There is a ton of ammo options for .270's.. Would rather get a .308 rather than a 7mm-.08

For hunting if you reload the 7mm-08 has ALOT of options. If you do not reload I would use the .270. I do not own a .308.

I think a better comparison of these two cartridges might be the rifles available in the respective calibers. To name just a few EX: Savage & Browning Lever guns in 7-08, but Kimber Montana's in any of the 308 based rounds are much preferable to me balance wise than the longer/bulkier actioned "Standard/Magnum" length rounds more suited for the big mouthed Win Mg's ... but then I think the Kimber Montana in any WSM round regardless of the bullet diameter is the perfect blend of balance and power. Ruger's youth length 16" barreled series in 308 based rounds also come to mind, or their 18" barreled full stocks that the '06 based rounds lose some of their bigger bullet & powder capacity advantages in. All of the 308 based rounds seem to give up less speed in barrel lengths under 20"'s than any of the '06 based rounds is my experience.

Only other odd thing that comes to mind though is the difference in bullet selections to handload with, as well as the more limited factory ammo bullet selections commonly found. The 270, invented in 1925, has been around so long that bullet mfg'ers have perfected the 277 diameter stuff regardless of weight and bullet design to perform specifically at 270 speeds for over 70 years...and the 7mm bullets being reloaded have to satisfy 7x57 speed to 7RMg speeds, with the 7-08 closer to the old Mauser than to the Magnums. Just a thought when you are picking fly poop outta the pepper.

There is the proven fact though that in Hunting Country, you can find 270, 30'06 & 30-30 ammo in any bar, gas station, grocery store, convenience store, BBQ joint or diner no matter what state you are in ...BTDT....and why I still and will always have a 270 in the truck just in case I somehow lose all the 6.5x55 or 9.3x62 handloaded ammo I brought. I feel the same way about a 30'06 but the redundancy between an '06-308 and a 270 doesn't work for me. Even my poor old 300WinMg is the one that is now getting left behind more & more.
JMHO & YMMV
Ron

how many options does a person need?

i shoot one type and weight bullet outta each of my rifles, i keep it simple.


most guys that worry about having more options never shoot anything bigger than a whitetail over 200 yards anyway.



Ron,

good point you brought up about the .277 diamter vs. the wide spectrum of velocities 7mm bullets are thrown at.


had a discussion with my broker the other day about the 7mm mag, and what how bad a rap it hss gotten with alot of the locals the past few years. people calling it the 7mm woundamag and the tired old "i've chased more deer wounded from a 7mag than anything else" tale told by roy hindes.

i noticed something awhile ago while looking at ammo at various sporting goods stores. most 7mm mag bullets are 160 grain partition style bullets.


load those 7mags up with 140 and 150 grain interlocks and you won't have deer running off very far.

bullet type is more important that weight, in any caliber

Since this tread was posted Hornady has come out with the superformance line of ammo. 308 150 grain SSTs going 3000 fps and 270 SST 130 grainers going 3200 fps just sucks all the air outta the 7mm08 for me.

If I want to shoot factory ammo in my 7mm-08 the 139gr superformance at 2950 will be fine. The Superformance is 50fps slower tban the the Hornady lightmag 3000fps with the same bullet.

both the .270 and 7mm-08 are terrific cartridges and you would be served well with either one.

It's 6 of one or 1/2 dozen of the other. There's no difference in terminal performance if the shooter does their job. I shoot a 7mm-08 because the Model Seven stainless I have is compact, light, handy and very accurate. I've shot varmints, 40 or so deer (at ranges up to 325 yards), aoudads and numerous exotics including a nilgai. I've never felt "under-gunned" and everything I point it at falls over dead. A good 270 would have done the same thing. For what and how I hunt, a gun like the Model Seven in 7mm-08 better fits my needs.

Recoil is not much of a concern for me, but the 7mm-08 does have considerably less recoil than the .270. It is far more pleasant to shoot with just a miniscule amount of less energy. Also, as has been mentioned, the short action 7mm-08 does make a handier package than the longer action .270. FWIW, I am a .30-06 man myself, but I sure do like the 7mm-08 as well.

the original load for the .270 shooting 130 grainers was in the 3100+ fps range, but over time they watered that down.

the 150 grain bullets outta the superformance in 30-06 are at almost 3100 fps second as well.



i haven't fully understood how they can get a load to be faster and more accurate than a standard load without increasing recoil?

the light mags kicked and wern't accurate in most rifles

This link has Hornady's information on superformance. I have some light mags for th 7mm-08 and they shoot well 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups from my gun. Like every bullet gun combination some like different things.

http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/superformance-technology.pdf

Of all the caliber debates I see on various forums, the 708 v 270 has to be one of the most controversial. I enjoy watching to proponents of each try to make mountains out of the mole hill differences between the two. Fact is, both are great medium game rounds. And in the field, with all other things being equal, a hunter would be hard pressed to prove any measurable difference between the two.

Sure, on paper, one can show this one is better than that one. In the platform these rifles are offered, the other guy can show how the other is better. But again, if ALL OTHER THINGS are equal, they are basically twins in 99% of any real field scenarios.

That being said, I am a 7mm08 fan. I'll take a short action cartridge that will perform to the level of a long action cartridge any day. Efficiency is the key word here. Same work done with less powder in a smaller case, that sounds like an advantage to me. Kinda why I went with a 280imp over the 7mag. But that's a whole other thread.

As someone said above, the major difference I see is the availability of factory ammo choices. The 270 is a clear winner if you forget your ammo at home and have to rely on the local feed store or even big box store to get you hunting again. But if I forget my ammo, then my head was up in some really dark hole to begin with, and not on the hunt which I should have been preparing for.