Used .270, (Sako), since the early 1960's down here in New Zealand. Never found a need to change. Still hunting in my 70's now, with my 1970 Carl Gustaf .270.
The 275 Rigby (7x57 Mauser) is my favorite, along with 257 Roberts. But for long range and minimum drop... 270 Winchester! FYI, the 7x57 was the actual parent cartridge of the 30-03/30-06. The 7x57 is the beginning of of virtually every hunting round sold today. BTW, the 270Win does everything that the 7RemMag with less recoil. The same can be said for the 30-06 and 300WinMag. Again, my 7x57 is favorite! Easy on the shoulder, tough on the Elephants! Take care, from Alabama, USA.
Interesting subject, I use a howa 1500 .308 for target shooting and have just come back from a break in Scotland fly fishing, people don't realise what we have on our door step, beautiful.
Just to add some input here, I have handloaded for the 6.5x55 for many years and I can easily push a 120gr ballistic tip or TTSX just as fast as the 243 pushes a 100gr bullet so in reality the 6.5x55 can very well shoot just as flat or even flatter, and across the board the 6.5mm bullets have significantly better BCs so they retain their energy longer and drift less in the wind (.490BC vs .384BC in the case of the Partition). In terms of performance it is no contest the 6.5x55 beats the 243 no matter if we are talking about light, medium, or heavyweight bullets.There are more 100gr factory loads for 243 then there are 120s for the 6.5x55 but that is not an issue when you roll your own. BTW the parent case of the 270 is NOT the 30-06 it is the older 30-03 which has a longer case hence the 270 brass is longer then the 30-06.
The .270 Win is in no way an evolution of the .30 Govt Model of 1903. The math doesn't work. Nor, does the logic of developing from a cartridge that was never available to the public. Actually, the so-called 30-03 and the 30 caliber Govt cartridge of 1906, known commercially as 30-06, and 25 or so other cartridges are an evolution of the 7×57 Mauser.
''all the way down to Australia even'', had a little laugh. yes, the 308 has a big influence in Australia. the 223(foxes/dogs etc), 243 and 308 are cheap factory rounds if you don't reload too.
I hunt Whitetail Deer in the Southeastern U.S. and have used the 308Win from my teenage years ( now 71). The 308Win has performed admirably and has been all I could ask for in a caliber for medium size game. The availability and versatility of factory ammo and reloading components is unmatched and with the new non toxic ammo it continues to be extremely useful. It's like a Goldielocks cartridge....."not too hot and not too cold, but just right." P.S. If I had the good fortune to regularly stalk Scottish Highlands for Reds, my caliber of choice would be the 270Win.
Stormin' Moorman Yeah The old timers up here would find this hugely entertaining. They use whatever they have. .303 3030 .22lr and have been making meat every year all their lives. Get close make the first shot count keep shooting it until it quits moving. These numbers all mean nothing.🇨🇦🤠
Old video, but my 2p worth.... I advise anyone in the UK to go for 308win. Basically as a good compromise round for all the UK deer. And most importantly, availability. Gun shops here are not going to have a huge selection of ammo. Anything other than the very mainstream calibres, they will have to order. And it will take many months, if it arrives at all. If you ask for 308, you have at least a chance that they have the odd box of soft/hollow point on the shelf.
Clearly its a very personal thing I am a 6.5 x 55 man for no good reason than I like it and its more than adequate for my hunting here in New Zealand I have never felt over or undergunned but then I tend to restrict the distance of my shots to 150m because of my own capabilities and that I will turn down any shot that I am not fully confident of a humane kill on the right animal. With that rifle I shoot any thing from feral goats to red deer never had to track an animal they rarely go beyond visible range before settling down for the long nap. Over here 22 calibres are popular for deer even large deer but then so is bow hunting I am quite convinced that shot placement is the factor here. Big gun only improves bad shot placement to a degree good placement is always the best place to start.
308 and the 7 mm mag are my two favs up in western Canada. Bought the 7 for long range antelope, sheep. But I actually have been taking out my 308 a lot more for that. With the right loads, and an accurate rifle. You can pretty much take everything up here except grizzlies.
Good video, though it hurts me when you talk about having to justify a caliber to a firearms officer. I just find it funny how nervous you all get with the 300 win mag/7mm rem mag. Both are still widely used in the midwest/eastern states. Nice thing about the 300 is that while it has a tendency to "explode" under 100 yards, everything drops on the spot. Downside is that it isn't particularly pleasant to shoot. Ultimately, I really don't have a problem with anyone using the 308, 300 win mag, 30-06 etc. They're more than adequate out to range for most game in the world.
The 7mm bullets are so great, but a lot of people don't care for the recoil of the 7 mag, so we shoot the 7mm-08. 139 gr bullet.Some people here in Texas shoot a 125 lb white tail with the 7 mag lol. We can shoot 5 a year though, so a little meat loss isn't so bad.
very interesting, thank you very much. in my opinion the 7mm Mauser is a fine round and not rare to find. its all about preparation. Just ask the gun dealer to order you more than two packages, so that you have always enough ammo. Another interesting aspects would be "barrel life". Especially when using the rifle also for sport shooting.
good review but I kinda feel like the 7mm mag was exaggerated and the 30-06 was under rated. I have shot both of these guns lots. they have almost the same recoil and if bullet selection is chosen wisely a 30-06 is almost as flat shooting and sometimes packs more energy up to 400 yards. They are very closely matched. The 300 win mag is the step above these 2 for sure.
Very well made video, but to discuss calibers can be a tricky matter :-) If 10 individuals discussing calibers there will be 10 opinions. My favourite is 6,5x55 and with proper bullet ithits hard even at longer range. Again.......a well made video.
Hi all I'm a professional shooter in New Zealand mainly on red deer but often on larger animals like the elk coz of there size and large red stags often weighing in excess of 300lb on the hook so that's with the head off and hooks off and offal out and bum out My choice of caliber is the 22-250 with my home loads of 60gr Sierra HP doing 3680fps I can comfortably shoot stags out to 600yards 1 shot behind the shoulder and it will take any stag down they usually run about 10-15 yards then full over stone dead lung shot or neck shots even during the roar out to 350-400 yards which is pretty good for a little bullet I've shot over 3000 deer mainly stags so I think in the hands of a good shooter a 223 or a 22-250 is a great cal and minimal meat damage
.i use a .270 win in Australia is my preferred caliber for hunting, specially on feral pigs, I know some people complain about meat recovery but in places like Australia were you are required to take animals like kangaroo with head shots it's not a problem, unless you want a trophy or cape head shots for meat hunting is my preferred method. Like you mention shot placement is the key.
In England perhaps the .243 is all you need In Canada it's too weak to really be any good due to larger game here .308 and 3006 are widely used with many choosing 300 mag and 7mm mag. 150 gr to 220 gr bullets
I know it is a truly different world in many aspects hunting across the pond from my hunting on the east coast in America. There are alot of very good deer calibers out there I feel you missed, although they may be ones you all dont have or are seldom seen over there. Still I just want so say your video was very good & informed me better if I come your way to hunt. As well I am a true believer in my 7mm rem mag and it travels everywhere with me for it can take cover so many things but only with proper shot placement as well as what is beyond the target to be safe.
The 7x57 or .275 Rigby is the wisest choice in my opinion. what these chaps seem to ignore is the BC values of each caliber. the 7mm will always have a higher BC than the 30 Calibers in similar weights in a spitzer style bullet. This means you get more efficiency through the air ( the bullet loses less velocity) thus less wind drift (and a better trajectory). This allows for more accurate shots over longer distances. Also, the 275 is not excessively fast meaning it is perfect for woodland environments too. He makes mention of using a 120 something grain in the highlands, so I did some research using loads from popular bullet companies. I found that the 139 SST 7x57 from Hornady had a very similar trajectory (with considerably less wind drift) and the same energy at 250yrds than the 125gr Nosler ballistic tip with a MV of 3100. So the 7x57 or 275 is a very underrated cartridge.
i agree,,,,,,,,here in idaho, the 308 seems to work just as good as the 30-06 and 300 winchester which i have also used a lot on elk,,,,really cant see where the 308 lacks anything,,,,,,,,it can do it all,,,,,,,
9:15 yes you can use 7.62 nato rounds chambered in a 308 win chambered rifle, nato rounds have a lower pressure but you cannot do it vice versa without your 7.62 nato chambered rifle blowing up
Here in the states, where I live in the south, .243 and 6.5's are king. In some states. 223 calibre bullets are legal to use on Whitetails, a lot of guys love using. 223 even though I don't agree with it. The .223 crowd loves to make those neck shots. They will raz you for using a bigger gun accusing you of poor marksmanship. Personally I like the 7mm-08 which is the same ballistically as a 7x57mm. The 7mm's give you more diversity to hunt feral hogs and Black Bear. States like Kentucky and Virginia allow elk hunting via a lottery. The 7mm-08 and 7x57mm will work at woodland ranges. But that's when I like to step to something like a 30-06 for elk hunting at woodland ranges. In western states they love those magnums. Guys that live out in Wyoming and Montana love to boast about their long range marksmanship with the largest possible magnum they can stand to shoot.
That's only partially true. There are those,it's marketing driven, but those of us who live in the West And use a rifle daily, know how silly that can be. Magnums have their place, but in my safe their place is at the back. It's the .243 Win or .270 Win that goes in the truck with me every morning. The .270 at 3050 fps from 130,grain bullet is a magnum, by performance. Magnums burn barrels, burn expensive ammo and lots of powder and cause accuracy issues due to excess recoil. I'm no wimp, but my .270 is great on recoil. My 30-06 is my personal limit for constant firing. I'll drag a .300 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag out and bench shoot a few rounds. Then, they aren't fun anymore. I just watched my Dad vaporize a cow elk at 140 yards with a 150 gr Nosler Partition from his ancient Model 70. That's the limit of what we need. However, we don't live in Grizzly country and if I am hunting where these 1000 pound killing machines are roaming, and there's a lot of them these days, I'm going to the back of that safe for the magnum. And, for my .44 Blackhawk. Neither are to be left behind.
Oh. And I agree with English law. The .243 is the lightest deer cartridge an ethical hunter can use. The .223 is not a topic of discussion among gentlemen. But, on large deer in situations not in a stand over a baitpile, the .243 needs a change of tactics.Many years ago, I heart shot a huge, did I say huge? Ya, huge. whitetail buck right through the lungs with a 95 grain Nosler Partition from a .243 at about 25 yards. There was no missing, as his head was up a doe's butt.. I never recovered that deer until the crows led me to him. When I found him, he had a pass through, double lung wound. Perfect, right? As it turns out, no. I wasted a magnificent game animal and only recovered his antlers. That's when I learned to put my first round right through the bottom of the front shoulders. This immediately incapacitates him. You immediately follow up with your lung shot and it's over right on the spot. On those quartering away shots where you have to go in behind the ribs and plow through a foot of guts, you just have to let that deer go until another day. That's your .270, .308 territory in that situation. I find the 30-06 unnecessary for deer hunting, but love the thing on elk.
I feel that if your shooting boar you should be shooting 7x57 minimum 30'06,270win, is standard 7mm mag/270 weatherby are all around... 270wby with a 130 soft point was specifically designed for white tail deer. I have a weatherby mkv in 270wby and a custom mauser in 7x57 soft under 250yrs i also Hunt moose as well . 6.5x54ms is also a very effective n efficient in the right hands
I grew up using the .270 here in Texas , but this year I am going to switch to either the .260 remington or the 7mm-08 because of the BC of those two bullets are high , and because they have a short bolt throw and lighter recoil .
I've shot all uk deer with 222, 22-250, .243, 7-08, 308, 270wsm, 30-06, 300wm, 338wm. It didn't make any difference although your at a disadvantage on a hind cull with the magnums and I would say anything above 243.
The 6.5 creedmoor ammo is available in a lot of stores here now. I have a savage 10 in creedmoor, and a AR-10 in creedmoor. No problem on deer at 500 yards. Outstanding accuracy.
No, the .243 Win. wasn't conceived of as a vermin round. It was originally intended as a dual purpose cartridge for both vermin and medium game. Of course, like most multi purpose creations it's not really ideal for either application. And by the way, the 30-06 was originally derived from the 7x57 Mauser.
I took six whitetails this season. I shoot a ruger 77/357. I had it rebar relied to a McGowan 1:7 358 caliber barrel and chambered in 38 special. I load a hornady XTP 158 grain with 5.7 grains of Universal powder. I thing I generate less than 500 foot pounds. I run all of this through a form one suppressor. The loading is sub-sonic.The furthest shot I took this year was 107 yards. It was a face on shot she was feeding and had her head down. I aimed for the base of the neck center spine. I was two inches left and the bullet ran lengthwise through the deer. Stopping deep in the lower abdomen. She weighed about 170 pounds.
Thanks guy's for your opinions, all of which are being added to our 'What's YOUR favourite calibre' page: www.countydeerstalking.co.uk/Blog/what-is-your-favourite-calibre-for-uk-deer-stalking.html please mention our film to your friends and we'll add their opinions to the list.
I am afraid I need to disagree with a few of the comments regarding meat damage, bullet choice ie: weight and design is the determining factor in this regard! High velocity combined with weaker bullets are the cause, great for vermin etc. however a 30-06 using bonded bullets or mono metal bullets will deform on impact and not break up and pass through your target with very little meat damage! It is the combination that makes all the difference... Beginners watching this will be misguided to a degree and after gaining some experience will probably change calibre. I am surprised by the lack of use of correct terms and lack of describing things like the BC of a bullet and its effects on performance etc. Bullet options even in factory loaded ammo has a huge bearing on performance! So for example a 270 or 3006 can mimic a 308 with a change in ammo...even regarding recoil however both can be step up in performance which makes them essentially more versatile!
Unless you are a marksman, a .270 bullet in a 308 case, would do the business way past where most people could/should shoot animals range wise. The closet to that is a 7mm-08. Larger calibers belt you in de shoulder and waste meat, smaller calibers mean cruelty to animals unless you get a broadside through de lungs shot. Long actions mean more fiddling around for a follow up shot. Sight it in at 50m, on de way up, will give flat shooting out to 250m. Don't shoot deer out past where you can always hit a 200 mm disc because the week link is usually you not your gun. Teach yourself to shoot first by plinking beer cans with a 22 rim or air rifle at 25 then 50m WITH A SAFE BACK GROUND. Join a club and be leagel. That's what I think.
I have hunted on six continents and use the .270 Winchester, .375 Holland and Holland and the .465 Holland and Holland. I don't see any reason to change. Do you?
I'm really curious about the comment made around @14:40 about the .270 and "only getting back 50% of meat" from a roe buck. Is he aiming somewhere other than the kill zone (heart lungs)? A heart lung shot from a .270 isn't going to ruin any meat unless your round hits high in the shoulder or something.
This has been known to happen for 60 years or so. 3050 fps and 130 grain bullet just destroy a deer at close range. It's the whole reason the 150 grain bullet exists. There were tons of complaints about meat damage, so they simply started to throw a bigger rock. At about 2850 fps, the 150 grain is much better at 200 yards or so on in. These guys probably just don't know that. I use the 130 for open prairie hunting to take advantage of the. 270 amazing 390 yard point blank range.
Hi Chris, very sorry to hear this, we try to make a point of responding to everyone, within 48 hrs. If you have slipped through the net you have my apologies. How can we help? Or perhaps you'd like to email me direct peter@countydeerstalking.co.uk or just give me a call, we'd be delighted to hear from you. Kind regards Peter
300 win mag. You can get loads with 150gr that feel like 308s but, when you get in trouble, you can push up to 220gr hammers. Seen too many animals ruined by too many panicked 308 shots when the first one didn't do the job.
first of all really enjoyed the video. But seeing peoples perspective from another country is great and comical in a way. first wears the camo? you guys sitting and talking in a suit and dress shirt makes me feel like a bum. Then the well lit gun case in the back with a purple or muave interior is outstanding. So next video for your fans in the U.S.A. could you throw on a camo hat atleast it would warm my heart. ok with that said i started out with a 243 when i was about 11 but my preference now is a 270 or 308. after shooting many cal. i seem to stick with those 2. and again good video i will be looking for a little camo in the future.
Hope you are joking! the 6.5x55 can take down moose in sweden with the 156/160 grain bullets but the 140 is much more suited for deer (roe etc). On those bullets you can expect 10% or so more velocity in a modern action then 6.5 creedmoor. the X55 has more case capacity. Manufacturers are loading it for the old mauser 98 actions, but modern rifles from sako, tikka, sauer, mauser etc all can outrun the creedmoor every day of the week.
I'm in two minds to get a .243 or a .308, It would be mainly be used for roe in Northumberland, but I would like the odd trip up to Scotland for reds. What would you go for? Is there a lot of meat damage on roe with a .308?
you might consider a 7mm.08 as it's the same case as both you mentioned but a bit lighter than the 308 and heavier than the 234 it might be a good option for you?
30-06 won ww2 and still valid to this day ...... never ever heard 7mm Mauser as Spanish it was developed for the German Mauser but Spain was the first military to use it . Are they such fools in England to ask more questions on magnum rounds? ..... is it going to make any difference if a criminal has 308 or 7mm rem mag as almost all crime is commited with pistol round or small diameter riffle cartridge .... great vid
The 6.5x55 as factory ammo is not doing it justice as it is loaded so it can be used in the 100 year old mauser rifles. Hand loaded for a modern rifle, it is a different animal altogether and with bullets in the 120 grain range its quite a flat shooting round that will stay supersonic well past 1000 yards.
Makes the lectures about the 6.5 Creedmore, coming from some dude in a man Bun seem silly. Because it is. When you mention that there is a cartridge over 100 years old that outperforms their very well marketed Creedmoor, you just get a puzzled stare. If they do have a reply, it's usually, " but the Creedmoor has a short action". Like that matters.
Naaah .50 calibre is the best for deer. I’ve been shooting them with it for years the only problem is; after I pull the trigger the deer just disappears! And I’m only left with enough venison to cover a small water biscuit…
Considered a bit of an old cartridge these days, however we did do a film about it recently chambered in an Lee Enfield, You can watch it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HjRTC-hutsI.html
Ha Ha just about anything will work if you know how to use it. Get in close make the first shot count keep shooting it until it quits moving. Tissue damage kills quickly and humanely end of conversation🇨🇦🤠
You can use 7.62 "military" in a .308 "civi" rifle as long as you make sure the case is not too long (which is unusual). www.ammoland.com/2017/06/7-62-nato-vs-308-winchester-ammo-whats-the-difference/#axzz6FitDJyGx Its less advidabvle to use .308 in a 7.62 nato as the pressures tend to be higher in the .308.
What's the point of interviewing a ballistics expert on the merits, of the cartridges in question, when the interviewer has to almost show off his shooting knowledge. I've seen a few of his other videos, I think I won't be watching him if I can help it. I think he likes the sound of his own voice.