Ode to the .270 Winchester...

[Garandimal]

The .270 Winchester is a great cartridge... THE great cartridge.

It is actually an unbelted magnum, loaded at 65,000 PSI, as opposed to the 60,000 PSI Parent 30-06(30-03) and .280.

It is also Comfortable to shoot.

In the 18-18.5 lb-ft. range in a std. 8.5 lb. scoped rifle, and <21 lb-ft in a 7.5 lb. lightweight scoped rifle like the Composite stocked Patriot. Most say <20 lb-ft of recoil is required for really good shooting, and I tend to agree. The 9.5 lb. M1 Garand in 30-06 only has ~ 17.5 lb-ft of recoil.

150 grain .270 bullets have ~ the same sectional density and ballistic coefficient as a 180 gr. .30-06, but shoot ~150 fps faster, flatter, and w/ 10% less recoil.

Sighted in at 3" high at 100 yards, they have a PBR of ~ 275 yards, and a top-of-back hold to ~ 350 yards.

When reloading, a full/compressed power charge of IMR 4831 yields max pressure and velocity w/ good case life, and only loses ~ 50 fps out of the std. sporter length 22" Bbl.

And they will drop anything a 30-06/180 will drop, if you do your part, including quartering or "Texas heart" shots on mule deer.

For hand-loading, the .280, w/ the slightly better B.C.'s of the 7MM bullets, loaded to .270 pressures, will shine a watt or two brighter... but the game will never notice.

Having relied on the storied .270/ 150 gr. Nosler Partition for decades, I have recently added the 140 gr. Barnes Copper TSX to the arsenal.

Not quite as high a B.C., but ~ 125 fps faster, 100% weight retention, and incredible penetration. Lead-free ammo is also mandatory in most of the areas I hunt when out in the Western Soviet Province.

So, "Why the .270...?"

...because it is an honest 400 yard "mice-to-moose" Rifleman's cartridge.




GR

[pacrat]

Is that you Jack O'Connor? Damn, I thought you died back in 78.

Gotta agree with you thought. I love me my .270 Win. It is my go to, DRT out to 400 yd hunting rifle. I don't take shots over that self imposed limit. For me it is one shot assurance, or I don't touch the bang switch.

JM2c.............carry on Jack, glad you're back.

[killshot44]

Or one could think it's outdated, uses more powder than it needs to, has too much body taper and not enough shoulder angle, doesn't fit in a short action and there aren't as many high B.C. bullets available for it.

[smle-man]

It's about the same as modern loadings of the 7x57 and both are great cartridges. The .270 is unnecessarily long for the ballistics it generates but that is a function of the era that it is from.

[5.56Geo]

Long live the .270Winchester!

It's the little engine that could!

In one hundred years, if this wold exists it will still be the choice many hunters.

[Fjold]

I've got one but only because it was chambered in the Ruger No. 1 that I wanted.

The only thing that keeps it from being an all around cartridge is that it doesn't shoot a heavy enough bullet. I want more than a 150 grain bullet for big bears and for elk in the timber.

[Dano3467]

OP will have to agree with you.

This was my first Deer Rifle, and is absolutely devastating on American game.

When you need a fist sized exit hole in your animal, this (270 win) is awesome IMHO. using 130gr sierra BT spitzer point hand load

[rromeo]

I have a 7mm Rem Mag, but I picked up a Model 70 270 yesterday. Those two seem to get compared a lot, now I can judge for myself.

[Cool Custard]

Amen!

[2761377]

Or one could think it's outdated, uses more powder than it needs to, has too much body taper and not enough shoulder angle, doesn't fit in a short action and there aren't as many high B.C. bullets available for it.

except for bullet choice, your complaints all apply to 30-06 as well.

[duckman1]

I love both of mine.

[Garandimal]

It's about the same as modern loadings of the 7x57 and both are great cartridges. The .270 is unnecessarily long for the ballistics it generates but that is a function of the era that it is from.

None of the std. short or .308-based cartridges come close.


The 140 gr. .284 bullet has ~ the same S.D. as a 130 gr. .277 bullet.

Yet, the .270 WIN will push a 140 gr. bullet ~ 300 fps faster than the 7x57 - or the same S.D. 130 gr bullet ~ 400 fps faster.


The .270 WIN's 65,000 PSI max is the same SAAMI chamber pressure as the Weatherby and Ultra-mags. Most shooters don't understand that.

That is also why it is efficient out of a 22" Bbl.




GR

[as_rocketman]

It's a very usable caliber. Always on the shelf Shoots flat, good terminal effects. For lots of game it's "enough" gun, without feeling like being "too much" gun for others.

My first centerfire was (is) a .270 Win. So was my father's. My high score on the Appleseed AQT remains the one I shot with this rifle -- so I'd be stupid to get rid of it. (Mine loves the Barnes TSX, for what it's worth; before that it liked the old Silvertip the best.) Its comeups and wind adjustments through medium range with 130 gr are basically the same as .300 Win Mag 180 gr, which is nice, and easy for me to remember.

Shooting at paper, sure, there's nothing optimal about it. It's never been used in any service rifle I ever heard of. But it's still pretty decent as an all-around field caliber.

Bottom line, if it's stupid and it works, it ain't stupid. .270 has worked for lots of people, for a long time.

[ducky_0811]

The .270 is a great cartridge, and it will definitely be around for a long time, but will it out last the 6.5 swede? Not a caliber debate at all, something to chew on though.

[Garandimal]

...The 150 grain Partition is a truly outstanding bullet. A key factor to extracting this performance is to ensure hand loads are running at muzzle velocities of 2900fps or higher. This projectile is spectacular when used on light game, absolutely emphatic on heavier animals of up to 150kg. On heavier animals up to the size of Elk, the 150 grain Partition is one of the best bullets available in .270 caliber. For a long time I have debated this internally. The .270 is in some ways a light cartridge for large bodied game, it is certainly lighter than a 7mm Remington Magnum loaded with the 160-175 grain Partition or a .30-06 loaded with a 180 grain bullet. For many years, I preferred to ere on the side of caution and recommend the Barnes in the .270 for use on tough game. Yet after many years and having seen many tough animals downed with the violent wounding Partition, this bullet still proves its merit with an ability to produce wide wounding and deep penetration on large bodied deer and tough wild boar with armor plated shoulder shields. Furthermore, this performance can be pushed out to considerable ranges, down to impact velocities of 1800fps although wounding is at its most violent at 2200fps and above.

My one concern with the Nosler 150 grain Partition is that it can be so good, that it can lead to over confidence in the .270 cartridge. Similar notes of this nature can be found in the 6.5x55 text. Sometimes, when a bullet performs extremely well, there is a risk of eventually pushing a cartridge beyond its limitations. Therefore, it is recommended that while great performance can be expected from the 150 grain Partition on large bodied medium game, hunters should exercise circumspection....




GR