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Is .270 just your fathers caliber?
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Many of the new guys in my deer camp are moving toward the newvo rounds like .223 for big game. Years ago it was all .270, 308, or 30-06. This was in NY and Pa for white tail deer.
Are these new .223 better or just a fad?
Are these new .223 better or just a fad?
Comments
However, with todays bullets, the little recoil, and confidence in smaller rounds...the smaller calibers are great for smaller big game like deer. I dropped a 325+ lb. hog with my .22-250 and 45 grain Barnes TSX's. One shot and down he went. Excellent performance and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
This is coming from a fella who has deer hunted with 45-70's, .338's, etc. [;)]
Jon
223 is illegal here in NY. Has to be .24 caliber bullet or larger.
Try again! Read your game book!
Any centerfire rifle.
An 80lb Florida key deer isn't the same as a 250 lb Maine buck.
To answer the question, just because the pendulum has swung all the other way, and there seems to be lots of interest in .223s right now, that doesn't invalidate tried and true calibers like .270 (30/30, etc).
.223 *could* be OK for deer, given the constraints of the right LOAD (heavier bullet is better), local law (in some areas .223s are legal for hunting deer), size of the deer in question, and skill and judgment of the hunter.
Southern deer are smaller, and you really don't need a cannon to kill a 100 lb animal.
Also, lets face it, people successfully poach deers with .22LR and .22magnum rounds. People successfully hunt deer with bows and arrows, let alone primitive weapons like atlatls! People successfully hunt deer with .357 magnum revolvers.
So I don't see why a .223, which ought to be more powerful than any of those other weapons, should be considered "crazy".
.223, with the right bullet, is fine, again IMHO, as an experts cartridge, but NOT for the inexperienced and undisciplined.
Come to think of it, I'm not sure what I'd recommend for someone inexperienced and undisciplined; except maybe lots and lots of practice with their gun of choise.
As for the .270, it's one of the best. Selling my own only because I've moved "down" to the .257 Roberts. The older I get, the quieter my guns seem to get. Just don't enjoy the noise and recoil like I once did.[:D][:D]
"Are these new .223 better or just a fad?"
I think it's just a matter of being different and there is a small degree of convenience attached to the smaller caliber cartridges. There is also the aspect of using an AR-type rifle as opposed to a standard bolt action hunting rifle.
Better? No, not really but it will kill a deer no matter how much it weighs. Weight has nothing to do with this at all. It's bullet construction, velocity and shot placement. A properly designed bullet placed in the brain, neck or heart is instantly devastating to the deer.
I think the word you're looking for is 'nouveau'. The .223 Remington has been around since 1957 so it's hardly considered to be new. Sure those other cartridges named are older but so are the .22 LR and the .45-70 cartridges. As to popularity, any cartridge could be considered popular if virtually every standard bolt action rifle ever manufactured was chambered in these cartridges. This encompasses millions of rifles chambered for just two cartridges. Such a waste when you consider how many other cartridges are available and just as good.
Best.