savage 270 WSM vs. weatherby vangaurd 257 wby mag

[Tjurgensen]

I am looking for another rifle and have narrowed my search down to a Savage FCNS 270 WSM or a Weatherby vangaurd sporter in a .257 Wby mag. I like them both equally. I don't reload for now and will be hunting mostly whitetail deer and maybe wild hogs with ranges probably not exceeding 500 yards. Any opinions or suggestions would be great.

 

[Wachsmann]

I've had the 257 and it was a good gun. But from everything I have read the 270wsm has much more potential than the 257 in my opinion. I would say the ammo is probablly about the same price with the weatherby being slightly higher. Some good bullet in the 270 and you can kill about anything up to elk. I also think savage make a great rifle. I have the 116 in a 6.5x284 and eveything I put through it has shot at .8 or better. i do hand load and now I am shooting .5moa at 100. I stopped here and just kept this load since it was consistant. But the 270WSM in my opnion is the only WSM to have. The 7mm and the 300wsm only come close to the full length cartrige but cannot out do it. The 270wsm on the other hand from my understanding has more case capacity and it burns it powder more efficient than the full length case. I'm not beatting down the 257 but it was picky to hand load for and I never got it under .75moa at 100yrds. Also it seems you will never be able to achive the volicities that the weatherby rounds produce. From what I could tell it is a blend of powder in the 257 weatherby case or it something that is confidental to weatherby. My best hand load on a 115 grain berger would only produce 3315fps. The weatherby rounds were almost 3400 fps in a 24 inch barrel. I think I chrono them at 3354fps. But anyways I would go with the 270WSM.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I don't believe in Weatherbys that aren't Mark V's.....But I'd own an original Vanguard over a Savage, anyday.

Seriously, I just don't like Savage. I'm not gonna say they're bad, b/c they aren't.....But I just don't like them, and refuse to own one. I also don't like ANY of the short magnums. I like standard-length magnum cartridges.

The .257 Weatherby is a smokin round! I have a Mark V AccuMark in .257 Wby Mag. One of my favorite deer rifles I've ever owned. I do also like the looks of the new Vanguard S2 Deluxe in .257 Wby. Looks to be a shooter.

 

[Tjurgensen]

thanks for the opinions. I noticed that the savage has an accustock and I've read that the WSM's are more accurate. is this true? and if it is, is it worth making up my mind?

 

[MudRunner2005]

Not true.....If a gun is accurate, a gun is accurate. No particular caliber is any more accurate than another. Whoever told you that short mags were more accurate than standard magnums needs to be shot.

 

[wnc-coyote]

Not true.....If a gun is accurate, a gun is accurate. No particular caliber is any more accurate than another. Whoever told you that short mags were more accurate than standard magnums needs to be shot.

So your telling me that case geometry, neck length and shoulder angle have nothing at all to do with accuracy. I am no expert but my 270wsm has absolutely one of the easiest cartridges I have ever loaded for. I love this thing. I am able to drive a 130gr Barnes TSX at 3500fps with minimal pressure. Not to mention this is my most accurate load. I can generally shoot .25 moa out to 500 yards with this load.

My rifle is a Browning M-1000 Eclipse. 26" barrel.


I love my short mags.

 

[Tjurgensen]

I see that is what Iv heard the eclipses are sweet guns. Do you know if the accustock savage makes is any better opposed to one that is not equipped with one?

 

[wnc-coyote]

I see that is what Iv heard the eclipses are sweet guns. Do you know if the accustock savage makes is any better opposed to one that is not equipped with one?

I do not. Only experience i have with savage is a good friend of mine. Not sure of what model it even is. I do know that it is an accustock model .308 with a shorter barrel 22-24 maybe. He shoots 168gr fed gold medal match right at .500 at 100 yards. Rifle is bone stock so i would imagine with some nice hand loads it would shoot awesome.

I cant recommend the 270wsm enough. I absolutely love this thing. I am really looking forward to trying some of the berger hunting bullets in this thing. with bullet weights from 90-150 you can do about anything you want with it. with the 257WM you will be pushing a 115-117gr bullet right along the same velocity that you will be pushing a 130gr with the 270wsm. slightly more BC on the 270. Not really gonna be much diff in drop at 500. good ammo is gonna run about 10$ more a box for the 257. and if you start reloading brass is about 20$ more per 50 for the 257. These are all just estimations but a good reference.

 

[Tjurgensen]

thanks do you know of anywhere I can get the Weatherby Vanguard sporter in a 270 WSM? I know Weatherby doesn't make anymore.