Is a 270 a good cal for deer and hog hunting?

Question

I am going to purchase a new rifle for deer and hog hunting. I'm not rich and in the Navy. I have bought a few shotguns before but never a bigger caliber rifle any suggestions?

Answer 1

The .270 Winchester is a stellar deer gun. It will work on hogs also. Remember neck/head shot only for hogs in excess of 400 lbs. and use the 150 grain bullet if you are specifically hunting hog; the heavier bullet will give you a penetration advantage. Either 130 or 150 will work well on deer.

If you wanted the .308 Winchester (7.62x51 NATO) or even the old .30-06 you wouldn't go wrong. Since you asked specifically about the .270, then yes, it is a good choice. I have one myself.

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Answer 2

I don't know about a 270 but I wanted to know if the 30-06 would be a good pig gun , I just went on a pig hunt and there were 4 of us hunting 2 with 30-30 and 2 with 308's , I had 30-30 and drop a pig about 75 yards he never got back up and the other hunter that had a 30-30 drop his pig and killed him but the 2 with the 308's the pigs was hit good but they are still running they chased them for a half a day they came home empty handed , so I do have a 30-06 just wondering if it would be a good pig gun just don't want to be the one that come's home empty handed if I use a bigger cal.

Answer 3

Both the .270 and .30/06 will serve your needs in the performance and cost category. It depends where you hunt hogs, but these calibers will give you performance from 10yds to 300yds and beyond but only with practice. The Remington 710 is a cheap new rifle and you can find older used Remington 700s and Winchester 70s in both calibers for around $400.

With the hogs, if you do have a good distance shot, if it is closer I go with the head, but if its a longer shot you might want to go with a vital area. I am not saying this is the way to do it, everyone's capabilities are different. I find very little of the meat is damaged, in either case. If you are going against hogs at close range, then you might want to go with a Remington pump or a Browning or Remington semi-auto. It will give you faster follow up shots. I use my bolt action and carry a revolver. But, it was legal and it is for protection so I am not as worried about them charging. This was in Texas on my Uncle's now my nephew's ranch.
I have never had one charge, I have had javelina though in AZ, My dad fired his .357 and they all went around him in a gully, I was laughing, he didn't even know they were that close until they ran! But, then they thought they were trapped against the side of the mountain and charged up the hillside, I don't think they knew I was there. I fired a shot at one and got him and the rest booked to the left. Hopefully that helps you out a bit. Hog hunting varies from state to state and on the land you hunt. The .270 is definitely a good choice and I would recommend the 710 for your new rifle on a budget.

Answer 4

For any type of whitetail deer hunting, the .270 is as close as it gets to the ideal cartridge. It will handle just about any situation. The .243 and 7mm (magnum I presume?) are both good-the .243 is a little light and the 7 mag is a little more than is needed, but you could hunt with either the rest of your life and be happy. You won't go wrong with any of the three. When buying identical ammo, the .243 should be a little less and the 7mm mag. should be a little more than the .270.

Answer 5

I think most of the advice above is good. My hunting party of 6 is evenly split between 270's and 30-06's. Winchester, Browning, Remington, Ruger and Savage are all represented in our camp. Both have knocked down plenty of deer over the last 30 plus years. The suggestion for a 308 is also a good one and worth looking into if you want another option.

A 300 win mag is altogether too much (I have one of those as well) unless you plan on Moose and or Elk hunting (both of which can be harvested with a 30-06 or 308. The 270 may be a stretch in the bigger animals).

Answer 6

Stick with your shotgun and throw some slugs in it. If your dead set on getting a rifle for deer, a .270 is a good cal, shoots very straight with little drop. Personally, I prefer the .30-06 for hunting applications. But both work fine for deer and hog. Really the only time your going to have to worry about caliber selection is when your talking bear, mountain lion, and elk.

Answer 7

the .270 is a very nice round. i have used it on most big game in north america. havent got to moose or caribou but everything else. its accurate and hard hitting, but not overly powerful. i think it makes an excellent deer round.
but in my experience deer hunting and hog hunting aren't the same. when i go deer hunting i am in an area i can usually see alot further and take my time with my shots. usually somewhere round 100 to 300 yards.
hog hunting is usually alot closer, within 100 ft. its harder to see so you cant take time when you shoot.
now if you live in some place where your deer arent going to be as far away as im used to. say most shots being about 100 yards. and you are looking for something to hunt hogs with. i would say something smaller and semi auto. i would say a mini-14 or mini-30. that should cover you good either way.
if you are looking at long range shots on deer. well i dislike the smaller rounds for that and think a bolt action .270 would be nice. it would work for hogs, but you will probably find yourself wishing you had something else.
if it was me. i would go with a ruger 70 in a .270 thats what i use and im quite happy with it. does everything i ask it to. use that for deer. then invest $100 to $200 on a sks. most people will tell you they are pieces of crap. but they are cheap reliable easy to handle, accurate enough for what you want for hogs.

Answer 8

.270 is the minimum required calibre in australia for deer (by law, if my memory serves me correct), my personal preference would be a .308, flatter shooting, cheaper factory ammo, and good second hand examples are fairly easy to come across. something to consider would be a s/h remington 700 series, or maybe look at the mossberg ATR series that recently hit aussie shores.

hog hunting, depends where and when, once again, personal preference would be a lever gun / carbine, rarely is a hog shot beyond 100 yards, something like a 30-30 winchester 1894 L/A is quite ideal for quick firing. that said, a .308 will knock them on their duffs aswell, just a normal B/A wont allow the quick possible second shot, nor the ability to fire off the cuff as quick in scrub

just my 2 cents

Answer 9

For a hog going with a 30-06 is too much so you want to go smaller, a 270 or 280 would be perfect for both deer and hog, try a remington 700 or a savage 114. :)

Answer 10

A 270 is an excellent calibur rifle for both deer and hogs. I have thirty years of hunting both with that and a 30-06. I think you will be well pleased with your new rifle for it is versatile in that you can change bullet grain size for the game you are hunting. If you break it in right and take care of it you can have a lifetime of hunting with it. Good luck