270 WSM Info Please

[Capt RB]

If your going to shoot the 270wsm @ 270 winchester velocities you might as well just buy a 270 winchester. Stoked up with Retumbo Rl26 7977 H1000 Magpro 780 or some of the other slow powders where 33xx velocities with 140's are obtainable, your getting the advantage that it can provide over a standard 270 winchester 140 load.

 

[Lowedown]

I have reloaded my brothers' savage 10 in 270 wsm, lighter weight stainless rifle and it was NOT fun to shoot! Very snappy recoil. We put a Witt brake on it and now its great to shoot! get a brake!

 

[Jell101]

I have a custom Winchester model 70 in 270wsm. It got a new barrel but even when it had the the Light weight barrel. Even then it was not that bad. To me it recoiled less than a standard Winchester 270. My wife shot it then with no problems. Now with the heavier barrel and the vias break it kicks less than a 308. My wife loves to shoot it, even hunt with it. We shoot the Berger EOL 170gr bullets in it.

 

[35 Whelen]

I have a .270WSM Winchester M70, I have not considered myself recoil sensitive and kind of enjoy it. That being said I don't find the recoil of it much different then my .270 Win., 308 Win., 30-06, or the 300 Win. Mag. I think they are all comparable. My wife on the other hand don't like recoil. I had her .270 Win. cut to fit her and a decelerator recoil pad added, it has A LOT LESS RECOIL than mine. That what I would do as I hate muzzle brakes.

 

[skipglo]

I am looking at buying a 270wsm for the wife as an elk gun. She shoots the 243 very well already, but I am curious if anyone else out there has any insight on what the recoil is like. I know I have shot a 300wsm and the recoil is nothing like that of the recoil of at 300 win mag. We went to the store and had her shoulder a few different rifles. She felt comfortable with the Tikka, Bergara and Savage. Any info is appreciated! Also, the 6.5 is not an option. Thanks

Great choice, get a limbsaver butt pad to go with it and she will hardly notice the difference

 

[walleyerod]

My Rem 700CDL 270 WSM with (140 AB) kicks a little less than my Win M70 30-06. Have you considered the old standard 270? Plenty for elk. Less recoil. If you reload or go with performance ammo you can get withing 100-150- fps of a WSM and easier to shoot.

 

[Frog4aday]

I am looking at buying a 270wsm for the wife as an elk gun. She shoots the 243 very well already, but I am curious if anyone else out there has any insight on what the recoil is like. I know I have shot a 300wsm and the recoil is nothing like that of the recoil of at 300 win mag. We went to the store and had her shoulder a few different rifles. She felt comfortable with the Tikka, Bergara and Savage. Any info is appreciated! Also, the 6.5 is not an option. Thanks

If she shoots the .243 Win well, use a Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX, or Hammer bullet in it and forget the .270WSM as the recoil is going to be harsh & unpleasant. More wives have been turned off shooting by recoil than men can ever know.

A .243 Win will kill elk. Just feel you must get her something bigger? Try .257 Roberts or .25-06 with 100gr premium bullets. 270 WSM is a great round, but the recoil energy & velocity is stout. The .243 can/will kill elk. She shoots it well already. Go with that?

 

[MT257]

If she shoots the .243 Win well, use a Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX, or Hammer bullet in it and forget the .270WSM as the recoil is going to be harsh & unpleasant. More wives have been turned off shooting by recoil than men can ever know.

A .243 Win will kill elk. Just feel you must get her something bigger? Try .257 Roberts or .25-06 with 100gr premium bullets. 270 WSM is a great round, but the recoil energy & velocity is stout. The .243 can/will kill elk. She shoots it well already. Go with that?

I have seen .243 kill elk, I would just perfer her shooting a bit bigger bullet if possilbe. 25-06 or a regular ol 270 has crossed my mind as well.

 

[Greyfox]

I own a Winchester Model 70 in 270WSM that is an excellent performer that I have taken several whitetail and mule deer from 50 to 500 yards loaded with 140gr Nosler Ballistic tips at 3140FPS. Recoil, un-braked, is comparable to my 308/30-06's using 165gr bullets.

 

[Frog4aday]

It's funny - no one is questioning if the .270 WSM is adequate or not for elk. That's not the issue. It's a great round and plenty capable of doing the job at hand (taking an elk.) The question is the recoil in the hands of the OPs wife. I don't know her. She might be immune to recoil and we can all happily recommend a .375 H&H with a muzzle brake and limbsaver pad and say as long as the stock is fit right, it will work great and - besides - our 9 year old shoots that combo 100 times a day at half MOA out to 1000 yards. Ugh. Just silly. Give me a break. (And not a muzzle brake because those things are horrendously loud and obnoxious and a definite a "no" in my book for a HUNTING rifle.)

Thankfully @jebel posted a great pic that should have helped put the recoil of the .270 WSM into perspective:

The recoil force of the .270 WSM is nearly double the value of the rifle she is currently shooting (.243 Win). It is even 2 ft/lbs more than the .30-06 which many feel is about the upper recoil level the average MAN can tolerate without developing a flinch. This doesn't even show recoil VELOCITY, which is also a player in how a rifle 'feels' to us in terms of recoil, and the .270 WSM has MORE of that, too.

If a .243 Win is just too light for comfort, then perhaps the .25-06 firing a 115grain Nosler Partition would be a good compromise? The recoil is not too brutal and the killing power is quite good. I'd hate to see a happy hunter who is comfortably shooting a .243 Win being put into a hard kicking (and fast kicking) .270WSM and deciding hunting wasn't her thing after all. No point to it. What she is shooting now will legally and legitimately kill elk. A .257 Roberts or .25-06 will do it, too, with only a little more recoil. Going up from there gets into recoil territory that may or may not be tolerable. I think the 6.5 CM would be great, but the OP says "NO" to that option. That's fine. We all have our reasons for things.

If it MUST be a .270, then perhaps the tried and true Winchester version firing a light mono bullet (Barnes 100gr or Hammer 117gr Hunter)? The lighter bullet will kick less, but being a mono, it will still expand and penetrate well. Good luck. Hopefully whatever cartridge/rifle combo that gets chosen it ends up working out for all concerned. (Oh yeah, the CAMILLA rifle from Weatherby really does fit women properly. That would be a great place to look for a gun that FITS her 'out-of-the-box'.)https://weatherby.com/store/vanguard-camilla/

 

[MT257]

I honestly wish every store had a try before ya buy option. Maybe the 25-06 is a definite option. Me personally hunt elk with the 257 weatherby. It's done everything I've needed it too. In 8 elk one step after Impact I all the elk have gotten. I can't compare that recoil to anything as it's not the sporter barrel weight, it's a bit heavier so I see less recoil. I personally a fan of speed with good bullets.

 

[MT257]

Then again maybe I'm over looking something. By somehow choosing the 270wsm initially.

 

[Frog4aday]

I like the .270 WSM and if you were looking at it for YOU, then I'd be more onboard. But its a 'kicker' in a rifle light enough for your wife to handle easily. Thankfully, you've hunted with a .25 caliber and know what it can do. More punch than a .243 Win on the business end with not much more punch on your wife's end. It is a good step up for her without being too much to handle.

Just out of curiosity, I checked what calibers you can get the Weatherby Vanguard Camilla in and this is it:

Of those, the 6.5 CM would be a great choice, but you said you aren't going there. That being the case, next 'best' would be the 7mm-08 Rem, firing a light-for-caliber mono-bullet like a Barnes 110 or 120gr TTSX. And even then, I worry it might be "too much". Won't know until she tries it.

 

[MT257]

Thanks for the input. I'm not sure why I'm hesitant on the 7-08. I mean can it do it yes. I've never really loaded ammo for one. And I think she'll be able to handle the recoil, I just don't think she will sit at the bench and shoot the rifle all day. As far as the creedmoor goes. they are great cartridges, but I would prefer to shoot the 130 accubond. And the last 6.5 I had the velocities I got I was not a fan of velocity it was giving also I couldn't get the rifle to shoot so it left a sour taste in my mouth because it was advertised as a Sub-moa rifle and couldn't get it to shoot anywhere near 1".