270 Winchester, 6.5-06, or 25-06 Fast Twist Deer Rifle

[JakeC]

OP, did you wind up settling on one? I've got a line on a rifle with an extremely nice action and stock but the barrel is of unknown pedigree. It's stainless and it's long and it's 25-06, that's all we know. I've always really wanted a 25-06 but since it might need a barrel out of the gate I'd be asking the same questions. With the bullet options available now (134 ELDM!) a lot of it would come down to barrel length optimization between .25 and .264 and I cared about a 26" barrel. Some good thoughts on here, curious where Dropper wound up.

 

[TBuckus]

I'm bias but I'd go 6.5-06.
I'm getting 3170 with 140gr Bergers.
that is impressive that your buddy is getting that speed with 170's out of his 270. But if you're wanting that weight, I'd look at 7mm's personally. But I think you already said 7mm's are out

 

[Western4444]

Sooooo stuck on this, I have a stock, a trigger, and a 06 length action, looking to install a fast twist 26" barrel for long range shooting and deer. I have a custom 300 for elk works, and a 35 Whelen for a timber rifle, looking at 3 long range options, no I do not want a 6.5 CM or PRC ! not interested, but have an associate with a long range 270 win with the new 170 grain berger. Handloads are mid 2900 fps (very impressive!) and he also has a 25-06 fast twist shooting the new 133 grain Bergers at 3000 fps. The ballistics are quite amazing with these slippery bullets, brass is available and standard, even the 6.5-06 is easy enough to work with.......stuck on cartridge selection. Thoughts? and hoping for gents who have these rifles.

The 270 Winchester will not shoot the 170 gr Berger unless you have a high twist barrel, at least an 8.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

My vote a 270 Win, with a 130 grn. bullet, an excellent whitetail deer round, as originally designed in 1923, with a fast twist to shoot modern 150 to 170 grn bullets. Now you can shoot mule deer far away !! AND ,if your 300 Mag happens to be in the shop for a tune up or a new stock, or a new scope , use you .270 on Elk that season, with a heavier Nosler partition. Should be just fine .

 

[Lee Goodwin]

I shoot 180 woodleigh projectiles out of the old m700 270. Out to 150 is decent accuracy for hunting. Woodleigh says their 180 bullets can be stabilized in a 270.
A thread I read some where says you need 2550 ft per second to achieve stabilization using 180s in 270 win.
I am satisfied with accuracy but would not buy 180s again.
I would like nosler 165 for 270 when I can locate some.

 

[Calvin45]

I shoot 180 woodleigh projectiles out of the old m700 270. Out to 150 is decent accuracy for hunting. Woodleigh says their 180 bullets can be stabilized in a 270.
A thread I read some where says you need 2550 ft per second to achieve stabilization using 180s in 270 win.
I am satisfied with accuracy but would not buy 180s again.
I would like nosler 165 for 270 when I can locate some.

I too have shot woodleigh 180s out my 10 twist. 2600 fps with rl25. About 2.5 inch group at 100 yards, no keyholing but obviously not what the gun likes. But projectile length and I beleive bearing surface have more to do with stability than does weight. Not wanting to rain on anyone's parade so much as wanting to suggest the 165-170 grain high bc bullets will be a waste of money and performance in a 10 twist .270. Even if they "stabilize" as in don't keyhole and shoot "good enough" it's well demonstrated that bc plummets once stability is on that ragged edge. At which point a sleek 150 would probably have a higher real world bc out of your rifle and start out going faster as well. I could be dead wrong and of course it's your money, if you do this let us know how it works. But just because a flat base 180 with a ton of bearing surface stabilizes well enough doesn't guarantee any with a super slippery 165-170 grain long boat tail bullet with way less bearing surface.

Hawk makes a .30 cal 250 round nose that stabilizes just fine in a 10 twist .300 winny. The 250 hornady a tip is completely out of the question…

 

[Lee Goodwin]

Yes sir, best to stick with whatever the setup calls for. I like 150 nosler partition in the old 270.
I like the flat base idea if boat tails don't seem to work. It's a journey and guides are good, the more gray hair the better.

 

[VinceMule]

My Rem 700's in 270 shoot tiny groups with 58g of H4831, CCI 250, 140g Nosler ballistic tips, sub 3/8" groups with the bullet kissing the lands, Win brass.

Groups are around 2" at 300 due to wind conditions, and often smaller in the calm.

I have been wanting to tinker with this load with the 145g Hornady ELD x due to it's BC.

 

[JakeC]

My Rem 700's in 270 shoot tiny groups with 58g of H4831, CCI 250, 140g Nosler ballistic tips, sub 3/8" groups with the bullet kissing the lands, Win brass.

Groups are around 2" at 300 due to wind conditions, and often smaller in the calm.

I have been wanting to tinker with this load with the 145g Hornady ELD x due to it's BC.

I would start with treating the elsx as a half class heavier than it is. It's a tight bullet, I found it to be really spikey with pressure at least in the 7mm version. I don't think you'll find the same results with the same load. Just my experience. The bc will take over if you do have to back off a grain.

 

[VinceMule]

Thanks Jake

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Great Info Jake and Calvin. Thanks ,Lenny

 

[.300 Dakota]

I'm late to the party, but may as well get my $0.02 in. Was going to comment when relevant, but with work and issues at home, I just found the thread again.

I don't like forming brass if I don't have to, first of all. Even necking down to 6.5 caliber, there are a series of steps involved, and shortcutting any of them will yield less than accurate brass. This to me is WORK. I have very limited time already. I don't believe A-square still makes 6.5-06 brass. Bertram or Quality Cartridge might for a hefty price, but from my experience, the quality of Quality isn't quality...

If whitetail and mulies are all you're ever going to hunt, any of the choices will be fine. Of elk are on the menu, however, and I could only pick one of the 3, I'd have to go with a .270. That said, it would be a custom with 8 twist, lengthened throat, and 26" length of barrel to optimize the advantages. Staying within the genre, a .280 AI would be even better.

If the choices must be stock factory or semi-custom commercial builds, and we must stay within SAAMI specs for each cartridge, I would choose a 6.5x284 Norma over any of them. The 6.5-06 is not superior to Norma's neck-reduced iteration of the .284 Winchester, and there is reasonably priced brass available at every major (and many minor) retailers by every brass manufacturer that catalogues brass for the 6.5x284. At standard SAAMI specs, the 6.5x284 will carry more energy farther than a shorter throated .270 or .25-06, and recoils LESS than the .270 Win because it will typically use a couple grains less powder to achieve better ballistics. There aren't as many rifles available in 6.5x284N as there was 10 years ago, but brass is readily available and only slightly more expensive than .270 Winchester, and about the same as .25-06 WHEN you can find .25-06 brass (not as hard now as it was a year ago, but still...).

My opinion in the 6.5x284 N is based upon experience with multiple examples of it against multiple .270 Wins and .25-06s. However, if I can build a custom how I want it, I would still run a fast twist .270 Win with match chamber and long barrel. I don't think the energy difference will be much different at any range either ought to be hunted with even with the BC advantage of the 6.5. The .270 can fling 170 and 175 (I think) grain bullets with just a slightly lower BC compared to the 6.5 long actions that will be doing so with a 140 - 156 grain bullet.

And if I'm hunting whitetail and mulies only inside 500 yards, the .25-06 wins. I still want a 26" barrel, though, to burn all my powder. I also need a 1:9 twist! You won't find that ina factory or semi-custom rifle unless it's special ordered.

Good luck this hunting season to all!

 

[RUFFIAN R - NY]

300 Dakota: That's your opinion

 

[Calvin45]

300 Dakota: That's your opinion

Is not every post on this entire site somebody's opinion?