You need to shoot a little bit more to get proficient at longer ranges. 6.5creed and 6.8spc are not great elk cartridges. I think you are on the right track with just shooting your .270win. Tons of ammo choices and it's a very proven cartridge. Good glass and a good trigger and a bedding job will make any "old rifle" shoot better.
Rifle length, weight, forgiveness. What is an easy to shoot hunting setup?
- Thread starter 180ls1
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
180ls1
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I should have worded it better. I was just implying that I don't 100% trust the lady's word and that they didn't have any.
The glass is crap and I could use more ammo testing with some of the newer stuff. I'll see if I can get my hands on some 145eldx (its a 10 twist 22' sporter barrel) and see how that shoots.
JakeC
Well-Known Member
What's the make of your current 270?
180ls1
Well-Known Member
Browning A-Bolt circa 1998
JakeC
Well-Known Member
Ah Ok. Nice gun but aftermarket proof as far as I know. I'm really big on prefits but that's not going to happen.
I know this isn't your thing but the single best thing you could do to to hotrod any 270 is learn to reload. In general it's loaded mild, unlike the new Hornady cartridges. There are probably some exceptions. Starting reloading is not as bad as it seems from the outside, you just need some time and to like a little tinkering. I was in your shoes a few years ago. Just a thought. Most people can see real gains in reach in a 270, and load tuning is a hard thing to be without once you've tried it. You don't need nearly as much stuff as you see on the reloading shelves. Right now primers will be the only pain to get.
That aside, yeah new glass will you give you a big breath of fresh air. If you're not familiar look up alaskan ballistics on youtube. He does a lot of factory ammo tests with 270. I'm not big on reading tissue damage by popping milk jugs but he finds a lot of surprises with SD and MV across a wide variety. Tehre may be other guys doing the same thing with a chrony. I think I remember Barnes being one that occasionally gets match consistency (he doesn't test accuracy but different guns like different things) and hotter loads, there are a few others too. If you get one of those that your gun likes you just extended your reach by 50 percent.
I know this isn't your thing but the single best thing you could do to to hotrod any 270 is learn to reload. In general it's loaded mild, unlike the new Hornady cartridges. There are probably some exceptions. Starting reloading is not as bad as it seems from the outside, you just need some time and to like a little tinkering. I was in your shoes a few years ago. Just a thought. Most people can see real gains in reach in a 270, and load tuning is a hard thing to be without once you've tried it. You don't need nearly as much stuff as you see on the reloading shelves. Right now primers will be the only pain to get.
That aside, yeah new glass will you give you a big breath of fresh air. If you're not familiar look up alaskan ballistics on youtube. He does a lot of factory ammo tests with 270. I'm not big on reading tissue damage by popping milk jugs but he finds a lot of surprises with SD and MV across a wide variety. Tehre may be other guys doing the same thing with a chrony. I think I remember Barnes being one that occasionally gets match consistency (he doesn't test accuracy but different guns like different things) and hotter loads, there are a few others too. If you get one of those that your gun likes you just extended your reach by 50 percent.
Bucklowery
Well-Known Member
Stock style and how you shoot it was biggest factor for me. I shoot around home and Longrange is 95% a prone shot so a stock for Longrange works well for that. I shoot traditional and I have a manners t4a that I love for bench and prone. My point is I find traditional style stocks work best for a variety of hunting situations than the other way around. You can go out west for elk and be majority in prone Longrange setups or be in the timber or small parks with 200 yard shot or in areas with combinations of both. I drew elk/ deer tag for Montana last year dreaming off putting my Longrange practice to use. Most of the time we were in the timber. I hunted a area two days that were both open and timbered. A beautiful spot big areas to glass into and big pockets of timber. Second morning we were up top a see a couple big bucks 3/4 mile away. As we were moving to a vantage point for visibility and shot I was going through my mental checklist of things control your breathing, remember to dial your door you know all that. As I sat my pack down I look up and the buck I was after at 500 yrds chased the small buck right at me. I shot him off hand at 60 yds or so. Probably would not have pulled that off with different setup. So you are right find a setup that meets the most variables especially if you are going to be traveling hunting different areas and terrains. It was my first mountain hunt and I was 48 and healthy but not that in shape. My rifle was 9.5 lbs with sling and 9 extra Rounds on the stock 26" barrel. It is not quite perfectly balanced rifle (which is high on my list) but not enough to be annoying. It was a good balance of up close and distance but if I was building again for that I would go shorter with a slightly heavier profile and brake to even things out
Thanks
Buck
Thanks
Buck
nksmfamjp
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2004
- Messages
- 3,200
Honestly, I pick a rifle with a little extra weight, a little more scope than I need, and a little more power than I need.
My mule deer/elk rifle is a 10.5lb custom with a 28oz 3-15x ffp optic in 300 Sherman. I probably should have went with a fast twist 270 Sherman, 6.5 Sherman, 6.5x280ai, 6.5x284….but I wanted just a bit more umph on elk.
I considered a lighter stock, lighter optic and even a lighter barrel, bu5 I wanted something I could drop in a decent rest and hit stuff with it. Super light can be unbalanced or finicky about the hold.
Good luck. Also, don't forget about factory or premium factory rifles. There is some great stuff coming out of the factory nowadays.
My mule deer/elk rifle is a 10.5lb custom with a 28oz 3-15x ffp optic in 300 Sherman. I probably should have went with a fast twist 270 Sherman, 6.5 Sherman, 6.5x280ai, 6.5x284….but I wanted just a bit more umph on elk.
I considered a lighter stock, lighter optic and even a lighter barrel, bu5 I wanted something I could drop in a decent rest and hit stuff with it. Super light can be unbalanced or finicky about the hold.
Good luck. Also, don't forget about factory or premium factory rifles. There is some great stuff coming out of the factory nowadays.
180ls1
Well-Known Member
This has been weighing on me a little. I am thinking of jumping to a 300wm from the 6.5prc.
1. My dad already runs one and we hunt together all the time.
2. Its plenty for elk. Since this is an elk/deer/pig gun I wont have to critique my load and worry about effectiveness on elk like I would with a 6.5 prc.
3. Since I hunt in areas that are lead free and leaded. I could just work on one lead free load that does it all with energy to spare. No switching between ammo, point of impact and other further complications from shooting different ammo. (I have a long drive to get to a range over 100).
4. Tons of ammo availability and variety.
Thoughts?
Southern 62
Well-Known Member
I'm shooting the 6.5 Prc, but 99% of what I'm hunting is Whitetail here in South Ga. So when I decided to have a custom built I went that way.
If I lived where you do, and most of my hunting included elk for Hopefully many years to come, I would have went with a 30. Cal of some sort. As young as you are with a lifetime of hunting ahead of you, not a North American animal that you would be under gunned to hunt with. Just my thoughts.
Jimmy
If I lived where you do, and most of my hunting included elk for Hopefully many years to come, I would have went with a 30. Cal of some sort. As young as you are with a lifetime of hunting ahead of you, not a North American animal that you would be under gunned to hunt with. Just my thoughts.
Jimmy
nksmfamjp
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2004
- Messages
- 3,200
I would run a lead free Barnes or Hammer and forget about the 300 WM. Also read @Petey308 's methods on how to increase effectiveness of bullets by shot placement. He is kind of focused on cup 'n core, but his info is quite valuable.
I have a 300 Sherman which is about the same power level as 300 WM, but it is just a bit too much, even in a 10.5 lb rifle. When I rebarrel, it will be a fast twist 270 Sherman, I think.
Last edited:
JakeC
Well-Known Member
Yeah man, covers your bases very emphatically. Just make sure it's well made , bedded well in a good stock, so recoil doesn't cause accuracy problems. It's a good cartridge. Some might say it's too much for deer but it's not true, especially with copper slugs since you won't get the lead micemeat that makes people say too much gun.
I prefer well constructed cup and core bullets for my hunts, but a lot of the same principles apply to all bullets. If a mono like a Barnes or Hammer would be a good fit, run it, especially if it shoots great.
I haven't read through this thread yet, only the comment I was tagged in, so my apologies if I'm out of context.
Thanks for the kind words @nksmfamjp
180ls1
Well-Known Member
I'll check that out.
Makes sense. The more I think about it the more I have decided the 300wm is the right choice. The worst bloodshot meat I've seen was from my .270 and a 130sst. Can't say I've seen my dads 300 do any worse. Watching him shoot elk sure is a difference though. My 270 kills them but with the 300 they seem hurt and hurt bad right off the bat.
I'll probably start my search with 190 lrx (if I can find them) I am hoping that will stabilize in a 1/10 twist at sea level or just above it. I am open to other factory suggestions.
JakeC
Well-Known Member
Oof, yeah, the SST is used for very long range on light animals by guys like nate foster, definitely an exploder. Out of a 270 I bet that was a mess.
I'd go Lighter to keep velocity up at long range with Barnes since they're speed dependent like most monos, I hear good things about their factory ammo consistency. I'm really curious about hornady's improved mono, if I were in your shoes their 165 cx would be on my list. Hornady has an accuracy ceiling from corner cutting I find annoying but it's accurate enough to make most people very happy, I've never seen a gun not like any hornady ammo and that load says it will stay above 2200 for a long ways. Nosler e-tip has decent numbers. My last gun hated the Nosler I tried but that wasn't their fault, when I inspected it it was very consistent ammo. If a gun likes it I bet it really likes it. Their bullets handloaded have been extremely accurate.
Good luck, sounds like you're making a good choice. What make/build are you thinking?
