270 WSM VS. 270 Winchester

Lead Poison,
Dead is dead! I killed eight whitetails last year with 270's, six with the Whizzum, two with the Winny. Both loaded with 130 NBT's, both out of 24" M700's. The ranges varied from approximately 125yds to a lasered 346yds. Both shot with the Winny at over 200yds, ran less than 50yds before expiring. All six shot with the Whizzum were DRT, not one took a step! All eight were shot through the front shoulders, at somewhat varing angles, but generally broadside.
This is not a scientific evaluation in the least, just the facts of my experience with both rifles last fall. My chronograph says I'm averaging nearly 180fps difference with the same bullet out of the two different rifles. I personally don't see how 180fps would make that much difference in shock transmitted to an animal, but the animal's reaction upon being hit were different. Recovered bullet fragments were smaller with the 270WSM. There was no pass through on several deer hit with the WSM. If my memory is serving me correctly, both deer hit with the 270WIN had some pass through. The base of one jacket, minus the core, was found under the hide on the off side. What was left of the core evidently passed through.
The bottom line is both cartriges will get the job done, but the Whizzum is flatter, and it should really shine with better bullets than the NBT'S. I also tend to believe that the 270WSM will be around for a long, long time.
F1
 
You are quite right LeadPoison. Dead is dead. But your statement seems to contradict or make light of the fact that there are many different cartridge choices out there to choose from. The .270 win will make an elk just as dead as a .300 RUM too so why ever shoot anything else? The point I was trying to make is that the .270 Win and the 270 WSM are too distinctly different animals and I have yet to find a ballistics chart, Olin or otherwise that bears out any different. In fact, every chart I have found has shown the .270 WSM to be ballistically equivilant or superior, with like weight bullets, to a 7mm Remington Magnum. The .270 win has never been able to claim that, paper or otherwise. Nor does the .270 Win perform in the field like a 7mm mag. The .270 WSM, in my experience, does perform in the same league as a 7mm mag with like weight bullets. I will concead that the 7mm mag does have some heavier weight bullet choices and is a stud when pushing those heavier bullets. My favorite gun is a 7mm mag. I also by no means meant to put down or over shadow the .270 win. Just was trying to say that the .270 win and .270 wsm are different and do perform different.
 
Here is my experience with the 270 Winchester and 7 Rem Mag:

8 out 9 deer I shot dropped on the spot with the 270

4 out 4 dropped with the 7 Rem Mag

In my experience I just don't see the need for better ballistics.

I can get 3100 fps with 130 grain bullets from the 270 Winny amd 3100 fps with 160 grain bullets from the 7 Rem Mag.
 
I have used a .270 Win for elk, deer, black bears, antelope, caribou, etc... since I was 14 years old. About ten years ago I fell victim to the gun rag hype about the .270 not being enough cartridge for elk-sized critters. I ran right out and bought a .300 Win Mag to see first hand what it was like to watch animals get toppled with a true big bore. After killing some elk, deer, and bears with the .300 Win I can't say I could see any drastic difference between the .270 and .300. I quickly got tired of the pounding the .300 gave me at the bench and the .270 went back into full time service. The point of my story is the .270 Win. will serve you just fine on deer, will pound you less at the bench, and be around for many years to come.
 
I own and shoot a 270 win, a 270 wea. mag, a 7mm rem mag, a 7mm STW and a 7 mm Allen Mag, my opinion is than inside of 350 yds, there is no difference, the weatherby and 7 RM really shines to 450, the STW is still carrying the mail to 600 plus, and the Allen is still running hard way out there. for average deer hunting ranges, especialy on the small florida whitetails, your just as well off maybe better with the 270 win.
RR
 
i have a weatherby vanguard sporter in .270win and i love it it shoots .60 at 100 with factory loads its nice smooth action all metal no cheep plastic parts. and the .270wsm is not worth the extra money for the added 150fps and 100lbs also thers more recoil. for the added money you can invest in realoading equitment to make killer witetail loads.
 
I work part time behind a gun counter and I have yet to see a 270 win and a .270 wsm priced any differently in any of the guns we offer that chamber the two cartridges. My point was never that there was anything wrong with the .270 win. The .270 win is a fine cartridge and will serve well just about anywhere in North America. My point was that the two are not the same. Your numbers are slightly off as well Nosler especially about the energy. There is almost 500 ft lbs of energy difference at the muzzle and a significant difference in trajectory. To some people that would be well worth it. The bottom line is they both have advantages and they both have disadvantages. Either could and would serve someone purpose. It comes down to preference. Some people like to have things that are a little different than every one else has. Hence the reason why there are so damn many choices out there in the gun world.
 
Quote:

I can get 3100 fps with 130 grain bullets from the 270 Winny amd 3100 fps with 160 grain bullets from the 7 Rem Mag.





Really? What are you loading. I can barley get over a 3100 (cronographed) out of my 26" barreled 7mag with a 140gr bullets.

I'll make the switch.
 
Well I went to the range and shot my Dad's buddys 270 WSM and My brothers 270 winchester and I shot the 270 winchester way better and I could shoot all day with a recoil that light so Im getting the 270 winchester.
 
Quote:
Quote:

I can get 3100 fps with 130 grain bullets from the 270 Winny amd 3100 fps with 160 grain bullets from the 7 Rem Mag.





Really? What are you loading. I can barley get over a 3100 (cronographed) out of my 26" barreled 7mag with a 140gr bullets.

I'll make the switch.



Actually 3075 fps with the Nosler Accubond 160 grain. I use 65 grains of R22. Reference for safe max load: Lee 2nd Edition
I also have a 26" barrel. I also seat them to 3.30" and crimp. I get no pressure signs and with the BOSS recoil is actually non-existant to me.
 
I read that article, actually skimmed over it. I will probably buy that magazine & study that article, I do not know if he loaded both to the same pressures, etc. I do know that the WSM factory ammo is loaded to higher pressures than std. round factory pressures. More than likely, if both rounds are compared with 24" barrels & loaded to the same pressures, the difference will be about 150FPS, for example about 3,150 in 270 Win. as opposed to 3,300FPS with the WSM, with fast barrels for both maybe 3,200 & 3,350 & so on.
I am thinking of getting a 270Win in the new pro-hunter 28" tubes, I will bet that a stiff, but safe reload in this barrel will easily be the equal of the 270WSM in the regular 24" bolt gun.
 
Hey Folks,
I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers here, but doing a comparison of the 270Win and 270WSM loaded to the same pressure is absurd! The WSM was designed to be loaded to higher pressures than the Winny. The WSM case has thicker walls near the base and a thicker web and is more heavily constructed in general, than the Winny.
Actually, the SAAMI specs for the 270 Win have been lowered from where they used to be. Most 270 Win pressures in the manuals are now in the 50s of thousands, where as they used to load them into the 60's.This is probably due to the broad range of firearms that have been chambered for the Winny. Actions have gotten stronger, and machining, design and metallurgy have improved, but liability has forced the industry to take into consideration all the older firearms produced in 270 Win.
The 270 WSM has been chambered in more modern firearms and is designed to operate well into the 60s of thousands of CUP,LUP, or PSI or whatever scale they're using this month.
The bottom line is that the only fair comparison of the two cases, is to load them up to their safe potential, with the same bullets, in the same length barrel, and let them fly over the chronograph, and let the chips fall where they may!
And that's my .02 worth......
F1
 
Then by your own admission it is not absurd with reloads
if as you said you have a modern 270, ugh the same model & age that you can in the WSM. Like you said, the std. rounds were loaded into the 60's & with the right set-up they still can be, otherwise they never would have been there to start with. The only conponent left is the case itself & notice I did NOT say that the velocity would be the same, but I feel the difference I showed to be close, but no biggie, as neither round is my favorite. Nor did I say that the factory ammo should be loaded to the same pressures, as someone could have an old gun, but for a careful reloader with the same spec. weapons, that has no relavence at all & not aburrd at all!!! To illustrate, the Hodgdon manual number 27 shows 9 max. loads that are over 60,000PSI for the 270.
As far as the WSM case is concerned, it is also loaded to higher pressures than cases like the 300WM & again it is not important to the reloader who can read pressures, several loades are listed with maximums beyond 60,000 for those also. No shocker about the thicker web & base, that trend will continue with our lawsuit driven society. All of that aside, I feel that the 270WSM is a neat round.
 
I took a nice buck last year with my M70 Winchester in 270 WSM Super shadow. This WSM has some very good thump. This is one of the best over the counter rifles I've shot, light recoil yet handles great, I've got Bushnell Elite glass on her and a tuned trigger, one fine combination.
 
Just a comment about Jack O'Conner mentioned above, in his later years, Jack was quoted telling a friend "get a .280, it's a better gun". the .270 Win is a good gun. always will be, sure, some may be better for this or that? in the hands of the same rifleman, most critters won't know the difference between either of the 270's. i have 2, 270 Win's (a 700, and a BAR) and like em both. the .280 was a wild-cat when i bought mine.
 
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