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  #31  
Old 03-23-2018, 07:19 AM
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Between the two I would choose the 308 , just because!
Cat
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  #32  
Old 03-23-2018, 07:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Redneck 7 View Post
Just giving my opinion on this matter, I’m a big fan of the .308 family and .243 is one of my favourite calibers, I own 2. Not everyone’s the same when it comes to shooting. Just figured I’d suggest that so he start out on the right foot and enjoy shooting instead of getting frustrated shooting paper because he developed a bad habit.
But in the same paragraph you out right say that he needs to start out on the “right” foot and he will get frustrated shooting paper because he develope a bad habit. Your right when you say not everyone is the same, I bet 70 percent of the ladies can handle the cartridges he listed. Just because you need to shoot a 243 does not mean he needs to. The promotion of the “minimum legal” caliber to new hunter is not ethical without first suggesting he try something larger and I’m not saying belted magnums either so no sense everyone barking about that. There was a post stating to ignore all you people about the recoil concerns, I won’t go that far but it’s like my kids saying they don’t like shrimp or mushrooms because their mother doesn’t like them yet they haven’t even tried them. You like what you like, I like what I like but don’t tell him he will develop a flinch and dislike shooting because he chose differently than you. It’s not fair to him or the animals.
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  #33  
Old 03-23-2018, 07:41 AM
Redneck 7 Redneck 7 is offline
 
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But in the same paragraph you out right say that he needs to start out on the “right” foot and he will get frustrated shooting paper because he develope a bad habit. Your right when you say not everyone is the same, I bet 70 percent of the ladies can handle the cartridges he listed. Just because you need to shoot a 243 does not mean he needs to. The promotion of the “minimum legal” caliber to new hunter is not ethical without first suggesting he try something larger and I’m not saying belted magnums either so no sense everyone barking about that. There was a post stating to ignore all you people about the recoil concerns, I won’t go that far but it’s like my kids saying they don’t like shrimp or mushrooms because their mother doesn’t like them yet they haven’t even tried them. You like what you like, I like what I like but don’t tell him he will develop a flinch and dislike shooting because he chose differently than you. It’s not fair to him or the animals.

Jealousy gets you no where 7mm. Don’t like my opinion then keep scrolling, you’re not the one looking for advice.
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  #34  
Old 03-23-2018, 12:38 PM
Salavee Salavee is offline
 
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It appears you were made for a modern 6.5x55 Swede.
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  #35  
Old 03-23-2018, 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Salavee View Post
It appears you were made for a modern 6.5x55 Swede.
Who are you talking to? OP asked about 308 vs 270. How do you figure he is really meant to get a 6.5x55?
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  #36  
Old 03-23-2018, 01:44 PM
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Originally Posted by mattthegorby View Post
Greetings all!

OK... have googled and suffering from information overload.

I am a newbie who is having a great time learning to shoot my .22. This summer I will be picking up a general purpose hunting rifle that has reasonably priced rounds. I want something deer capable that can also stretch up to elk if I get the opportunity in a couple years.

So, I know a bunch of calibers are going to work for this and was going to go with a .308. However, I am really enjoying just shooting and would like to try some longer distance stuff if I can get an outdoor range membership next year (struggle to do around Calgary area). I have read that .270 might be a better choice for longer range and still be capable in terms of a general game getter.

Appreciate any opinions.

Thanks!

Matt
First off, good on you for putting marksmanship first - not many (myself included) did that prior to jumping into a true big game rifle calibre and chambering.

Do you have any experience shooting larger calibres? If possible, try and get some in advance of your purchase. You're looking at two excellent chamberings in the 270 Win and the 308 Win. For practical hunting purposes, they're pretty close as far as recoil (for comparable mass rifles), cartridge cost, and performance out to ~250-300 yds (out to which you may never even shoot an animal). Don't let any of the above influence your purchase.

My money goes to the .308 Win (I have a Browning 308, though I've shot a 270 and like it too). The .308 has so many bullet grain options, cartridges are easy to come by and have a wide price gradient, is a short action (270 Win is long BTW), and is a more compact setup ideal for mountain hunting (which I like).

My guess is you'll buy whichever you get to shoot or whichever the gun shop happens to have available. And that's just fine.

Best of luck.
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  #37  
Old 03-23-2018, 02:08 PM
Salavee Salavee is offline
 
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Who are you talking to? OP asked about 308 vs 270. How do you figure he is really meant to get a 6.5x55?
Probably talking to you by the sound of it .
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  #38  
Old 03-23-2018, 02:24 PM
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Jealousy gets you no where 7mm. Don’t like my opinion then keep scrolling, you’re not the one looking for advice.
Got me there
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  #39  
Old 03-23-2018, 02:40 PM
wildbill wildbill is offline
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270
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  #40  
Old 03-23-2018, 02:53 PM
Nyksta Nyksta is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Salavee View Post
Probably talking to you by the sound of it .
No thank you. Id choose 270 and 308 both before 6.5x55
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  #41  
Old 03-23-2018, 03:05 PM
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The op says maybe elk some day. Sorry a 243 might kill an elk but as far as I am concerned a 243 on elk is as unethical as one can get. I shot a 308 for 30 yrs, shot two elk with it, a few moose & lots of deer. Can't go wrong with either but if you want to shoot heavies the 308 is better. It comes in a neat short lightweight package & ammo is as plentiful as grass. As one other said, fit is important. If it doesn't fit you it will hurt. Plain & simple. Nothing wrong with a 270 either.
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  #42  
Old 03-23-2018, 03:07 PM
Salavee Salavee is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Nyksta View Post
No thank you. Id choose 270 and 308 both before 6.5x55
Don't take it too seriously. The OP was open to other viable options as well .. I provided one.

.. .270 or .308 or ???
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  #43  
Old 03-23-2018, 03:14 PM
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Originally Posted by skidderman View Post
The op says maybe elk some day. Sorry a 243 might kill an elk but as far as I am concerned a 243 on elk is as unethical as one can get. I shot a 308 for 30 yrs, shot two elk with it, a few moose & lots of deer. Can't go wrong with either but if you want to shoot heavies the 308 is better. It comes in a neat short lightweight package & ammo is as plentiful as grass. As one other said, fit is important. If it doesn't fit you it will hurt. Plain & simple. Nothing wrong with a 270 either.
Apparently I have killed several elk unethically with 1shot kills, using .243Win Rem Mohawk bolt action for a few, a few more a 6.5x55 Swede ( 120 year old Carl Gustaff Mauser ) , 1 cow elk with a 250-3000 Savage ( one shop bang flop at about 120 metres)

those are about 7 or 8 elk one shot kills,,,

All bull xxit aside, place the bullet in a vital spot and you have a dead elk,

Place ANY bullet in a poor spot, and it won't matter what caliber your shooting .

Learn to shoot well,
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  #44  
Old 03-23-2018, 04:02 PM
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Originally Posted by elkdump View Post
Apparently I have killed several elk unethically with 1shot kills, using .243Win Rem Mohawk bolt action for a few, a few more a 6.5x55 Swede ( 120 year old Carl Gustaff Mauser ) , 1 cow elk with a 250-3000 Savage ( one shop bang flop at about 120 metres)

those are about 7 or 8 elk one shot kills,,,

All bull xxit aside, place the bullet in a vital spot and you have a dead elk,

Place ANY bullet in a poor spot, and it won't matter what caliber your shooting .

Learn to shoot well,
How many have you wounded? Bet you won't admit it if you did.
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  #45  
Old 03-23-2018, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by skidderman View Post
How many have you wounded? Bet you won't admit it if you did.
As the late great Joe Carbury would say: And there off!

Perhaps start a new thread about the best elk cartridge instead of a hijack?

Just remember when it comes to cartridges and elk, you can kill them with many different ones (under the right circumstances), but the only thing that's guaranteed is that you can wound them with all of them if the shot is poor enough.
Shot placement is king.
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  #46  
Old 03-23-2018, 04:30 PM
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Well, this thread got all typical. I would have said the .308, just because I like the short action and the parent cartridge...or the 7mm-08 which is my go to rifle now. But after all this noise of experience, just to be safe you should get a .338 WM and shoot some 210 or 225 gr Partitions just to make sure you can kill what you are shooting at. Obviously anything less is inhumane.
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  #47  
Old 03-23-2018, 04:48 PM
Salavee Salavee is offline
 
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Who opened the gate ? .. Yikes !
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  #48  
Old 03-23-2018, 04:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Salavee View Post
Don't take it too seriously. The OP was open to other viable options as well .. I provided one.

.. .270 or .308 or ???
You said your comment was for me. So i replid.
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  #49  
Old 03-23-2018, 05:00 PM
Salavee Salavee is offline
 
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Who are you talking to? OP asked about 308 vs 270. How do you figure he is really meant to get a 6.5x55?
I posted a response to the OP's thread. You responded with a question to me. I responded to you. End of program.
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  #50  
Old 03-23-2018, 07:30 PM
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How many have you wounded? Bet you won't admit it if you did.
Well I have killed about 35 elk in my 40 years of hunting,,,,

And I must have wounded at least 35 elk because my freezer has been full of elk meat for at least 35 of those 40 elk seasons,,

Tell me grasshopper ? How many elk have you SEEN in your lifetime ?

NOT including the ones on Disney Channel,,
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  #51  
Old 03-23-2018, 07:39 PM
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Originally Posted by elkdump View Post
Well I have killed about 35 elk in my 40 years of hunting,,,,

And I must have wounded at least 35 elk because my freezer has been full of elk meat for at least 35 of those 40 elk seasons,,

Tell me grasshopper ? How many elk have you SEEN in your lifetime ?

NOT including the ones on Disney Channel,,
35 elk in 40 years????
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  #52  
Old 03-23-2018, 08:24 PM
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Both calibers will be fine for your specified purposes. All to often I think people obsess over caliber instead of equipment. You can buy a 300 win mag in a savage axis and it won't shoot anywhere close to a higher quality rifle designed for distance shooting like the remington sendero. The 270 is valued as a "flat shooting" round as it can get you out to 300 yards with 130 grain factory load while holding centre. The 308 will get you out to about 260 yards with a 150 grain. The killing power of both rounds is pretty equal.

What you need to ask yourself is what do you want to accomplish with longer distance. The killing power of both rounds is max 500 yards (400 for elk) If you want to dial or use a bullet drop compensating reticle the debate between 270 or 308 does not really matter. The killing power at range does. If you want to stretch out farther than that you really should be considering magnums.
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  #53  
Old 03-23-2018, 08:35 PM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by outdoorsman12b View Post
Both calibers will be fine for your specified purposes. All to often I think people obsess over caliber instead of equipment. You can buy a 300 win mag in a savage axis and it won't shoot anywhere close to a higher quality rifle designed for distance shooting like the remington sendero. The 270 is valued as a "flat shooting" round as it can get you out to 300 yards with 130 grain factory load while holding centre. The 308 will get you out to about 260 yards with a 150 grain. The killing power of both rounds is pretty equal.

What you need to ask yourself is what do you want to accomplish with longer distance. The killing power of both rounds is max 500 yards (400 for elk) If you want to dial or use a bullet drop compensating reticle the debate between 270 or 308 does not really matter. The killing power at range does. If you want to stretch out farther than that you really should be considering magnums.
Good questions. As I will be going into my first season I will not be taking any long distance shots at any game at this point and I imagine this will not change for a couple years, if not more. That being said, I want to shoot paper increasingly far distances as my skills progress - but as an end to itself not to harvest animals at long distances.
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  #54  
Old 03-23-2018, 08:52 PM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Prairiewolf View Post
First off, good on you for putting marksmanship first - not many (myself included) did that prior to jumping into a true big game rifle calibre and chambering.

Do you have any experience shooting larger calibres? If possible, try and get some in advance of your purchase. You're looking at two excellent chamberings in the 270 Win and the 308 Win. For practical hunting purposes, they're pretty close as far as recoil (for comparable mass rifles), cartridge cost, and performance out to ~250-300 yds (out to which you may never even shoot an animal). Don't let any of the above influence your purchase.

My money goes to the .308 Win (I have a Browning 308, though I've shot a 270 and like it too). The .308 has so many bullet grain options, cartridges are easy to come by and have a wide price gradient, is a short action (270 Win is long BTW), and is a more compact setup ideal for mountain hunting (which I like).

My guess is you'll buy whichever you get to shoot or whichever the gun shop happens to have available. And that's just fine.

Best of luck.
Ya... I think I will have fun with either (or some of the other suggestions). Have to say that I have not given much thought to the long or short, but I am a hiking mountain kind of guy and hunting motivation for me is largely about the areas I will visit and miles I will put on my boots.

I have not shot much at all at larger calibers. Awhile back I shot a 30-06... remember thinking it wasn't as bad as much kick as I expected.
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  #55  
Old 03-23-2018, 08:52 PM
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Good questions. As I will be going into my first season I will not be taking any long distance shots at any game at this point and I imagine this will not change for a couple years, if not more. That being said, I want to shoot paper increasingly far distances as my skills progress - but as an end to itself not to harvest animals at long distances.
Very smart, there are lots who say they kill out to that 500 plus range,,,very few actually do,,jus sayin. Pic your caliber/cartridge then match yourself to a gun and shoot lots. If your in calgary, i have a few you can shoulder or even come alone on a target shoot, spring is here so we will go out soon. I dont have either you are looking at but have some of the guns you could try,,i do have a 22-250, about the same as a 243 lol
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  #56  
Old 03-23-2018, 09:03 PM
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I was looking into a .308 as they're phenomenal, now classic and I felt for a short action rifle. Instead, I found a good 270 WSM (all these WSM's are the .404 Jeff shortened to .308 Winchester length and necked down from .423 to whatever WSM, in this case .277) on sale locally and am looking forward to getting a couple Black Bears this year!

It's tremendous.
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  #57  
Old 03-23-2018, 09:05 PM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Hey guys,

Thanks for all the opinions and suggestions and PMs. I knew I would get some stuff that I wasn't considering, so I appreciate all the responses that answered me specifically and those that suggested I consider something else. Will likely drop the inevitable newbie what rifle to get thread, but will wait until I have the cash together and see what options are available.
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  #58  
Old 03-24-2018, 02:57 PM
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Originally Posted by elkdump View Post
Apparently I have killed several elk unethically with 1shot kills, using .243Win Rem Mohawk bolt action for a few, a few more a 6.5x55 Swede ( 120 year old Carl Gustaff Mauser ) , 1 cow elk with a 250-3000 Savage ( one shop bang flop at about 120 metres)

those are about 7 or 8 elk one shot kills,,,

All bull xxit aside, place the bullet in a vital spot and you have a dead elk,

Place ANY bullet in a poor spot, and it won't matter what caliber your shooting .

Learn to shoot well,
I agree! I also think that the word unethical in not appropriate to any part of this discussion.

I have seen more than a few Mohawk rifles do a good job on game. I wish I would have bought one before they got their cult like following
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  #59  
Old 03-24-2018, 03:35 PM
elkdump elkdump is offline
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35 elk in 40 years????
Those were my own elk kills, and while guiding/outfitting in BC over a period of 20 seasons, I instigated the demise of another 50 or so elk with paying clients ,

I know where to place the bullet on big game and at what distance a bullet is effective ,

And just because ,,, I have killed 2 more elk,

since 10 1/2 hours of open heart surgery in 2014,, three weeks later I shot a cow elk at about 120 meters with 1 shot/flop using a 100 grn handload bullet from a .243Win,,,

So, .308 , .270. 30-06, .243. 7mauser, 6.5 , any and all are good calibers, to kill a moose or elk,

As long as the rifle isn't being pointed at game by a incompetent moron
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  #60  
Old 03-24-2018, 04:11 PM
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I agree with nyksta, 270 , 150 grain bullets,
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