270 vs 308 - The Best Round For Hunting Big Game - Season 2: Episode 86 

I use the 270 and the .308 regularly for deer. I like the 140 grain Nosler BT for the 270 and the 168 grain Barnes or Nosler AB for the 308. Both are reliable killers.

Thank you Ron. I'm not real informed as far as ballistics or any of that. But here's the experience that I do have. I'm from Missouri. My Dad was a Vietnam Veteran and taught me how to be a proficient small game hunter by the age of 8. By the time I was 12. I was allowed to hunt solo and had harvested my 1st Whitetail with a recurve bow. I was keeping 3 households supplied with small game. At which time I was given a Marlin 336CS chambered in 30/30 Win. To make my efforts of supply and demand easier. From then on that's basically all I ever hunted every hour I could. That's basically the only rifle I've ever needed and used. I've taken literally hundreds of deer with it. Everyone I've ever taught to hunt has harvested their 1st deer with it. The only ammunition I've ever found to be consistent with accuracy and expansion in it is Remington Corelokt. On multiple occasions I have harvested 2 animals with the same shot whenever the opportunity presented itself. Surprisingly more often than desired or even where I could take advantage of the situation. Your statement about the deer fat definitely rings true as your words always do in my eyes. Here's why. And I suggest you try it for yourself. Take a big chunk of deer fat and try to cook it. You will find that unlike any other fat that I know of. Does not render into an oil. It will just burn. That's why I always butchered my own deer to remove every trace of fat. Not only that but I am very, very picky about shot placement so as not to lose any meat. Broadside. Double lung only. My Father was taught by his Grandfather who had just came through the great depression so I'm sure you can understand what I was taught. Sorry for bending your ear so long. I just like to talk about the old days. Thanks for everything you do. By the way. I did inherit a Remington 700 in 270 Win. That has already had an accutrigger installed to be made safe.

I have a 1954 Husky 270 Winchester, I use 160 Nossler partition for Moose, Elk and bears. It is really great.

My grandfather was a WW2 506 paratrooper and avid hunter and reloader.. when asked he would say no matter what caliber or projectile ya use if ya hit the right spot within range there is no varying degrees of dead.

Hello from England, I really like your channel. I'm 77, been shooting for 67 of those years, but we are never too old to learn. Thank you.

Thanks again for the poscasts ron

Making bone (and joint) broth is one of my favorite parts of hunting, after a long and strenous season you take your time and relax while slowly drawing out every possible last bit of flavor from the harvest. If you want to be absolutely sure to remove that waxy off-flavour try boiling the bones for half an hour, dump the water, and then start the broth proper with carrots, onions, celery and i also add pumpkin carving waste since i almost always have it freshly on hand when the Swiss hunting season is done.

Lucky to have Ron sharing his many years of experience with us ! I am a big fan of the 270 Win.,it’s flat,fast killing on deer sized game at most practical ranges,that being said the 308 has an edge in ammo availability and choice in my neck of the woods and is a good cartridge too with a little bigger hole starting out

In Australia I used the old silver tips in the 80’s and 90’s in a 308 and absolutely loved them on pigs. Was shattered when I couldn’t get them any more. Now I reload and found the Speer 130 grn hollow points are awesome on pigs and Fallow deer. Use 150 grn ab or Sierra game kings for anything bigger.

Both great calibers and I use both. I lean more towards the 270 being its been with since I first started hunting

I absolutely love listening to Ron talk about the various physics involved with shooting

Congratulations for your podcast. I am spanish, in my country we can hunt a few Big Game animals, and for me the BEST cartridge for them is the 270. Now i use 270 wsm too and is amazing.

Great content. Thanks Ron

Such a fantastwist! answer on the twist rate question. It covered the important parameters and considerations so clearly and cohesively. I learned a lot. Really appreciate your work. 🙏

I'm over the cartridge stuff or worries, I simply use them. I have several 308win and the 270win and both are fine. Both work. The advantage of the 308win is it can be had in many different types of designs and its an far better choice if your using shorter 16" 18" or 20" barrels. If a person likes suppressed rifles the 308win is an phenomenal host as because it works so well in abbreviated barrels. I think there's just too much time and effort and ink spent on this cartridge comparison stuff.

Both are outstanding, don't worry about it.

One thing I do love about the .270 is, when handloaded, you get the best of all worlds. With a 130 loaded down, it becomes a great round for new or young shooters. Loaded to rifle pressures with 140s, it becomes a nice overall rifle. Loaded to near magnum pressures with 150 - 160 grain bullets, it becomes a mini-mag for large game. 3 rifles in one, hard to beat that.

Good stuff as always. Thanks.

I started making "bone broth" from my venison bones this year. I used the method Adam Ragusea outlines in in his demi glas video. Oven roast, boil, strain, reduce then freeze into ice cubes. They are flavor bombs that steps up almost any savory food

Do a lot of hunting, mostly thermal hog hunting. I’ve really taken to the 308 in todays ammunition market. It’s still plentiful, probably the most cost effective, and has plenty of power and accuracy to effectively anchor even the largest of boars. It’s great for whitetail as well.

Finally we have a gun writer/ hunter / reloader that isn’t bought off by the rifle / bullet manufacturers. Ron’s knowledge is as good as anyone I know and he’s honest about all of his facts and figures as well as his preferences! Ron this South Dakota farm kid agrees with you pretty much 100%. Keep up the good work and let me know if your ever back home in eastern side of the state I’d love to meet you and hear some of your hunting stories.

I’d take either one of these calibers in the woods for big game and have full confidence in the tool. Brown bear I might want a little more power, but been plenty taken with both these calibers tru the years. Thanks Ron. 💪🏽🎥💯👍

Ron its been my experience with the 270 I need to keep my blood trailing skills sharp but the 308 I always see them drop.

I shoot both the 270 win, and the 308 win, and If I could only have one, it would be a tough choice I would have to go with the 270 win.

I own, hunt with, and love both the 270 and 308. Honestly I use them both for the same job interchangeably. Anything from varmints to elk depending on bullet choice but mostly mid size game with 130gr spbt and 165gr spbt respectively. Yep still an old school cup and core bullet guy. They’ve worked on everything for a long long time

Over here in south Australia the 270 rounds have gone up to $85 a box while 308 is only $35 so I traded my 270 in for a 308 . It is not as flat shooting but practice at the range didn't take long to shoot accurately out to 900yrds.

I’ve used both .270 and .308 with great success . I love em both as equally ! As far as an all around do it all cartridge for deer , elk , moose and bear .. I think the .35 Whelen hits the sweet spot !

Yes my wife makes bone broth from white tail deer. We add it to our soups, I don’t think it adds too much to the flavor. It does add a lot of nutritional value.

🤠 270 Winchester Has More Range, But The 308 Winchester Is A Fine Cartridge Too! 😁 Just Buy Them Both and Be Happy! 😜

I like that "Twist and Shout"!💓😂😂😂👏👏👏👍

I like both I love the 308 for the woods and out around 250 yards and I love the 270 for long range 200 to 400 yards

I do it with whitetail, it’s great! Lots of videos on stock making. Never boil, always simmer. I use it in stews and soups. Yes it’s also great with game birds to. I’ve even done it with black bear. Yes you can drink it straight up. I recommend adding some soy sauce, lime juice, ginger and sriracha when ya feel a cold coming on.

I've tried whitetail broth and it's pretty good. Definatly a slightly off flavour but it works really well for stews

Ron, I really enjoy your videos very knowledgeable.

Took my first moose with a .270 when I was just a kid. Started witht the .30's when I was about 18 and never looked back, but mostly out of hard-headedness. My Dad was all about the 7mm and boy did he use it effectively!

Thank you for the stream

Ron, one thing I never see anyone talk about is what the different types of riffling in the barrel. I do lots of handloading so you know you can change thing a lot there. I geek out alot about internal ballistics. I build 2 identical rifles, 18" AR in 223W, used all the same components the one difference was the rifling. 5R vs 6 groove. barrels where made by the same manufacture, same gas, profile, chamber, both 416R SS. The rifles were twins except for the 5R. I used the same lot of factory ammo, 15rds each. the 5R shot, on avg. 93 fps faster than the 6 groove. That's like adding 2" to the barrel by my thinking. I've done this a lot knowing i'm getting faster fps with 5R or 4 groove, but never had the opportunity to basically duplicate/test the rifles to this extremes. My 4 groove 308 pushes 30-06, 6 groove velocities. The performance gains seem to be across the board, bullet weights and types all do the same. I doubt it makes little difference in very high velocity caliber but it works for 300blk and the slower rounds like these as well. It's something I take account for in handloading. I'm slowing changing all of my barrels to 5R as I get a few extra $$$ to do so. I can use shorter barrel while keeping the same punch as longer, or have faster shooting guns the same size. Plus, always better grouping. No real questions but I'd like your thoughts on doing this or maybe give you something to talk about.

btw: great artwork on your desk!

G'day, I chose a .270 years ago for it's slight range advantage. The 30 cal has advantages with wider projectile selection. I think in most conditions the target won't care what is used.

Hard to go wrong with either of 'em. The 150 grain .308 has the edge for versatility but the 270 is better for longer shots. There are so many different 30 cal. bullets (and factory loads), while the 270 is really at its best in the 130 grn load.

The 338 and 270 are my favorite calibers.i have a 340 weatherby magnum and a 270 weathery magnum and I love them both equally

Momentum. Thank you for pointing to the momentum element of terminal performance. I think it is easy for many of us hunters to conflate kinetic energy with momentum.

I own a .243, .25-06, .270, 7mm rem. Magnum, .308, and .30-06. ALL OF THEM WILL TAKE DEER AS LONG AS GREAT BULLETS ARE USED AND THOSE GREAT BULLETS ARE PLACED IN THE PROPER VITAL AREA OF THE DEER. None are better than the other and all 6 are my favorites.

Hey Ron, In regards to the 270win vs 308 win, load up some 180 grain woodleigh bullets and you will not be disappointed. It has as sectional density higher than a 220 grain thirty caliber, its a bonded bullet, and it will stabilize in the standard 1-10" twist.

Flip a coin! Probably choose a .308 due to ammo availability, brass, reloading components, and bullet variety. Still hard not to choose a .270.

I'm a 243 guy have 308 and 270 but for deer hunting the 243 is like a lightning shot!

They are both good. Point, aim, shoot. Pick up you game

You’re right about individuality I have a 260 and it seems to be on its way out. The 65 has pretty much killed it and I have a 65 but only because the 260 was getting hard to find ammo for. I still love to hunt with it . I also use the 6.5 . But I really love the performance I get with 260 . Not that the 6.5 is a bad round . Just had the 260 a long time . Took many deer with it .

I love how you can get a compact rifle In 308... might not have the best ballistics...but great to Carry in the woods

In 84 Igot a m77 in 308 still using it my brother uses the 270 or the 308 and he's good like Ron here.

I used to have both a 270 and a 308. I have a lot more time and number of rounds out of the 308. Also, the 270 I had, just was not as comfortable as my 308. Comfortability and time can make a big difference in accuracy. I think I will stay with the 308.

I made bone broth from a Virginia Whitetail that my brother killed this year. We use it in cooking more than drinking it. But we love using it in this way. I do drink beef bone broth when I get sick and it's very helpful. Will try venison next time.

I have been using my rugar m77 in 308 the last several years. It’s deadly accurate and I hardly use anything else. I have harvested ten deer and four hogs with it the last four years. The round count on these harvest is 15 rounds

.308 vs .270 is a tough one that I can't choose between.

A win - win with these.

I PERSONALY LIKE THE BIG BULLETS FOR TREE BRANCHES, PUNCH THROW, EAST COAST HEAVY WOODS

I've killed deer with both 270 and 308 no critter was deader than the other it's a tie for me...

I have made bone broth with my first California black tail deer last year. Delicious! Roast the split bones in the oven before boiling

Another great pod cast @Ronspomer ! Sorry I missed the show! Deer Bone broth ?🤔 when I was a young man, the native Indians taught me how to skin and tan a hide, as well as the proper way to gut the animal. I’m amazed I never heard anything about bone broth, it seems they tried to use every bit of the animal for one purpose or another. There was enough brain in each animal to tan It’s on hide. I’m interested in hearing more myself. 🤠😎

I Own multiples of each of these cartridges in bolt action rifles. The .270 Winchester outperforms the beloved .308 Winchester on deer-sized animals. More powder, lighter bullets equals speed, and the .270 is an O.G. hot rod. (Read the load data from the early days…)

270win all day

You can't go wrong with either the 270 Winchester or the 308 Winchester. Both will drop a deer just fine. Keith Warren even dropped a moose with the 270 Winchester.

In reality the weapon is never to blame it is usually the loose nut behind the trigger if the job is botched.

White tail bone broth is great as a soup base 👍

Both cals. perform abselutely adequate, 270 a bit more reach for open areas, if that's your thing. I would like to react to the bone broth question. In South Africa most species are lean without huge amounts of fat, but it's true that the wild aroma is situated in the fat, not the bones or marrow. Bone broth is an amazingly rich and nutrient dense superfood. Has a lot of minerals, protein, collagen. Use half a cup of vineger and half Worcestershire sause with spices, fill the pot with water and slow-cook overnight until everything falls from the bones. You will never let a deer's bones go to waste again... Use it. Kind of ethical too. Save it for a rainy day in the freezer, it make the perfect stock for soups and stews.

We make broth quite often with blacktail deer and moose with no complaints. Just bring it to a boil and then simmer on low overnight, I like to season with a bit of salt. On a side note we also do domestic turkey bones for soup after Christmas or Easter. Believe it or not I save salmon bones and simmer them the same way to make stock for salmon chowder during the winter, tastes great!

Venison pho made from a good roast and bone broth is amazing

First time here and I fucking LOVE that this dude smoked his RU-vid subscription award 🤣🇺🇸💪🏼

Remember years ago trying to get a 95g Vmax to work in my 6.5x284 Fclass rig tuned for 142g match kings(can probably date this by the 6.5 Norma still being king) even at lowest loads they were cutting silhouettes at 100m. They were vaporizing at about 30-50m at all the other loads I tried. No rounds made it down range at all and had us foxed until wind stalled and you could see the puff of smoke in the air where they let go! Expensive but fun afternoon!

I'm definitely a 308 cat ,just always have had really good luck with it ,but nuttin wrong with the 270 it's a great caliber

Used both both do great

I can't speak to the specifics of deer broth however every year I make venison osso bucco around the holidays for the family. I can say that the marrow from osso bucco cooks down and makes the venison creamy and silky smooth. I say go for it!

☹ The Winchester Silvertip is just a different colored Nosler Ballistics Tip! Fine for Antelope, but their are better bullet choices for deer and elk (especially)! 🤯

The marrow is highly nutritious. I've only ever tried bone broth with store bought beef bones though.

In Elk camp my grandpa would toss their femur right into the campfire for about 15 minutes to soften the marrow. Crack the bones over a sharp rock dig out the soft marrow and spread it over fresh baked bread.. Heaven

You mentioned the 30 .o6 - 7:34 220 grain bullets thought me in 1964 there a Lesson a light gun 03 spring field and heavy bullets the first 4 shout were a world changer . It kills on both ends at the same time it’s the story I told every time I with shooters

Regarding the question about deer bone broth at 8:00 - I've made bone broth from the European Roe Deer and it tastet just fine. I also made a version of it with an asian "twang", meaning I added some ginger and cilantro, which made it perfect for my Thai meals.

Either of these rounds is perfectly suitable for hunting anything REASONABLY within their respective energy ranges- which are close enough that any detailed analysis is superfluous.

308 for me. Has never let me down. And it really performs out of a shorter barrel.

Bone marrow is absolutely the best for stock, which makes phenomenal broths, stews, and basting for slow cooked meets.

Ooooh you confused New Zealand and Australia. Much worse than trashing a 308😂🤣

I fully agree with your comments on SD and Momentum. It is not that common to talk about Momentum. All people talks is about the overvalued Energy.

My neighbor used to boil white tail bones low and slow and then let it cool so the fat could be scraped off the top. Then would reheat it and put it into canning jars for soup broth later in the year

I built a 7.62x40 WT, the forerunner to the Hamm'r and love it. I used a 20" unthreaded barrel and have taken many deer and hog's with 125 Nosler BT's at over 2500fps, DRT. If I need more than that I have a Ruger M77 in 270 Winchester, both shoot little bug holes and have never let me down. Want an ideal deer cartridge for 250+ yards, don't turn your nose up at the 338 Federal.

I bought a .308 last march. I still hunted with my .270 this year. I had a buddy load me up some 110’s for the .308 and it is going to be my varmint rifle for the season. I like the price and availability on .308. That is why I bought one. I love to shoot and I don’t reload so I was up in arms trying to get .270 ammo. Glad I bought the .308 but man, I know when the season starts and I shoot a deer with my .270 it is in the freezer. That is hard to switch. I have heard of and watched guys shooting deer with a 130 grain .308 with .270 like performances. I am torn. I might give the .308 a chance for the meat instead of the coyote’s. Thanks Ron for all the good stuff as always.

Im a 71 y old from South Afrika and it was very intetresting about the .22 and the 22 magnum. I have a 270 w rifle from Musgrave and i found it very good for allround huntin.

love your show! in my opinion, that and a couple of bucks will get you a cup of coffee the 30 Remington AR is a better dear gun it can shoot a 160 gr at 2600 ftps.

I have sciatic nerve pain. I am looking for a cartridge for deer hunting. I am leaning towards the 6arc in an AR platform. Thinking the lower recoil and lighter weight will help with not causing more pain than necessary. What is your opinion on the 6arc for whitetail and what would the twist rate and barrel length suggestions for say 200yd max shots?

Haven't looked at the physics in detail to see if it makes a difference or not, but you'll get more angular momentum in a fast twist rate barrel, that theoretically affects it's forward momentum.

I’ve never made bone broth with whitetail, but next season I’m going to give it a try. I love a good bone broth. Thanks for making me curious. I own a .270, .308, and 7x57. I prefer the old 7 Mauser. I tend to be a 7mm snob. Thanks again.

This is unfair. They are both awesome cartridges. I guess it would depend on what you hunt and where. I really can't choose at all. Love them both.

308 for the win!

As to bone broth, my wife places the chicken carcass in the crock pot with leftover vegetable bits, or onion and garlic papery layers, or the lemon or orange peals, whatever flavorings… AND A SPLASH of Apple Cider Vinegar which helps to dissolve the outer layer of the bones. She clips down the crock pot lid and turns to High for about 18 hours. (Or the “broth” setting on the instant pot, and lets that go overnight also). Interested in White Tale Broth now!!! 😃

Toast the bones in the broiler then put the toasted bone pieces in a pressure cooker or longer cooking time in a croak pot then cook as long as you have time fore. There is no overcooking bone broth.. Add salt, pepper, garlic and some onion.... ENJOY

My experience with white tail bones is that the “ wild taste” is very concentrated in the bone marrow . I ruined deer ribs by slow cooking it is a pressure cooker . It was inedible. My venison has been better removing it from the bone to cook . Also , the best venison I found was processed where it is hung in cold storage for hours before finishing the process .

I make stock/broth from deer/elk. It does have a distinct taste, and I don’t think I would want to make a stew using only venison broth. But mixed 50/50 with beef or red wine, it really adds a depth of flavor that store bought broth doesn’t give.

I have not seriously shot a .308, however I’m sure it has sufficient capability to pursue large game and successfully do its job. I do have a Christiansen Arms Traverse chambered in .270 Win. I shoot Federal Custom shop 145 grain ELD-X rounds. I have not toyed with different bullets because I’ve been highly accurate and satisfied with the results. I have taken Roosevelt Elk, and several deer and it’s done it job very well on them. I’ve been a bow hunter for 30 years, however due to injury of my arms I cannot use a bow. I have yet to shoot my rifle at game farther than 125 yards because I still love the thrill of the stalk.

I’ve had bone broth made from a couple of whitetail that I butchered. There was very little meat or fat attached to the outside. I didn’t make the broth but it tasted fine and didn’t have any waxy or off-taste. It works well for soup stock.

We cut our whitetail steaks with the bones in them and I loooovveee picking out the bone marrow out and eating it.. when we make roast out of the neck or shoulder they still have the bones in them and it adds such a good flavor to the meal. I’ve never made broth but I would assume a similar result

I still have a few of those win silver tip bullits for my .270 win they were great