It saw use in the military from the early 1950’s (mostly in the 7.62x51mm variation, which has small differences from the .308 Winchester) until the United States started the move over to the 5.56×45 NATO cartridge when they moved from the M14 to the M16 around the Vietnam era. It is a well known cartridge, capable of travelling long distances with lots of energy to knock down your intended target. Remember to keep in mind what kind of platform you would like to be shooting on, as your purpose will greatly affect this. Both cartridges have the same .473â³ rim diameter. Mag.! The .308, as mentioned above, has some awesome man-stopping ability that has been proven through service in multiple wars, especially when using the best 308 scope. Many western hunters annually take elk with 6mms and .25s. Just a few years after the introduction of the .308, the wildcatters mated the case with 7mm bullets. 223/5.56 vs 7.62×39: Everything You Need To Know. Providing approximately 90% of the power of the .30-06 in a smaller package, the cartridge soon became very popular and is now one of the most widely used big game hunting rounds in North America. The .270 Winchester would be a good example of this. .270, .308, 7MM-08 are all good low recoil rounds for elk. Specifically, the military wanted a new rifle chambered in an intermediate cartridge, capable of automatic fire, and equipped with a detachable magazine. Recovery of the animal is a must. Take the old and lame .308. The .270 Winchester has a significantly longer case length (2.54â³ vs 2.015â³) as well as overall length (3.34â³ vs 2.81â³). The relatively light recoil of the cartridge also makes it easier to handle in a lightweight rifle that’s desirable on a mountain hunt. Good luck in deciding between the 270, 30-06 or even the 300 WSM. Within a few decades, the .270 Winchester was firmly entrenched as one of the most popular hunting cartridges used in the United States. Others consider it adequate, but not ideal. You can see that the .270 is a much longer and skinnier cartridge than the .308. Book an outstanding Africa hunting safari here. Though the .308 Winchester certainly has an edge over the .270 when shooting 150gr bullets, the 130gr .270 load has more energy remaining and shoots flatter (the .308 has 15-20″ more bullet drop) at 500 yards than both .308 Winchester loads. But Western Cartridge Companyâs Lubaloy jacket, comprising 90 percent copper, 8 percent zinc and 2 percent ⦠The .270 generally shoots flatter than the .308, which means that the bullet will drop less during its travel to the target. Of course Remington and Winchester produce the Model 70 and Model 700 rifles in .270 and .308 Winchester. The .270 also has a bit less recoil. Do you want to hunt larger game animals like kudu, eland, red stag, elk, or moose? I think the majority of hunters and shooters would agree that the .270 Winchester and .308 Winchester are outstanding hunting cartridges. We’ll start with the .308 Winchester. And even though the .270 is skinnier, its .5 inch increase in the casing length allows it to hold more powder and can withstand 3,000 more units of pressure than the .308. Dec 11, 2017 #7 H. HARPERC Well-Known Member. My current elk rifle is a 270 Win, just wondered if I would gain enough yardage to make the WSM worthwhile. I used the Federal Ballistic calculator and ShootersCalculator.com to compare wind drift, the range each bullet goes subsonic, and recoil for the cartridges. I live and have hunted in Colorado for more than 45 years with a .270. It has around 1450 at 500 yards. In fact, I’d wager that they’re both among the Top 10 (if not the Top 5) best selling rifle cartridges in the United States each year. My solution to this dilemma was to have one of each, (I actually have 2 .308s) in addition to the .30-06. This was due to a number of reasons, one of which was the fact that the .270 Winchester fired unusual size bullets. While each cartridge offers certain benefits to hunters, there is also a pretty big overlap in their capabilities. The .270 bullet is about 10% as big as the .308 Winchester with the same size casing that has been necked down to fit a .277 diameter bullet, but has been known to take down animals ranging from things smaller than Coyotes to animals like elk and moose. Due to the cartridge angle and the diameter of the headspace it barely contains enough powder to send a 165gr round to punch a hole in an antelope with premium bullets. The .270 Winchester is a very flat shooting and moderately powerful cartridge, especially considering that it’s nearly 100 years old. The .270 Weatherby and .270 WSM add punch. As you can see, these cartridges are fairly similar. After a very controversial selection process, the Army eventually settled on the M-14 rifle and the new 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. If you are looking for a semi-automatic weapon, the .308 would probably be your best choice. 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 270 - which cartridges are an ideal companion when hunting?Finding the answer to this question is no piece of cake. Get a nice hunting rifle chambered in the cartridge that you think fits your needs the best, learn to shoot it well, use quality bullets, and you’ll be well prepared for most common hunting situations. Though only a few cartridges use .277″ bullets, the .270 is extremely popular and there’s a plethora of quality bullets to choose from. If you are looking for a semi-automatic weapon, the .308 would probably be your best choice. A century ago, bullets were just getting used to high speed. Vicious-Peanut, Mar 18, 2010 We shot and compared three popular options to help you decide on the best elk cartridge for your style of hunting for longer range better go for the 7mm Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag/300 Wby Mag with 180gr. Deer, bear, moose, elk: theyâll all go down from a well placed 308 or 30-06. The original 7.62x51mm NATO M80 ball load fired a 146 grain full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet at 2,750 feet per second (2,469 foot pounds of muzzle energy). This fits with the original intent of the designers interested in building a mild shooting and easy to handle cartridge that was still powerful enough for hunting medium sized game at short to moderate range. For other readers: you can see what Brian is talking about with regards to the 270 Winchester vs the 280 Remington at the link below. By the same token, the .270 has taken untold numbers of moose, elk and plains game without any issues. 270 Winchester. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc or its affiliates. The .308 was still used quite frequently in the military even after this time, mostly as a longer range round. I use the Federal premium cartridges with the Sierra 150gr gameking bullets and have never lost an animal. Some recommended products may use affiliate links. Make sure you follow The Big Game Hunting Blog on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Note: while the case capacity figures listed below do give a good indication of the differences between the three cartridges, exact case capacities vary slightly according to the brand of brass used. This round was originally brought to be in the form of the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, but Winchester commercially produced and sold it as the .308 Winchester. Weâll start with the .308 Winchester. Never had any problems with it bringing down an elk. Still others consider the .270 worthless for elk hunting and recommend nothing less than a .300 Magnum as the absolute minimum elk cartridge. Final Thoughts – Which Should You Choose? This means I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase. Two rifles that are known to compete against each other. Generally, the .270 is travelling at a faster speed, being a smaller projectile, and also has a bit more energy in foot pounds down range. These may be benefits to you for the .270, but don’t let them be the end all decision for you. I think this is where we begin to make our biggest distinctions between the rounds. What’s the Difference? There isn't any factory match ammo or rifles set up for it. They formally released the resulting .270 Winchester cartridge in 1925 with the Winchester Model 54 rifle. Are you just itching to take a rifle chambered in one of these cartridges on a hunt? I think this is where we begin to make our biggest distinctions between the rounds. On the other hand, even though the 180gr .308 bullet weighs more and has a slightly higher BC than the 130gr .270 bullet, the .270 has an additional 490fps of muzzle velocity that translates into a significantly flatter trajectory and less wind drift. Not surprisingly, the .30-06 Springfield was an almost instant success in the civilian market. However, the flat trajectory and resistance to wind drift of the .270 Winchester makes it a really good choice for game that might require a longer shot such as pronghorn or mule deer. The Best Rifle Scopes, Optics & Accessories, .308 vs .270 – Backgrounds for each Cartridge. I think your bigger decision is the bullet you use, use a good quality bullet. The .270 is a necked down 30-06. Which Rifle is Better? So I bought a Glenfield carbine in 30-30 and fitted it with a 2-7X scope. The table below compares the recoil produced by 130gr and 150gr .270 loads to 150gr and 180gr .308 loads (all shooting a Nosler Partition bullet) when fired from a Ruger American rifle. Felt recoil will vary from shooter to shooter and rifle to rifle, but free recoil energy is still a useful way to compare cartridges.Interestingly enough, all four loads have almost identical recoil. This is because the smaller diameter .270 Winchester shoots lighter bullets than the .308 and the .30-06. I’m more than happy to shoot inexpensive bullets like Speer Grand Slam (180 gr and 175 grain, respectively) out of a 308 or 280 Rem. The .308 commonly has a 150 to 180 grain range. Some will argue that the 308 is better because heavier bullets are available. If you’d like to learn more about the accuracy of the .308 Winchester and how it compares to cartridge purpose built for long range competition shooting, read this article: 6.5 Creedmoor vs 308 Winchester Debate Settled. 2. recoil I wonât go so far as to say thatâs foolish, but thereâs a major difference in size and toughness between a cow or spike and a mature bull. This can cause excess barrel wear and damage. Ballistic data for the original 7.62x51mm military cartridge was obtained from Inetres. Do you primarily hunt deer sized game (including black bear) at ranges less than 200 yards? The Big Game Hunting Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, and other Amazon stores worldwide. P.S. Using smokeless powder and a 150gr pointed bullet fired at a 2,700fps, the .30-06 Springfield was a gigantic improvement over other popular American cartridges used during that era like the .30-30 Winchester and the .45-70 Government. Both cartridges are capable of outstanding accuracy, but the .270 Winchester is used almost exclusively as a hunting cartridge. 150 grain, 165 grain, 168 grain, and 180 grain bullets are most popular for that cartridge. As we’ll discuss in a minute, this is partly due to the widespread use of the .308 Winchester (and other .30 caliber cartridges like the .30-06, .300 Win Mag, .300 Ultra Mag, and 300 PRC) in long distance shooting competitions. There are places where .22 centerfires are legal for elk. 1. price At a MV of around 2600 fps, nearly all bullets will perform reasonably well, both ballistically and, more importantly, terminally out to 200 or 250 yards. 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