How Good, Really, Is the .270 Win?

[Dave Hoback]

Oh yeah... I was wondering the “fancy” verbiage referred to? I like fancy stuff!

[Orezona]

Billion with a B. My bad. Shoot the dang 270 and have fun. Sometimes there is just too much thought into stuff that works. I'm a prime example. I built a 280 AI.

[Newtosavage]

270 is a great cartridge.... just like 100's of others. I'm not a big believer in "inherently accurate" cartridges- I think it usually comes down to the quality of the build. Not alot of target 06 or 270's out there... but when ones built right they shoot with the other cartridges that have a reputation for accuracy. Design can definitely help on efficiency.... but a few more grains of powder isn't something I worry about. When the 270 was designed they were intentionally putting more body tapper on cases to help with feeding and extraction (which it does) and not looking at efficient.

Also- the long action/short action thing is overplayed.... It really doesn't matter as much as people pretend or companies preach. Go and time yourself running the bolt fast and shooting- very little time is spent on the bolt manipulation and most of it is in target acquisition and breaking the shot. The only time I see it as making a huge difference is when shooting a high number of rounds very quickly- because 10round LA mags get huge.... Many of the new SA rounds that have recently been released really need a LA when you start reloading for them. 2.800 is just not long enough for what most want to do (and very few are building custom on Savage even with the longer length). Remember when Hornady (the master of marketing) released the CM because the 260 case was to long to work in a short action and then they released the 6.5 PRC to be the ultimate short action cartridge-- even though its case is only 0.005 shorter than the 260. That's impressive marketing.

The long vs. short action - to me - has nothing to do with the speed with which you can work the action. It has to do with the total length of the rifle and balance. Short actions for me, thanks.

[Orezona]

The long vs. short action - to me - has nothing to do with the speed with which you can work the action. It has to do with the total length of the rifle and balance. Short actions for me, thanks.

For me, long vs short would only come into play on a hunt shooting in the standing if I hadn't practiced with what I was carrying. Any other position, it's game on.

[hawkeyesatx823]

Here is my “new” Savage 110E in .270 Winchester!
She’s not beautiful, but extremely functional.
She looks like my first Savage 110GXP3 in 7mm Rem Mag., except she doesn’t have a 24 inch barrel, just a 22 inch.
I took off the crappy broken Simmons 3-9x32 scope and put a Burris Fullfield II 3-9x40 BDC that I had laying around.
Her bore is almost pristine, and just has a few scratches on the stock, but other than that, she’s ready for service!

Hawk
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210820/84a764495133eadde366013a50461e96.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210820/16accafa5db14f6f70c9c9d4da34b7b9.jpg

[Orezona]

Good for you and enjoy. Your pictures make me feel good about what I was trying to say. Good stuff just works for what we want to do. Given your excitement, you probably know exactly how it will serve you and your freezer.

[hawkeyesatx823]

Good for you and enjoy. Your pictures make me feel good about what I was trying to say. Good stuff just works for what we want to do. Given your excitement, you probably know exactly how it will serve you and your freezer.

Yeah, I didn’t think I was going to get excited about it, but I am.
Having it in my hands is like second nature to me. I didn’t realize how much I missed my first high powered rifle I bought with my hard earned money when I was just a greenhorn Airman. That Savage 110GXP3 served me very well, and some.
I’m glad I have something like it back in my stable!


Hawk

[Dave Hoback]

Good stuff Hawk. Glad your excited about your Savage. And... Don’t ever be afraid to down any size game with it.

[Newtosavage]

Yeah, I didn’t think I was going to get excited about it, but I am.
Having it in my hands is like second nature to me. I didn’t realize how much I missed my first high powered rifle I bought with my hard earned money when I was just a greenhorn Airman. That Savage 110GXP3 served me very well, and some.
I’m glad I have something like it back in my stable!


Hawk
Nice looking gun! I like those scopes too. Very functional.

[hawkeyesatx823]

Nice looking gun! I like those scopes too. Very functional.

Thank you!
I do like the Burris Fullfield line too. They’re the kind that are highly durable, and you set the zero, and use the ballistic marks, and you’re set!


Hawk

[PhilC]

Interesting thread. Nice 270 Hawk and looks very similar to my 80s vintage 7RM 110.

What a boring world it would be if we didn't have freedom to buy/use whatever tickles our fancy simply because it does just that. :thumb:

[wbm]

Hawk I had a 308 like your 270...birch stock n all...with a full power factory load, the recoil would "rock your world".

FWIW: If you can find Speer's 115gr Gold Dot, they were outstanding in the 270 I built for my neighbor. The Gold Dot is actually a Fusion bullet that Federal developed.

[hawkeyesatx823]

Interesting thread. Nice 270 Hawk and looks very similar to my 80s vintage 7RM 110.

What a boring world it would be if we didn't have freedom to buy/use whatever tickles our fancy simply because it does just that. :thumb:

I’m betting your Savage 110 is what I had back in the 80’s as well. That 7mm Rem Mag was amazingly accurate with 175gr Winchester silver box, and Federal red box ammo.


Hawk

[hawkeyesatx823]

Hawk I had a 308 like your 270...birch stock n all...with a full power factory load, the recoil would "rock your world".

FWIW: If you can find Speer's 115gr Gold Dot, they were outstanding in the 270 I built for my neighbor. The Gold Dot is actually a Fusion bullet that Federal developed.

I wonder why it would kick so bad?
The Savage 110 in 7mm Rem Mag I had kicked the same amount as a .30-06.
The weight of this one is quite substantial. I’m guessing 8 - 8.5 lbs.
I don’t think this one will be kicking the snot out of me.
But, we shall see.


Hawk

[hawkeyesatx823]

I found out that Jack O’Connor used exclusively, 130 gr Nosler Partitions while shooting his .270 Winchester.
I’m thinking, by him using a premium bullet like that, he kinda stacked the deck in his favor.


Hawk

[wbm]

Yep.
One of the great digs in O'Connor's era was between he and Elmer Keith. Elmer liked 30 caliber "pumpkin rollers" and was always saying something less than kind about O'Connor's love of the 270. One of my favorites was Elmer said he "preferred hunting his game before they where shot rather than after."

[Newtosavage]

Yep.
One of the great digs in O'Connor's era was between he and Elmer Keith. Elmer liked 30 caliber "pumpkin rollers" and was always saying something less than kind about O'Connor's love of the 270. One of my favorites was Elmer said he "preferred hunting his game before they where shot rather than after."
Now that's funny.

[wbm]

It is!

From what was said at the time, Jack was not amused.

[Newtosavage]

It is!

From what was said at the time, Jack was not amused.

Maybe he should have had a quick comeback then. ;)

I didn't grow up reading Keith or O'Connor. I grew up mostly interested in bowhunting and read a lot of Fred Bear, Pearson and Hill. My dad was a .270 fan, because he was into the "latest and greatest" and when he was coming of age the .270 was then what the 6.5 CM is today. It's understandable. Years from now, 6.5 CM fans will be telling their grandsons about what a great cartridge it is, and arguing with anyone who disagrees.

I'm still of the mind that the 7x57 Mauser was the beginning and end to the everyman's hunting needs. Pity Americans were so offended by metric calibers at the time.

[745775]

As to how good the .270 is, I can only speak from my experience. The last deer I shot was shot with a 130 gr Federal load in .270 that I got at Wally World some years back. The deer just fell where it stood, no running, no nothing. There was a small entry hole and an exit hole that you could put your fist through with room to spare. My shot was a lung shot, so it really didn't matter all that much.