270 Win with 20" barrel

[KP]

There's been a lot of talk lately about the 270 Win. Does anyone here have experience with a 20" barrel on a 270 Win?

I already have a Ruger Hawkeye in 300 WM, but I'm looking for a lighter rifle for some back country hike-in hunts. I wanted to stay with the Ruger line, so I was looking at their Ultra Light Hawkeyes.

Any advice on 270 Win or maybe a 30-06 with short barrels would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, KP.

[Retsof]

My SIL has a Savage 270 Winchester with a 20" barrel. I don't reload for this caliber, since he does not shoot it much and there are many good factory loads for it. This rifle is very accurate with just about any factory load I've shot thru it. One of the factory loads is the Federal Premium load with the Barnes 110 gr TTSX bullet. The MV (in summertime which is the only time I've thus far shot over the chronograph) was only 70 fps less than factory claims (ie, 3,330 fps actual MV vs 3,400 fps factory stated MV). My SIL just back from Iraq and he has yet to take any deer with this rifle. Hopefully, that will change this coming deer season.

If your concern is loss of velocity due to the shorter barrel, well, yes, there will be some loss of velocity. However, it won't amount to a hill of beans at any sane distance within which deer (or other game animals) are typically shot. Based on what you've stated, it doesn't sound like long range shooting is one of your primary goals for which a longer barrel would be beneficial. FWIW, long range to me is 300 yards or more, though this definition will change with each individual.  One other thing, the muzzle blast will be louder but I've not found this to be a problem at all, since I always use electronic ear muffs for shooting at the range and when I'm hunting. Since I hunt from tree stands, the use of electronic ear muffs poses no problem for me. YMMV.

Though I've never owned a 30-06 (I know, that's heresy), I'd say the same is true as for the 270. I'm sure someone with more experience will chime in.

Good luck and good hunting.

[Brithunter]

Hi There,

      The first rifle I ever brought, and still have  , was a BSA CF2 Stutzen which has a 20" barrel and yep it's a .270 Win. Although I have shot some factory ammunition through it mostly it's been handloads. Yes it has a muzzle bark and depending on the powder type used some ammunition and handloads produce a large fireball. So to avoid that in my handloads I started using faster burning powders and found H-380 to work very well especially with the 130 grain bullets. Accuracy is very good and for two years running won the clubs 600 yard annual shoot using this rifle until they banned the use of scopes  .:-




The BSA Majestic Featherweight

 Strange as it may seem the Stutzen is actually heavier than another BSA in .270 win that has a 22" barrel. Perhaps due to having a fairly heavy barrel profile compared to the Majestic so check the actaul weight  Lightweight rifles are nothing new  The Majestic weighs 6 1/4"lbs with it's 22" barrel the Sutzen weighs just over 8lbs with it's 20" barrel. It takes more than just barrel length to make a lighter rifle for example the Majestic has the bolt handle hollowed out the left wall of the action scalloped and the rear bridge reduced in length and the barrel is slim in profile and then they also hollowed out the butt of the stock and the fore end under the barrel is also hollowed out. Not bad for 1959 Eh!

The weight of the wood will also effect this. For example a P-H 1100 Lwt in 308 Win that I acquired recently is actually heavier than a P-H 1200 Super in 8x57mm. This is due to the stock o the 8x57 being very light and the stock on the 308 is much heavier 

     Sorry to say but I cannot report on it's effectiveness on game as I have never managed to shoot any with this particular rifle. When I have been carrying it I have never come across the right beast, they have always been wrong species, sex or a beast that the estate didn't want shot.

Hope that is of some help.

[Graybeard]

I have no experience with it in a 20" barrel but I think all of mine have had 22" barrels and that 2" isn't gonna drop velocity more than 50-70 fps and likely that much difference is possible between any two barrels of same length. I'd not let it worry me. If you like the gun don't let 2" of barrel one way or another discourage you.

[mannyrock]

    I agree with the prior posts that loss of velocity is insignificant for hunting purposes, and isn't an issue.  What is an issue is muzzleblast. 

    The muzzle blast and muzzle jump of a .30-06 with a 20 inch barrel is somewhat severe and unpleasant. Don't take my word for it. Borrow one and go to the range.

    Since the .270 is just a necked down .30-06 (necked down to .278) I'm betting that the muzzleblast is equally bad.

     Yes, I know that you will be wearing ear protection, but you will still be absorbing the concussion and the blast and the muzzle jump, not to mention that wonderful orange burst during early morning and twilight.

   Just my opinions. 

   Mannyrock

[drdougrx]

Hi,

I had one...a ruger M77 Ultralite and I loved it!!  I reloaded for it and had NO PROBLEM getting 3000fps with 130gr bullets.  I burnt out the throat over the years and had it rebarreled.  20" is great!

[nomosendero]

Depends on your velocity goals & the amt. of muz. blast you want combined.

[KP]

Thanks everyone....

My intent was to buy a Ruger to match my 300 WM, but a great deal lighter. I was really surprised at how heavy this 300 is and how heavy all Ruger long action Hawkeyes are. I'm a bow hunter mainly, so velocity loss is no big deal to me. I got to looking at the Ruger Ultra Lights and was interested in the 270 Win with a 20" barrel because of their overall weight.

Retsof... yes, 300 yards is super long for me too. A buddy of mine shoots like that and even farther all the time. You can read some of his posts here, Sourdough (Rog). I prefer to get close enough to count eye lashes, before I let the arrow fly. BTW, tell your son-in-law welcome home and thank you.

Thanks, KP 

[Dave in WV]

A friend has a Ruger light weight 30-06 and it's his favorite rifle. He's been a Ruger man for many years.

[huntswithdogs]

I used to have a Winchester Model 70 with the 20'' barrel. It shot good and whomever made the comment about early morning and late evening fireballs sure hit it on the head. This thing would light up the woods when it went off! Leave ya blinkin for a minute or two. All I shot was factory stuff at the time, but it put down anything I shot at with no problem.


HWD

[Retsof]

KP,

Thank you, Sir. I will tell him.

[lgm270]

I helped a friend with a 20" .270.  With 55 gr. IMR 4350 and 130 grain Nosler BT, he got 2,950 fps.

[Silvertp]

KP...I can give you some game performance feedback.  Bought my son a Ruger Ultralite in .270 when he was 10.    Started him at the bench with 110 gr handloads.  He killed 2 deer that first year he hunted with that load.

He took several more deer and one bull elk with that rifle, shooting 130 and 140 grain bullets over the years, before switching over to bow-hunting only.  I don't ever recall him shooting at any game animal more than once for a clean kill.  There was absolutely no limitations for hunting with that 270 in the 20" bbl. 

Furthermore the rifle shot several different wt. bullets to nearly the same point of impact.  We developed sound hunting loads with bullets from 110 grains to 160 gr. Nosler.  The gun was light weight, easy to carry and shoot and very accurate.  I don't ever recall noticing excessive muzzle blast, but I do use ear protection when developing loads and sighting in.

In my opinion the Ruger ultralite in .270 is near the perfect rifle for backpacking into the mountains.

Silvertp

[lgm270]

KP...I can give you some game performance feedback.  Bought my son a Ruger Ultralite in .270 when he was 10.    Started him at the bench with 110 gr handloads.  He killed 2 deer that first year he hunted with that load.

He took several more deer and one bull elk with that rifle, shooting 130 and 140 grain bullets over the years, before switching over to bow-hunting only.  I don't ever recall him shooting at any game animal more than once for a clean kill.  There was absolutely no limitations for hunting with that 270 in the 20" bbl. 

Furthermore the rifle shot several different wt. bullets to nearly the same point of impact.  We developed sound hunting loads with bullets from 110 grains to 160 gr. Nosler.  The gun was light weight, easy to carry and shoot and very accurate.  I don't ever recall noticing excessive muzzle blast, but I do use ear protection when developing loads and sighting in.

In my opinion the Ruger ultralite in .270 is near the perfect rifle for backpacking into the mountains.

Silvertp

 
A great .270 post and a great father son story.  I had to wait until I was 17 before my dad got me my first .270.

[jcn59]

I have a .270 BAR with a barrel a bit over 20".

Using a premium factory fail safe load, My grandson just PULVERIZED a 650# elk last month.  Smashed some major bones.

Very light recoiling gun.   Noise??   Quiet compared to a .44 mag. handgun.

Not for sale.......