for elk. All handloads built to maximize my rifles potential. I like that bigger bullet and it has not let me down. Recoil is mild and performance is awesome.

I feel comfortable shooting anything with that rifle and one of those two loads. It just plain works and does not punish you in the process in the shoulder or the wallet.

Good luck!!

Click to expand...

My experience with the .270 is a lot less than even yours, but I'm giving it a "shot" so to speak! If my rifle likes 150 gr bullets, that's what I'm sticking with as well. You mentioned 2 great ones, and that's what I like as well. Can't go wrong with either!

Sent from my moto e5 play using Tapatalk