30-06 vs 7 Rem Mag vs 270

[user2026]

If you take an impartial dive into the ballistics you’ll see that your current rifle has more than enough energy at the ranges you’re talking about.

If you want a new gun, for the sake of buying a new gun, go for it. But you’re not going to find anything magical about the “authority” one of those other guns will have over your current set up. I’d look at the bullets you’re using right now and see if you can find one that dumps more energy into whitetails. You’re probably getting through and through shots now, which is wasting energy into the dirt, instead of the critter.


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I am not buying a new rifle for the cartridge, but rather because I love my dads xbolt, and have been drooling over one. I figured I would try to get the best cartridge for what I want to do, since I'm buying a new rifle anyway. I also will be able to use my dads 270 dies, which saves a few hundred bucks. I currently use partitions, but I think I will try the swift scirrocco, or a nosler accubond in the new rifle when I get it.

 

[tt_johnsclist]

I voted 30-06 because you said you wanted to see 30 caliber holes. The others will fall short in that regard, but they will all make deer dead, including your 6.5 creed you forgot to include in the poll!

 

[Wolverine270]

Which cartridge for whitetail, inside of 400 yards?

I'm looking at getting a new rifle this spring, for deer hunting. I'm 90% decided on an x-bolt, but can't decide on a cartridge.

The top choices for me are 270, 30-06, and 7mm rem mag. I hunt on a dairy farm, with quite a few different stands, in very different areas. Some days I'm in the woods with tighter shots (10-150 yards), and those same afternoons, I might be in a spot where I can shoot anywhere from 20-400+ yards. I would say 95% of shots are inside 300, 70% are inside 200, and 50% are inside 100.

I want to have some authority when I shoot a deer, at least compared to my 6.5 creed that I currently use. I'm not recoil sensitive, but practicing with a cheaper lower recoiling cartridge is always going to better. However hitting with a bigger cartridge will always be better. Something flat shooting would be nice, but the 30 cal hole would be nice too. See my self induced conundrum?

I think I would love a 280 ackley, but can't get one in an x-bolt. I do reload, so availability of these cartridges isnt very important, and they are all pretty ubiquitous anyway. I know bullet selection and shot placement are more important than the cartridge, but if I'm buying a new rifle, I need to choose one anyway. What would you choose, and why?

270win everything you want and a little less recoil