270 Winchester, 6.5-06, or 25-06 Fast Twist Deer Rifle

[Double Dropper]

Sooooo stuck on this, I have a stock, a trigger, and a 06 length action, looking to install a fast twist 26" barrel for long range shooting and deer. I have a custom 300 for elk works, and a 35 Whelen for a timber rifle, looking at 3 long range options, no I do not want a 6.5 CM or PRC ! not interested, but have an associate with a long range 270 win with the new 170 grain berger. Handloads are mid 2900 fps (very impressive!) and he also has a 25-06 fast twist shooting the new 133 grain Bergers at 3000 fps. The ballistics are quite amazing with these slippery bullets, brass is available and standard, even the 6.5-06 is easy enough to work with.......stuck on cartridge selection. Thoughts? and hoping for gents who have these rifles.

 

[Calvin45]

Decisions decisions!!!

You can beat this thing to death logically, none of them are the wrong choice.

What does your gut (or at the risk of being too sentimental, your heart) tell you? This will be a personal preference thing, not a quest to find the one right answer. I have a .270, stock factory option. I honestly don't play with it much anymore. A nice thing about a fast twist .270 tho is that you got bullets up to the 170 Berger/175 matrix/180 woodleigh and down the 85 and 95 grain Barnes bullets meant for 6.8 spc. The .25 and 6.5 offerings cannot compete with that broad a range of weights.

That being said if it were me I'd lean to the .25 cal. You already have a big 30 which helps make that decision, there's nothing the heavy 6.5 and .270 bullets do that a big .30
Doesn't do better in my opinion and there's an intangible "cool factor" for the quarter bores, at least to me.

 

[Double Dropper]

I do not think a .257 133 grain bullet @ 3000 fps has a downside.

 

[Calvin45]

I do not think a .257 133 grain bullet @ 3000 fps has a downside.

Seems you kind of know what you want/how you feel. Do it!

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Nothing wrong with, a Fast Twist, .270 Win., shooting, the 165 -170's ( Especially IF, Elk are on, the Menu )
But, remember that, the more Bullet weight, the MORE, the Recoil.
And, nothing wrong with, an ole' .270 shooting, the 130- 140's for,.. Deer, either !
Ton's of Deer, ARE, Killed, annually with, them !
And, Lots of Bullets, ARE,.. Available

 

[xsn10s]

I'd throw in a 7mm of some kind. 284 win, 280 rem, 280 AI. I'm stuck in the same situation and just added a 7SAW to my list lol.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

YUP,. ^^^ either, .280 and .280 Ai are, great "Choices" for, sure !
Sweet,.. 7 MM BC's !

 

[Double Dropper]

7mm's are definitely out, zero interest. please move on to something I am interested in.

 

[Double Dropper]

Nothing wrong with, a Fast Twist, .270 Win., shooting, the 165 -170's ( Especially IF, Elk are on, the Menu )
But, remember that, the more Bullet weight, the MORE, the Recoil.
And, nothing wrong with, an ole' .270 shooting, the 130- 140's for,.. Deer, either !
Ton's of Deer, ARE, Killed, annually with, them !
And, Lots of Bullets, ARE,.. Available

Recoil?? not an issue, I do not consider that a factor in my cartridge selection.

 

[VinceMule]

Thow a std 280 in the mix, 160-168g bullets, IMR 7828, Fed 210's, 2900+, tiny groups without much fuss!

In the loading manuals, they have to take into account the Pumps and semi auto's in this case.

I use Lapua 30/06 cases in my 280 and 280 AI, brass is so tough, you just can not kill it.

In my 280 AI, I am shooting the 175g LRAB at 2900 with IMR 7828 and fed 210's, tiny cloverleaf groups with no paper between the bullets, group after group, after group. I fire formed with H4831 with the 168g vld hunting with all the bullets touching.

I also have a custom 6.5/06, 125g partitions shoot in the 3's, 123g Scenar shooting in the 2's, and the 129g Hoady Sp also shoots in the high 2's and low 3's.

I like the tried and true that has been long proven.

The easy button is the std 280, and there is NO downside to this cartridge for a hand loader. Check a Nosler manual #4, which lists loads before they dumbed down the CUP pressure for pumps and auto's.

If you want to take a walk on the wild side, try the 280, R#17, 180g ELDM with it's BC of .796, and the velocity range will be in the 2700 fps area on a 24" barrel, use tough brass. Get ready for a shock at how these bullets kill deer, and how slippery they are in the wind. I like an 8.5-9T with the 180g ELDM, not an 8T.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

I do not think a .257 133 grain bullet @ 3000 fps has a downside.

Downside ??,.. Getting those Bullets, as,.. IT's,. . "Trendy" right, NOW ( .25 Creedmoor is,.. the latest, "Thing" in PRS )
As mentioned above, there are, Ton's of. 270 Bullets choice as,. NOT,.. "Trendy"

 

[Double Dropper]

280 Remington....didnt mention that in the title. Please let it go, not interested, no interest, dont care, no 7mm no 280 no 280 AI so just to recap because we want to stay on track - fast twist 25-06, 6.5-06, 270 Winchester....no 7mm no 8mm no 6mm

 

[Idaho Lefty]

My Vote, of those choices,.. .270 Win., 1-8.5 Twist, launching,. 165 -175's

 

[xsn10s]

6.5-284