30-06 VS. .270

[Guest FrostyLeaves]

i am 15 years old and getting my first big game rifle in the next couple of weeks. i already have a rifle picked out, now it is just a matter of what caliber. my grandfather and one uncle say the 30-06 but my other uncle says the .270. i personally am leaning towards the .270 but just want to get more opinions before making my decision. thanks to anyone who comments and helps out. 

 

 

 

Ethan

[Renegade Hunter]

270 is a great caliber. And for a 15 year old it will have a little less recoil. Very enjoyable to shoot. Plenty of knock down power.

[bluecoupe]

Depends on your goals for the rifle.  There are a MULTITUDE of loads available for an .06 for anything from varmint loads to something that will take down LARGE game. Especially if you think you may get into handloading, the possibilities expand even further.

 

Purely for versitility, I'd probably go for the .06 with a muzzlebreak on it.

Edited October 6, 2013 by SteveC

[chiefbkt]

Six of one, half a dozen of the other.  You can't go wrong with either rifle.  Both great deer calibers and capable for use anywhere in North America.  I personally shoot 30-06.

[Guest FrostyLeaves]

the rifle i am going to get is the Remington 783,i dont know if that changes what caliber i should but you never know. it will be used for coyote, deer, and bear if the opportunity presents itself 

[apoallo]

I have the Remington 700 in a .270 it's a great round but since you added bear why not get. A .308. Either round will do the trick thou

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[Lawdwaz]

Won't matter much because you'll be getting another soon enough, your 15 and "into it".

 

Good for you!

[GreeneHunter]

I just sold an old 30-06 because I inherited a 270 .... but what do I know  LOL !

[MACHINIST]

My neighbor was a big time big game hunter,he hunted everything from moose,bear,sheep,caribou,elk and deer.Before he passed a few years back on one of our many nightly sit down talks I asked him if he had to choose one caliber out of all of them made what would it be and why.He choose the 270 and stated many animals that where taken with it,including a 73 inch moose that was killed in Newfoundland.Lower recoil,ease of ammo acquisition and it shoots flatter than the Ole 06.Go with the 270 and don't look back

[eagle rider]

asking deer hunters what better an 06 or a 270, is like asking are blondes as hot as red heads.  They're both awesome, in tighter cover or even better out further 100 yds or better they both shine.  If versatility were the issue and you were a little less recoild shy the 06 will likely do you better.  The 270 is great for everything up to brown bear (not a real issue in NY).  If it we're me and I was 15 again (they barely had electricity when I was 15, hehehehehe, okay I'm not that old), I'd get the '06 and learn to deal with the recoil.  If you have someone to hand load it for you, I'd ask them to try to develop a lighter recoil loading.  If not I think Remington and maybe Federal are now are making light recoil loads for 30-06.  

[jjb4900]

I shot a 30-06 up until last year and it was never enjoyable............it was not a recoil friendly rifle, so last year I bought a .308, much less recoil......getting a rifle that is enjoyable to shoot is more important than caliber, and it will show in your accuracy.

[MACHINIST]

^^What he said is why I now shoot a 308^^

[wdswtr]

30.06 is more versatile, many many more choices in bullet selections from large game to varmits and even 22 caliber rounds are made for them.  If recoil is a killer you dont have to shoot the biggest baddest round through them lol.

[thphm]

If you are worried about recoill, First look at the different models in the caliber you plan on buying.The heavyer the rifle the less the recoill will be, that is with factory loads not hand loads.The higher end rifles are usualy put together with a little more care with bedded actions and barrels or floating barrels as with there laminated wooden stocks.I prefere wooden stocks they are not noisey like the plastic ones.

[jjb4900]

If you are worried about recoill, First look at the different models in the caliber you plan on buying.The heavyer the rifle the less the recoill will be, that is with factory loads not hand loads.The higher end rifles are usualy put together with a little more care with bedded actions and barrels or floating barrels as with there laminated wooden stocks.I prefere wooden stocks they are not noisey like the plastic ones.

that's true as well, I bought a T/C Venture in .308, heavier gun than most, but little recoil..........I bought my son a Ruger M77 Ultralight in .308, the recoil on that will bring a tear to your  eyes, he's been shooting the managed recoil ammo out of it as a result..

[F-150]

Do you know someone who has the gun you want in those caliber see if you can shoot them and see what you like best? If you start flinching because of too much rfecoil, it can be hard to get rid of .Or local school has a fisheries and wildlife program. Part of the students can go on supervised  hunts with the teacher. They are using the 7mm08 round with good success. They produce a TV show CRCS Outdoors it is aired the pursuit channel.

Edited October 6, 2013 by F-150

[Guest FrostyLeaves]

All of you were a great help thanks.. I think im gonna go with the .270. Like one of you mentioned i am only 15 and will be getting more than just one rifle in the next so many years

[ants]

30-06 and 270 are both great choices for what you want. The 270 will definitely have less recoil though so I would say go with it, because you WILL buy more rifles as time goes on. 

I have lost count  of how many I have bought, since I was your age. I know that I started out with a 35 Rem. and have owned all kinds of calibers since then. Good luck.

[Mr VJP]

No real difference that would matter, unless you want to use heavy bullets in your rifle someday.  You can get a 220 grain load in the .30-06 if you ever needed it.  The .270 doesn't go nearly that heavy.

 

If you were to get the best cartridge for all your coyote, deer & black bear hunting, that will have light recoil, you'd want a 7mm-08.

 

[HuntOrBeHunted]

IMO go with the 270. It's a 30-06 round necked down just a hair. It has less recoil and can do anything you need it to with a good shot. I have a 30-06 and a 270. Ill take the 270 for pretty much anything. The best thing about the 30-06 is the different size rounds you can get for it. But unless you're needing to shoot bigfoot a 270 is a perfect caliber round !!

[Berniez]

You got to hit what you aim at, Both calibers kill swiftly if you hit the right spot. So shot placement is the biggest factor.  Shoot both calibers and decide what you like best.  With any luck you will not be limited to one rifle in your life so start with a rifle you can hit what you aim at.

 

 

[Jeremy K]

I shoot a 30-06 so I know exactly how much ammo.cost and what is available. For the guys that shoot both, how does price compare for ammo of the 2 and availability, that should be in the equation as well.

[eagle rider]

IMO go with the 270. It's a 30-06 round necked down just a hair. It has less recoil and can do anything you need it to with a good shot. I have a 30-06 and a 270. Ill take the 270 for pretty much anything. The best thing about the 30-06 is the different size rounds you can get for it. But unless you're needing to shoot bigfoot a 270 is a perfect caliber round !!

270 is not necked down 30-06. It's parent cartridge was the 30-03. It was the short lived predecessor to the 30-06 and I believe one version was also rimmed.

[eagle rider]

I own both and I will tell you the difference in recoil isn't that much at all. In fact felt recoil is more of an effect of recoil velocity than force. The recoil velocity (the old physics law that every action has an equal and opposite reaction) isn't really different between a 150 gr 30-06 and a 140 grain 270. It's about 1/2 pound. The same with the recoil energy. Get what you like, but do your research and invest your money wisely. BTW, I attached the link for the recoil velocity and force table below.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

Edited October 7, 2013 by eagle rider

[Nomad]

I went with the .270 myself. After about 40 years of shooting slugs put of a 12 ga pump, I say recoil ? What recoil ?