good rifle for deer

RichieRich

hi all, just wondering what is the general opinion on a .270 rifle as my first centre bore? i've heard good reports about this calibre, but curious to know what price ammo is? i know some might say it is a large round but i don't want to get something like a .22-250 or a .243 and down the road think "ah i should have got something bigger", i mean this is it- it will be my deer rifle for years, i won't be changing, so wat ye think guys?


;)(of course this is all depending on my hunting licence coming back with the right answer)

Grizzly 45

You will have as many opinions on this as weather pistols are better than revolvers.:pac:
.270 is a necked down .308 shell. It is a fine round for just about everything antlerd here in Ireland.If you are shooting long range in open terrain it is de reguir .Just a very LOUD round.Hence many of them are suppressed.Some folks complain it is a kicker round,so if it is your first rifle,you might find the recoil abit strong too.Personally I cant fault it,but would prefer a 308 for just the extra oompf for taking down a Red properly.But seeing that most of the critters around me are Sika or Fallow a .243 is plenty gun for my needs.

It wasn't me!

It's a great round. It's not as frightening as some make it out to be and personally I think it's quite comfortable to shoot. Knocks deer down like a freight train and there's plenty of reasonably priced ammo about; it's not an expensive calibre to shoot. Had I not found a very good deal on a .25-06, I'd currently be waiting on paperwork for a Tikka .270, so don't worry yourself, buy it and enjoy shooting it. Hell, I might even rebarrel the .25-06 in .270 somewhere down the line. That said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a .243 either. It's a joy to shoot with the light recoil and is ballistically brilliant. Only time I'd want bigger would be going abroad or perhaps with truly massive red stags, but apart from that, it's a stonking round. It's definitely one I'd have in the locker were licensing and such not an issue.

It wasn't me!

Necked down .30-06 Grizzly, so has about the same poke as a .308.

dwighet

.270 kicks like a mule. put a mod on it to teach it some manners.
My advise would be to yourself...shoot one first before you buy..actually shoot as many deer cal rifles you can get your hands on before you buy.

rowa

i had a .270 and hated it , have a .308 and absolutely love it , i'll never use another caliber and for my money the 30 calibers are more versatile , you can get bullets from 120 grain up to 200 grain and above if you reload and so you can use the rifle for other game other than deer , if you happen to go to the continent to shoot wild boar the minimum calibre is .308 or 30 06 to the best of my knowledge , the .308 is also a short action round , makes for a more compact and handier rifle and you can also get military surplus ammo for a tenner a box of twenty rounds for informal target practice in the off season .
only cloud on the horizon is that it may viewed with suspicion by the super as its an evil military round .

dwighet

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

You will have as many opinions on this as weather pistols are better than revolvers.:pac:
.270 is a necked down .308 shell. It is a fine round for just about everything antlerd here in Ireland.If you are shooting long range in open terrain it is de reguir .Just a very LOUD round.Hence many of them are suppressed.Some folks complain it is a kicker round,so if it is your first rifle,you might find the recoil abit strong too.Personally I cant fault it,but would prefer a 308 for just the extra oompf for taking down a Red properly.But seeing that most of the critters around me are Sika or Fallow a .243 is plenty gun for my needs.

necked down 308!!!!! 7mm08 and 243.yes..not .270
308 cases are short action.. 270 long action

RichieRich

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

You will have as many opinions on this as weather pistols are better than revolvers.:pac:
.270 is a necked down .308 shell. It is a fine round for just about everything antlerd here in Ireland.If you are shooting long range in open terrain it is de reguir .Just a very LOUD round.Hence many of them are suppressed.Some folks complain it is a kicker round,so if it is your first rifle,you might find the recoil abit strong too.Personally I cant fault it,but would prefer a 308 for just the extra oompf for taking down a Red properly.But seeing that most of the critters around me are Sika or Fallow a .243 is plenty gun for my needs.

not my first rifle, i have a .22 mag and am quite successful with it, the madra rua and bunnies around here will verify this:D

rowa

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

You will have as many opinions on this as weather pistols are better than revolvers.:pac:
.270 is a necked down .308 shell. It is a fine round for just about everything antlerd here in Ireland.If you are shooting long range in open terrain it is de reguir .Just a very LOUD round.Hence many of them are suppressed.Some folks complain it is a kicker round,so if it is your first rifle,you might find the recoil abit strong too.Personally I cant fault it,but would prefer a 308 for just the extra oompf for taking down a Red properly.But seeing that most of the critters around me are Sika or Fallow a .243 is plenty gun for my needs.

i've witnessed a few large fallow trotting off after being well shot with a .243 ,it lead to a bit of a panic as naturally they headed for thick cover , they never go far after a lick of a .30 in the right place and they leave a better blood trail .

It wasn't me!

Bottom line with a deer rifle is an accurate gun, in a calibre with enough poke and suitable bullets, but which doesn't beat you up so badly you can't use it well, topped with excellent glass. Make sure it fits you well; that's the most important thing to deal with recoil.

rowa

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Bottom line with a deer rifle is an accurate gun, in a calibre with enough poke and suitable bullets, but which doesn't beat you up so badly you can't use it well, topped with excellent glass. Make sure it fits you well; that's the most important thing to deal with recoil.

when i was an apprentice i hadn't much money (pre celtic tiger days ) i had about 400 quid to spend on a deer rifle , went around all the shops in dublin and found a .270 remington 700 stainless black plastic stock , it was like brand spanking new , i snatched it up , worst kicking rifle i ever had , i took it to the midlands range and after 15 - 20 shots i was pig sick of the thing .
my advice is a cz in .308 , don't think you can go too far wrong and you'll always sell it on if you don't get on with it.

It wasn't me!

Honestly, I think .308 kicks harder than a .270. That's my impression from half a dozen rifles. If you can shoot it comfortably, then it'll do fine. If you're recoil sensitive, a .243 is a fantastic round. If not, .270, .308, .30-06 are fantastic and versatile rounds too.

thedragon

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Bottom line with a deer rifle is an accurate gun, in a calibre with enough poke and suitable bullets, but which doesn't beat you up so badly you can't use it well, topped with excellent glass. Make sure it fits you well; that's the most important thing to deal with recoil.

Absolutely!! Correct. A .270 is an absolutely rotten calibre to fire in my opinion. When I started into fullbore shooting I was like you I wanted the best I could get so I took a few shots from a few different calibres. The .270 was almost frightening for me and with the advice from a few well experienced fullbore men,I went for a 6.5x55. There a nice mellow round to shoot,not too punchy on the user and well punchy enough on the recipient,whether its Fallow,Red or sika you wont have any problems with this one. Ammo is about average on the price end and theres an OK variety too. If your going for something and thats it,you wont be changing for a long time to come, the 6.5x55 is the one Id advise.

kakashka

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Honestly, I think .308 kicks harder than a .270. That's my impression from half a dozen rifles. If you can shoot it comfortably, then it'll do fine. If you're recoil sensitive, a .243 is a fantastic round. If not, .270, .308, .30-06 are fantastic and versatile rounds too.

Lot also depends on weight of the gun
Never found 308 a kicker really TBH
243 is a great round for sure as is 6.5,
270 seems to go through generation phases,popular for a period when i was a young lad but only lasted couple seasons then a glut of SH guns for a period,i remember a time when you couldnt give one away,thats not to say it's not a good round just that it doesnt seem to suit a lot of ppl,muz b's,heavier guns and suppressors have also made a big difference
I wouldnt be swayed in the direction of anti gravity calibres either,good on paper doesnt always translate to good in practice IMO
a gun/calibre you like and have confidence in is the main thing
If i had to,for some far out crazy reason shoot something like an elephant i'd probably still pick up the 243,simply because it's my gun.

Deerhunter2

thedragon wrote: »

Absolutely!! Correct. A .270 is an absolutely rotten calibre to fire in my opinion. When I started into fullbore shooting I was like you I wanted the best I could get so I took a few shots from a few different calibres. The .270 was almost frightening for me and with the advice from a few well experienced fullbore men,I went for a 6.5x55. There a nice mellow round to shoot,not too punchy on the user and well punchy enough on the recipient,whether its Fallow,Red or sika you wont have any problems with this one. Ammo is about average on the price end and theres an OK variety too. If your going for something and thats it,you wont be changing for a long time to come, the 6.5x55 is the one Id advise.

sorry dragon:D
i couldn't disagree more. make sure you buy a good tracking dog if you get a 6.5 x 55 and get used to dragging deer out of thick cover. buy anything other than a 6.5, theres more shock in a 9volt battery:). for my money the 30-06 is the best all rounder, followed by the .270, .25-06,.308, if recoil is a worry stick a moderator on it, save your ears too.

Stitch Jones

would a 223 be any good for a deert close range, in the head?

It wasn't me!

Stitch Jones wrote: »

would a 223 be any good for a deert close range, in the head?

Not legal. .22-250 is the minimum legal round. .243 and up is recommended.

bunny shooter

Stitch Jones wrote: »

would a 223 be any good for a deert close range, in the head?

Ah a "Heartbreak Ridge" fan

Would do the job but as stated not legal AT ANY RANGE

CJhaughey

Are you recoil sensitive?
The .270 can kick especially in a light rifle, and the last thing you want to develop is a flinch.
Is there anyone you know with a .270 that you can try?
.243 is a very light recoiling cartridge and is suitable for most animals you will encounter here.
It all depends on how you feel with the heavier recoil, both .270 and 243 are flat shooting rounds, my preference is for .243 simply because it damages meat a lot less and is a quieter round.

thedragon

Deerhunter2 wrote: »

sorry dragon:D
i couldn't disagree more. make sure you buy a good tracking dog if you get a 6.5 x 55 and get used to dragging deer out of thick cover. buy anything other than a 6.5, theres more shock in a 9volt battery:). for my money the 30-06 is the best all rounder, followed by the .270, .25-06,.308, if recoil is a worry stick a moderator on it, save your ears too.

If ya cant knock deer with a 6.5x55 youd be as well to take up tennis.
Ive never seen anything left on its feet after a 140grn 6.5.

deerhunter1

RichieRich wrote: »

hi all, just wondering what is the general opinion on a .270 rifle as my first centre bore? i've heard good reports about this calibre, but curious to know what price ammo is? i know some might say it is a large round but i don't want to get something like a .22-250 or a .243 and down the road think "ah i should have got something bigger", i mean this is it- it will be my deer rifle for years, i won't be changing, so wat ye think guys?


;)(of course this is all depending on my hunting licence coming back with the right answer)

Go for the 308 you wont look back. Like the 243 as you said,I bet you will change the 270 or something a bit lighter later on,one extreme to another. Where you from maybe someone will gve you a shot from one,but try and get a shot or two from them before you buy.

Bonzo78

Stitch Jones wrote: »

would a 223 be any good for a deert close range, in the head?

Are you seriously saying you want to shoot deer in the head? :eek:

The 6.5x55 is a very fine calibre, you can't go wrong with it. Barnes TSX, Norma Oryx and Nosler Accubond are good bullets.

rowa

anyone ever use the 7x57 mauser ? also known as the .275 rigby round on deer ?

ejg

If I would need to get a new deer rifle, my choice would be. first choice a howa, second a remmy stainless varmint barrel. Shorten the barrel to 20" and have it threaded. Add a light weight composite stock and a not too heavy scope on good mounts. 308 of course because it works well with short barrels, is very accurate and has the best ammo choice.

Most important thing is to get used to the rifle meaning one should put hundreds of shots through at different ranges, get a feel for the drop, and get used to the recoil. 308 has great barrel life, one doesn't
need to worry about wearing out the thing.

edi

deerhunter1

Deerhunter2 wrote: »

sorry dragon:D
i couldn't disagree more. make sure you buy a good tracking dog if you get a 6.5 x 55 and get used to dragging deer out of thick cover. buy anything other than a 6.5, theres more shock in a 9volt battery:). for my money the 30-06 is the best all rounder, followed by the .270, .25-06,.308, if recoil is a worry stick a moderator on it, save your ears too.

Heh Heh Well put, I agree with you on the 6.5 anything else but a 6.5, had it in sako delux lasted half season could not wait to get rid of it lost a lot of monrey in doing so but worth it, went for steyr 308 ill have it till my last breath super all rounder

rowa

deerhunter1 wrote: »

Heh Heh Well put, I agree with you on the 6.5 anything else but a 6.5, had it in sako delux lasted half season could not wait to get rid of it lost a lot of monrey in doing so but worth it, went for steyr 308 ill have it till my last breath super all rounder

i think thats about ten votes so far for the .308 , really it is a cracking all round cartridge , i feel the same about my old sako .308 i hope to be using it years from now .

sixpointfive

Deerhunter2 wrote: »

sorry dragon:D
i couldn't disagree more. make sure you buy a good tracking dog if you get a 6.5 x 55 and get used to dragging deer out of thick cover. buy anything other than a 6.5, theres more shock in a 9volt battery:). for my money the 30-06 is the best all rounder, followed by the .270, .25-06,.308, if recoil is a worry stick a moderator on it, save your ears too.

bull****, correct bullet placement a 6.5 will knock anything in this country and have done so. i have seen plenty of runners and vanishing acts with 308 and other rounds, try them all and dont heed too much of people knocking certain rounds, you are welcome to have a crack of any of mine if you want,

thedragon

sixpointfive wrote: »

bull****, correct bullet placement a 6.5 will knock anything in this country and have done so. i have seen plenty of runners and vanishing acts with 308 and other rounds, try them all and dont heed too much of people knocking certain rounds, you are welcome to have a crack of any of mine if you want,

Same here,Ive seen too many runners from a 308 too. Myself I must say as ive said already,never had a runner from a 6.5x55. Its a matter of opinion though,some guys will say they never had a problem with
22-250, 243, 270, 25-06 30-06, the list goes on.

CJhaughey

What is more important than calibre and pissing matches is that bullet placement is far more important than the fractions of a millimetre that separate some of these calibres.
Bullet placement is accuracy, most centrefire rifles can outshoot most average shooters these days and the trick to being accurate is being comfortable with the rifle and knowing where the bullet will land at a a given distance.
99% of deer here are shot at less than 200m and all of the rifles here will do that standing on their heads.

Fact: the .222 was the rifle of choice for the professional red deer hunters in NZ shooting larger animals than is common here.
It comes down to accuracy and a low recoiling rifle is easier to shoot than a big cal that kicks hard and needs a heavy rifle to absorb some of the recoil.
A lot of mickey swinging is done about big cal rifles here.

Grizzly 45

thedragon wrote: »

Same here,Ive seen too many runners from a 308 too.

Guys,dont you belive in reloading immediately,keeping the target in the scope X hairs and getting back on target to put another round downrange to stop this happening???

CJhaughey

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Guys,dont you belive in reloading immediately,keeping the target in the scope X hairs and getting back on target to put another round downrange to stop this happening???

Yes, but if you are half deafened and stunned from the heavy recoil then you are not going to be as quick to get set up again.

Grizzly 45

Fact CJ.;). Boom translates into Ouch on the other end.

thelurcher

What kind of area are you shooting in? A T8 on the swede does a stunning job - unless you're up the mountains noise is a big issue IMO - or more importantly for your own hearing.
For a noob you can't beat the 6.5 - recoil is negligible and it really is a tack driver - there's no excuse for not getting your shot placement spot on.

So why are so many people on here not able to handle it Have they not put in the time on the targets
Can they not get it together enough in the field to take a decent controlled shot so they must compensate by upping the firepower
Is there field craft letting them down so they have to take fast shots or at crazy distances

Stitch Jones

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Not legal. .22-250 is the minimum legal round. .243 and up is recommended.

oh right, thats good to know.

bunny shooter wrote: »

Ah a "Heartbreak Ridge" fan

Would do the job but as stated not legal AT ANY RANGE

Gunny...is that you?:D

Bonzo78 wrote: »

Are you seriously saying you want to shoot deer in the head? :eek:

oh not not me, i usually go for the back of the legs,(:p) but ive heard other chaps talk about it, i just assumed it was ok if it was close range in the head, considering what a .223 will do to a block.

i assume then that lamping deer might be frowned upon also???
again not me.

bang

rowa wrote: »

when i was an apprentice i hadn't much money (pre celtic tiger days ) i had about 400 quid to spend on a deer rifle , went around all the shops in dublin and found a .270 remington 700 stainless black plastic stock , it was like brand spanking new , i snatched it up , worst kicking rifle i ever had , i took it to the midlands range and after 15 - 20 shots i was pig sick of the thing .
my advice is a cz in .308 , don't think you can go too far wrong and you'll always sell it on if you don't get on with it.

+1 on that Rowa
I also went from a Ruger .270 to a CZ.308
like the CZ much more , especially with mod.
cheaper and more varied selection of rounds too.
Bang.

sfakiaman

I use .308 myself and would to make this point about recoil. It's not actual recoil in ft.lbs or whatever that matters but felt recoil. If I fire from standing kneeling or prone, with or without a sling, I hardly notice the recoil. On the other hand if I'm shooting from a bench rest down the range the recoil starts to get a bit punishing after fifteen to twenty rounds. Also the noise levels out doors are much less than under a covered fireing point.

So my advice to anyone trying a rifle would be to use it in similar circumstances to those intended in the field.

jakko86

hi guys sorry to stray away from the point,but i want to buy a rifle scope from the states and ship it to ireland but shops wont do it for me...is there any way of getting one shipped over as they are way cheaper there??

deerhunter1

jakko86 wrote: »

hi guys sorry to stray away from the point,but i want to buy a rifle scope from the states and ship it to ireland but shops wont do it for me...is there any way of getting one shipped over as they are way cheaper there??

If you know anyone in the states post it to them they rewrap it and post it to you via usps no problem. its the homeland security that is causinng all those problems