270 versus 7MM-08

[NHSHOOTER]

My friend is now considering borrowing a 7-08 for his moose hunt since you can load a 175 partition for it. Given the choice I am just looking for pros and cons.
He will have plenty of time to get used to the rifle since the moose season isnt until mid october and the rifle he is going to borrow belongs to me and I reload for it.

 

[Mobuck]

I'll say right up front that I patently dislike the 270. If you're going to put up with that much buck and bellow, shoot a real cartridge like a 30/06.
Now, on to the question. Personally, I don't think the 7mm08 needs a 175 grain bullet to reach it's full big game potential. I like Nosler Parttitions and have shot some good sized elk with 160 grainers in a 7mm Rem mag. No failures of any sort even when hitting shoulder bones. Considering the velocity expectations from a 7mm08, the 150 grain Partition should be close to optimum. There are other bullets that will do the job in a lighter than 175 grain weight, I just don't have the experience(or confidence) to recommend them.

 

[Old Stony]

I guess we can't all have the same opinions or there wouldn't be anything to discuss. I love the .270 and think it's up to the task in taking any game in North America. I don't currently shoot .270, but use the 7mm/08 quite a bit for my larger game shooting....only because I don't have long range shots or need a long action rifle.
A .270 with a quality 150 gr. should be good medicine for a moose as far as I am concerned.

 

[jmr40]

Either will work. A 270 with 150 gr bullets is just fine. I just like the 7-08 a bit better. If he does decide on the 7-08 I agree a 175 gr bullet will work, but isn't necessarily needed.

At one time with crude bullet technology heavy bullets were needed to ensure good penetration on larger game. Many of todays premium bullets hold together, still expand and penetrate much deeper than the same bullet weights of years ago.

If you're going shoot cheap bullets, then larger calibers make sense. If you spend 20-30 cents more for a premium bullet a 243 starts looking like an acceptable moose bullet. Not that I'd go that small by choice. Either the 7-08 or 270 with good bullets is more than adequate.

 

[riverratt]

I do a lot of redneck penetration and expansion test. I use everything from simple water jugs to wet pack with a cow femur. What I have learned was that a 120gr ttsx out of a 7mm-08 with a muzzle velocity of 3000 fps will match my 06 in penetration. My 06 runs a 165gr hpbt gameking at 2900ish fps. With that said I'd vote for a 140gr ttsx out of a 7mm-08.

 

[jersurf101]

I love my .270 Win. Has been all I have needed over my hunting life. 150 gr Speer grand slams are a good projectile for larger than deer game. 140 gr Barnes TSX is a good projectile as well. No experience with the 7mm-08.

 

[TimSr]

So if I understand this, a guy is going to shelve his .270 and borrow someone else's 7-08 for a moose hunt because he feels he can't find a good performing bullet in moose ammo for his .270?

Sure, it will do the job, but I'm not buying the premise that you can't find good moose ammo for a .270, and I'd rather spend my time looking for some, than learning to become familiar with someone else's rifle.

Nosler Partition has a proven track record. So does Speer Grand Slam. Lots of new stuff I'm not experienced with that is probably even better.

 

[Gunplummer]

I remember Savage pushing their .303 Savage (Kind of a stoked up 30-30) for moose. Lots of stories and ads for it. Times have changed, I guess.

 

[DAVID NANCARROW]

Does seem odd that he wants to switch from a standard action that he is or at least should be familiar with to a short action with less velocity, especially with a 175 grain bullet.

Nosler lists a couple of 270 Win loads with a 160 grain partition at 2800 fps with a 24 inch barrel. That ought to knock down most any moose with a reasonable shot angle.

The same page does list a 175 grain partition at 200 fps slower, which really isn't much difference in the ability to take a moose, but I do question why a borrowed rifle when he already has the tool to do the job?

http://www.nosler.com/nosler-load-data/270-winchester/

http://www.nosler.com/nosler-load-data/7mm-08-remington/

 

[doofus47]

If he already owns the 270 and likes it

Go with what you know.
I'd say keep the old faithful and shoot a monolithic TTSX.

 

[T. O'Heir]

Your buddy a new hunter? His .270 will do. A 7mm-08 won't make any difference with a 175 or anything else. Not that it really matters one way or the other.

 

[NHSHOOTER]

I have totally agree with all of you that he should stick with what he has, the guide he hired seems to want the heaviest bullet and also suggests a magnum rifle which I dont really think is necessary. My friend is not a new hunter but he is a bit recoil shy and he also doesnt want to go out and buy a magnum rifle for just one hunt.

 

[mwal]

My buddy in Canada has shot many moose with his Marlin 30/30 with 170 core lokt . He said any bullet that you can shoot accurately that holds together is good enough. Mags not needed unless you are doing extreme long range. His buddies that used to use the 30-06 are all migrating to the 7mm-08 flat shooting low recoil and it kills them just as dead.

Mwal

 

[natman]

Just because it may be possible to cram a 175 grain bullet into a 7mm-08 doesn't make it a good idea.

If he can't do it with a 270 and a 150 grain premium bullet, he can't do it at all. He should use his own 270.

 

[979Texas]

Both calibers will work fine. Personally I would choose the .270 over the 7mm-08 any day for any game or hunting. With the .270 you get more energy, higher velocity, more powder capacity, better trajectory and ballistics all around. And Woodleigh offers a 180 grain bullet in their infamous Weldcore bullet line for the .270. Double Tap has a load on their line of ammo with this Woodleigh Weldcore at, 2754 ft.lbs energy, and, 2625 fps velocity. And you honestly dont even need this heavy of a load for moose in a .270, but your friend seems to have an affinity for heavy loads. The sectional density for the 180 gr. .270 would be considerably higher than the 175 gr. load for the 7mm-08 due to the smaller bullet diameter and higher bullet weight, and the higher the sectional density the deeper the penetration. So I see no real advantage at all of a 7mm-08, especially for this purpose, its just going to punch a slightly wider hole in the moose, 7mm-08 (.284 diameter) .270 Winchester (.277 diameter) not a big difference. Plus your friend already has this .270 and I imagine has shot it and gotten to know the gun. So me like many other people have already said on this thread, why would he switch to a gun he is not familiar with? So the cons of switching to 7mm-08 are: Learning a new gun, loss of bullet energy, loss of bullet velocity, loss of sectional density, loss of trajectory and range capability (not that that will matter on a moose hunt), loss of powder capacity, loss of overall ballistics and trajectory in general. Pros of 7mm-08: Slightly bigger caliber (despite weaker ballistics), and short action rifle (at least I would say that is a pro due to my personal preferences).

 

[979Texas]

Here is a link to Midway for the Woodleigh Weldcore 180 grain .270 bullets. A well constructed 150 grain bullet will do just fine for the job but due to your friend and his guides fondness for ungodly heavy bullets here you go.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/87...-180-grain-weldcore-protected-point-box-of-50


And here is a link to the same bullet already loaded by Double Tap, just in case.

http://www.doubletapammo.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=303_312&product_id=545

 

[NHSHOOTER]

After several discussions and also showing him all the responses I have gotten here on TFL, He has finally decided to stick with his 270 loaded with 150 Hornady Interlocks. I want to thank you all for your input and I as I stated earlier totally agree, stick with what you have and what you are comfortable with. I will post his success here when it happens, have patience, the moose season here in NH is in late October.
Thanks Again!!!

 

[Panfisher]

With that particular set up there are a couple of other thing he will need. Good sharp knife, camera, and friends to help drag.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Both cartridges are (marginal) moose calibers. Its a matter of. How good a shot is the shooter?

 

[dahermit]

The .270 made its reputation as a long-range rifle shooting a 130 grain bullet. Jack O'Conner considered it the epitome of a sheep rifle. As I understand it, moose (Eastern) are shot at close to moderate range, most/many called in. Many people have taken moose cleanly by shooting behind the shoulder (why shoot anywhere else?) with moderately powered (7MM-08, etc. ) rifles. Ignore the people who say .270 and 7MM-08 are not powerful enough for moose...they are the kind of hunters who give no consideration to the amount of blood-shot and wasted meat that results from quartering shots. Those "hunter's" shooting practices beg the question: If someone gave you a prime steer with the condition that you had to harvest it by shooting it from 100 yards, would they wait for a broadside shot, or take a quartering shot? Rocket science it is not. In short, either will work fine if you place the bullet correctly.