.270 or 30-06. What is the difference between the two?/which is better?
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ojibweindian
Member
If you reload, or even plan, at some point, to reload, get the .30-06. Otherwise, flip a coin.
TCB in TN
Member
I have owned and shot both, the .270 is just a necked down 30-06. Very little difference. The .270 is a little flatter shooting, with a little lighter recoil, but again it is very marginal difference, while the 30-06 shoots bigger bullets better and you will likely find a slightly better selection of 30-06 ammo at even your mom and pop shops, and with the 30-06 you have the option of buying mil surp ammo for plinking or SHTF at greatly reduced prices. For most folks there is not enough difference between the two to be noticed.
priv8ter
Member
Practical
Like TCB said, .30-06 has a bit more flexibilty. You won't find a 55gr Accelerator load in .270.
If you are PLANNING on elk, then .30-06 is the route I would go. .270 is most satisfactory to use on elk, seen many taken with it...but, heck, get the .06, find a 160gr load you like, and memorize the ballistics for that one load, and you will never need anything else.
But, what fun is that.
greg
Like TCB said, .30-06 has a bit more flexibilty. You won't find a 55gr Accelerator load in .270.
If you are PLANNING on elk, then .30-06 is the route I would go. .270 is most satisfactory to use on elk, seen many taken with it...but, heck, get the .06, find a 160gr load you like, and memorize the ballistics for that one load, and you will never need anything else.
But, what fun is that.
greg
CoRoMo
Member
The difference between the two?? bullet diameter
Why not buy one of each? I plan to get a 30-06 someday. Remington M700 too.
I've got a Ruger M77 .270 and absolutely love it, love it, love it!!! I really don't NEED to have a 30-06, but I'm set up to reload it, and have pieced together enough accessories for another rifle that I'll get one eventually. I've hunted deer and elk with the .270 and it has never failed to do the job with just one shot. I actually don't hunt elk with the 150gr bullets, just 130gr and it kills them handily. Some hunters will fall over laughing at that, but it's simply all about where that bullet hits.
Try not to listen to either side of the .270 vs 30-06 caliber war. They are both correct in that each cartridge is wonderful. The .270 will do miraculous things with the 130gr bullet, and the 30-06 will astound you with it's performance shooting 180gr bullets, so getting both would be a good choice.
My little brother got a 30-06 because he was deathly afraid that if he got a .270 it wouldn't be enough gun for elk. Ludicrous!! The elk I shoot are just as dead and I've never had to take a follow-up shot... yet, because I practice with it and aim for the right spot.
I recently read a synopsis of an African hunt where a young dude spent all his money on the safari that he didn't have enough money to buy a good large bore gun, so he took his .270 along. He was able to kill 16 of Africa's largest game animals with 16 shots.
That is enough said on the .270's effectiveness.
You can tell that I've got an opinion on this issue.
Why not buy one of each? I plan to get a 30-06 someday. Remington M700 too.
I've got a Ruger M77 .270 and absolutely love it, love it, love it!!! I really don't NEED to have a 30-06, but I'm set up to reload it, and have pieced together enough accessories for another rifle that I'll get one eventually. I've hunted deer and elk with the .270 and it has never failed to do the job with just one shot. I actually don't hunt elk with the 150gr bullets, just 130gr and it kills them handily. Some hunters will fall over laughing at that, but it's simply all about where that bullet hits.
Try not to listen to either side of the .270 vs 30-06 caliber war. They are both correct in that each cartridge is wonderful. The .270 will do miraculous things with the 130gr bullet, and the 30-06 will astound you with it's performance shooting 180gr bullets, so getting both would be a good choice.
My little brother got a 30-06 because he was deathly afraid that if he got a .270 it wouldn't be enough gun for elk. Ludicrous!! The elk I shoot are just as dead and I've never had to take a follow-up shot... yet, because I practice with it and aim for the right spot.
I recently read a synopsis of an African hunt where a young dude spent all his money on the safari that he didn't have enough money to buy a good large bore gun, so he took his .270 along. He was able to kill 16 of Africa's largest game animals with 16 shots.
That is enough said on the .270's effectiveness.You can tell that I've got an opinion on this issue.
I'm partial to my .270. It'll kill any North American big game animal. There is a good variety of ammo available for it. You might have to go to an actual gun store for a lot of it, but its out there.
But that's just me. The 30-06 is a more popular round and you will find more ammo for it at places that aren't exclusively gun stores.
It all comes down to you and whether you want to be a sheep and follow the crowd and buy an ought six, or be a .270 rebel.
But that's just me. The 30-06 is a more popular round and you will find more ammo for it at places that aren't exclusively gun stores.
It all comes down to you and whether you want to be a sheep and follow the crowd and buy an ought six, or be a .270 rebel.
Fat_46
Member
I've heard a few "mature" shooters refer to the .270 as "30-06 Improved"...
Maybe its just a Minnesota saying?
Maybe its just a Minnesota saying?
hankdatank1362
Member
Well, over the same charge in the same weight rifle, with the same barrel length, a 150 gr .270 is gonna come out about 150 fps faster and with about 3 ft. lbs less recoil energy than a 180 gr .30-'06 ... that being said, I'd rather have the extra 30 grains of bullet weight, and the ability to handload the larger case to punch the ballistics even higher.
Jim Watson
Member
Elmer Keith didn't think either one was big enough.
Next question.
Next question.
The real picky guys, willing to expend more effort, prefer the .280 or 7x57
Me? I have a .30-06. I didn't know what I'd do with the rifle when I bought it; .30-06 is arguably still the best "do it all" round, with an ungodly variety of factory ammo, bullet weights, and load possibilities.
You can buy or load .30-06 that is essentially equivalent to standard factory .300 WM loads, as well as low-recoil loads, light bullets, heavy bullets, FMJ for practice or Barnes [strike]24K gold[/strike] copper bullets for Elk, cheap stuff and high-end stuff.
The .270 shoots slightly flatter, but until you're out past 275 yards, there's no difference at all on big game. And out at 300+ yards, any bullet will drop. 12" or 14", 20" or 23", whatever... Once you're out to 300 or 400 yards, you'd best know your range, and the ballistics, no matter what you're shooting.
That said, it seems that the guys who shoot whitetails, whitetails and more whitetails, and know they're going to be shooting whitetails, sure love their .270s.
Me? I have a .30-06. I didn't know what I'd do with the rifle when I bought it; .30-06 is arguably still the best "do it all" round, with an ungodly variety of factory ammo, bullet weights, and load possibilities.
You can buy or load .30-06 that is essentially equivalent to standard factory .300 WM loads, as well as low-recoil loads, light bullets, heavy bullets, FMJ for practice or Barnes [strike]24K gold[/strike] copper bullets for Elk, cheap stuff and high-end stuff.
The .270 shoots slightly flatter, but until you're out past 275 yards, there's no difference at all on big game. And out at 300+ yards, any bullet will drop. 12" or 14", 20" or 23", whatever... Once you're out to 300 or 400 yards, you'd best know your range, and the ballistics, no matter what you're shooting.
That said, it seems that the guys who shoot whitetails, whitetails and more whitetails, and know they're going to be shooting whitetails, sure love their .270s.
10X
Member
I've shot game with both. For hunting in the lower 48 states there is no meaningful difference. You can get ammo for either that will do the job for antelope, deer and elk. The 270 is faster and has a bit less drop for long shots. I find the 270 a little bit better choice for light skinned game such as antelope. The 30-06 is a bit better with heavier bullets for larger game such as elk. To repeat, the difference is slight. Choose the rifle you like and either caliber will do the job well.
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glockman19
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I bought a Remington 700 CDL in .30-06 just for hunting. The round is good for any game in North America and the ammo is readily available.
Shawnee
member
.270 - without a single, solitary doubt. Not one. "Availability" and "versatility" are - in the Real Hunting World - complete non-issues. The .270 will do anything you can do with a rifle and it won't punish you as much as the 30/06.
Sure.
That's why you should opt for the 8x56 Hungarian instead.
If "real hunting" means "never more than a short drive from my reloading press", sure, availability doesn't matter. If "real hunting" means, "I will always be hunting whitetail deer, and nothing else, because nothing else lives more than a short drive from my reloading press," sure, versatility doesn't matter.
But then, if you hunt one type of game in one terrain, and you figure you'll cook up whatever ammo you want; or if you hunt everything everywhere, but have a bottomless bank account and plenty of time to sight in your 50 different rifles and work up loads for all of them, the .270 sure isn't the end-all, either.
Shawnee
member
""Availability" and "versatility" are - in the Real Hunting World - complete non-issues."
That's correct Mr. "Armed Bear".
Availability is a non-issue because .270 ammo is sold everywhere. And in the United States, people are even allowed to bring extra ammo from home if they so choose.
Versatility is a non-issue because - even without reloading - there are more than enough very good factory bullets and loads to do anything a typical hunter needs/wants to do.
That's correct Mr. "Armed Bear".
Availability is a non-issue because .270 ammo is sold everywhere. And in the United States, people are even allowed to bring extra ammo from home if they so choose.
Versatility is a non-issue because - even without reloading - there are more than enough very good factory bullets and loads to do anything a typical hunter needs/wants to do.
TCB in TN
Member
I would NOT go that far. If you want to go heavier than 150gr out of your .270 and you don't plan ahead then you are going to have some problems. Now even Walmart carries the 30-06 180's and most times the 220's. I happen to love the .270 and it is slightly flatter shooting, but there are some things like a lack of more common heavy loads for the .270 that are advantages for the 30-06.
Quoheleth
Member
Either one is great. Dad had an '06. I had a .270. Can't loose either way!!!
If I were getting back in the big game business, I wouldn't get either one. I'd get a .308. The .308 is very similar to the .30-06 and I would be perfectly comfortable hunting anything in the continental US with it. It's also quite available. Best of all: it's short action instead of long.
Just a thought...
Q
If I were getting back in the big game business, I wouldn't get either one. I'd get a .308. The .308 is very similar to the .30-06 and I would be perfectly comfortable hunting anything in the continental US with it. It's also quite available. Best of all: it's short action instead of long.
Just a thought...
Q
GSPKurt
Member
.270 is my choice.
Lupinus
Member
For deer or elk either will work, the .270 will need a bit better shot placement, line up/direct route to vitals, and will have less range if you go for elk then the 30-06 will.
The main difference is really jsut the bullet diamiter. The 30-06 uses a .308 sized bullet, and the .270 a .270 (if Irememebr the exact sizes correctly). Other then that the case is the same jsut necked down for the smaller bullet. Heck if you reload you can even use 30-06 brass and size it down yourself.
The .270 will have a little less recoil and a little higher velocity. The 30-06 does have advatages though. There are a LOT more ammo selections for it both lighter, higher, and inbetween then the .270 does. Also you can get ammo from cheapo plinking to high end match grade for a 30-06. Good luck finding match grade ammo for a .270, somewhere along the lines it seems someoen decided the .270 was only good for hunting so only needed hunting accuracy. I have found that 30-06 offers much better ammo selection cause plenty also bench shoot with it, the .270 doesn't have much (if any) following for benchrest.
The main difference is really jsut the bullet diamiter. The 30-06 uses a .308 sized bullet, and the .270 a .270 (if Irememebr the exact sizes correctly). Other then that the case is the same jsut necked down for the smaller bullet. Heck if you reload you can even use 30-06 brass and size it down yourself.
The .270 will have a little less recoil and a little higher velocity. The 30-06 does have advatages though. There are a LOT more ammo selections for it both lighter, higher, and inbetween then the .270 does. Also you can get ammo from cheapo plinking to high end match grade for a 30-06. Good luck finding match grade ammo for a .270, somewhere along the lines it seems someoen decided the .270 was only good for hunting so only needed hunting accuracy. I have found that 30-06 offers much better ammo selection cause plenty also bench shoot with it, the .270 doesn't have much (if any) following for benchrest.
esmith
Member
.270 and 30-06 are very similar cartridges. 270 is a 30-06 with a smaller bullet, if you didn't already know. I like both of them. For your needs i would buy the 30-06 just cause theres going to be a better load variety and you are going to see it everywhere. The 06 is also going to let you not worry about shot placement as much, however the .270 wouldn't be underpowered for an elk.
High Planes Drifter
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Personally, I prefer the .30-06. Bigger bullet, wider selection of bullet wieghts. Its the crescent wrench of the rifle world.
Shawnee
member
To many of you...
Please note the OP said... "hunting deer and probably elk."
No mention of bears, lions, tigers, elephants, walrus, rhinos, Sherman tanks, bench rest, 1000-yd shots, or even hunting on Mars where there are so few Walmarts. He didn't even say he had never heard of shot placement.
Deer - 130 gr.
Elk - 140 gr or 150 gr.
Why cloud the matter for the guy with worthless trivia, ad naseum ?
He came here for help, not to listen to people pontificate with hypothetical apple sauce. Give the guy a real answer for cryin' out loud.
Please note the OP said... "hunting deer and probably elk."
No mention of bears, lions, tigers, elephants, walrus, rhinos, Sherman tanks, bench rest, 1000-yd shots, or even hunting on Mars where there are so few Walmarts. He didn't even say he had never heard of shot placement.
Deer - 130 gr.
Elk - 140 gr or 150 gr.
Why cloud the matter for the guy with worthless trivia, ad naseum ?
He came here for help, not to listen to people pontificate with hypothetical apple sauce. Give the guy a real answer for cryin' out loud.
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