Alsatian

The .270 is more than enough power for deer. The .243 shooting 100 grain bullets is widely considered entirely satisfactory for taking deer if the shooter does his part and puts the bullet in the vitals. The .270 is a couple of steps up in power. Use the right bullets -- probably 130 grain bullets -- and put the bullet where it belongs in the vitals, and that deer is going down.

There are no guarantees that a deer is going to drop on the spot with any round. I shot a small doe (field dressed at 80 LBS) with a .30-06 using 180 grain bullets at 25 yards last year, and that doe ran about 20 yards before dropping. There was a quarter-sized hole on both sides of the inside rib cage of the deer, lined up with the vitals. I have NO idea how that deer was able to make that 20 yard flight. When I lifted up on the deer to try to move her there was a loud sucking sound through these holes in the chest. It was an awful and deadly wound. Game animals don't necessarily drop on the spot, no matter how hard hit they are.

JeffS

Yes, I agree. People always ask what gun can I shoot that will drop them in their tracks.

Solitary Man

Precisely. I have pollaxed deer with a .300 Wby at 10 yards, turning their insides to mush, and they still run another 30 or 40 yards. It never ceases to amaze me.

TUK101

This must be what my buddy was speaking of when he told me about using the .270 in the special forces. I wasnt trying to spead lies or "crap", only repeating to the best of my knowledge what was told to me. I am sorry if it sounded like I was trying to spread misinformation. Regardless of that though, the .270 is still an excellent deer rifle round.

triggerhappy

I love these broad statements people make.

Lets play a game.

What caliber belongs to this energy rating for a 130 grain bullet?

1) 2924 foot pounds

2) 2768 foot pounds

3) 2592 foot pounds

You see the argument can go a lot of different ways. What is the formula for "knock down"?

As someone else said the deer will never know the difference because dead is dead.

Weight and mass of bullet does make a difference and a 30 cal bullet is bigger and ranges in weights higher than a 270 does so from that aspect he could make that claim.

However, that is not all that is at play and don't let anyone spook you out of a 270 based on that statement. The 270 is and will continue to be one of the most loved and popular big game cartriges around.

The answer from above are 1) 270, 2) 30-06, 3) 308

Like Isaid that game can be played a lot of ways and if you were to look at energy that would be transfered from those real figures above which one would you say has the best "knock down" power?

bigbulls

In a word........... NO.

In a sentence............ That guy is an idiot and obviously knows nothing to very little about terminal performance of bullets on game animals.

statjunk

You'd be surprised how many people make statements like that. They are usually followed by the following, "This one time I was hunting..... I know I made a perfect broadside shot.......I just know I did.....The deer just got back up and ran off......I think the bullet is too small and blew through it too fast to make any damage....I trailed it for miles......270 just sucks"

I have people in my family who are much better hunters than I am that say stuff like that.

I would prefer other cartridges over the .270 but it's just personal preference.

Tom

TUK101

I am sorry for turning this thread into a debate. Either my buddy that told me that he used .270 when he was in the military was misinformed or he just misunderstood what caliber of rifle he was shooting. The way that the topic even came up when I was talking to him was that we where discussing why we liked the .270 over some of the other calibers and that is when he told me that he fell in love with it in the military. It could be that I misunderstood what he was telling me too. I in no way was trying to spread lies of misinformation. I appoligize if I came accross that way. What I do know though is that I have shot .06 and .270 and I like the feel and the bit less of kick that the .270 gives me. I have owned both and have stuck with the .270.

triggerhappy

Don't worry about a thing you did not spread any misinformation. I own all three myself and actually several 30-06's. All three are tremendous cartridges and I think it was the generalization about knockdown power and the 270 your friend stated that was cause for debate.

My theroy is I love them all and thus should own at least one of each.

That is why it is called a forum, you will get plenty of opinions and there is nothing wrong with that. Keep posting!

jsb57

i agree totally i have seen a big doe shot with 12 gauge slug right i the boiler room at 20 yards and she ran over a 100 yards with a foot wide blood trail pretty much the whole way they are tough and have a natural instinct to survive the only way you might drop them in their tracks every time is if you are going to shoot them in the head and then there is a lot bigger margin for error just my opinion