270WSM vs. 7WSM Terminal Performance

[SQ Stalker]

I'm trying to decide between these two for a new barrel. I'd like to shoot the 150/140gr Berger(277) or the 168gr Berger(284), based on the results from previous hunts with Bergers.

I think both would have great long range terminal performance(have several 500yd+ food plot stands). Often though deer/hogs are within 100yds where I hunt. And at the moment I don't have a separate "woods" gun and this will have to do it all for now. Does anybody have experience/photos of how the Berger's perform above 3000fps?

Which would perform better on 200lb deer / 250 lb hog?

270 WSM 150 Berger ~3,200fps - 3,000fps (from muzzle - 100yds)

or

7 WSM 168 Berger ~3,000fps - 2,800fps (from muzzle - 100yds)

Are the Berger's designed to penetrate/expand @ ~3,200fps?


Thanks,

Adam

 

[Miller Outdoors]

Both are going to knock over deer and hogs. Each is significantly more than sufficient.

I'd go with the .270WSM because of what I've heard of the superior barrel life over the 7WSM.

 

[SQ Stalker]

Good point on the barrel life. I know both calibers are sufficient for the game hunted. I was mainly questioning the Berger's terminal performance at high velocities.

Some members are getting 3,400fps with 130gr in the 270WSM. I know the VLD's perform well impacting < 3,000 fps. I haven't read much about bullet performance on game over 3,000 fps with a Berger VLD.

 

[ForneyRider]

Berger hunting bullets are not designed to be a "tough" bullet. They are not solid, they have no partition, they are not bonded, and they have no cannelure. They are a jacketed lead bullet.

 

[bigngreen]

I shoot the 140 Berger out of a 270 WSM at 3307fps, I haven't got it on enough game to know all the variables but so far under 400 yrds they go in and then shread everything inside of a 8in circle and you find the jacket under the of side, DRT
The 270 WSM get's there in a flat hurry, I've got almost 800 rounds through mine and it still surprises me some times, and man it hits hard. The first couple deer I shot with my dad spotting and he was just shock at how hard they hit, kinda gives ya the giggles.

I favor the 270 anyday of the week over a 7mm when it comes to putting game on the ground, every year I try to salavage meat off of critters that have been pounded by 7mm's that couldn't get it done in one shot. It's my very biased opinion but there is something that isn't quite right with the 7mm when you look at terminal performance vs a 270 cal.

 

[winmag]

It's my very biased opinion but there is something that isn't quite right with the 7mm when you look at terminal performance vs a 270 cal.
__________________
+1 with Bigngreen. I know that the 7mags are accurate and launch a bigger bullet, and they have a huge fan base for good reasons, but it has been personal experiences that has prompted my love/hate relationship with them. Ill take a 270, or a 30cal over a 7mm annyday. Again my very bias opinion.
I figured Bigngreen would jump in on this thread before too long, and he has more kills with his 270wsm with the bullets in question. But I can whole-heartedly agree that the ''smack down'' you can throw with the 270wsm is unbelievably impressive! Even on BIG bears up close and personal

 

[SQ Stalker]

Thanks for the good info. Some reason I was skeptical that they might just blow up and not penetrate at high velocities.

On the .277 vs. 284 now that I read your posts I have noticed similar results. Every deer I've shot with my 270 Win (used Hornady 130's before I reloaded, and Berger's since) has dropped in their tracks. My main hunting buddy uses a 7 RM(partitions) and they consistently run 50+yards unless spine shot.

I can't quite draw a conclusion as to why, more surface area/bigger hole, higher velocities, more mass = more momentum/energy.

Oh well, I guess the proof's in the venison.

 

[Varminator 911]

It's hard to take exception to anyone who admits their bias. But there is no reason a 270 WSM is any better killer than the 7mm WSM. They are both smack down deadly on the game in question using Berger bullets. If the 7mm doesn't perform as well as the 270, all other things being equal, it's driver error.

I'm not a 270 hater. Quit the opposite. One of my all time favorites is the 270 Weatherby. But it's no better killer than the various 7mms I've owned.

My only real question is why does anyone think the 270 WSM has better barrel life than the 7mm WSM? The 270 does have a slightly longer neck. Is that the reasoning?

 

[bigngreen]

I also don't quite see why a 270 WSM would be better on a barrel other than some of the 7mm WSM comes from comps where they heat things up a little more. I've got around 800 down mine and I'm getting ready for it to puke, I haven't scoped it thought but looking down the tube the lands are starting to look washed a little. But I'm not idling it either, most of the 270 WSM stuff is running a 130gr bullet in the 3250 range, some lower. I'm not shooting a 270 WSM to idle it, I shoot it to make 7mm's look bad Sorry, I couldn't help it.

 

[winmag]

I also don't quite see why a 270 WSM would be better on a barrel other than some of the 7mm WSM comes from comps where they heat things up a little more. I've got around 800 down mine and I'm getting ready for it to puke, I haven't scoped it thought but looking down the tube the lands are starting to look washed a little. But I'm not idling it either, most of the 270 WSM stuff is running a 130gr bullet in the 3250 range, some lower. I'm not shooting a 270 WSM to idle it, I shoot it to make 7mm's look bad Sorry, I couldn't help it.

Nice. Im still laughing.
When I was little, I wached my dad shoot a deer 6 times, off hand, under 100 yards right behind the shoulder as dust kicked up on the other side. the deer was at a walk and never once broke stride. Just kept walkin........... all 6 rounds hit thier mark. I COULD COVER ALL 6 SHOTS with my palm when the deer finally figured out it was hit, and decided to lay down and die, just as lazy as could be about 100yds from where it was hit the first time. I was 7 years old at the time, and Id never seen my dad miss so I could hardly belive the deer was still walking after the first crack of the rifle. My dad was floored by the amount of lead he threw to get the thing to bleed out. My dad never hunted with a 7mm again. This was my first not so good experience with the 7mag, and I have personally whitnessed multiple situations almost identicle on other deer, elk, and bear with 7mm's in different configurations at relitively short yardage. Longer range theyre ok.
Theres nothing particularly wrong with the 7mm. The 7mm is accurate. It has great offerings for high B.C. bullets. It shoots flat. It is big enough for most anything in North America. I just dont like em' due to personal experiences and the whole metric system thing. + I can virtually match it or beat it with same wt. bullets with a 270wsm. So Im bias for my own reasons. I like what I like because of how I have seen 270's and 30's work in person from close range to long range observations -*not because of what Ive seen on paper*-*nor someones ''balistics chart''*- just personal experiences.

Before I recieve any ''hate mail'' from the 7mag fans, let me say personal preferance is personal preferance, and that if you like your 7mm Im happy for you, and I wish you all the success and fondness for your choice of caliber that I have for mine. I hope you never have simmilar experiences to what Ive had. I just happen to like my 270wsm better is all, and thats my personal preferance.

 

[jbcarter88]

Ummm.......Yeah, what winmag said.

 

[jbcarter88]

I'm a 270wsm believer and my dad is a huge fan of the 7mmag. We have alot of fun going back and forth just like this...............But, of course, I usually win.

 

[scottyd2506]

I shoot the 140 Berger out of a 270 WSM at 3307fps, I haven't got it on enough game to know all the variables but so far under 400 yrds they go in and then shread everything inside of a 8in circle and you find the jacket under the of side, DRT
The 270 WSM get's there in a flat hurry, I've got almost 800 rounds through mine and it still surprises me some times, and man it hits hard. The first couple deer I shot with my dad spotting and he was just shock at how hard they hit, kinda gives ya the giggles.

I favor the 270 anyday of the week over a 7mm when it comes to putting game on the ground, every year I try to salavage meat off of critters that have been pounded by 7mm's that couldn't get it done in one shot. It's my very biased opinion but there is something that isn't quite right with the 7mm when you look at terminal performance vs a 270 cal.

I've seen many deer shot with a 7mm mag and they never ran, I've not owned one myself, the 25-06 seems to knock deer down at long range 1st shot almost every-time.

The 7mm mag is an old cartridge, and back in the day when people used FMJ bullets on deer it would not surprise me deer would run off.
comparing a 7mm with fmj ammo and bad shooting to a 270 wsm with ballistic tips isn't convincing.

the .277 have poor bullets for long range ballistics. I mean yes the Berger 150 has a .545 BC but out of a 270 it's going to have a rainbow trajectory.


the 7mm 168 VLD (617 bc) will be about as fast as a 150 from a 270..


the 277 Berger 140 vld has a worse (487) BC the a 7mm 140 VLD (510).. doesn't make sense, but the bigger bore same weight is better in this case.
and the 7mm WSM will most certainly shoot a 140 faster than a 140 in a .270 WSM as it is less overbore. a lose lose for the 270.


if we talk about the 6.5 WSM
. A 6.5 WSM with a 140 (BC of .618) grn VLD bullet and slightly more overbore, would be amybe 25-50 fps slower than the 270 WSM VLD 140 but would have an EXTREAME advantage at long range, by 100 yards the 6.5 WSM will be after than the 270 WSM
The 130 VLD with a .552 BC kills any the 277 has to offer, and would be like a laser beam (FLAT Shooting) I have heard of people getting140's to 3400 fps with 28 inch 6.5 WSM, so the 130 would be 3500 fps easy


If one knows his ballistics and drop to say 600 yards, all this doesn't matter anyway. but the 25 and 27 bores are the worst for high bc bullets.

I have a 25-06 and I know this all too well, the 108 JLK with a .500 bc is the best I can get. I shoot the .523-.466 BC 115 VLD's at a easy 3200 fps
But at long range the .243 .264 and .284 bullets are vastly better.

but if one wants to shoot at game out to 600-1000 yards, the .277 bore is one of the worst on the planet

the 6.5 WSM and 7mm WSM with it's much better bullets would be VASTLY superior to a 270 WSM at long range.

the story of your dad, or those 20,000 guys with 7mm mags that lost deer to a 7mm bullet are not going to cut the cake, the same 7mm guy will tell you of the 30,000 different deer shot by a 270 that ran away. Lets be realistic here.

let us not take extreme examples and blow them ouyt of proportion. I have seen Farmers take a .22 lr and kill deer 1st shoot drop in it's tracks, and I've seen a 12 gauge slug (72 caliber) go through a deers vitals and it run away for 1/2 mile . does this mean at 30 yards a .22 has more deer killing ability than a 3 inch magnum slug from a 12 gauge at 30 yards?

 

[jrsolocam]

Ya, when animals run off, its bullet construction, mv at impact and where you hit them. Doesn't really matter what case sent out the bullet.