Why not 270wsm

[jaybo]

Let me give a little back ground around my question. I have an elk hunt planned in 2014 in Colorado with my son. I already had a 308 but wanted something flatter shooting so I could extend my range and have something that was more forgiving vertically. I did a lot of checking for the best elk caliber and finally settled on the 270wsm. I know, there are better calibers for elk, but in considering all the different possibilities, I wanted something that would be comfortable for me to shoot. I realize I could put a muzzle brake on something bigger but I really don't like them because they are so **** loud. I am deaf enough now. While comparing ballistics I found that the 270wsm 150 gr Winchester XP3 beats his 7MM mag 160 gr Accubond in energy and bullet drop and only 10 grains less in weight. I can shoot mine all day long but after a box through his, I am ready to call it a day and I am a big man. We will be hunting around 10,000 feet and at that altitude I should have plenty of energy out to 700 to 800 yards. With all the research I did on the ballistics, I don't understand why more people don't use the 270wsm for long distance hunting and shooting. Is there something that I am missing or don't know about?
I am shooting a Sako Tecomate with a Nightforce 3.5 x 15 zero stop getting ¾ inch groups.

 

[Salar600]

I do shoot a 270wsm and love it but bullets selection is limited compare to many other bore diam. That might be the answer.

Mart

 

[lovdasnow]

correct. the problem is not the cartridge, it's that there are not many good choices for long range bullets

 

[Sendero_Man]

go up or down a caliber ... with the 6.5 or 7mm bullet selection, the 270 is trumped.

lots of critters fall to the 270, but the bullets have never been there for it

 

[Joe King]

The problem with comparing things on paper is just that it's on paper. As good as the 270 win is I can only imaging the short mag is even better. As for felt recoil big, perceived toughness means not a thing. If you hand load you'll take a very good caliber and make it better with bullets available only to handloaders, like a Matrix 165gr VLD, Bigngreen is a fan of em, or the 170gr Berger is coming out with. I say go for it.

 

[winmag]

I love my 270WSM & no matter what flavor you like, Matrix, Berger, or the new Nosler Long Range Accubond, the .277 cal is getting new life breathed back into it.
Plus the Barnes line, & even a 160gr Nosler Partition make it a great choice for Elk at most ranges. Heck I load 140 Accubonds @ around 3100 fps, for 3 different 270WSM's & everything from Deer, Elk, & Bear have fallen to that load.

I don't consider anything smaller as an Elk rifle personally. I like the S.D. & bullet weights for the 270 as a great & capable starting point. If I was to step up it'd be a 30 or a 338. I wouldn't step down unless I was varmint hunting. I'm kinda odd that way I guess.
I know guys & ladies kill elk with 243's every year, so I'm not sayin it's not possible to step down, but I personally consider a 270win as a minimum for elk. And since all my freezer filling firearms pull double duty as Elk rifles, I consider anything smaller to be varmint/target toys. Just my opinion.

But ya, the 270WSM IS a great cartridge, & it's LR capabilities are under rated.
If you want proof, or a confidence builder search for bigngreens 800+ yd elk video.

 

[Joe King]

got a link to that?

 

[johnnyk]

+1 what Joe King and winmag said...I love the .270WSM. I had a Win70 Coyote in that cal and it rocked. I traded it for something...can't remember now, but plan on getting a barrel for my single shot Savage 112 (.300WinMag) in .270WSM, probably 28". I have all the confidence that with the right bullet and enough speed it will do all the 7Mag does. Which is another great caliber. Guess it's hard for me to believe that seven thousandths of an inch bullet diameter would/will make a difference to a deer or elk. JohnnyK.

 

[lazylabs]

I shoot the 130 ballistic tips on deer/antelope and the 150 bergers for elk and things just keep dying. It might not be the sexiest round but I have a 300 RUM, and a pile of 338's and when I end up picking an all around gun for any shot that might come around I chose it quite often.

 

[COBrad]

I am a fan of the 7mm's, and the 7 Rem mag is my favorite of all.
That said, the 270 WSM is so similar to the 7 Rem mag or 7 WSM that, IMO, there is no practical difference between the two.
There may not be as many choices available in .277 cal, but there are enough to cover the entire range. The heavy, high BC bullets available now put the .270 in the same league as the 7mm for long range as well.
My latest rifle, and the one I'll use for all my big game hunting short of long range, over 700 yards, is a custom 270 WSM.

 

[Greyfox]

I hunted with a 270WSM for several years with great success. As other posts have stated, the issue was when I wanted to extend my range beyond 700 yards. Back then the BC for the 270 were limited to .5-.525. Today you can get higher BC bullets like the 165 Matrix but typical twist rates that most all 270 WSM's are available in are borderline for stabilizing that bullet and the bullet selection is still limited for long range work. I switched to the 6.5x284. With the bullets available, .612-.640. Muzzle velocities started out 150- 200 FPS lower as well. I could get the same ballistic performance at 1000 yards that my 270WSM would produce at 700 yards and the animals I shot couldn't seem to tell the difference. Recoil, without a brake feels like a 7mm08, with a brake is less then a 243. I still have a warm spot for my Model 70, 270WSM though.

 

[jaybo]

I guess I am really limiting myself by not reloading. I was strictly comparing factory ammo and from what I could see, the 270wsm has most of them beat when I factored in what I personally was looking for. And as for toughness Joe King, you are right, big has nothing to do with one's ability to withstand pain. But at 54 years old, my body is not as resistant or resilient as it once was and I don't see it getting any better down the road. I wanted something I would enjoy shooting as long shots are new to me and I have to get in a lot of practice between now and our hunt. 99% of my hunting shots now are 250 yards or less.
I don't own any custom rifles, mine are all factory. Had I know then what I know now, I would own less and they would all be custom with only 3 or 4 calibers. Unfortunately, what I have spent on factory ammo finding what each rifle likes to shot, I could have already financed all the necessary reloading equipment. Just don't know if I want to get into all that right now. As I said before, I am shooting ¾ inch groups with Winchester 150 grain XP3. With hand loads I can probably get it down to ½ inch which would be 1½ inch difference at 600 yards. Is it worth it? How much energy would I gain with the different bullets that were mentioned?

 

[Lrt307]

Personally for long range the b.c isn't there on the 270. If you limit yourself to 500 yes or less the 270 is a fine choice. I was shooting Berger 140's with a .487 advertised b.c. Shooting steel you can really see the difference between the smaller 6.5x284 and larger 7mm rem mag impacts at longer ranges. There are many good bullet choices / b.c in the 7. Rem mag. I also have a 300 rum & shoot 210 Bergers thru it with .631 b.c but prefer the 7. Berger has .617 advertised b.c for 168 & .659 for 180. If you move over to a Jlk 180 it's .735 b.c. Now they pack a wallop at long range!

 

[Salar600]

With hand loads I can probably get it down to ½ inch which would be 1½ inch difference at 600 yards. Is it worth it?

If you haven't shoot your Winch factory ammo to that distance, don't assume it will hold 3/4 MOA.

This might be a good argument for reloading.