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What do you prefer? .270 or 30 06 and why?


Sharkey

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Both have advantages. If you reload, the 30-06 shares bullet diameter with the 308, so you could reload the same bullets for both. If hunting in brush or woods, the 30-06 can load slightly heavier bullets which may reduce deflections, but that is debatable. For distance shooting, like out west, the .270 wins hands down. The Late Jack O'Conner of Outdoor Life Magazine considered the 270 the perfect big game bullet. ( this was before the 280 and the 7mm Remington Magnum.) It is flatter shooting to longer distances than the 30-06, With slightly higher velocities, as it is a necked down 30-06 case. Not to mix up the issue, but you may consider the 300 Winchester Magnum, if distance shooting is your goal.

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One of my retail customers summed it up very well.

 

"The problem with .30-06 is it does everything so well."  From 50gr Accelerator sabot loads (at over 4,000fps!!!) to 250gr thumpers, and everything in between.

 

IME all the .270s I've shot kick more than a comparable .30-06 rifle.

 

Feel like plinking?  Get some old surplus .30 M1 or M2.

 

You can still get .30-06 in most small-town hardware stores across the country.  Not always the case with .270 ammo.

 

"But the .270 shoots so flat!"  So do .30 caliber bullets of the same weight.  The .270 will have an edge in some arenas but not at typical hunting ranges.  And if you're hunting big game at long(er) distances, those heavy .30-06 really start to shine!

 

The .270 is good if you want to sit around a campfire with younger folks, stroking each other about how great the .270 cartridge is.

 

If you are planning on world travel, chances are that you can find .30-06 in any place you are willing to travel.  Teddy Roosevelt took ship loads of African game with .30-06 chambered rifles.  And that was back before they REALLY got some interesting powder and bullet combinations going!

 

Carlos Hathcock used a .30-06 in a Winchester 70.  What famous sniper used the .270 in what rifle?

 

Older service rifle shooters will tell you that the .308 shooters/protaganists had the rules changed to exclude .30-06 rifles back in the 1970s, "because they couldn't be beat by the lowly .308 cartridge."

 

While you may not get the distance and energy, you have a larger bullet selection with the .30-06 than you do with the .300 Win Mag, due to the latter cartridge's shorter neck interfering with seating longer bullets.

 

EVERYONE who makes rifle bullet moulds makes a variety of .309 and .310 diameter moulds in different shapes and contours.

 

On the other hand, the .270 is in the .30-06 family, so when you tire of it or regret your choice, you can neck up your used brass to use with your new .30-06 rifle (which you traded to the guy who just read all the ".270: King of The Cartridge" articles on old GUNS magazine articles.

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   What many people today don't know about Jack O'Conner, is that he had a "back-up" rifle.   A customised Springfield  30-06  that ALWAYS went with him!

    And, he used that same "back-up rifle to take many of the heads of game he shot!

   Days, weeks, and years pass.    Those of us that actually KNEW Elmer Kieth, Jack O'Conner, Dean Grinnell and a lot of the famous wrighters of "the old days" are passing. also.

    Those I mentioned, all were around when the 280, 7mm Mag, 264 mag and others were introduced.

   In some ways, those "old guys" were stiffled by what they were "known" for.

   Elmer the 44 Mag, and 41 mag, Jack for the 270, and Dean as the guru of reloading.

   In private, they all agreed that there were a lot of really fine cartridges out there, and rifles to go with them.  In public, they had to go with what  they were famous for.

    The difference between the 270 and the 7mm is .007"   Seven thousandths of an inch!   About the thickness of a single sheet of paper!

     Personally, I think that every safe should contain at least ONE 30-06, just because there is so much ammo available.

    30-06 o 270?  you pays your money, and take your pick.

   Respectfully

   Terry

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What many people today don't know about Jack O'Conner, is that he had a "back-up" rifle.   A customised Springfield  30-06  that ALWAYS went with him!

    And, he used that same "back-up rifle to take many of the heads of game he shot!

   Days, weeks, and years pass.    Those of us that actually KNEW Elmer Kieth, Jack O'Conner, Dean Grinnell and a lot of the famous wrighters of "the old days" are passing. also.

    Those I mentioned, all were around when the 280, 7mm Mag, 264 mag and others were introduced.

   In some ways, those "old guys" were stiffled by what they were "known" for.

   Elmer the 44 Mag, and 41 mag, Jack for the 270, and Dean as the guru of reloading.

   In private, they all agreed that there were a lot of really fine cartridges out there, and rifles to go with them.  In public, they had to go with what  they were famous for.

    The difference between the 270 and the 7mm is .007"   Seven thousandths of an inch!   About the thickness of a single sheet of paper!

     Personally, I think that every safe should contain at least ONE 30-06, just because there is so much ammo available.

    30-06 o 270?  you pays your money, and take your pick.

   Respectfully

   Terry

Good points. I happen to have 30-06's because as flyer said, when I was a kid, that is what I could afford to shoot. And once you become familiar with a cartridge rifle combo, it doesn't make sense to switch to something very similar. As 3-2 said, there are many fine cartidges out there. Is the 270 a better distance rifle when fraction of inches matter? Yes. Is it a better all around? Not really for the reasons listed above. It all depends what the specific use is going to be. I would feel comfortable carrying either.
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The only centerfire bolt gun I own is a 30-06, a Winchester P17 to be exact. Most of the ammo I have for it has been bought at estate auctions for pennies on the dollar, even have a box of those accelerators.Always wondered what velocity they would get out of that 26 inch barrel.........

My father swears by the 270 for deer and coyote but then he is always complaining about the lack of selection in bullet weights...............

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Can't go wrong with a 30-06, from 1906 to present, to include WW I, WW II, Korea, and into Vietnam. Chambered in semi auto, full Auto and bolt action rifles, famous rifles like the 1903 Springfield, the M1, and the BAR. Probably has killed more animals and people than anything other cartridge ever in the free world.

 

Having a 30-06 is like owning history, everyone has one, everyone has ammo for one, and every store has for sale or has the ammo for it.

 

Just how could there be question on this!!  30-06 is the king.

 

Neil

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I have killed 26 elk with a 270 and 130 grain bullets also killed a moose, many many deer, and many bears ,it is all you need in North America all this 300 mag this and 7mm mag that and short mags etc etc is just fluff in the wind to any good marksman. Most of my elk dropped in their tracks when struck in the lungs with a 130 grain bullet.... it just flat out kills. now the ought 6 is a fine gun as well but the lighter bullets do not fly as well as the 168's or 180's and their trajectory is like a big rainbow compared to a 130 ,270... so if you live in think forest or brush get the right tool the 06 but if you live in more open terrain buy the 270.. my LR 308 is the first time I have hunted elk with a 30 cal it works fine with 168's and i killed one this year atb 304 yards  1 shot dropped him  in his tracks but I have killed elk at 600 with a 270 ford or Chevy I like the 270 with 130 grain bullets.

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This thread reminds me that I need to get out and buy more 30-06 ammo. Nah, I'll pass for now, because it's everywhere... Still on the shelves right now, just like it was during the Sandy Hook bull$hit, and after...

Back in the late 60's, a friend of my Dad who was a General in Ordnance sent him a thousand once fired National Match 30-06 brass. My Dad reloaded maybe 40, and when I got into reloading in the 70's gave 500 to me. I loaded them all with 165 grain Sierra Boat tail soft point and IMR 4770 powder. When he passed away I got the other 460 cases plus 500 old herter 150 grain soft points he had as well. I also loaded those. I have maybe 70 of the 165's left and almost all of the 150's. I havent bought any 30-06 since 1977. I will be long gone before my son uses them all up and needs to buy more.

Edited by Sisco
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You're absolutely right but now things are different. One thing I learned in 2012-13 was to buy ammo when there was plenty, not when things go south

 

 

  I can not remember anything remotely like what we have ( & still are ) been through, since this POS ran/ became" The Queen ".

 

  Its still hard to get some ammo & Components , it wasn't long ago I could just order what ever I wanted !   <dontknow> I"m spoiled ! <laughs>

Edited by survivalshop
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When the market went to shiit last year.... .270 was the shiit left on the shelves.... Just sayin'

Here 30-06 was the only thing. There are a lot of good points think flyer sumed it up.

Why do I like 30-06 ? It was my first rifle, as I stated above when poop got crazy it was all that was left on the shelf, and every deer I've ever shot with it dropped in 15-20 yards granted I've seen them go a lot further than that with a well placed shot too.

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I can not remember anything remotely like what we have ( & still are ) been through, since this POS ran/ became" The Queen ".

 

  Its still hard to get some ammo & Components , it wasn't long ago I could just order what ever I wanted !   <dontknow> I"m spoiled ! <laughs>

I know it's not what it was prior to Sandy Hook but its not bad compared to 2013. Although powder seems hard to come by.

I've had no problem as of late buying 6,5 Grendel, 308 or 30.06.

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