Would you agree with this statement about 270?

[ms]

Ive been using a .270 since the mid 70's. I also reload,but had never found a bullet that dropped deer in its tracks. The .270 is notorious for having fatally-hit deer continue 50 yards plus before dropping. That was the case for me until I tried your Hornady Custom Super Shock Tip ammo. I can literally pick which track of the road in the woods I want the deer to drop in for easy loading. Also I have found a margin of error in the weight of the bullets I reload (the projectile) that's inherent in all makes. The other manufacturers don't have the consistency that Hornady does, by proof of the amount of rounds separated by grain weight - in tenths of a grain in 100 round lots, that Hornady quality assures. Thanks for making the .270 as potent as Jim Carmichael touted it.  I've converted my other .270 friends simply by giving them one round to shoot a deer with... they convert afterwards.  This came from hornady scrapbook.
 
 
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[Brithunter]

Hmmm  well now I don't agree with these ideas and in fact have never noticed much weight variation in .277" bullets, in fact when I went through a box of Nosler 130 Grn Bal Tips I was surprised at just how consistent they were. This showed up on the target at 600 yards with excellent grouping. As for having deer run at the shot, well there are several factors which effect this, one major factor is if the deer is aware of you and if it is it will like run at the shot even though technically dead on it's feet. Due to the fact that deer are prey species they have a built in escape mechanism known as "Mesamassmatics" or pre programmed muscle movements which caused dump on adrellelin into the beast and  will run until all the oxygen in the blood supply or the blood to the muscles are used up.

Now a calm feeding/resting unaware beast is more likely to drop on the spot or after a few steps. I think it more likely it was the way in which the deer were approached and shot that is why they ran rather than the cartridge/bullet combination used. Bullet placement is of course key to cleanly taking Deer and despite claiming that he used this 170 rifle/cartridge combination since the 1970's that does not say whether the person shoots regularly or only during hunting season and if this person can actually shoot accurately or not. There simply put too many unstated things to make it even possibly to decide it's merits.

[nodlenor]

Don't know about all the technical stuff but I reload for my 270 and have been using Hornady's SSTs and have very good luck with them. I got a 10 pointer last year that didn't take a step after the 150 grainer hit him. Might not do it every time but I'm going to use them again. I can't see paying twice as much for components that don't seem to work any better. I've used some of the higher priced bullets and they work good but not any better. I don't hunt Elk or Moose (only whitetail) so I can't speak for or against how the SSTs will work on them. The bullet still has to hit the right spot.

[RaySendero]

The .270 is notorious for having fatally-hit deer continue 50 yards plus before dropping.

This came from hornady scrapbook.

BS...BS...BS!


I've had more Bang-Flops with my 270 than all my other deer rifles put together.

I reload the 150 Sierra GameKing.

[John R.]

I also think this is total BS. If you put a decent bullet where it's supposed to go, you will have deer meat in the freezer. I've had a number of Bang Flops with the 270, with several different bullets. Shoot em where they live!!!

[Kurt L]

I agree very much with the others and I love the 270.
9 of 10 deer I shot have been dropped right were they stand.
also bullet placement is key as others say.

[myronman3]

the only thing my 270 is notorious for is being an accurate, reliable killer.  animals running after the shot....bullpuckey!

[superdown]

I have only shot one deer with a 270 it was a very dramatic bang flop like has been said before i used factory Winchester ammo it was the 140 grain fail safe at 86 yards i couldn't ask for a quicker kill . superdown

[james]

Its not the bullet or caliber, its bullet placement.  I've only taken two deer with a .270 and the first was hit in the shoulder and dropped in its tracks, while the 2nd was hit next to the last rib and it ran about 75 yards.  If I had hit both like the first they both would have dropped in their tracks.  If I had hit both where I did the 2nd, they both would have run.  I've shot them in the neck with a .223 and they dropped and in the lungs and they ran 30 to 50 yards.    I've probably taken 20 deer with a muzzleloader and can't remember losing any.  Even the poor hits (and I've made a few) left a blood trail where the animal could be recovered.  The .270 is no different than any other rifle... its all bullet placement.  I now use a 6.5 x 55 for whitetails and a .308 or 06 for mulies. The only 270 I have is a safe queen.

[lgm270]

More than 30 years of deer hunting with the .270 Win (130 Grain Nosler Partitions) and I have never had a deer go 50 yards after hitting it. They generally fall and thrash around.  Mostly lung shots. I have never had to chase a deer I hit with the .270.   I have chased many deer wounded by companions using .243's and 7mm Rem Mags.

[davem270win]

I've shot a number of deer with the 270. The only real 'bang-flop' I've had is when I broke the backbone shooting downhill at a moving deer. On the other hand, the only deer that ran any significant distance was one I shot running away. I broke the left rear leg and the bullet lodged in the liver, not reaching the chest cavity. The other 7 or 8 were all 'textbook' shots and I don't think any deer went more the 30 yards before dropping.
Since I woods hunt and my shots are close, I did switch from a 130 gr Sierra to a 150 gr Nosler solid base (now ballistic tip). But both bullets have worked well for me, but I feel the heavier bullet is less likely to break up if it hits bone.

I don't know about others, but when I'm in the process of actually shooting the deer, I not considering how I'm going to drag it out!

And I certainly can't choose the exact spot where I want my deer to fall.

[thumbcocker]

I use the 150 gr. speer hot cor in my 270, and after being hit they drop right there. Also had good luck with 130 gr. core lokt's.

[NONYA]

Unless you sever the spine,skull,or both front shoulders the deer is going to travel some distance before it dies,regardless of caliber.Lung shot deer usually travel 50-100 yards,I have seen deer with their heart completely shot out travel 100 yards.Anyone that says all their deer are bangflops hasnt shot many deer,especially if they shoot for the lungs.I prefer the front shoulder shot to anchor deer,even with broken front shoulders a deer will travel if there is a downhill slope.

[Brithunter]

Actually I don't favor the heart shot, always seem to run for a litttle while with heart shots, however take a high heart low lung and they seem to drop on the spot or much quicker.

[thumbcocker]

I've had more bang flops with a 270 than any other rifle I've ever used. And I've shot a pile of deer.

[Swampman]

Any bullet that will shoot through both front shoulders, is all the bullet you need.  Personally I've never liked the .270 Winchester.  In a bolt gun, the .30-06 is all I need.

[kevthebassman]

I don't hunt with a .270 myself, (30-06 or .35 Rem) but my best hunting bud does, and I've seen him kill a pile of deer with his.  It's like any other caliber, a good shot will anchor the animal, and a poor shot will not.  Sometimes even at the best shot a deer will live for as much as 10 seconds, and a deer can cover a whole mess of ground in 10 seconds.

And NONYA, I've had some bang-flop kills with lung-shot deer. 

[myronman3]

only one deer out of all of them i have shot with a 270 was able to cover any ground after the shot, and it was totally my fault as i hit it a little back, the bullet went through where the diaphram is, essentially a forward gut shot.   but it was in a world of hurt and didnt go very far at all. 
 
  all the others dropped dead instantly.

[PartsMan]

If you can't track a 50yd blood trail maybe you shouldn't hunt deer.

You have to hit the nervous system or take out the legs to "drop" a deer.
Those are not easy shots.
So shoot the lungs and track a little.

[glshop20]

I think the .270 is a great deer cartridge as are many others.  Accuracy is outstanding and the only reason it is not a widely used target round is because of lack of press and not very extensive choice of projectiile.  With all due respect if you want to see things go down quickly you are better off with a large caliber,heavy projectile at a moderate speed.  (47-70 with 400gr bullet @ 1800fps. or better if your rifle can handle the pressure.)  I firmly believe that a large caliber bullet inflicts more real world shock and knock down power then does a fast smaller caliber bullet-forget the calculations

[myronman3]

i think some of you need to come watch me shoot a few deer.  you cant get deader faster than what i have been seeing.  these animals are dead before they even hit the ground; as if lightning struck them between the eyes.

[Swampman]

Nothing will make me pass on a rifle quicker than .270 Winchester stamped on the barrel.  I might buy one to rebarrel if it were cheap enough.

[kevthebassman]

Nothing will make me pass on a rifle quicker than .270 Winchester stamped on the barrel.  I might buy one to rebarrel if it were cheap enough.

What makes the .270 such an awful caliber?

[OHHJIMMY]

My experience has been the same as Nonya's.

[nomosendero]

Nothing will make me pass on a rifle quicker than .270 Winchester stamped on the barrel.  I might buy one to rebarrel if it were cheap enough.

What makes the .270 such an awful caliber?

Nothing I would say.

[kevthebassman]

I was just curious to why Swampman thinks it's so terrible that it is unfit to use?  I mean, it's a happy medium between the 25-06 and the 30-06, both wonderful deer cartridges in their own right.  Most of them can be made to shoot very well with factory loadings.  They are, relatively speaking, mild in recoil.  And you can buy ammo anywhere to boot!

I know all the reasons why I wouldn't hesitate to use one..... but I can't, for the life of me, see what makes it so awful in Swampman's opinion.

[dukkillr]

I was just curious to why Swampman thinks it's so terrible that it is unfit to use?  I mean, it's a happy medium between the 25-06 and the 30-06, both wonderful deer cartridges in their own right.  Most of them can be made to shoot very well with factory loadings.  They are, relatively speaking, mild in recoil.  And you can buy ammo anywhere to boot!

I know all the reasons why I wouldn't hesitate to use one..... but I can't, for the life of me, see what makes it so awful in Swampman's opinion.

For some people being a contrarian makes them feel smart.  The .270 is either the best, or second best (30-06) deer round available in America.  Availability and diversity of factory loads combined with obvious effectiveness.  Flat trajectory, good sized bullet.  Millions of animals worth of experience.  What else could one want?

[Swampman]

Mediocrity is it's greatest recommendation.  It's not big enough for big game, and it's too big for small game and varmints.  Elmer Keith thought it was a fair coyote caliber.  I think it's too loud for that use.  In 45 years of shooting I've never seen a .270 that was very accurate.  It's my least favorite caliber.  You asked....

[Cement Man]

My hunting partner moved from Wisconsin to Wyoming last year for a new job, and probably more so because he loves the Tetons and he loves elk hunting.  He shoots a .270.  I don't know how many antelope and mulies he's taken but I've hunted with him when many of his 50+ whitetails and 9 elk have fallen to his .270. 

I don't know how I am going to break the news to him that he is using such an impotent cartridge.  The animals must have been dead......... we ate them all.

[Swampman]

Hundreds of big game animals are killed every year with flint tipped arrows from homemade hickory and osage bows.  Like the .270 Winchester you just have to wait for that perfect shot.  You'll find the animal at the end of the blood trail.