270 or 30.06 -- PART II

Wolf.

==
Topic was locked, and I have an extra two cents, sooooo........

Custom gun? It's a tough choice UNLESS you intend to take anything larger than a deer. If so, my inclination would be for the .30-06.

BUT THE REAL REASON I OPENED THIS NEW TOPIC is that you should pretty much decide now not only on caliber, but on the loading as well (bullet style, weight and charge), of the primary cartridge you expect to be firing from this gun. That will drive the barrel and twist rate selection for your new custom gun. This won't, of course, stop you from firing other cartridge configurations, but for a custom gun you want to plan for obtaining the utmost in performance.

I.Shute

I'd like to repeat JustC's remark on the last post earlier.
I have recommended the '06 to guys who wanted only one rifle for ground hogs and deer, but I have 6 or 8 and haven't hunted with one for 35 years. More exciting cartridges out there.
Don't like to repeat myself, but to me, carrying and shooting a 270 or 30-06 is about as exciting as kissing your sister!

Added comment: I would actually be embarrassed if another hunter asked me what round I am useing for stalking bear and it was a 30-06.

tsr1965

I still say go with the 30-06. I hav rifles in close to 30 diffirent chamberings, and that is one that is hard to improve on, and one that you can find everywhere. If I were to do something it would be the 30-06AI. You can still shoot regular 30-06 in it without a problem, and if you want to hand load for it, you can get near 300Win Mag performance.

Douglas Reid

Everyone is always trying to wring more performance out of a given caliber. It is very hard to argue that the older cartridges are obsolete simply because of the length of time they have been around. I own a 270 and it still puts down every deer I hit with it. It has taken moose and caribou as well. I don't knock the gun manufactures for trying to excite buyers with new cartridges, they do this to sell guns. Rather than buy something new, just for the sake of having something new, I enjoy keeping my old tried and true weapon in good condition and functioning properly. Every time I take it out it is like hunting with an "old friend" who has never let me down.

adisonrain

Amen, Douglas. I have had a thing for Weatherbys for sometime now and own a couple of Mark V's but my favorite is my Vanguard VGL 30-06 which was my first "real gun" I owned. I can get about 3400 fps with 125 gr. hollow points if I wanted to which is screamin' for that caliber! If I had to choose one to keep, that be the one. You can go from 100 gr bullets up to about 220 or 240 grain, I believe. New calibers are fun but the old tried and true is just that.

Mtnlover

Having taken a dozen or so elk with a .270 with no cripples (no 400 yd. or rearend shots, either), I don't think size of quarry is the issue. After all, they are the same cartridge, just different caliber and neck length. I think the deciding factor may be where you will hunt. If you're going out West with possible long shots, the .270 has slightly better ballistics than the .30-06. For forest hunting with closer shots, you're slightly better off with bigger bullets. The good news is you won't make a bad choice either way.