270 win VS 270 WSM

[DeerHunter]

I cannot decide between these two calibers.  I'm not sure if the WSM is warranted for Ca. Deer, and I like Remingtons more than Win/Brownings.  I'm thinking about the Rem Titanium because I have to walk so far to hunt, but the WSM's are pretty light too.  Any opinions on the cartridges for Ca. Deer, is the WSM overkill??

 

[Hook]

DeerHunter,

Welcome to Jesse's, this is the best site for Ca. hunting and fishing.

You are gonna get a lot of input here, but let me be the first.

IMHO the 270 WSM is a little overkill for Ca. deer. The Win 270 can do anything that the WSM can do up to 350 yards. For Ca deer that is plenty, but if you want a short action rifle then you have to consider the WSM. Another advantage of the Win 270 is that, you can find ammo at any local store at a reasonable price. My buddy has a Rem Mountain Rifle in 270 that shoots great and is light enough to carry all day long.

 

[wmidbrook]

I can't resist jumping into this one.  If money and time weren't a consideration, I'd go for the WSM simply because it would would provide a little more umph for bigger game such as Elk and Black Bear when shooting those 140 or 150 grain bullets.

But value-wise, there's a flood of used 700 BDLs in Win 270 on the market (go to http://www.gunauction.com ) right now.  I bet that's in part to all the hype about the WSM cartridges.  IMO, for 95% of the hunters, the .270 will meet or beat all their hunting needs.  Plus, you can drop them (especially the 700s) into a very lightweight stock of decent quality for under 100 dollars.

 

[DeerHunter]

Thanks guys, I'm leaning towards the WSM just because it's different. I do reload so ammo is not a concern to me, and I can always download it.  Does anyone have any real-life experience with the round?  Also what's better Browning or Win?  I try to avoid Win because I had a big problem with three different new 30/30's, all defective.  Does the stainless syn. come in featherweight?

 

[sagebrush]

I have a .270 and I think it's probably the best all around deer caliber there is. Very flat shooting. My maximum point blank range is 329 yards, which is about all I can handle in a hunting situation. Recoil is minimal. Factory ammo is readily available and many factory loads are as good as handloads these days. A .270 WSM will give you very little advantage over the standard .270. One thing I would be concerned about is the longevity of the WSM. Several cartridges have been introduced in the past that just never caught on, then the manufacturers started dropping them. With so many short magnums being introduced at the same time, I think several of them will become dinosaurs just because of the whims of the buying public and I wouldn't want to invest in a hunting rifle that may become obsolete. I looked long and hard before I choose the .270 and I was open to just about anything. I considered the 30-06 and 7MM Rem Mag before I settled on the .270 for the deer rifle. The .270 will give you a little better range than the 30-06, a little less range than the 7MM. Recoil is a little less than an 06, much less than a 7MM. Recoil is somewhat important to me, as I like to spend as much time as possible on the rifle range. When I wanted something with a little more killing power downrange, I stepped up to the .338 Win Mag. A substanial difference from the .270, 30-06, 7MM, and .300 Win Mag. I considered the .375 H&H, but decided on the .338 because of the greater variety and availability of factory ammo. Just my opinion, but you asked. Whatever you choose, have fun choosing and using. And, above all, practice a lot with it before the season comes around. The cartridge you choose won't make a bit of difference if you can't put it where it counts.

 

[docramo]

The standard 270 is a great all around cartridge  for any type of deer in Ca. Ammo is inexpensive and like Hook said available most everywhere.There is also a ton of info on this cartridge if you decide to load your own.

 

[sagebrush]

Wow, lots of posts while I was typing. I have four Browning A-Bolts and all them shoot better than I can. I have not been disappointed with their performance in the field over the past five years. I chose Browning because they fit me very well and bring the scope into position without any effort on my part. And I happen to like their looks. See if you can find a place to handle several brands and see which works best for you. Good luck.

 

[wmidbrook]

That's a really loaded question (win or browning)--I almost bought a Japanese manufactured late 70s Browning -- a.300 Wby for $300 with a scope.  I think they're way undervalued.  

The new A-Bolts are hard to beat.  Winchester is under new ownership now so I don't know if their quality is as good as the A-Bolts...Any takeover is rough on company morale and I'd expect that it's reflected in less consistancy in quality but I could be wrong.

My primary modern hunting rifle is a 1957 Model 70 featherweight .30-06.  It's picky and only shoots older lots of Federal Premium worth a hoot as far as over-the-counter ammo goes and two pet reloads around 1" or less of angle.  And it prefers 150 grain bullets from what I've tried so far.

Eventually, I'll get her rebarreled and the bolt face squared off, and maybe a fancy stock for it...the ancient, heavy G&H keeps getting heavier and I might go for a 26 or 28 barrel with a lighter stock.  Or, I'll go for cosmetics and take a fancy piece of burled Madrone in for a rosey looking stock for it...dunno yet.

But, I know the rifle, it 'feels' good and so I stick with it 'cause none of my other rifles feel as good.  Plus it shoots straight for the first few shots.

(Edited by wmidbrook at 9:32 pm on May 29, 2002)

 

[DeerHunter]

Holy cow!  A few replies in just a few minutes.  Okay, maybe I'll go with the old trusty 270 win.  Now the question is should I get the Titanium? The price is high, but the weight is right for all the walkin us Ca. hunters have to do to find game.  Thanks for the input guys, I forgot how great of a forum this is.  I have been around for about a year or so but just signed up again because I was deleted after the site changes.

 

[Frank]

Danggggggggggggg DeerHunter !  That's almost like asking which is the prettiest pig at the fair. LOL

Well, since "speed"  n-e-v-e-r  has a bad day, no matter what sport we are talking about IMHO, I will have to toss my penny in the WSM hat. Nice to have that extra horsepower just in case you do (& will eventually) need it and absolutely does no harm when you don't (need the extra horsepower).

The way I see it, you win with either one. They're both great calibers.

Good Luck
Frank

 

[Cahunter]

deerhunter , I have been going over the same thing.  I want to get a light weight rifle before deer season starts.  I looked at the ruger ultralight remington mountain rifles and Browning stalker, abolt.   I thought about getting the 270wsm or 257 roberts.  The one caliber i really like is the 260 remington.  IU might get a mountain rifle chambered in it. still haven't decided yet.

 

[EVAN III]

  Deer hunter,
First, welcome to Jesse's, as you can tell you can get tons of info here. Anyway glad to have you aboard.

  I have a Howa 1500, chambered in 270. Win and I love it. In my opinion it is a great all around round. It has taken game from jack rabbits(not recommended if you plan to eat the rabbit!!!) to cow tule elk. I use 230. gr. factory ammo. The gun is topped with a leupold Veri-X II 3X9. Although I would not try it while hunting, I can hit an 8 inch pie plate ( pie plates work great because on a shinny day they light up pretty good) 3 out of 5 times at 450 yards.  Well hope this helps alittle, either way you go I'm sure you'll be happy.

                                 EVAN III

 

[CaHogHtr]

Deer Hunter,  
I shoot both the 270win and the 270WSM.  If I had neither gun already and was going to buy one or the other, knowing what I know from shooting both, I would go with the WSM




(Edited by CaHogHtr at 6:26 am on June 6, 2002)

 

[songdog]

Ask the same question again in about 70 years...  That's how long the .270 Winchester has been around.  By then we'll have a fair comparison.  Sorry, the sarcasm is really leaking out today :wink-yellow:

The WSM was designed so that you could shoot a .270 in a short action.  As a beneficial by product, you get a couple hundred more fps.  

So, if you want a short action, go with the WSM.  If you want to buy ammo off the shelf in Gillette, WY then go with the .270 Winchester.  I have a hard time believing that any animal hit identically with a WSM vs. a .270 Winchester will react any differently.  Terminal performance shouldn't be the deciding factor here.

If the WSM had been introduced 70 years ago, we'd probably all be shooting them today.  Since is wasn't, the question becomes, is the .270 Winchester deficient enough in some area that the WSM will provide enough benefit to unseat it?  I suspect not... but it's just one opinion.

 

[prohunter]

DeerHunter,
               Welcome to the club! I am sure you will get the answer you are looking for from someone here. We are a great bunch of people. As for me go light! .243 is the way to go here in our state. It is a light wait gun and you can do your job out as far as 300 or 400 yards. Remember most game is killed under 100 yards.

 

[prohunter]

Did I really say wait instead weight? Isn't it 'I' before 'E' except after....can't remeber?!

 

[prohunter]

Da**!! I meant 'remember'!!

 

[storm]

Common, you know you just want the latest toy. I've been there -- 30 some rifles in my safes. Get the WSM so you don't have to buy another rifle in a year or two.  

 

[JDC]

Anybody that is looking for a .270 might want to look into this:

4th item down.

http://www.clearwatertribune.com/May3002class.htm

for some reason there is no phone # listed, but if you click on

Clearwater Tribune Home Page  and go to the bottom, there are phone #'s for the paper, and they should be able to give you the phone #.

 

[Cahunter]

Ok , I just got back from the sporting goods store and they had a Browning composite stalker in 270wsm.  It was really nice felt good on my shoulder.   It was light as well,  The guy working there said they weigh in at about 61/2 pounds.  I just looked at browning web sight.  they gave the same specs.    I think I just found my new deer rifle.