Thread: Newbie from Dunedin

Hi team.

It's been awesome being a part of this forum, soaking up some of all the (mostly) good advice.
I've got a couple of questions, so i figure an introduction would be a good ice breaker!

My name is Sander, 28 years old.
I'm originally from Denmark and came here for what i though would be a 6-12 month OE.. Now my wife and I are permanent residents and loving NZ more and more every day.

When we first came here, we lived in Dunedin.. We took the opportunity to live in quiet Queenstown during Covid and hastily fled back to Dunedin once the boarders started opening!
We're now living in the Karitane area, loving coastal life..

I'm in the process of getting my firearms license and have spent what feels like an eternity researching what caliber to go with.
I know, i know.. Heaps of good options out there, and very few straight out bad options.

Considering ammo price, availability and selection, external and terminal ballistics, rifles being chambered for it, what sort of hunting i am interested in etc. etc. i have chosen the 270 win.
Feel free to comment on that choice, but i feel like with every other interesting option presented to me, i only feel better about going for a 270 win.

Now here is where it gets confusing.. Recoil.. sure there's heaps of info on "the numbers", free recoil energy, recoil velocity etc. but that only serves to compare between calibers..
If you listen to seasoned hunters and shooter on Youtube etc. they see the 270 win recoil to be quite mild, but they've also been shooting big caliber stuff for decades!
But then i see several people on this forum describing how a 270 kicks like a mule in a light rifle like the Tikka T3's..

I've been doing target shooting on range with a 22LR for sport since i was 10 years old or so.. In other words.. I don't have any experience with real recoil.
I only have one mate in the area who's hunting, and he's got a .308 in a fairly light Bergara (B14 i think), suppressed, which i haven't shot but probably could do some time.

I don't really know any other way of finding out if the 270 recoil is going to work for me, besides buying one and finding out the hard way, and I'm quite keen to buy something decent from the get go.

I plan to go with a light-ish rifle (Tikka T3x, Sako A7, X-bolt etc.) with a suppressor, bipod and 4.5-18 Zerotech scope.
Expected hunting will mostly be deer, goat, sheep for meat, but i also want to have something capable of taking on some bigger animals at decent range.
(also signed up for HUNTS course and will be joining Deerstalkers when i get my firearms license)

So the long and the short of it: do you think i am going to be flinching like a little girl if i get a 270 win?


Bonus question: is buying used a good idea as a novice who wont really know how to judge condition of action and barrel?


I hope combining an introduction and a question in this category is okay, it is my first post.
If anyone in the area is keen to team up with a novice on a hunt (or fish) some day, get in touch, I'm always looking for good company!

Cheers, Sander


TLDR: Is the 270 win (recoil) a good choice for someone completely new to anything bigger than 22LR?

in very short:

Tikka is a good choice

308 is s great caliber (was also torn between 308 and 270, glad i took the 308, still opted fora recoil pad and a suppressor)

definately try it out before if you can.

have a look at the deerstalkers meetings (tonight at 7 is one)

Welcome to the forum. Your introduction will invite a lot of feedback for sure.

Hi mate, thanks for the input!

Have you had a chance to shoot a similar rifle chambered in 270 since getting your 308, and if so, how different was the recoil?
I'm wondering if shooting my mates 308 will give me a good idea, like 308+20% or something like that..

Hard to try when you don't know anyone with a 270 and i don't want to bother too many strangers to let me shoot their rifle.

I can't make it tonight, but i'd be keen on dropping in and saying hi at next meeting

Originally Posted by Shearer

Welcome to the forum. Your introduction will invite a lot of feedback for sure.

Thanks mate, happy to be part of the team

Welcome, this site is great for solid advice from experienced people.

A good recoil pad and a suppressor will negate most of the felt recoil.

Kia ora Sander

My first centerfire over 30 years ago now was a husqvarna 270 i shot 130gr not the 150gr to minimize recoil, i was a young fella and loved it.

Put a suppressor on it, you'll be fine

Personally i prefer the 308 or 7mm08

I was in Dunedin foe maybe 10 years, left about 3 years ago, its a great place for hunting, big hills in the silverpeaks but pigs, deer and goats everywhere, great place to hunt for food.

Many of the farmers are very friendly and often allow and apprieciate rabbit shooters on their land and that often leads to pigs or deer need to be removed on the back boundary..

Your in a hunters paradise bro

Enjoy

Welcome aboard. Go and get involved with the deerstalkers. Plenty of members don't have a licence and still get involved in activities in the branch up here in Queenstown.

A 270 will see you right (as will a 308). With it being suppressed, it'll tame some recoil and noise.

Welcome aboard

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Welcome, this site is great for solid advice from experienced people.

A good recoil pad and a suppressor will negate most of the felt recoil.

Thanks mate, lots of good stuff on here for sure!

I've sorta reached the same conclusion by reading up on it, but the comments on here of people claiming the 270 kicks like a mule stirred up some doubt, so always good to have a couple second opinions!

Originally Posted by Vault

Kia ora Sander

My first centerfire over 30 years ago now was a husqvarna 270 i shot 130gr not the 150gr to minimize recoil, i was a young fella and loved it.

Put a suppressor on it, you'll be fine

Personally i prefer the 308 or 7mm08

I was in Dunedin foe maybe 10 years, left about 3 years ago, its a great place for hunting, big hills in the silverpeaks but pigs, deer and goats everywhere, great place to hunt for food.

Many of the farmers are very friendly and often allow and apprieciate rabbit shooters on their land and that often leads to pigs or deer need to be removed on the back boundary..

Your in a hunters paradise bro

Enjoy

Hi mate,

Good to know you didn't have much trouble with it.. I imagine the old husky was a fair bit heavier than a modern light mountain rifle, limiting felt recoil, but i don't imagine you would have had a suppressor on it 30 years ago, so it might be somewhat similar at the end of the day!

Yeah Dunedin is a beautiful area for sure!
I have had a couple of scouting trips into the Silverpeaks and have some ideas of where i might find animals, but haven't seen anything but sign yet.

Great tip getting in touch with some farmers too. I did already plan to get a .22LR to do some rabbiting on farms (for free), but knowing they might also have a couple of deer to get rid of is only a bonus!

If you don't mind, would you want to have a little chat about hunting the Silverpeaks? feel free to send me a PM if you want to!

Thanks for the tips!

Originally Posted by Kimber 7mm-08

Welcome aboard. Go and get involved with the deerstalkers. Plenty of members don't have a licence and still get involved in activities in the branch up here in Queenstown.

A 270 will see you right (as will a 308). With it being suppressed, it'll tame some recoil and noise.

Thanks mate!

After all the encouragement about showing up to meetings even before getting a firearms license, I'll definitely be heading down to the local branch soon!

Originally Posted by Rushy

Welcome aboard

Thanks mate, happy to be here!

Dont think i cam pm yet or dont know how to either yet

Having been shooting a 270
K98 Mauser as my 1st rifle at age 11, I don't really understand the recoil issue, im nog big bloke , tall and skinny, proper posture , firm shoulder Weld
Love 270 even shot cape Buffalo and hippo with it
@norwhal got a u beaut deal on one 2nd hand
Suppress it if u have to
Nothing in this country or oz ubwint kill with it