# 270 vs. 300 win mag



## flyingfrog509

Is there a huge difference between a 270 & 300win mag?

Most of what is in my safe is .223,.243,&.308.  I have two encore barrels and unless someone says so I figure they are to close to keep them both.  Originally I got the 300 to have a barrel for Elk in the next year or two I'm hoping to go.  The 270 I got on trade.

Mostly I just shoot deer around here in GA.  So I was thinking of just sticking with a 150 grain bullet in the 300 and be happy.  I'd think the lighter bullet in the 300 should be dang near as flat as the 270.  Then just load up something heavier for Elk when I get to go?

Am I just off my rocker or missing anything in my thinking?


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## MGD45

Yes, the 150 grain bullet will have  muzzle velocity of about 3100 or 3200 fps, compared to around 2850 for the .270.    So it will have a flatter trajectory.  That being said though, you'll burn more powder than the .270 & if your hunting in Ga. where most your shots are under 300 yards......the 300 Win drops about 9 inches and the .270 drops 12 inches.  

So your only talking a 3 inch difference in trajectory at 300 yards.....& if the distance is 200 yards & less....now your only talking about an inch difference in drops.....not a big savings for the amount of powder you'll be burning.  

Save the 300 Win for when it really shines......shooting heavier bullets at longer distances.....


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## flyingfrog509

I was thinking of just selling the .270 barrel since I don't have dies for it yet and not sure if I want to work up yet another load.  I still want to work up a load for my son's 308 tactical since all we did was screw around with a 308 varmint round.  Its kind of funny shooting a 110 grain Sierra Varminter out of a .308 but they group good so for the tiny bit of varmint shooting we do I don't have to really buy an extra rifle for the boy child.


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## BigBlack

The 300 has less drop and wind drift.  The following is from Winchesters Ballistic Program.  I have both, the 300 kicks more, the 270 has never let us down either


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## MGD45

Even though that chart uses 2 different weighted bullets.....you can see that there really isn't that much difference in drop from 300 yards & under.  If you ain't shooting further than that, stay with the .270.


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## Papa Bear

I got away from the magnums and went back to my 270 which I have had for over 30 yrs.  Bullets got to expensive and the old shoulder to sensitive...  I shoot quite a bit and need to cut some cost since I do not reload.  I think it is what you are most confident in placing the shot with.  Either one will kill deer, elk etc. with a properly placed shot.


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## Willi

night and day


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## flyingfrog509

I was looking at some charts...and I'm amazed how close nearly all of the rounds are under 250 yards.  I mean yea you still have to know what your shooting...but really there isn't much difference from .243 up to 300 win mag in drop.  Guess that is how they can make the BDC scopes and everyone use them fairly well.


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## Buzz

Look at this thread I created early in 2007.      It's true that the _practical_ field differences between many rounds out to 300y just isn't that much at all.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=100134


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## flyingfrog509

Buzz said:


> Look at this thread I created early in 2007.      It's true that the _practical_ field differences between many rounds out to 300y just isn't that much at all.
> 
> http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=100134



Buzz, thanks for the link.  Sounds like you must be a fellow geek to write a ballistics program in .NET.  Rough crowd on that thread.


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## Buzz

flyingfrog509 said:


> Buzz, thanks for the link.  Sounds like you must be a fellow geek to write a ballistics program in .NET.  Rough crowd on that thread.



There are good days and bad days in forum world.     Overall, I think it turned into a pretty good thread even though it nearly derailed a couple of times.


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## Jetjockey

First off, if your shooting out to 500 yards you won't be sighting in at 100 yards, you will be sighting in at 200 yards unless your using knobs.  Second, IMO every caliber has the "perfect" bullet size.  Even though you can load different sizes, IMO every single one has a sweet spot that is the perfect ballance of speed, weight, and long range performance.  With that said, when you load the "perfect" bullets in each caliber, the drop will be nearly identicle with the "flat shooting" calibers.  In other words, a 130 gr 270 bullet, a 160 gr 7mm, and 180 gr 300WM bullet will all have the equivelant down range drop out to about 500 yards.  After 500 yards, things start to change, but at 500, they are mostly the same.  Lets look at Federal's premium TSX's loaded into a 270, 7mm, or 300.   All calibers are within 100 FPS when they come out of the barrel, and within 1.5 inches  of drop at 500 yards when sighted in at 200.  The 130 gr 270 drops 38.3 inches, a 160 gr 7mm drops 39.3 inches, and a 180gr drops 39.8 inches...  All three have muzzle velocities very close to 3000 FPS.  The 300 is 2980, 7mm is 2940, and the 270 is 3060.  Basically, they are all the same.  BUT, the big difference is in the energy and bullet size.  A 300 WM shoots a 180 gr bullet with 3549 lbs of energy at the muzzle, the 7mm has 3071 lbs at the muzzle, and the 270 is 2703.    At 500 yards the numbers get a lot closer, but are still significant.  The 300 has 1638 lbs, the 7mm is 1545 (its catching the 300 quick, and passes it past 500 yards do to a higher BC) and the 270 has 1206 lbs.  All bullets are still going just over 2000 fps at 500 yards but the 7mm is now going the fastest.

You asked about the BDC reticles.  Leupolds Boone and Crocket can adjust for 2 different drop compensators depending on how you set it up, but for the flat shooting guns at a 200 yard zero, the 300 yard line is 6.88 inches of drop, 20.11 inches of drop at 400 yards, and 40.95 inches at 500 yards........ The 270 drops 6.4 at 300, 18.8at 400, and 38.3 inches at 500.  A 160 gr 7mm TSX drops 6.7, 19.5, and 39.3 inches, and a 180 gr 300WM drops 6.7, 19.7, and 39.8 inches at 500 yards.    In the worst case scenerio, with a 130gr 270, your less then 3 inches off at 500 yards using Leupy's Boone and crocket.  With the 300 your only off 1 inch!   Pretty convienent isn't it!  You can take 3 different calibers and load them with the right bullet and Leupy's B&C works like a charm on all three.  3 inches at 500 yards is plenty close enough for Minute of Deer or Elk.  Its why more and more people feel very confident taking deer and elk out to 500 yards.  Leupy's CDS dials makes it even easier for shots past 500, but Im not getting into that.

IMO, since you already have a 308, id dump the 270 encore barrel, the 308 and 270 are nearly identicle with the 270 being a little flatter.  The 300WM would give you a nice little step up for elk because you can shoot a 50gr heavier bullet with 800lbs more energy out of the barrel then the 270.  Thats not insignificant at all, and IMO offers a fair bit more punch for big elk.  However, a 270 is plenty big for elk, big calibers don't make up for poor shot placement.


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## Crubear

I think what you need is a 16" 223 barrel for your Encore


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## Dub

I've had a number of deer rifles over the years....bought, traded, sold, etc.  Most of it was just fun experimentation on my part.

The one "go-to" rifle caliber that I simply love is the good old, tried & true .270 Win.  I simply shoot this better than other calibers.  Perhaps I messed my head up shooting crazy magnums....developed a flinch / anticipation /whatever.  Shooting that .270 just takes all that away.  

It's all I really need for the GA, SC and NC deer I've hunted.  That being said, I'm certainly not a long range hunter, typically well under 200yds.  

If I were going to go somewhere to hunt muleys, monster whitetail, elk, etc, then I'd most likely use my same old .270Win and just sight in and practice with a stout 150gr Barnes, Partition, Trophy Bonded or the like.

My second favorite round for the type of hunting I do is .308Win.  I'd like to add another rifle to the gunlocker in this caliber.  Sweet shooter.


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## Buzz

Dub - your .270 Winchester will drop the largest whitetails and mulies anywhere in North America with any decent 130g bullet.

People drop legions of elk with them every year and even a small elk makes the largest whitetail look downright wimpy.


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## bighonkinjeep

You can look at printed charts and numbers all day and I'm not sure you're gonna understand the real world difference between the .270 and the win mag. Unless you dress out an animal that's been hit with them the numbers make no sense.
The answer to your question is yes there is a huge difference in the two. This is measured in wound channel and trauma. I'm not looking to start a huge argument but in my opinion most "magnum" rifle cartridges are too much for southern whitetails. Even big ones. 
If you have acquired a couple of barrels for your encore keep em both. There is certainly enough real world difference to keep em both for different applications.
 If you wanna split the difference get a 30-06,the .308 you mentioned will also fill both roles just fine


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## Win1917

If deer are the largest game on the menu I keep either the 308 or the 270 and sell the other two. If larger than deer game are on the menu I'd keep the 308 and 300 mostly to keep bullet inventory to a minimum and because the 300 will have a fair amount more reach than either the 270 or 308. From a practical putting game in the freezer standoint, the 270 and 308 pretty close to each other.


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## SC Hunter

I have a 270 bolt action that i hunt with some but mainly hunt with my encore 243 and it will kill a deer just as dead, I am more accurate with the encore but its had a little trigger work done to it too.


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## SC Hunter

FLYIN FROG if you do decide to sell that 270 barrel please let me know i might be interested in taking it off your hands.


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