13 replies to this topic

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Ok, I've finally decided to purchase a new rifle. I want to get one that will last a long while and not require that I sign over my arms and legs during the purchasing process . I really leaning towards the .270Win, however, I'm wondering how cost effective the rounds are as compared to another comparable rifle. I'm also not sure what brands/manufacturers to be looking at. So far I inquired about the Marlin X7 series and most places say that they can't get them in due to supply problems from the manufacturer. I've read that alot of owners of that model like their rifles so I was seriously considering it it since without a scope it comes in around $379. I've also been looking at the Thompson Center "Venture" model ($500+) and I'm considering that brand also even though it is around $125 or so more than the Marlin X7. I've heard some good reviews of this model and a hunting friend of mine also recommended the "Venture" as a good entry level rifle. I took a look at the Mossberg, but it seemed like the bolt was really sloppy and the fit and finish was not what I would like. Although for the price (around $350) with a adequate scope included, I would be able easily afford it. My concern with the Mossberg would be how the gun would hold up over time. My goal is to keep the rifle cost at no more than $600 since I will also need to purchase a decent scope as well. Being that this will be only the second powder burner I will own, any help in steering me in the right direction is much appreciated.Thanks.

[Frank]

What are you going to use the rifle/caliber for? If hunting, what critter will it likely be used on the most? What other animals do you plan on hunting besides the primary one?To help us help you, we would need to know the above first.At any rate, just keep on doing what you are doing, by shopping around & finding the brand & model that fits & looks best to YOU... Not anyone else. Like most things we buy!I too am not a fan of Mossberg at all. I "hear" Marlins are supposedly good. Personally, I like Tikka, Browning, CZ, Weatherby & probably lots of others I cannot think of right nw. OH, and yes, REMINGTON... nearly slipped my mind. 270 has always been a very popular and excellent caliber for lots of critters. Price of ammo depends on what you are comparing it to, but over all, is probably average &/or about right for a medium(?) size bore & game animals. I am a HUGE fan of the 270! Hmmmm, then again, not too many calibers that I am not. LOL (just kidding)Ooops, gotta run & good luckFrank

[Air Rifle Hunter]

What are you going to use the rifle/caliber for? If hunting, what critter will it likely be used on the most? What other animals do you plan on hunting besides the primary one?

Well, I'm mainly looking for a rifle that will double as a Deer/Hog rifle. I know some guys like the .308 for hog (and deer for that matter), but I think the .270Win will suffice just fine (please let me know if that thinking is incorrect). So, the main critters would be Deer and Hog. Secondary critters would be perhaps coyotes and bobcats if I eventually get a chance to do those hunts.

I too am not a fan of Mossberg at all. I "hear" Marlins are supposedly good. Personally, I like Tikka, Browning, CZ, Weatherby & probably lots of others I cannot think of right nw. OH, and yes, REMINGTON... nearly slipped my mind. 270 has always been a very popular and excellent caliber for lots of critters. Price of ammo depends on what you are comparing it to, but over all, is probably average &/or about right for a medium(?) size bore & game animals. I am a HUGE fan of the 270! Hmmmm, then again, not too many calibers that I am not. LOL (just kidding)

I know I will eventually purchase other rifles to fill the necessary gaps, but I was just looking for a decent overall starting point that will hopefully ensure ethical and humane kills on my game. Thanks for the reply Frank. I appreciate it.

[Bennie]

My go to rifle is a Remington 700 in .270. Been shooting it over 35 years. Rebuilt it a time or two to what it is now. A perfect rifle for me. With that being said, I think I would buy a 30-06 if I was looking for a more all around rifle. The .270 is limited to bullet weights in factory loadings. The most poplar being 130 grainers with 150 grainers as a close second. There is nothing wrong with the .270. It is a great caliber. Just not as versatile as some of the others out there. I have also learned that shot placement is more important than what brand or how big of a caliber a guy is shooting. With that said I will say with a bad or marginal shot Bigger is Better. So you should honestly buy what you want. It will not be your last. It is a sickness for me.P.S. I also have a .223, 22-250, two 300 win mag.s and my latest 6mm all in Remington 700's. I also own other rifle calibers and brands. The 700's are my favorite though. So good luck to you in what ever you choose. Hurry and tell us about it.

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Thanks for the information Bennie. It's very much appreciated! I do have a question though... does the 30-O6 recoil harder than the .270? I figure it is a bigger round with possibly more grains of powder, so logic would tell me that it might recoil a little more that the .270. The main reason for my question is that since I have not had as much experience with the larger calibers as many of you others have, I am wondering how the recoil or kick of the gun will affect my overall accuracy. By the way, I'm almost 6'-2" and weigh right around 225 lbs, so it's not that I don't think I will be able too handle the gun, I just want to understand what kind of "beating" I'll initial take from the gun until I become more accustomed to shooting it. I have also looked at the Remington 700's and they do seem like a nice rifle. I think I can pick one up nearby with a adequate scope for around $749. I'll have to do a bit more research on them though. I also understand about it being a "sickness". I've only started getting seriously into hunting beginning the middle of this year (2011) and my wife is already concerned about the cost of my "hobby" as she calls it. I have to say though that she is very understanding though and supportive of my activities. She just thinks I get a bit obsessive with some of my hobbies and I would honestly have to agree with her on that matter. However, the way I look at it is, if you are going to do something, why not do it the right way with the right equipment. That way I can't say it was the equipment's fault for my failure .

[Bisley]

Rifles really are a matter of personal feel. When you shoulder just the right one, you will know it in your own mind. As for caliber, there is nothing wrong with the .270. However, a .308 or .30-06 will definitely have way more bullet selection. In fact, the .30cals probably have more selection than any other caliber out there, except for maybe the .224cals. And a 150-165gr bullet will do anything you want with certainly a "push" on your shoulder, but not a brutal punishment. And either caliber will do all this with the added bonus of being able to be found anywhere, including some remote gas stations in out of the way rural areas. Just a few thoughts.

[Bennie]

Yes it will recoil more. But not so much more that I think most people would notice. I think all people starting out on center fires should start out with small ones and work up. I have been working with two new shooters. Started them on air rifles, then rim fires then .223 . I just bought a 6mm for them to start shooting next. My .270 is all lightened up and kicks harder than most off the shelf rifles I have shot. It is a pleasure to carry though. I practice with it very little using air rifles and small center fires for practice even my self. I also have a 300 win mag that weighs less than 5 lbs. It will make you pay attention when shooting it off the bench. I do not notice recoil while hunting though. If you have your heart set on a .270, get it. It is a fine caliber, my personal favorite for CA. But I am not one of those people that thinks what is best for me is best for some one else. I try to give honest answers.

[clampdaddy]

I think a .270 would be about perfect for what you're wanting to do. The only thing I'd recommend is that since deer season is over and there's no big hurry, save a couple extra hundred bucks and buy whichever rifle you really want. Don't settle for another model just because it is cheaper. A rifle will last you a lifetime so buy a gun that you will really want to use for a lifetime. There's a big difference between saving money and money well spent.If I were looking for a "hunt hard" rifle that will handle wet weather and won't weigh you down on long hikes I'd pick a stainless Tikka T3 lite and never look back. If I were to pick a good looking "traditional" wood/blued rifle I'd pick a Winchester model 70 and mount a nice glossy finished scope on it.

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Rifles really are a matter of personal feel. When you shoulder just the right one, you will know it in your own mind. As for caliber, there is nothing wrong with the .270. However, a .308 or .30-06 will definitely have way more bullet selection. In fact, the .30cals probably have more selection than any other caliber out there, except for maybe the .224cals. And a 150-165gr bullet will do anything you want with certainly a "push" on your shoulder, but not a brutal punishment. And either caliber will do all this with the added bonus of being able to be found anywhere, including some remote gas stations in out of the way rural areas. Just a few thoughts.

Thanks for your input Bisley and everyone else too! All of your informaton is very helpful to me since I don't get much chance to talk to the hunting buddies I have that use "powder burners". I will take in all this information and use it to make a good choice selection. Basically I started with a .22 Rimfire that was my Grandfathers and transitioned into Air Rifles very quickly (mainly since I can shoot the air rifles in my back yard and hunt in areas with them for small game with very little noise impact). I've easily spent around $1,500 on my (3) air rifles alone (with scopes, modifications any other equipment for them) just in the last 6 months. I even sold my pristine 1992 American made Fender Stratocaster (with sunburst finish) to help fund my hunting addiction and I really, really loved that guitar. So I am serious about making sure I purchase some good equipment that will last. I'm not sure why I mentioned that, perhaps to emphasize how serious I am about getting the proper equipment from the start. To get back on track... I really like the fact that the 30-O6 have a wide selection of rounds and are usually readily available. That is very appealing to me. And since I don't have my heart set on anything in particular at the moment, I will take a look at the 30-O6's next time I'm in town. I'll even do some research on the net to get some tentative pricing and ideas. Thanks alot for the help everyone!

[ratassassin]

I have a Savage 116 Weather Warrior stainless .270 Winchester and it's a nice rifle. I like shooting the 130 grainers out of it. The Savage is really comfortable to shoot and has a real soft recoil pad. I also shoot .308 and .30-06. There's a bit more kick from a .30-06 but not bad, especially if you have a decent recoil pad. I put a Pachmyer on my Rem 700 .30-06 and it made a big difference versus the plastic butt plate that was on there before. If you have any interest in reloading, you can load 130, 150, 165, 168, 180 grain and more for .30-06. I load 130 grainers at 3,025 fps for mine and it's a joy to shoot. So don't let concern about recoil keep you away from a .30-06. But in terms of calibers, I love .270, .30-06 and .308. .308 takes a bit less powder to load (e.g, 43 - 44 grains versus 54-57 grains for .30-06). So you'll get more rounds per lb. of powder with a shorter case caliber. But if you're not planning on shooting it a lot, that won't matter. Other nice rifles to think about are Tikka, Sako, Browning, CZ, Winchester Model 70's. If you think you'll want to put a Jewell trigger in yours, go with a Rem 700 or Winchester model 70.

[BearWhoHunts]

I currently am using a Marlin XS7 in .308. I used to hunt with a winchester 70 in .270 and a Remington 700 in 30-06. I loved/love them all. I am consolidating calibers to .357 and .308 mainly, hence the change. I was skeptical of the Marlins due to their price but wanted a beater for around the farm and the back of the truck. Well now I use it every time I head out. It is light and way more accurate than me and I got the camo stock. I found mine on Buds for around $320. They have the stainless version on there for under $400. When going for a budget scope I typically go for a vortex. I got into them through binoculars when I was doing ecology research in central america and now I am hooked on their stuff. I swear by them and I use their binos every single day.

[Single Six]

Savage is generally regarded as good bang for the buck. I'm very happy with mine. I think if one wanted versatility and ammo availabilty, it would be '06 or 308. I have and like .270s, but thye were inherited and probably would just stick with the '06 I bought. An 06 can be loaded to roughly the same bullet weights and do roughly the same things as .270. I really like lighter bullets in '06. They can get the job done and have less recoil like the .270. The bullets will be less aerodynamic than .270, but larger diameter means more effect on the target, I think.

[TonyS]

I have owned a Marlin XL7 in .270 for the last four years and I can't say enough about it. I am very happy. The gun shoots very accurately. I found a deal on it on one of the online gun brokers and bought it then had it shipped to a local FFL. The reason you can't find them is that they get sold QUICK.Since I live in buzzard country I have to shoot unleaded and I have now started reloading. The difference between about a dollar a round and $2.25 is considerable for me.I spent good money on a Leupold scope but now that I have seen the Redfields I think their optics are even better. And you can probably get one with the accurange reticle which I really like.Good luck to you.

[Air Rifle Hunter]

Thanks for the great info. It looks like I may have to wait just a little bit, unless I can find a awesome deal on one because I just got a new truck (new to me anyway). So money that would have been going to that fund will be syphoned off for the truck. Maybe in a month or two. I may find one on one of the gun auction sites and have it sent to an FFL like you did. I have a friend that has done that and I may have him coach me through the process. So as soon as I get something, I'll be sure to post it here!