Is a .270 less gun than a 7mm mag for an old guy!

[1shotwade]

So my old man after 25 plus years of being a 1 gun man has decided to hang up his 7mm mag shoulder pounder and gun down a bit! his old parker hale made me wince everytime I borrowed it but it is a really accurate gun! He has narrowed down his choices, well kinda he decided he wants a .270. He hunts everything in the province except bears and bison! I think he made a good choice but i don't have a .270 What do you guys think Will he be happy enough with this calibre being that he is 65 and all! I think he can handle the recoil as he was shooting my .300 wsm last year and loved it! I just don't have any expierience with this calibre! And is he really gunning down?

[catnthehat]

I am a firm beleiver that if a person can shoot accurately they are not under gunned!
Cat

Sounds like more of a rifle fit or recoil pad issue and not cartridge. If he is comfortable with you 300 and not a 7mm, there is more going on. I'd look at some recoil reducing options for his current rifle first. It's amazing what a good recoil pad can accomplish.

[1shotwade]

I have a limbsaver on my gun and put one on his 2 years ago and still thumps ya pretty good! His parker hale was customized to him in the early seventies and only weighs like 6 pounds with the scope! I can shoot my .300wsm all day that gun even with a limbsaver is 10 max!

Well it sounds like weight is the issue. If he really likes the gun, perhaps a new, heavier stock could be the solution? But to answer your original question, all things being equal, a 270 will have less recoil than a 7mm.

[1shotwade]

Ya I thought that myself but that gun is piece of art and it's babied1 It has killed 3 B.C whitetails and the stock was hand made by an old german who built the gun so he wants a new custom job! my old man treats his guns better than he treats everything else! He has really decided he wants a .270! like I said he is a 1 gun man and i think He wants to rejevenate his hunting with anew gun!

[timsesink]

.270's a great choice, make sure the stock fits him well, the rifles a decent weight, throw a limbsaver on there and you'll never know it even fired.

[thirty-30]

I have a .270 WSM and love it.

I just have to say that quietly so my .45-70 doesn't hear me.

Originally Posted by thirty-30

I have a .270 WSM and love it.

I just have to say that quietly so my .45-70 doesn't hear me.

.270WSM will produce pretty well the same recoil as a 7RM....all other things being equal of course.

[870wing]

According to the following chart, a 25-06 will cut his recoil in half. Depending on bullets used.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

[xring_assassin]

I've always been taught that it's not the size of the hole that matters - it's where you put it.

My Dad hunts with 270win exclusively - I've never seen any animal he shoots take more than one shot...I've seen him pass poor shot opportunities though, but I know he'd pass even if he had a larger gun with him.

[Jamie Black R/T]

the 270 can and will do everything he needs it to in alberta

i just went through this with my dad for this coming season. i got him set up with a nice tikka in 25-06. shoots 115gr nosler partitions into one ragged hole. He is happy to be able to shoot it and not wince after from the pain. Life is good.

[Homesteader]

Not much you can't do with a 270 Win, my rifle really likes 140g tsx bullets pushed along with IMR 4350. No problem taking down the likes of Bull elk with that load, and there's not much tougher then them for hunting here in Alberta.

[elkoholik]

One thing to consider on his new rifle is the stock. I have found that some stocks seem to have different effects on the guns recoil. I currently have bought a Sako 85 hunter in 300wsm and a Kimber 8400 classic in 338wm. After shooting both guns back to back multiple times the 338 kimber has less felt recoil and both guns have premium recoil pads. There was a significant noticeable difference between the guns and my Sako weighs more than my Kimber. This was not only noticeable by myself but also my buddy who shot the rifles couldn't believe how tame the 338 was. Someone on here who has more extensive knowledge may be able lend a hand and give some knowledge about what kind of stock or make of gun may help your father with recoil as well.

Cheers, Dave.

[sk_mudman]

If your father opts for a new rifle it will take some time to adjust to the new fit and feel and this can be quite frustrating. He has gotten used to that rifle over 25 years and know exactly what it can do and it is most likely an extension of his arm. I bet he is probably quite the crack shot with it too. I would suggest putting on a muzzel break on the old custom fitted Parker Hale he is thinking of retiring. As much as I dislike muzzel breaks for my personal rifles (due to noise) they can greatly reduce felt recoil. Today there are new muzzel breaks that don't generate as much noise. Angle of the ports machined in to the break as well as length of break can be custom made to help lower noise created by the break. Anyways food for thought and good luck with your fathers decision.

[Bobby B.]

30 years ago, I would take 100 rounds of 7RM and 500 of .22 rimfire to my favorite gopher patch to do a little shooting practice. Today, I reserve my 7RM for larger african PG and elk. My deer rifle is chambered for the 260 Rem. I'm 54 and can't tolerate recoil the way I could years ago. The 260 Rem is also my MS rifle. The 270 Win is stronger than the 260 Rem but weaker than the 7RM. I can't think of any game animal I would hesitate to kill with the 270 Win. I think of it as a bit more than needed for deer and moose but not too light for elk. The 7RM is more than enough horsepower for deer, moose and elk at any reasonable distance. Skill trumps horsepower any day.

Bobby B.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

.270WSM will produce pretty well the same recoil as a 7RM....all other things being equal of course.

I went that route, because I wanted something lighter to pack, but almost as lethal. Not hard to beat a wood stocked Sako and a little recoil doesn't bother me. Haven't regretted it and the short mag gets more use than the 7mm.

Grizz

[birdslayer]

I have a 270 mod 70 and it gives some recoil and at 50 plus I have gunned down from a 300 wtby. Bought a 25-06 sako and really love to shoot it and they are accurate . Have a kimber 84 in 30-06 and there is no more felt recoil than the 270 . I know why one pays for a good gun, same as the other post , kimber makes a great rifle, it must be in the stock where your recoil comes from. I have shot a savage 30-06 , it seemed to have as much recoil as the wtby . the wtby had a syn. stock .

[Lonnie]

get that 270win let him pick the one that fits him best or get a custom stock his body has probably changed a bit from when he bought his magnum. there a good light recoil gun that can reach out and hit with enough smack on moose or elk if you do your part.

[calgarychef]

I have a 7MM parker hale and it used to kick the living **** out of me. I've shot some pretty big stuff with Grizzly Adams and some other guys one weekend and nothing was as bad as that 7mm of mine. It's not the round so much as that stock they used on the parker hales. Also mine had too long a length of pull and that makes a huge difference. If your dad is around my size (5'6") his stock might be too long too. Got my stock shortened and a mercury tube installed just for good luck and it's a *****cat now.

[1899b]

Calgarychef has it right. You people are all talking about calibers but its also about the style of stock or rifle. I have my Grandmothers Savage 99c in .308 that boots me around and I'm not overly fond of it but I can shoot my Savage 111 in .300 win mag and my Guidegun in .45-70 all day in a t shirt without any discomfort. I had a Browning in .300 win mag that I couldn't stand shooting either.

[Big Racks]

Originally Posted by 1899b

Calgarychef has it right. You people are all talking about calibers but its also about the style of stock or rifle. I have my Grandmothers Savage 99c in .308 that boots me around and I'm not overly fond of it but I can shoot my Savage 111 in .300 win mag and my Guidegun in .45-70 all day in a t shirt without any discomfort. I had a Browning in .300 win mag that I couldn't stand shooting either.

My first rifle was a Browning Gold Medallion in .300 win Mag. Holy Jesus did that think beat the living sh!t out of my shoulder. 20 rounds at the range and my shoulder would run the gamut from blue, to purple, to yellow over the next week to 10 days. I developed a flinch it took me years to overcome.

[1899b]

Originally Posted by Big Racks

My first rifle was a Browning Gold Medallion in .300 win Mag. Holy Jesus did that think beat the living sh!t out of my shoulder. 20 rounds at the range and my shoulder would run the gamut from blue, to purple, to yellow over the next week to 10 days. I developed a flinch it took me years to overcome.

Kinda like this??????? LOL

[32-40win]

I've shot .308's and .270's and 30-06's and .300winmags that I thought were pigs to shoot. I have a .338Win that shoots nicer, and it is lighter than some of the other stuff I've shot. To me it is all about the stock on the gun. Some will act as shock absorbers, some transfer it all to the shoulder, some produce a lift to the face. My .338 is styled like the stock on Chuck's gun he posted a few days ago with the Macmillan stock, in fact, my 7-08 is a Macmillan. That version of stock seems to be a shock absorber style. It definitely makes a difference.

[1899b]

People are too quick to blame the caliber.

Originally Posted by 1899b

People are too quick to blame the caliber.

x100

[twofifty]

Originally Posted by 1shotwade

So my old man after 25 plus years of being a 1 gun man has decided to hang up his 7mm mag shoulder pounder and gun down a bit! his old parker hale made me wince everytime I borrowed it but it is a really accurate gun! He has narrowed down his choices, well kinda he decided he wants a .270. He hunts everything in the province except bears and bison! I think he made a good choice but i don't have a .270 What do you guys think Will he be happy enough with this calibre being that he is 65 and all! I think he can handle the recoil as he was shooting my .300 wsm last year and loved it! I just don't have any expierience with this calibre! And is he really gunning down?

As others have pointed out, stock fit and rifle weight is important to perceived recoil.

If your dad loved shooting your .300wsm, perhaps it was due to your rifle's stock design rather than the caliber change. So he might be really happy with your brand/model rifle but in something like the 270 Win or maybe even as small as a 7mm-08.

[xtreme hunter10]

I have a .270wsm. its a tikka lightweight and that thing kicks as much as my .300win mag. My .300 came up and hit me in the collar bone, i was practicing instinct shooting with it, my whole arm went numb and almost dropped it. I put a sleeve pad over top of it. now, no matter how im shooting it, it doesnt hurt my 270wsm kicks like a mule. just as someone else stated, its not about the caliber but the stock and the weight of the rifle. A lot of people use muzzle breaks. i dont. i have hearing damage as it is. my .300 is loud. with a break on I would have to wear hearing protection while hunting. I would prefer if i could hear while im in the bush. thats my 2 cents.

[Lonnie]

Originally Posted by 1899b

People are too quick to blame the caliber.

that is why each shooter has to pick what fits them best what shoots nice for you will kick the s#$t out of someone else. a 270 win with a nice fit is as nice to shoot as a 22 rim fire. bad fit will kick hard

[Speckle55]

Yes it is less a gun but only abit..and yes to a new gun for him to try like others have said the technology has changed ! had a 10 1/2 yr old shoot a 270 short mag last year and he did Great!! your Dad does need a change so get him a good 270 with a proper pad .. just make sure it is top of the line.. i have a Rem 700 BDL 7mm mag from 1981 about and still love it. i am 56 but would have np shooting one of these new 270's and with the proper scope look out!! tell your Dad just DO IT!!