.270 with 130 grain bullet up close. Too much gun?

[mannyrock]

Dear Guys,


   I am considering a .270 rifle.  Most of the deer I hunt are medium size.  I would only be using the 130 grain soft points, either Federal power point or Remington Corelokt. 


   My problem is, it is not uncommon to get a really close shot, say at 25 yards.,


   Can I expect the bullet to perform on deer this close?  Or will I just get quick pass-throughs, with a little hole in and out.  I saw this happen twice last year, by a friend who was shooting a .243 with 100 grain Corelokts.   The deer went a long long ways, with very little, sometimes no, bloodtrail.   Had to shoot them again after they laid down.  There was a little hole in and out from that .243.


Thanks for all real world experience.


Mannyrock

[PowPow]

At 25 yards, can't you just shoot it in the neck?

[gr8ful]

worst I can say about the 130s in a 270 is that they wreck a lot of meat up close.

[bilmac]

I couldn't count the number of deer and antelope I've shot with a 270. Some were close, and when that happens then it just makes a bigger splash. I can't say that I've ever had one fail to open up. You would expect that to happen at extreme long range, and that could happen and you would be less likely to ever know about it.

I shoot most of my critters just for the meat so I have tried to find something that smushes a little less meat. I am using 110 gr Sierra  game kings now and I think they are a little better balance between kill power and meat damage.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

Since my youth the .270 has been a favored whitetail rifle.. A very reliable killer both close up and at distant ranges.. When I first started hunting, we hunted woodlands.. Close shots were common, and the .270 performed very well... A couple years ago, I picked up a custom barreled 700 in .270.. This fall I used it on two whitetails.. One about 50 yards.. It did run, but following the blood trail was not a problem.. Ribs were destroyed, b ut that is all... Years ago I had a very nice 721 in a .270.. It shot Fed. 130's in to an inch all the time.. So I never reloaded much for it.. I killed a number of deer with that rifle with out a hitch..  When I dropped to caliber's below it, then issues such as you describe began to crop up.. But they were usually with animals shot at longer ranges..

[flintlock]

I can't imagine a 100gr CoreLokt in .243 not doing tremendous damage at that range...I've killed over 200 deer with a .243 and more than half with that bullet, no problems...
 
My brother and his son use .270s, the only difference we see is more blood shot meat with the .270s...
 
Either caliber is excellent for deer...

[Land_Owner]

25 yards - no need for speed.  Use less powder and 150 gr. Nosler Partitions for instant kills and very little meat destroyed.  Plus, at that distance, ALWAYS shoot them in the neck from a steady rest.

[schoolmaster]

The Remington 150 grain softpoint is a little slower and works well at woods range.

[thumbcocker]

I've used the 150 gr. speer in mine for years. Very little meat damage, and it just knocks them off their feet. Works short or long range.

[RIF]

I think a 270 would be fine, at 25 yards shoot them in the neck.  If you are not going beyond 150 yards a 30-30 might be a better choice. 

[RaySendero]

Dear Guys,


   I am considering a .270 rifle.  Most of the deer I hunt are medium size.  I would only be using the 130 grain soft points, either Federal power point or Remington Corelokt. 


   My problem is, it is not uncommon to get a really close shot, say at 25 yards.,


   Can I expect the bullet to perform on deer this close?  Or will I just get quick pass-throughs, with a little hole in and out.  I saw this happen twice last year, by a friend who was shooting a .243 with 100 grain Corelokts.   The deer went a long long ways, with very little, sometimes no, bloodtrail.   Had to shoot them again after they laid down.  There was a little hole in and out from that .243.


Thanks for all real world experience.


Mannyrock

 
Manny,
 
If I get on the shoulders - I'll lose a good part of the off-shoulder meat.  But it anchors the dear DRT and to me 1 shoulder is not big price to pay for NOT having to track a deer at night.

[mannyrock]

Hey Guys,


   Thanks for all of the suggestions.


   I never thought of trying to make a neck shot.  Haven't ever used one in 40 years of hunting.  Maybe I'll study up on that one.


   In the meantime, I may have stumbled across another solution.    Hornady now makes the .270 Custom Lite ammo, with a 120 grain SST bullet.   2,650 fps at the muzzle.   It has about 1,600 foot pounds of energy at 100 yards, and 1,300 foot pounds of energy at 200 yards.  Sighted in 2 inches high at 100 yards, it is dead on at 200 yards.


   Interesting to learn that the .270 Win and the 6.8 spc use the same diameter of bullet.  So, the .270 Custom Light is basically  a 6.8 spc +P.  Delivers about 200 foot pounds more than the 6.8 spc with a 115 grain bullet.


   Of course, this Lite ammo costs around $34 a box, delivered.  But then, I'm down to about a 4 boxes a year as a shooter.


   Just something to think about.  (Hornady claims a 43% recoil reduction, compared to the standard 270 round with a 130 grain bullet.)


Mannyrock


   

[nodlenor]

At 25 yards there shouldn't be any problem making a good shot with no worries about ruining meat.

[Bigeasy]

Mannyrock-

I don't think a 130 grain bullet in a 270 is your best choice for close range deer.  I like venison, and, at least in my experience, light weight lead core and cup bullets can damage too much meat, as well as limit penetration.  One of the reasons I don't like neck shots with an explosive bullet - a good neck roast destroyed.  If you are just taking broadside lung shots, then they work great - kill quick with little meat damage.  I think a controlled expansion bullet, like a Nosler PT in 150 grain is a better choice.

Reading between the lines in your response, I think recoil may be an issue?  You might want to consider ammo loaded with the Barnes TSX all copper bullet in 110 or 130 grain (both available in factory loaded ammo)  Less recoil, and no bullet blow up, which means less meat destruction, and deeper penetration than a lead / copper bullet of the same weight.

Yea, you pay about twice the price for a premium bullet compared to the regular stuff, but in the scheme of things, how many rounds do you really shot at a deer anyway?  Compared to total cost, whats a few more dollars for the right load?  You can always use the cheap stuff for practice, and save the good stuff for your final 3 sighting shots on paper, and a fourth for stocking your freezer.  Your question is a good example of where using the right bullet can really pay off.  That all said, of course just about any bullet will kill a deer out of a 270 - we are just talking about the best choice for the job..

Larry