.270 vs. .308 vs. .30-06?

[ShaiVong]

Another consideration for you. You will never find .270 ammo for sale as surplus as you will the other two, because it was never used by military. so if you want to spend some afternoons making noise without breaking the bank, .308, or 30.06

That would decide it for me right there.

 

[Master Blaster]

270 ammo will be signifigantly more expensive, and rather harder to find.

Last time I was in Walmart they had two different loads in winchester and two different remmington loads in .270. They were between 10.50 and $13 per box of 20. They actually only had two different 30-06 loads and the cost was about $1 more per box.

Surplus is fairly easy to find for .308 and very cheap at about $4 for a box of 20 for good surplus by the case. 30-06 surplus is difficult to find (good stuff) and a good bit more expensive.

www.AIMSURPLUS.com is a good source for .308.

.308 military ammo is still being produced, not so for 30-06.

My .270 seems to kick a bit more than my 30-06 and my .308, but thats probably my perception or the difference in the rifles.

YMMV

 

[auschip]

I'm fortunate enough to own 2 of the 3 the .308 & the .270. For hunting and such I prefer the .270, but only because every deer I have ever shot with it was DRT. It is true that the loadings are a bit less (mainly because of bullet size), but that doesn't mean much. A quick search of the web shows that the 30-06 has more loading. My results follow:

.270 Winchester - 8 cartridges 130-150 Grain
Federal - 13 Cartridges 130-150 grain

.308 Winchester - 10 cartridges 147-180 grain
Federal - 14 cartridges 150-180 grain

30-06 WInchester - 17 cartridges 125-180
Federal - 22 cartridges 125-220 grain

I don't shoot surplus ammo, so I wouldn't know what was available, but quality ammo is available in each. As others have said, the difference is nominal between them, so just pick what fits you best and the best price.

 

[Jaywalker]

The .270 and .30-06 are found in half-inch longer actions than the .308, but the weight (five ounces?) isn't the primary difference, I find. The primary difference I notice is one of balance; the shorter length moves the balance of the rifle backwards, sometimes remarkably. I prefer the weight a little further back, so in gun boutiques I always prefer the shorter actions within the same brand of rifle. It's a small difference, though, and for 20 years I've been using a 270 as my primary deer rifle, while other purchases and calibers have come and gone. As has been said before, we're a superstitious lot, and deer being DRT has given me no reason to change.

I do think we make too big a deal about it, sometimes. The deer won't know the difference. Starting wth a clean slate, I'd likely say "None of the above," and go with a 7mm-08, which is to the .308 what the .270 is to the .30-06.

Jaywalker

 

[Richardson]

Any of the 3 will perform equally well for most situations. But you did mention it as a SHTF rifle...

With that in mind, you'll want to stock up on ammunition. The only way most people can afford this is to buy surplus. That rules out .270, and the .308 is more available and affordable in surplus (and it's smaller & lighter than .30-06). Consider the rounds to be useful for cheap practice, and buy 500-1000 at a pop. With .308 you'll find stuff for under $.20/rnd. With .30-06 it will be significantly higher (probably more like $.40-.50/rnd)

You'll also want to consider getting a semi-automatic rifle, for STHF, in the same caliber. The only way to go with this is to buy a military pattern rifle. Commercial pattern rifles are not as easy to take apart & clean, and are less rugged. There's a lot more .308 options than .30-06, but it would be difficult to argue with a .30-06 M1 Garand rifle

You can get a CETME rifle in .308 for $350.

Richardson