26” 270 rifle for mule deer

[HRM Johnny]

Welcome from Virginia. … if you really want to 25-06, Buy the cheapest 30-06 you can find. New or used. There should be plenty of options. And buy a 25-06 barrel for it. Get what ever twist rate YOU want-not what ever some factory decided to put out there. Also your choice of barrel length, and profile. Just a thought.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Oh yeah, if you're tending towards a 270, you might consider 270 wsm. Slightly higher case capacity-I think 4 grains. If you want a 26 inch barrel, get a 26 inch barrel. Sure, as many have already said, "you don't need…" it is not always about need. It is often about want. Heck, get a 28 inch barrel and just smile when others nay say. Again, just my 2 cents worth.

 

[AVT00]

been shooting .270 out of a Ruger MKII M77 and love it, recoil isn't bad, very close to my Rem 700 30-06. Between the two I like my .270 better.

 

[Turpentine21]

A 270 with a 24" barrel will do all you want to do and then some. I shot a Ruger M77 with a 22" barrel and 130 grain bullets for years and a box car couldn't hold all the deer I killed with that gun. 270 is still one of the best calibers around despite the calibers on the latest and greatest train and has been killing all sorts of game for a long, long time. A friend of mine that hunts all over the world just killed her Red Stag in Scotland with a 270. Find some Hornady 140 grain SST or the new 145 eldx or Nosler Partitions in 150 grain or 130 grain Accubonds and go forth and kill stuff. My brother uses the new 145 eldx load and it is bad medicine. You won't be under gunned. The extra 50-60 feet per second you may get with a 26" barrel is not going to make any difference at all at your hunting distances.

 

[CCAguns]

Up to now I've hunted whitetails 5-100 yards in mid-western woods. About anything goes at those ranges (30-06 with iron sights for me). My new neighbor has asked me to go with him out west next year in search of Mule deer and possibly antelope. This would be more open country than i am used to (maybe 100-350 yards?) so am looking for a flatter shooting round / rifle. He tells me if he had to start out fresh he'd recommend first a 25-06, and second choice 270. BUT only with a 26-inch barrel. In my price range (say 800-1200) I dont see anything in 25-06, and only two in .270 with 26" barrel options: Browning X bolt speed LR and the Remington 700 Long Range.
Am I missing other options? If not which would be your choice.
First time poster so go easy…..and point me to existing threads if applicable.
Thanks
Tim in TN

If I were you, I'd look for a good bolt action 30-06 so that you and your son could shoot similar ammunition. Whether you buy a Remington 700, a Ruger 77, a Browning or a Weatherby, all will perform well for you. You have lots of choices. Hornady's Superperformance 30-06 ammo takes the 150gr to levels beyond 3000fps, allowing for good performance out to 500 yards. Excellent ammo. 30-06 ammo can be purchased anywhere and is typically less expensive than other calibers. With heavier bullets, your 30-06 would make a fine elk rifle as well. Go with the proven round and you'll be happy you did. A better blood trail always helps a hunter. IMO, the 270 can never match the 30-06 albeit a fine round for deer and antelope. Smaller diameter, lighter bullets are prone to wind drift, lose velocity more rapidly and leave a poorer blood trail. You want a cartridge that offers more, especially on a perhaps one-time hunt.

 

[jjmp]

OP, between the 270&25/06 I'll take the 270 every time ,most rifles come with 22 inch bbls today, years back they were 24 inch . Why is that ,are we so weak and frail we can't handle another ounce and a half. We're paying more and getting less in return . Most members here have never shot or owned a 26 inch 270 or 26 inch 25/06 I've own and shot both . 100 fps is a nice gain if you like velocity, why are Ruger #1 and Winchester/Browning 1885 so popular. Answer short actions with longer than normal barrels for more velocity . Just for the record the 25/06 is softer shooting if you're recoil sensitive, Welcome to the forum , enjoy the Adventure, cheers!!!.

 

[Ol' Red]

I hunt Wyoming, since that's where I live. I have shot many deer and antelope with 243, 25-06, 30-06, and 270. I have also shot a few with a 30 Herrett from a contender pistol with a 10 inch barrel. Pick one and shoot it a lot to get familiar. Shoot from 100 to 500 yards so you know where it hits. Enjoy your hunt.

 

[liltank]

Here ya go! Get it in either cartridge.

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[Gunfyxr]

To the OP. I just finished building the rifle you described. 270 Win, 26 inch #3 Hart barrel, blueprinted 700, in an MPI stock. I do handload and I'm going to be trying the ELDX and 150 Berger VLD.
26 inch nessessity? Nope. Here it is. I still need to bead blast and stamp the barrel. Paint on the stock just finished curing.

 

[HNDLDR]

Welcome. Every caliber mentioned so far will do what you need. My 12 year old daughter shot her first deer a couple of years ago at 409 yards with a 20" 7mm-08.
I'm a total sucker for a 25-06 but you can't go wrong with what has been mentioned. Lots of people have strong opinions about this caliber or that one. Get what one interests you and go enjoy your hunt.

 

[HNDLDR]

Where out west are you headed?

 

[lancetkenyon]

There is also the .280AI to consider.

Between the .270Win amd .30-06, but the AI mets you an additional 100fps or so.

7mm bullets are plenty for deer, pronghorn, black bear, elk, sheep, etc. Handloaders dream. There is even a selection of decent factory ammo out there. Bullet selection over .277" is way better. From 100 to 197gr.

 

[w6kennels]

Greetings from New Mexico, and I hope you have a great time and hunt. For hunting out west you don't need a 26 inch barrel, although it would add a little velocity. A 22 or 24in barrel is plenty sufficient. Either a 270 or 30-06 makes a great round, and both are the most popular rounds, along with a 7mm Rem mag out west. You don't need a magnum, and although the newer rounds have some theoretical long range advantages, from a practical standpoint aren't necessary. You will find a lot more ammo options (and cheaper) if you use a standard caliber. Practice as much as you can is a lot more important than barrel length or the latest rage caliber. I am 71 and still hunt regularly, and I can't begin to count the deer and elk I and my family have killed with a 270, 30-06, or 308. Good luck!

 

[buzby]

I'm always surprised how many people don't read past the first post, and are still recommending to take the gun you no longer have.

HE DOESN'T HAVE THE 30-06 ANY MORE!

Seeing as how you don't currently have any scoped rifles, I'm guessing you don't shoot much these days? If this is the case, practice will go 1000x further towards helping you be successful than any other factor.

I would highly recommend getting something you will shoot often. A 270wsm ain't it. You won't find many people running 2 or more boxes of most magnums, or 30-06 based cartridges (270win) in a range session. The easy answer is the 6.5cm. 6cm, 243, or even .223 will all do the job too. These animals aren't hard to kill. The difficulty is making a good shot in varying field positions. Practice this.

And just buy a tikka!