Re: 308 over 270????
It's funny how these threads take on a life of there own. It all began with a simple question:
"Why is it the so many prefer the 308 Winchester over the 270 for hunting?"
There were all sorts of answers, of the why and how, but it really comes down to three simple reasons:
1) Technology:
Go back 25-30 years ago. There was little understanding of ranging with reticle, no laser range finders, and only a modest few were experimenting with long range shooting of game. In fact, long range shooting of game was for the most part considered unethical, by the hunting community.
To extend a cartridges effectiveness, publications were filled with sighting in tips, like sight your rifle 3" high @100 yds, and your good to 300 yds or more.
The 270 simply shoots good bullets faster and flatter than a 308. So the 308 in hunting cirles was relegated to a "woods" hunting round, and 270 Winny as a long range plains game specialist.
But with the advent of ranging reticle, laser rangefinders, and exposed adjustable turrets, the game changed. The flatter shooting 270 now held no real advantages over the 308.
A savy shooter with his accurate 308, a LRF, and turrets, could place a 150 to 165 grain bullet into a deers vitals, @ 500 yds, easier than a 270 shooter could without an LRF, and turrets.
The the deer did not care. Stick a 150 gr 30 cal bullet moving @ 1800 FPS, into a deers vitals @ 500 yds, and he was just a dead, as a 130 270 bullet moving 200 fps faster.
2) Dual Use:
The 270 is a hunting cartridge, chambered in hunting rifles. And there is nothing wrong with that combo.
But the 308 emerged as a dual use cartridge. Get a heavy barreled 308, use it for hunting, and target shooting. If fact the use of the 308 as a long range target rifle, it what has propelled it to exceed the 270 as a hunting round.
There is nothing wrong with the 270 for hunting, just like there is nothing wrong with the 308 for hunting. But as a dual use cartridge the 308 can live nicely in both worlds.
3) Bullets:
Although there is merit in saying that the 308 is more popular than the 270 because match bullets are available for the 308 and not the 270. But it is deeper than that.
Fashion in the shooting world does play a big role. At one time the "fashion" was all cup and core bullets were "old school". A proper hunting round had to use a "controlled expansion" bullet.
An entire bullet industry was built around this concept. Hunters were conviced that deer and other game was not falling due to bad bullets. And do not even mention the use "match" bullets on game. Match bullets would "bounce off" if fired at a deer.
Now we again have come full circle. Hunters were now getting influenced by long range shooters who were: killing deer at ranges unthinkable a few decades earlier, and were in fact killing deer with the dreaded and weak "match bullets".
WTF??? Well what happened was that folks realized that where you hit game was bit more important than what you hit them with. And deer are notoriously easy to kill with a good hit, and notoriously hard to kill with a bad hit, no matter what bullet is used.
Further, since game is now being shot at ranges that 20-30 years ago would seem unthinkable and unethical, the entire rational for "contolled expansion", has been turned on it's head. "Controlled expansion" is more important under 200 yds than over 200 yds. Shoot a "weak" bullet too fast, it "blows up" and does not penetrate the vitals. But "blow up" happens at close range, and high velocity, not long range and relativeily "low" velocity.
So a match bullet that "might" fail @ 50 yds, now it just hitting it's stride at 300 yds. or beyond, and expands well due to it's weak jacket. Conversely, the vaunted "controlled expansion" bullet expands not at all below 1800 FPS or so. So it's worse at long range, than at closer ranges.
Now of course the hunting mantra is "accuracy". And since 308 winny are commonly made in more accurate rifles than your average 270, accuracy is > velocity for hunting in the new lexicon.
What does it all mean? Nothing really. Take a 308 out hunting, put your bullet in the right place = dead bambi. Take granddad's 270 out, do the same thing = same result.
Fashion, technology and perception is what makes cartidges popular, for hunting, not effectiveness.
One only has to look at how the 6.5 calibers are taking off in tactical and target shooting. In a few years they will be the "thing" for hunting, and everything else "old school".
Although I suspect the olde 308 will still plug along as will the 270 winchester.
Bob