270wsm info needed

[MT257]

One thing to consider is most female hunters don't have the same hang up males have about caliber/projectile size. From my perspective, the elk don't care either. If she knows how to shoot,let her pick a gun that fits her in a caliber with mild to medium recoil. If it's not a pain to shoot then she'll love the rifle because it is hers. Also she's more likely to practice with it.

if the rifle is for you but she can shoot and hunt with it then disregard the above advice. Buy what you want.

This will be her rifle, we went to the store one time already to just hold and shoulder about 8 different rifles. We have so far narrowed it down to the Bergara, Tikka and Savage 110. We will get another chance to shoulder a model 70 in a week. Personally I have nothing against the any of them only downfall I have right now is in some chamberings of the 110 Savage the magazine only holds two rounds, which I find kind of odd. So after she decides on the rifle of her choice we will have to decide on chambering. Thats where I am gonna have to decide because its already been stated"whichever cartridge you think will be best for me". It's almost one of those loaded questions...

 

[EmperorMA]

Formidilosus is right. Energy doesn’t kill, tissue damage does. Assuming equal placement, bullet construction and impact velocity are what matters.

A 6.5 shooting extremely high-BC/SD 140-160gr bullets of similar construction at fairly similar velocities will do the same amount of damage on game as 200-215gr .30 cal bullets. There is no way in hell anyone could ever tell the difference between the same hit from one or the other.

Put either in a good spot .... the same spot, and...dead elk. Put either in the same bad spot, same outcome. You don’t get extra Brownie points for a poorly-placed shot made with a .300 Win Mag vs one made with a 6.5 Creedmoor.

Which do you think you might be more apt to put in the right spot?

I’m 14 for 14 on one shot, no tracking kills on elk with 6.5s. Most of those were with a 6.5x.284 but a few with a .260 and Creedmoor. Fully 11 of those were DRT. The other three all fell in plain sight within 50 yards of where they were hit.

I’m 4 for 4 with the .284 Win and 2 for 3 with the 7-08, but the lone exception was an easy 100 yard tracking job. Went 1 for 1 with a 7mm Weatherby.

I’m also 100% DRT with the .270 Win and .270 Weatherby.

I am 60% with .30 cal, using .308 Win, .30-06 and .300 Wby.

I’m 33% with the .338 Win Mag.

Back to 100% with the .25-06 on elk.

If you ask me, a 6.5 non-magnum definitely makes a better elk rifle than a .338 Win Mag. Same goes vs .30 cal. I do speak from my own experience, which is valid and not anecdotal.

I’d do any 6.5 from the Lapua up to the RPM/Win Mag before I’d ever consider a .300 WSM because I am certain the 6.5s kill elk extremely well and I’m even more certain I shoot them better than I can any .300 Mag.

 

[Sled]

Any caliber mentioned already will be sufficient. I've been thru a number of chamberings lately and keep coming back to common, readily available and mild recoil. A 6.5 isn't the best option if you want your wife taking 800yd and longer shots. Less than 500 it'll do fine, as will a 270, 284 or 308. She really doesn't need a magnum and likely is trusting you to pick a cartridge she can shoot comfortably without flinching.

Personally, I'd spend more time thinking about the projectile and matching it to how she plans to hunt. Does she need bonded lead, cup and core, all copper, frangible, etc. They all have their place. If concerned about penetration and weight retention it's hard to beat Barnes ttsx, tsx or lrx for off the shelf. But I've had great results with 270 accubond and ballistic tips too. They're not all drt but I haven't had to go more than 50 yards for them.

Fwiw, bullets don't typically take them off their feet when paced in soft tissue like lungs. Solid bone hits do sometimes but man that's a mess. Lots of wasted meat. If you want real knock down power, use your truck.


Below in the photo is nothing special. My cow from October with a couple of Barnes ttsx in a 284 just passing thru. Did I need to shoot twice? Not really. But if they're still standing I'll put another in them for a quicker kill. The bullets did a ton of damage inside before exiting. I don't take head, neck or spine shots, do heart and lungs are it for me. A lung shot takes time to expire. Heart, great vessels or aorta is quicker but a smaller target and sometimes hiding behind the trailing leg. Shooting thru bone, guts or thick muscle can slow down a bullet. That's where more mass, momentum and weight retention can help. For those shots a magnum has an advantage but I'd sure hate to rely on that and take shoulder shots. Just keep them in the boiler room with a quality projectile and get your game bags filled.

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[Reburn]

Formidilosus is right. Energy doesn’t kill, tissue damage does. Assuming equal placement, bullet construction and impact velocity are what matters.

100% right on everything. Ft Lbs doesn't initiate expansion of the bullet. FPS does.

How much energy is "Dropped" into the animal is highly variable even within the same bullet with each shot. Did it hit a rib? only soft tissue? shoulder? etc. These variables make it an almost useless metric.

Any time a bullet passes through it is not leaving some energy in the animal, but then people complain that they didn't get a pass through and there wasn't much of a blood trail.

 

[WCB]

My wife shoots a 7-08 in the Lady Hunter rifle. Bought the 7-08 for hunting everything up to and including Elk. 140 Federal Trophy Bonded Tip shoots absolutely lights out and in my opinion is the best hunting bullet on the market.
Accubonds or a copper option would not be bad choices either. 400yds and in the 7-08 will kill elk no problem.

WSMs will have magazine capacity issues (2) normally...same gun in a 7-08 (4)

I have multiple Savages and just bought the 110 High Country with the adjustable stock (accufit) hands down the best factory rifle stock for adjusting fit. My wife loves the fit of the lady hunter but really wish the accufit was out when we purchased it. My buddies wife also has a savage accufit in 7-08. his wife is 5ft 1 or 2, he is over 6ft. She shot a goat with it in Oct. he switched out the cheek riser and length of pull shim in 5min and shot a whitetail with it himself. Great for practicing or if the weather turns/late season more clothes stock is adjustable.

 

[ckleeves]

This is just my opinion but I don’t see what the 270 wsm does well. And I own one and have seen lots of game shot with the cartridge.

The bullet selection sucks in factory ammo, you can start a 140 out real fast but with the lousy BC they die quick.

They have quite a bit of recoil and muzzle blast (IMO) especially for what you get.

They don’t feed great in many rifles and magazine capacity is reduced.

If more high BC options do come along they more then likely won’t work in factory twist barrels or magazines.

Just my opinion but if I was buying a new rifle it certainly wouldn’t be in 270 wsm.


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