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Which caliber would you choose 270win, 280 rem, 7mm08, 308, 30-06


Perro Del Diablo

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'06: because I've used it my whole life and know exactly what it's going to do once I pull the trigger.

 

JFWIW, I don't use scopes and am not real fond of big cheek rests.  Also If my rifle doesn't have a wood stock it won't be mine for long.  I don't buy guns for the "gee whiz" factor.

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Curious about your 3 identical rifles in 5 different calibers.   Honestly. am an old 30/06 fan.    But been studying the good features of the 7/08.  Great selection of bullets for reloaders, lots of premium factory ammo available.   Less recoil, great rifles .  A great mountain rifle could built on short action, light weight and high preformance    GW

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I have never hunted sheep.  I have used a .270 for deer hunting for the past 22 years.  I would not hesitate to take it sheep hunting.

 

Jack O’Connor loved the .270 and he wrote the book on sheep hunting.  Literally (double pun intended).


https://www.amazon.com/Sheep-Hunting-Definitive-North-American/dp/0940143739
https://www.amazon.com/Sheep-Hunting-Definitive-North-American/dp/0940143739/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=jack+oconnor+hunting+books&qid=1609431444&s=books&sprefix=jack+oconn&sr=1-14

 

 

 

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I have used the .308, 30.06 and .270 for target shooting. I have “camped with guns” in California on deer hunting trips with .270 and .308 rifles. I say “camped with guns” as I never got a deer in CA. 
 

Anyway, I really like the .308 round, but in looking at all the data and with my experience shooting the .270 and the .308 out past 200 & 300 yards I would choose the .270 Winchester from all those on your list. 
 

I have made my most impressive shots using a .270. Well, impressive to me. I was the only one there. ;)

 

.270 has the best trajectory, ballistic coefficient, recoil, speed & energy when compared to the .308 and .30.06 in similar bullet weights and configurations. 
 

(I can’t believe I am talking myself into looking at buying a .270 vs a .308 rifle for my next long gun... I thought I had my heart set on a .308.) :blink:

 

I hope you get to go on this hunt. Sounds exciting. :)

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22 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

I have never hunted sheep.  I have used a .270 for deer hunting for the past 22 years.  I would not hesitate to take it sheep hunting.

 

Jack O’Connor loved the .270 and he wrote the book on sheep hunting.  Literally (double pun intended).


https://www.amazon.com/Sheep-Hunting-Definitive-North-American/dp/0940143739
https://www.amazon.com/Sheep-Hunting-Definitive-North-American/dp/0940143739/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=jack+oconnor+hunting+books&qid=1609431444&s=books&sprefix=jack+oconn&sr=1-14

 

 

 

Ya beat me.

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No bad choices there. Ballistically I'd take the .270. Being a .30/06 man for near 50 years that's probably what I'd take. Usually when I'm in such a quandary about which rifle to use, I usually opt for my old faithful '06.

JHC

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2 hours ago, Michigan Slim said:

My .270 last year. I sent this pic to a good friend who put a Basix trigger in and a bedding job.

 

IMG_20191116_201515_01.jpg

Nice looking rifle, but the bolt handle is on the wrong side. How did that happen?

 

I am a 30-06 operator. Too old to change. 

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This is thin skinned game. If they are all equally accurate, and all within reasonable hunting distances, any would work and work equally well. They all have similar MPBR and wind drift at 10 MPH at 300 yards they are all pretty well within an inch or two of one another in drift or drop at that range. The energies are all more than adequate for the game. In a hunting rifle,  with a typical hunting scope, I doubt shooting in field conditions after you humped it up a mountain to reach a sheep, most folks could not make up that bit of difference with any of these cartridges over any of the other cartridges not chosen. Most rifles out perform most peoples ability to shoot anyway. If wind speed doubles( and then there is wind angle), regardless of the cartridge you're looking at a miss or a gut shot animal if you don't dope it right. 

This is just an example chart I pulled up, but I'd go 270 or 280 with what you mentioned just averaging out good drift, drop and BC of bullets, though I would not rule out 25-06 or my 260 Remington ( also 6.5 Creedmore and 6.5 Swede).  If I had my druthers, I'd take a 280 AI or 7 Rem Mag. 

flattest shooting 500 yard deer rifle cartridge - The ...

 

Whatever the cartridge selection, I personally don't think it matters,  it is generally windy anywhere in the Rockies and lots of practice in different winds at different altitudes is warranted. The environment could far outweigh the shooter or cartridges abilities.

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27 minutes ago, Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 said:

Nice looking rifle, but the bolt handle is on the wrong side. How did that happen?

 

I am a 30-06 operator. Too old to change. 

 

I noticed that too.  Here... I fixed it for 'im.  :rolleyes:

 

 

788090710_FlippedRifle.jpg.526beb6cfda3980f8ebca737ddac2d9a.jpg

 

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3 hours ago, G W Wade said:

Curious about your 3 identical rifles in 5 different calibers.   Honestly. am an old 30/06 fan.    But been studying the good features of the 7/08.  Great selection of bullets for reloaders, lots of premium factory ammo available.   Less recoil, great rifles .  A great mountain rifle could built on short action, light weight and high preformance    GW

To reduce variety to only caliber 

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47 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

I noticed that too.  Here... I fixed it for 'im.  :rolleyes:

 

 

788090710_FlippedRifle.jpg.526beb6cfda3980f8ebca737ddac2d9a.jpg

 

Now it's wrong handed! Id look like I was doing a cross draw dance!

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Just now, Michigan Slim said:

Now it's wrong handed! Id look like I was doing a cross draw dance!

 

Naw... only problem now is the scope is backward ~ windage knob is on the wrong side!  :rolleyes:

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When I bought it the shop owner had the scope mounted so the windage was on TOP! I shat you not. And an expensive scope ring screw was ran in crossthreaded. 

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I am assuming you own them all and have shot each one enough to get used to each one. I would shoot the one that is the most comfortable and you shoot the best. All are good calibers for sheep. I myself, would pick the 30-06 with my own reloads. 

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What Big Sage said, knowing your rifle is more important than all these similar options as Dirty Dan said

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If you are lucky enough to go on a sheep hunt, take any one of those rifles.  Learn where it hits out to 300 yards. (My personal limit, you pays your money and you takes your chance!)

 

Show me a photo of your ram’s horns.

 

Good luck.

 

Watch where you step.

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15 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

If you are lucky enough to go on a sheep hunt, take any one of those rifles.  Learn where it hits out to 300 yards. (My personal limit, you pays your money and you takes your chance!)

 

Show me a photo of your ram’s horns.

 

Good luck.

 

Watch where you step.

Most hunters (myself included) can shoot about 6 minutes of angle under hunting conditions.  That's 18 inches at 300 yards, assuming the rifle has zero minutes accuracy, which it probably doesn't.  Therefore, I wouldn't take shots beyond 300 yds even on elk!  I'm a .30-06 man from the day I got my first bigbore rifle, 60 years ago!  I wouldn't have a .308 simply due to the potential for mixing up ammo and getting a .308 round in one of my -06's. If I had started with .308 that would have been okay!

 

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30-06 for me.
I just replaced my ancient Woodsmaster with an Accuguard.
'06 can be downloaded with H4895 or even Trail Boss as a kindness to youth/new shooters.
(My first black eye was from Dad's Woodsmaster).

For me, the overbore ratio of the '06 is a lot kinder than 270, 7mm Mag or 7mm Ultra Mag.
06' seems to be the "just right " all around design for reduced or full house loads.

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.270 I used my custom built k98 to hunt antelope in Wyoming back in the early 1960's. using 130 gr. sierra sbt bullets it was point blank range to 326 yrds.

I figured out the ballistics on my rifle and discovered it liked the 150gr .sierra sbt bullets better. also at 400 yds. the 150 has more velocity and more knock down

energy than the 130 gr.  My rifle with my hand loaded ammo would shoot sub minute  groups at 100 yds. and under 2" groups at 200 yds.  I killed several

antelopes at over 300 yds. It was also deadly on mule deer. My hunting pardners all used 30.06's and my .270 definitely had a longer range than they did?

good luck on your sheep hunt. what ever rifle you chose to take I wood practice with it a lot, 100 or more rounds. my proficiency test is to hit a can of beer on a fence post at 100 yds. with the first shot. After you just returned from a 4 mile hike?

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