The Great Debate: .270 or .30-06?

[Wizard]

This is the question that hasn't ever been decided and most likely ever won't.  Regardless, let your voice be heard and chime in with your opinion on which is the better all-around cartridge: .270 or .30-06?



.30-06 for me

[Kevin]

That is a tough question. I have hunted extensively with both. I have always heard, .270 shoots faster/flatter, 30.06 shoots farther/packs more punch. Never really found fault in either one though.

With that said, I like my .06

[DeerWoods26]

i also like the .06 i don't think the trajectory is that much of a differenace and what good is it if it won't knock them down at 200+ yards which in my experience the 270 just own't do like the 30.06

[DeerSlayer]

Wow the .270 is taking a beating for such a great rifle!!!

These are both great rifles and you can't go wrong with either one. I have hunted with and still own both of them.

[ArkansasSloughboy]

It wouldn't bother me a bit to shoot the .270, but if it is one or the other I'd pick the .30-06.

[Chris Andrews]

As a family, wife, daughter, and myself, each shoot 25-06. No deer have walked off in the past 4 yrs of shooting them. Granted we have only shot about 25 deer, 20 coyotes, and 4 Bobcats with those guns, but there is no kick and plenty of knock down. The bad thing is the variety and cost of ammunition.
I would stick with a 30-06 for the wide range of ammunition and game it should be used.

[mpoor]

If I could only own one gun for all hunting it would be the 30-06, because of the large selection of ammo. However, I get to have more than one!

[buckaroo]

fOR ME ITS THE.270 LIKE MOST OF YOU I HUNTED WITH AN O6 742 WOODMASTER FOR MANY YEARS AND  KILLED TONS OF DEER BUT IF YOU WANT A FLAT SHOOTING GUN THE .270 WINS HANDS DOWN.

[Fly Tier]

I hunt with a 270 savage I got it last year and it has worked good for me.But I feel the 06 has more knock down power.

[buckaroo]

I agree with the knock down power you get a little more out of the .06 but they will not shoot as flat as the .270 and the deer in Arkansas are not like the deer up North they just dont have the size it is very rare to see a300lbs deer here its pretty common up North.

[jshanegreen]

This is out of the blue, but from other discussions I feel like the 308 is beginning to enter into this conversations.  I shoot a Savage 308, so this makes me a little biased.  Any other 308 fans out there?

[Dave]

I shoot the Win Mod 70 extreme weather SS chaimbered in .270 wsm its sub MOA which with the condition of my eyes right now better than I can shoot in the field... extremely fast and flat.... I would say this debate may open up a new with the wsm cartridge its hotter than the standard .270. Back home out west we use a .270 for everything from deer to moose... its a great all around cartridge..if you want more knockdown just shoot a heavier grain .270wsm bullet..it will still shoot flat and fast.

[bcraig]

Both are great cartridges.
There is no such thing as knockdown power !That is just a generalist term with really no practical meaning.
Tissue destruction is what kills and how many footpounds of energy a cartridge has really has no bearing on how it will kill. Bullet construction is much more important. This is why with two different bullets of the same caliber and weight and velocity lets say a 150 grain FMJ 30 caliber at 2800 will kill much slower than a 150 grain softpoint 30 caliber at 2800 FPS.
These are very basic truths and other factors certainly come into play but the bottom line is tissue destruction and bullet placement are what kills .
I have killed quite a few deer with both the 30-06 and the 270 Winchester along with various other calibers in forty years of hunting and from what i have observed there is not a lot of difference in any of them !Put a good expanding bullet in the right spot and kill the deer! Now sometime they fall where they stand and sometimes they will run over a hundred yards with their heart completely destroyed.
I like the 270 Winchester better than the 30-06 because it is a little bit flatter shooting and recoils a little less and still kills just fine.BUT I wouldn,t have any problem doing the rest of my deer hunting with a 30-06 .Or a 25-06 or a 308 or a 280 or a 6mm or a 243 or a ?
They all have a few advantages or disadvantages over other catridges and it is fun to talk about and have a reason to buy another rifle but bottom line is Bullet placement and tissue destruction .
Rifle fit,accuracy ,ammo availability and low recoil are what is important to me at this point in my hunting career but your mileage may vary !

Craig

[ar_ladyhunter]

I have both .270 and 30.06. I have taken deer with both and have found no fault in either one. I have never lost a deer with either one. I also use reloaded ammunition for both.

[DeltaCajun]

I think bcraig hit the nail on the head.  Shot placement and tissue displacement are what kill deer.  The most important things to consider are rifle fit and how comfortable the shooter is with the rifle.  I started out with a .270 but later moved up to a .300 Mag.  After hunting with both, I am a huge fan of the 30 cal bullet due to the range of bullet choices.  My latest rifle purchase is a TC ProHunter in .308, which I love for hunting in thick cover or when I am out walking due to its compact size and light weight.  I have killed deer at over 200 yards with it but dont have the confidence when taking long shots (more due to my abiliity rather than the capability of the cartridge).  I plan to purchase a .300 Mag. barrel for that rifle next year.  In my opinion the .308 is a great cartridge for a young beginner.  Typically they wont be taking long shots, recoil is minimal, and the 30 cal bullet (with its greater mass) can be more forgiving for less than optimal shot placement.