Thread: Having that 'best deer hunting cal' argument with a mate. 6.5x55 vs .270win vs 308

And fishermen are another bunch of their own!

Originally Posted by Danny

The age old...

The 270 and 708 are my least favourite caliber choices,

Why don't you like the 708? I've always thought it had most of the advantages of the 6.5x55 but with more factory pill selection.

Originally Posted by Dead is better

I've actually only ever reloaded so I'd never seriously looked at the shelf ammo before.

Just in theory, I placed the max killing distance at the point which all rounds would still be doing 1900ft/s to ensure the likelihood of the projectile expanding. That seems to be the common belief or am I wrong?

That gave me this in standard shelf ammo,
140gn 6.5x55 - 2650fts mv to 480m leaving 1125ftlbs. $60
140gn .270win - 2950fts mv to 510m leaving 1047ftlbs. $75
165gn 308win - 2700fts mv to 390m leaving 1329ftlbs. $50

So if those are my shelf choices, I'm seeing the swede as a better target choice no matter what. Less recoil
The 308 for the obvious hunting round. Cheap, monster power for most actual hunting distances.

Can somebody tell me why the .270win is worthwhile as a new guy hunting rifle?

(p.s I couldn't find a 140gn 308 cartridge for sale in NZ but if anyone knows one sing out)

Not sure where you got your figures from but I would be very surprised if a .277 cal projectile leaving the muzzle 300fps faster that a 6.5mm projectile (give the same type of projectile) would have 78ftlbs less energy, even 30m father out. You have to compare apples with apples which I don't think is the case.
There is also a big difference between 390m and 510m.

Originally Posted by Shearer

Not sure where you got your figures from but I would be very surprised if a .277 cal projectile leaving the muzzle 300fps faster that a 6.5mm projectile (give the same type of projectile) would have 78ftlbs less energy, even 30m father out. You have to compare apples with apples which I don't think is the case.
There is also a big difference between 390m and 510m.

In the figures given, both the 6.5 and the 7mm projectile are both 140gr. Since the 6.5 projectile is thinner, it must be longer to have the same mass. Longer generally means higher BC, and therefore is more aerodynamic, slows down less over distance, and retains more energy than a shorter higher cal projectile of the same mass. Seems plausible to me.

Originally Posted by stretch

In the figures given, both the 6.5 and the 7mm projectile are both 140gr. Since the 6.5 projectile is thinner, it must be longer to have the same mass. Longer generally means higher BC, and therefore is more aerodynamic, slows down less over distance, and retains more energy than a shorter higher cal projectile of the same mass. Seems plausible to me.

The small difference in diameter would not make that much difference in BC if the projectiles were of the same form (for instance 140gn Nosler Ballistic tips - .456 compared to .509 BC for .277 and .264). A velocity difference of 300fps is a BIG difference. Energy = Mass x Velocity squared) The squared bit makes a big difference. Double the mass and you get double the energy. double the velocity and you get 4x the energy.
I just did a quick check on the Hornady ballistics calculator and at 500m, at the quoted velocities it gave energy figures of 1066 ftlbs and 1254 ftlbs for the 140 6.5 BT and the .277 BT respectively.

Originally Posted by Friwi

You guys and your guns are a bunch of gay amateurs!
The bowhunters community at least has some REAL men arguments about which brand of bows, arrows and arrowheads kill best, and then the poundage of the bows, the weight of the arrow and the colour of their camo underwear dipped into "in season "doe piss!

Is it a compound? Or a real bow (bent Yew with a string)? Did you make your own arrows?Are they wood? Do you char the tips? Real men sneak up and catch them while they are still walking. Tough ones jump from choppers while the buggers are still running!!!!!

Originally Posted by Friwi

You guys and your guns are a bunch of gay amateurs!
The bowhunters community at least has some REAL men arguments about which brand of bows, arrows and arrowheads kill best, and then the poundage of the bows, the weight of the arrow and the colour of their camo underwear dipped into "in season "doe piss!

Friwi....best you look up topic of recent incident with moose ...might just about put you off dipping ya jockeys(unless of course being banged by a moose is your kind of thing lol)

Regarding moose I am pretty safe in NZ :-) some lunatic are still looking for them in Fiordland.

With a gun or a bow, I m stalking my preys down their wind, so no need to used the seasoned piss.

There are moose in Fiordland Friwi, they are in the same area as the four remaining moa species. It is as hard as all hell to find them but when you do, the hunting is easy.

Originally Posted by Rushy

There are moose in Fiordland Friwi, they are in the same area as the four remaining moa species. It is as hard as all hell to find them but when you do, the hunting is easy.

Theyre in area 52 just left of the glasnock and are most often seen by those at lake alice

lake Alice...thats the one you find after falling down the rabbit hole isnt it????

True left of the red mushrooms

Originally Posted by Danny

The age old...

The 270 and 708 are my least favourite caliber choices, recoil for performance is my personal reason for not owning the 270.

The reloaded 6.5x55 and reloaded 308 are simply good calibers. One can load the 308 from 130 to 180. I use both and also love the 165 & 168. But I load.

Off the shelf 6.5x55 offers a lot less as precautions have prevented them to be loaded near where optimal performance is close.
Plenty of people load so you can ask someone to load for you??
I would not recommend the 270 to anyone.


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you can load 308 up to 240 (if the slugs are still available) they hit bloody hard but drop faster than a brides knickers

imo they are all as good as each other but for different types of hunting 308 is great in a short barreled suppressed bush rat but it dose lack at long range
270 (although I hate the cal myself ) its a flat shooter for long range shooting where you use hold over rather than dialing I would never have one myself though as I hate guns that kick like a mule especially when there's rifles that can do everything it can and more with half the recoil but it is a poplar cal and must be for a reason.....
6.5cal in all forms is my favorite cal its low recoiling flat shooting and plenty of grunt for any hunting at ranges within reason personly I shoot 260rem which in my opinon "just" edges the 6.5x55 which is also great and better for a non reloader as 260 factory ammo is $$$$$$$

but it the end if the day theres no "best" caliber for deer it all comes down to the person how they hunt and at what ranges and hay if the deer dies humanely and you get food in your freezer who cares the deer doesn't know weather its been shot by a curtain caliber dose it in fact it shouldn't know much if your shot placement is correct

6.5x55 Sweed or the 260 rem