Ridgerunner665
Member
First of all...they are both great rounds...I'm not now, nor will I ever try to "tear down" either one of them, I seek only to dispel myths and kill time constructively 
(I'm bored, lol)...I hunt with a 30-06, my wife uses a 270...she picked the 270 on her own, based on less recoil while still having ample power for anything up to elk...again, I HAVE NOTHING BAD TO SAY ABOUT EITHER ROUND.
This primarily concerns deer hunting...but might touch on the word "elk" once in a while.
My wife used her 270 to drop this deer at 345 yards last week...it did the job in style, dropped him in his tracks...an older Remington 700, 22" barrel, launches a 130 grain Ballistic Tip at 2,850 fps with a max load of H4350...the load is a little warm for summertime use...leaves ejector marks on warm days...but it is a very accurate load in this rifle and never gives any problems as long as the temp is below 50 degrees.
But something really irritates me...I see it spouted every time one of these debates between these rounds comes about.
Its the thinking that the 270 shoots flatter than the 30-06...the 270 does actually shoot a little flatter in certain instances...but even then, its not enough to matter...can anybody here hold still enough, from a field position, to be able to notice 1-2" more drop at 400 yards? I'm a pretty darn good shot most days...and I can't do it!
Instead of breaking it down by certain bullet weights as is usually done (which leads to debates)...I'm gonna break it down into "uses"...more specifically "hunting usefulness of each load"....not varmints, big game only (from speed goats on up).
The old standby 130 grain spitzer in the 270...
Most data on this load suggests that bullet weight can be launched at a little over 3,000 fps...and sometimes it can, but sometimes it can't...depends on your barrel length and the condition of the bore...but for the sake of argument we'll say in this case it can be done...this is a good combo for any species of goat or whitetail deer or mule deer.
The comparable 30-06 load is the 125 grain bullets in the 30-06, 5 grains less isn't enough to make any useful difference...these can be easily launched at 3,250 fps with a 24" barrel...and with a little trail and error I have had them over 3,300 fps...but we'll roll with 3,250. They are devastating on the same game as listed above for the 270...and they shoot flatter than any 130 grain 270 load out there, not by enough to matter...but still flatter!
Disclaimer: I'm using JBM to illustrate this info...but I have see these results for myself, at the range...out to 400 yards, which is more than most people shoot anyway.
270 Winchester 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip data...I don't have the true BC of this bullet...but it is without a doubt less than the factory advertised, which is used here (G1 .433)
30-06 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip data...BC calculated by by Bryan Litz (G7 .167)
The 140/150 grain 270 bullets...the 140 is good for anything up to and including elk...this where the 180 grain 30-06 bullet comes in...the beginning of the elk bullets...this is where the 270 is a little flatter, but its not enough to matter...its not even worth mentioning...a whopping 1 inch at 400 yards!
This is the 270 Winchesters "sweet spot"...the 140 grain bullets...here it shines its brightest....after this, the 30-06 runs away with it for hunting use...after this, the 30-06 shoots flatter, hits harder, and...well...it moves up into another category, a category with big heavy bullets.
270 Winchester 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip data...using the real BC, as calculated by Bryan Litz (G7 .227)
270 Winchester 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip (G1 .496)
30-06, 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip (Litz G7 BC .241)
And yes...I completely skipped the 165/168 grain 30-06 bullets..I did it for a reason...that reason is that I believe they are a little light for elk...I know people use them and I know they work...they're just not what I would use...that said, they wouldn't have added anything to the discussion...their 400 yard drop is ~21 inches...exactly the same as the 140 grain bullet in the 270, and flatter than the 150 grain bullet in the 270.
The point of all that babbling....these 2 rounds are so close to the same, where deer and smaller game are concerned, the debate is utterly pointless!
If you want a 30-06 to shoot flat...it can...really darn flat!
If you want a 30-06 to hit game like a Mack truck...it can do that too.
And again...the 270 is a VERY fine round, I love it (more importantly, my wife loves it)...it hasn't hung around in the "top 3" deer rounds this long by accident...its virtues are less recoil while still having ample power for deer/elk...the 30-06 is really just more of the same...a little more recoil and a little more power...in the end, it all depends on the load and what you want to do with it.
Hope you enjoyed the reading
(I'm bored, lol)...I hunt with a 30-06, my wife uses a 270...she picked the 270 on her own, based on less recoil while still having ample power for anything up to elk...again, I HAVE NOTHING BAD TO SAY ABOUT EITHER ROUND.This primarily concerns deer hunting...but might touch on the word "elk" once in a while.
My wife used her 270 to drop this deer at 345 yards last week...it did the job in style, dropped him in his tracks...an older Remington 700, 22" barrel, launches a 130 grain Ballistic Tip at 2,850 fps with a max load of H4350...the load is a little warm for summertime use...leaves ejector marks on warm days...but it is a very accurate load in this rifle and never gives any problems as long as the temp is below 50 degrees.
But something really irritates me...I see it spouted every time one of these debates between these rounds comes about.
Its the thinking that the 270 shoots flatter than the 30-06...the 270 does actually shoot a little flatter in certain instances...but even then, its not enough to matter...can anybody here hold still enough, from a field position, to be able to notice 1-2" more drop at 400 yards? I'm a pretty darn good shot most days...and I can't do it!
Instead of breaking it down by certain bullet weights as is usually done (which leads to debates)...I'm gonna break it down into "uses"...more specifically "hunting usefulness of each load"....not varmints, big game only (from speed goats on up).
The old standby 130 grain spitzer in the 270...
Most data on this load suggests that bullet weight can be launched at a little over 3,000 fps...and sometimes it can, but sometimes it can't...depends on your barrel length and the condition of the bore...but for the sake of argument we'll say in this case it can be done...this is a good combo for any species of goat or whitetail deer or mule deer.
The comparable 30-06 load is the 125 grain bullets in the 30-06, 5 grains less isn't enough to make any useful difference...these can be easily launched at 3,250 fps with a 24" barrel...and with a little trail and error I have had them over 3,300 fps...but we'll roll with 3,250. They are devastating on the same game as listed above for the 270...and they shoot flatter than any 130 grain 270 load out there, not by enough to matter...but still flatter!
Disclaimer: I'm using JBM to illustrate this info...but I have see these results for myself, at the range...out to 400 yards, which is more than most people shoot anyway.
270 Winchester 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip data...I don't have the true BC of this bullet...but it is without a doubt less than the factory advertised, which is used here (G1 .433)
30-06 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip data...BC calculated by by Bryan Litz (G7 .167)
The 140/150 grain 270 bullets...the 140 is good for anything up to and including elk...this where the 180 grain 30-06 bullet comes in...the beginning of the elk bullets...this is where the 270 is a little flatter, but its not enough to matter...its not even worth mentioning...a whopping 1 inch at 400 yards!
This is the 270 Winchesters "sweet spot"...the 140 grain bullets...here it shines its brightest....after this, the 30-06 runs away with it for hunting use...after this, the 30-06 shoots flatter, hits harder, and...well...it moves up into another category, a category with big heavy bullets.
270 Winchester 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip data...using the real BC, as calculated by Bryan Litz (G7 .227)
270 Winchester 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip (G1 .496)
30-06, 180 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip (Litz G7 BC .241)
And yes...I completely skipped the 165/168 grain 30-06 bullets..I did it for a reason...that reason is that I believe they are a little light for elk...I know people use them and I know they work...they're just not what I would use...that said, they wouldn't have added anything to the discussion...their 400 yard drop is ~21 inches...exactly the same as the 140 grain bullet in the 270, and flatter than the 150 grain bullet in the 270.
The point of all that babbling....these 2 rounds are so close to the same, where deer and smaller game are concerned, the debate is utterly pointless!
If you want a 30-06 to shoot flat...it can...really darn flat!
If you want a 30-06 to hit game like a Mack truck...it can do that too.
And again...the 270 is a VERY fine round, I love it (more importantly, my wife loves it)...it hasn't hung around in the "top 3" deer rounds this long by accident...its virtues are less recoil while still having ample power for deer/elk...the 30-06 is really just more of the same...a little more recoil and a little more power...in the end, it all depends on the load and what you want to do with it.
Hope you enjoyed the reading
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