7mm-08 or .270

[mrolen]

Im looking into getting a new deer rifle and cant figure out what caliber i want im stuck between the 7mm-08 and the 270. which one is better and why?

[Tony 270]

Neither is "better" for deer. They're ballistically pretty close and a deer will never know the difference.

[woodswalker]

the cartridges are ringers performance wise..but the 7-08 is a short action cartridge..while the .270 is a long action..so maybe a bit lighter rifle in the 7-08.

[Sneaky]

Depends on  whether or not you want a long or short action rifle. Also depends on how much you want to spend on ammo, the 7mm-08 is slightly more expensive. As far as performance, very similar.

[River]

I have always had a .270.  I have an ancient Winchester model 70 that was one of my first rifles, and also a Tikka T3 which is incredible accurate and easy to lug around.  I don't use it for everything anymore but would not hesitate to do so as it has been one of the great hunting rounds.  I haven't used the 7mm-08 but am sure it is fine, but different ballistics.  Compare the ballistics, the model of gun you want it in, and go with what you want.  Have fun!    

[carpsniperg2]

i have 2 7mm-08 and 2 270 and a 270 wsm so hard to choose the 7mm-08 has more bullet choices you can go from likw 100-110 grain bullet all the way to 175 grain bullet both are good round the 270 i would pick if i m looking at shots 200+ all the time but if i was not going to shoot over about 225-250 7mm-08 at bi mart the fctory ammo is very close maybe 2.00 difference higer for the 7mm-08 but i hand load everything. so just depends

[bobcat]

I had the same dilemma about 12 years ago and I chose the 270. A couple of reasons: one was the cheaper and more availability of ammo the other was the the rifle I decided on was the Browning A Bolt and in the 270 it was already more than light enough for me. If it was a different rifle that was a little heavier, I may have chosen the 7/08 instead because a short action is generally about 1/4 pound lighter. Ballistic wise, as others have said, there isn't a lot of difference. Although the 270 is slightly flatter shooting.

[mrolen]

i have 2 7mm-08 and 2 270 and a 270 wsm so hard to choose the 7mm-08 has more bullet choices you can go from likw 100-110 grain bullet all the way to 175 grain bullet both are good round the 270 i would pick if i m looking at shots 200+ all the time but if i was not going to shoot over about 225-250 7mm-08 at bi mart the fctory ammo is very close maybe 2.00 difference higer for the 7mm-08 but i hand load everything. so just depends

why wouldnt you shoot over 250 with it the remington ballistics calculator says with a 140 grain accu tip at 500 yards the energy is 1225 ft-lbs that should be plenty for a deer

[bobcat]

7/08 should be good to 400 yards for deer. 500 yards is really stretching it's capabilities I would say, but I'd say the same about the 270 Win.

[jayrod9528]

Go with a .270 WSM better than both. Check Ballistics.

[carpsniperg2]

i have 2 7mm-08 and 2 270 and a 270 wsm so hard to choose the 7mm-08 has more bullet choices you can go from likw 100-110 grain bullet all the way to 175 grain bullet both are good round the 270 i would pick if i m looking at shots 200+ all the time but if i was not going to shoot over about 225-250 7mm-08 at bi mart the fctory ammo is very close maybe 2.00 difference higer for the 7mm-08 but i hand load everything. so just depends

why wouldnt you shoot over 250 with it the remington ballistics calculator says with a 140 grain accu tip at 500 yards the energy is 1225 ft-lbs that should be plenty for a deer

i have plenty of other guns i can shoot that far with and it is personal choice that is why i said what i said. if i want to shoot over 250 i would prefer my 270 win if it is over about 400 i want my 300 win mag if it is over 600 yards i want my 50bmg juts my choice never did i say or would i say that the 7mm-08 does not have enough energy to take a deer past 250 just my choice that is all.


and yes jayrod9528 is the the wsm kicks the crap out of both having all 3 i know

[bobcat]

Go with a .270 WSM better than both. Check Ballistics.

"Better" is a subjective term. Ammo is more expensive and recoil is more. That's not better, IMO. But I agree it's a very good cartridge.

[mrolen]

well i all ready have a tikka t3 in 300 wsm but i want a smaller calliber for deer it seems like over kill and ammo is to expensive for me to get any trigger time with it

[Bob33]

Go big or stay home?
[smg id=9498]

[mrolen]

now thats over kill for a deer rifle 

[jayrod9528]

Go with a .270 WSM better than both. Check Ballistics.

"Better" is a subjective term. Ammo is more expensive and recoil is more. That's not better, IMO. But I agree it's a very good cartridge.

I hand load so it is a little more expensive ie. more powder however I did not see that cost and recoil are concerns.

[GEARHEAD]

love it when 7mm08 comes up. i love it, deer hate it. two of them were at 404 and 456 yards.

[Bob33]

The differences:
The .270 is based on a .30-06 cartridge.  The 7mm-08 is based on a .308 cartridge.
The .270 case holds more powder than a 7mm-08 case, in the same way a 30-06 case holds more powder than a .308 case.
The .270 shoots a .277 diameter bullet.  The 7mm-08 shoots a .284 diameter bullet.
The .270 needs a long action.  The 7mm-08 can use a short action.
Everything being equal, the .270 shoots slighter faster and with more energy than the 7mm-08.
The .270 has been around longer, is more popular and has more factory ammunition choices available.

Between the two, make your choice based on what matters to you.  Either is a fine cartridge, capable of taking deer and elk out to 400 yards and possibly beyond with the right bullets and proper use.

Stepping up to the 270 WSM increase velocity, energy, cost, and recoil to some extent.  I'm recoil sensitive and don't mind the recoil of a 270 WSM. I don't bother to worry about cost: if I'm spending hundreds of dollars on a hunt, I don't mind that a cartridge costs $2.50 rather than $2.25.  If you want to shoot thousands of practice rounds, it matters; otherwise don't worry about it.

[bobcat]

These types of threads are always interesting to read. The thing is, there is no "wrong" answer. Both are good and both will perform in a similar way.

[BigGoonTuna]

if you're buying it primarily as a hunting rifle i don't think the price gap between the .270 and 7-08 is really worth considering, but availability of ammo is if you aren't a handloader.  that's not a problem for me(i can get 7-08 in town) so i went with the shorter rifle.  the 7-08 is really pleasant to shoot, low recoil and muzzle blast.

if you're having problems deciding then flip a coin.  can't go wrong with either.

[fremont]

+1, i.e., can't go wrong.

That said, I have an '06, so I went with the 7-08 in a new Win M70 Fwt.  Guys oohed & aahed over it....and its weight (or lack thereof)....at last Oct's deer camp.  Love that rifle.

[runamuk]

Well I really like my... 7mmmmoh8 ..... see even the name is fun   

I'd say pick the one that appeals to you .....

[bobcat]

One other reason I went with the 270 Winchester... the nostalgia of it. Back when I was in high school, and even before that, I read a lot of Jack O'Connor articles, and that was HIS cartridge. To me that's reason enough to choose it over the 7/08. The 270 Win. has been around since 1925 and it still can't be beat, in any practical sense.

[JackOfAllTrades]

18 months ago I had the same dilema. What rifle/cartridge to upgrade my then 14yr old son up to from 243win. We settled on the 270win in the Marlin XL7. Bob33 summed things up pretty well. Long/Short action didn't really matter much to us. The 270 edges out the 7-08 just a tad in the flatter shootin/velocity category and is more apt to bee seen on the store shelves than 7-08. -although we reload. As others have said, there's nothin wrong with the 7-08 either. Both have a following. Both are available to be rechambered/reamed in Ackley Improved. 

-Steve

[GoldTip]

Well for me it wouldn't be either one, just personally.  You say you already have a 300wsm, which I'm assuming you carry when animules bigger than deer on the menu and you say your looking for something a smaller s a "deer rifle".  For that you'd be better off with a 25-06.  Same action length as a 270win.  And is truly a step down from the 30cal you currently hunt with.  But if I was pressed to pick between the two you've mentioned, I'd go 7mm08.

[scout88]

love my 308 win for deer

[mrolen]

well im bulding a howa 1500 in 308 at school right now but thats going to be my safe queen i just want a rem 700 in one of those calibers that i can build as another project and take it out and hunt with it and wont feel bad if i put a scratch in the stock.

[Sporting_Man]

I would give some slight advantage to 7mm-08 due to the shorter barrel. With 270Win, you "should" be at 24 inch of barrel, but 7mm-08, being short case, burns faster and anything over 22 inch of barrel would not benefit it. So, that is where the advantage of 7 mil lays. 

[D-Rock425]

I was given a sako 7mm08 from my Grandpa.  It was his best friends and he passed away a few years ago left all his guns to my grandfather.  Anyway I had to put a scope on it and I was shooting in no time.  I shoot 140 grain factory loads and it shoots just fine.  I have shot 3 bears with it in the last 2 years and not one has left my sight.  I would hunt anything in the lower 48 with that gun.  I love it.

[addicted]

if you want more bullet options its the 7mm. if you want more powder its the .270.  if you want your kid to shoot it......7mm.  if you dont want grandpa "i only use old faithfull" to bitch at you then its a .270.  If you want to be different but still have the best of both worlds, get a 7x64.

[fishingnut71]

Id go with the .280. real similar to the 7mag on performance but handles like the .270. just my 2cents. Why be under gunned. One rifle for everything.

[Pathfinder101]

.270 win.  All day, every day.  I guess it is the same as choosing between a .308 and a 30-06.  If you go with the long action round you get more powder, speed, etc...
The 7mm/08 will kick less if that is a concern. 

[robescc]

Neither one.  7wsm all the way.

[PA BEN]

I purchased a 7mm-08 win. mod. 70 youth ranger for my girls. Not much kick, and will kill deer, bear and elk. I love to take 200 yd head shots with it.

These where all shot w/the 7mm-08



 

[addicted]

I purchased a 7mm-08 win. mod. 70 youth ranger for my girls. Not much kick, and will kill deer, bear and elk. I love to take 200 yd head shots with it.

These where all shot w/the 7mm-08



 

 

[Pathfinder101]

THose are some great bucks, (and a nice looking stack of firewoood-since I'm the kind of guy that appreciates that sort of thing...).  I considered the 7mm/08 for PathfinderJR when I was looking at a new rifle for him last winter for his birthday.  I wound up going with the .308, but I agonized over it for weeks.  If I could have gotten a youth rifle in a long action round though, I would have gotten a .270 (...grew up as a disciple of Jack O'Connor.  You can blame it on that...)

[alanger]

7mm-08

 

[C-Money]

My wife just upgraded to a 7mm-08 from the 243. She wants to Elk hunt so she wanted a new gun. I didn't argue! I like hunting with my wife!

[jdb]

my only big game rifle is and always has been a .270. but if I were starting life all over again I'd buy a remington model 7, 7mm08. I find I prefer the feel of a short action rifle.

[GlennGTR]

7-08 inherits the accuracy charicteristics of the 308. A lot more bullet choices and a lot more match grade bullet choices in 7mm. I shoot a Rem 700 XCR in 7-08, traded my 270 for it. 7-08 is catching on a lot and ammo is much more readily available. For Deer mine loves 140 grain Core Lokts, shoots under an inch all day long. For elk you could go with a 140 partition in Federal Premium or 154 spire point from Hornady. There is also a 140 grain tsx if you like those. It is easier in the recoil department also and a pleasure to shoot. Short actions weigh less and are stiffer helping to add to accuracy.  Ammo is the same price as 270 in premium or standard grade, at least at Cabelas and Wholesale sports.

[GEARHEAD]

my 7mm-08 has shot 11 deer. 3 were over 300 yards, one of those a 456 one shot drop. not one animal took more than a dozen steps.

[runningboard]

my wife shoots a 7mm-08 and shot a bull elk for 247 yards with a 140 grain Nosler partition went maybe 20 steps and over he went. Great cartridge. that being said my personal favorite go to gun is my 270. can't go too far wrong with either.

[Wanttohuntmore]

Let me understand this, you are purchasing this to have cheaper ammo?  I assume you're purchasing ammo and not reloading?  Then teh 270 would be cheaper to shoot.  Or for that matter, a 3006 or 308.  The 7-08 has way less factory fodder to find on the shelves, and the prices show that...  Personally, I like the 7-08 better than the 270, just because I reload, and the 7mm bullet options are endless.  But if I was only hunting deer, I probably still would go with a 270, it's a little flatter with identical bullet weights/barrel lengths.  I have a 7-08 in a 15" Encore, and we've taken bear with it at 250 yds, and it did well!