hello all,
this is my first post so please forgive me for being a newbie.

my name is david and im from sydney australia.

i am looking to buy my first rifle soon and am tossing up between a .270 win or a .308 but i have never fired either.

my question is, which has more recoil, with the same grain bullet, the .270 or the .308 ?
i was thinking that the .308 may have less recoil just by looking at them because the .270 round is almost twice the size of the .308 so i hope this isnt a dumb question.

i am mainly interested in shooting targets at around 50-250 metres for now and when i get better i may go shooting wild pigs.
but for now i want an accurate rifle with bearable recoil and i cant pick between the .270 or the .308.
also,i have found that the .270 ammo is cheaper than the .308 which really appeals to me as i am on a pension.
although fmj bullets are available cheaper for the .308.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

When I read this I think of a savage. Depending on accuracy your looking for and your hunting style determines what type of rifle your looking for. If you want to shoot targets and hunt from stands with possible long range shots. I'd go for a heavy barreled 12 series. If I was doing more stalking type hunting I'd go for 110 or 111 series. It will be harder to get a varmit rig in 270, most will be available in 308. I think overall the 308 is a better shooter. Now i'm not saying that the 270 is inaccurate in any way, but the 308 is choice for alot of snipers, target shooter, varmit hunters, and police sharp shooters. Now I've never been to australia but here in the states, 308 ammo is pretty reasonable, probably more so than 270. Check out sellier & bellot, over here they are very resonable.

I'll agree......Savage in .270 is a great deal and very accurate. You cant go wrong. Recoil is really quite mild, probably a bit more mild than the .308 due to the lighter bullets (most popular is the 130gr load) for that .270.

I have a 270 in the M700 and my brother has the Browning A-Bolt Micro Hunter in 308. My rifle is heavier while his has a factory recoil pad. I don't notice much difference between them. But offhand I'd say the 308 is slightly less even with the 130 vs the 150. Check out this recoil table:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

I own both a 270 Win (Win Model 70 Classic SM BOSS) and a 308 Win (Sako 75). In my opinion, you can't go wrong with either cartridge. Both are capable of reliably taking all but the most dangerous game.

The 308 has more ammo options, especially for someone who just wants to get some trigger time in (ie Mil Surplus) or shoot targets competitively. However, for hunting, the wider variety of 308 ammo is nearly a moot point as both cartridges have the same bullet designs offered in each, whether run of the mill powerpoints/corelokts or premium bullets like Partitions, Sciroccos, etc.

Recoil-wise, I would say both cartidges are about the same (and yes I have shot my 270 without the Muzzle Brake version of the BOSS). If you can handle a 308 comfortably, then you can handle a 270 comfortably (and vice versa). You will find that rifle weight, stock fit, and the quality of the recoil pads will make more of a difference in how much recoil you feel than the difference between these cartridges.

In a way, I'm a bit surprised that no one has thrown the 30-06 into the mix as it surpasses the 308 and 270 in ammo offerings and is really in the same recoil class (just a tad more than the 270 and 308). I suppose it is off-subject a bit since you specifically asked about the 270 and 308, but I'll toss it out there in case you haven't considered it.

You really can't go wrong with either, so I'm sure you'll make the right decision :D

amndouglas

In like rifles, it would take some type of machine to tell the difference. Both cartridges have been favorites of mine for years, and I've owned several rifles in each. I just cannot tell the difference, side by side.

The previous poster suggested the 30-06. I can tell that a 30-06 recoils more than the 270 or 308 when I shoot them side by side, especially when the 30-06 is shooting 180 gr bullets. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is concerned about recoil, when the 270 or 308 work perfectly well.

thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.
lots of info there for me.
i have been looking and i want a weatherby vanguard, they are cheap and accurate from what i have read and readily available here.
its just the caliber that stumps me.
i really want the 270 but the reloading options of the 308 are pretty good.
ill see how i go.
thanks fellas.

I have an older .270 Vanguard VGX I bought new 20+ years ago. Its always performed flawlessly and shoots most loads well under 1MOA.

thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.
lots of info there for me.
i have been looking and i want a weatherby vanguard, they are cheap and accurate from what i have read and readily available here.
its just the caliber that stumps me.
i really want the 270 but the reloading options of the 308 are pretty good.
ill see how i go.
thanks fellas.

If you want a 270, get one...the reloading options for it are pretty darn good too.

Well I'll add my .02cents. Myself and my old hunting buddy both shoot Savage 110's made the same year. Mine in a 7mm Rem Mag, his a .270 . The felt recoil is different. The 7mm mag is a slow push, the .270 is a sharp jolt. I also shoot a Howa .308. It is very light as far as recoil. Mine is blue w/ synthetic stock. It is very accurate w/ no upgrades. It is up to you! Jim

I think the recoil in my 270 is very manageable, I don't mind it at all, especially since I upgraded my pad from the hard one that came on the stock

hello all,
this is my first post so please forgive me for being a newbie.

my name is david and im from sydney australia.

i am looking to buy my first rifle soon and am tossing up between a .270 win or a .308 but i have never fired either.

my question is, which has more recoil, with the same grain bullet, the .270 or the .308 ?
i was thinking that the .308 may have less recoil just by looking at them because the .270 round is almost twice the size of the .308 so i hope this isnt a dumb question.

i am mainly interested in shooting targets at around 50-250 metres for now and when i get better i may go shooting wild pigs.
but for now i want an accurate rifle with bearable recoil and i cant pick between the .270 or the .308.
also,i have found that the .270 ammo is cheaper than the .308 which really appeals to me as i am on a pension.
although fmj bullets are available cheaper for the .308.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

Gday fella.I would buy a 308 in your situation mate.It will make a top range rifle and it will take nearly everything there is to shoot in australia.Very versatile too.

The recoil of the two cartridges in similar rifles is quite similar. I'd get the 308, though ;)

Both will fill your needs! However, I would lean towards the .308 for hunting big pigs or hogs, simply because of diameter of bullet and it's wound channel. To some this may be "nitt picking".

The .270 is flatter shooting with it's 130 grain factory bullets, verses the .308's 150 grain factory loadings. Then once again the .308 may just be a tad more accurate. I own and shoot a .270 caliber and would handload 160 grain bullets in it for hogs or pigs in the bush. The advantage of the .308 is that you can jump up to 200 grain bullets for bigger game. Now both have about the same "Recoil" when loaded up with the same weight bullet. It's your call simply purchase which caliber you turns your fancy! ;)

I've hunted pronghorn antelope in Wyoming and South Dakota for over 36 years with a number of different rifles. Shots tend to be 275 yards on average. The longest shot I've ever completed was 347 long strides. My .308 hit where I was aiming and the 150 grain soft tip bullet passed through the animal breaking ribs on both sides. Chest organs were destroyed. My rifle was zero'd for 6 inches high at 100 yards.

I'm convinced that the small difference in trajectory between 308 and 270 can be overcome with long distance shooting practise and appropriate zero.

Doubftful if any animal in North America can stand up to a well placed 180 grain soft tip or 150 grain Premium bullet. The largest animal I ever shot with my .308 was a Canadian moose and the bullets did not bounce off! Same should be true of 270 and bullets of equal length.

Recoil for both cartridges feels same to me. You truly can't go wrong with either choice but I favor .308 simply for the known accurasy factor. Many companies make match grade bullets for the .308 but 270 choices are weak.

Good shootin' to you, Mate. I spent several weeks in Darwin, Australia when I was in US Air Force. Hot and bone dry but the local lager beer was outstanding! I met a pretty girl who said she liked my accent. I didn't know I had an accent.
TR

thanks for all the responses fellas.
i have found on recoil charts that they are about the same recoil.
im still tossing up between the two calibers, i will see how i go, im thinking the 308 may be more versitile and has more options.

i think a vanguard in .308 would be a great choice!!

hello all,
this is my first post so please forgive me for being a newbie.

my name is david and im from sydney australia.

i am looking to buy my first rifle soon and am tossing up between a .270 win or a .308 but i have never fired either.

my question is, which has more recoil, with the same grain bullet, the .270 or the .308 ?
i was thinking that the .308 may have less recoil just by looking at them because the .270 round is almost twice the size of the .308 so i hope this isnt a dumb question.

i am mainly interested in shooting targets at around 50-250 metres for now and when i get better i may go shooting wild pigs.
but for now i want an accurate rifle with bearable recoil and i cant pick between the .270 or the .308.
also,i have found that the .270 ammo is cheaper than the .308 which really appeals to me as i am on a pension.
although fmj bullets are available cheaper for the .308.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

For you the .308 would be an excellent choice. Naturally accurate in most rifles and a bazillion bullet choices. The .308 would serve you well indeed. Recoil is very mild compared to the souped up stuff. The .308 Win. will cleanly kill any fauna on your lovely continent. If you want power, accuracy, and mild recoil, a good rifle choice might be an MI-A if a couple of extra pounds aren't a deal breaker for you. The MI-A is the M-14 configuration that won't convert to full auto. - Ed

thanks for all the replies folks, much appreciated.
i think im leaning towards the 308, i just want to see if i can get quality ammo at the same price i can get for the 270 ammo.
i will see how i go.

I have a Savage 10fp chambered in .308 and I couldn't be happier with it. I've only shot 150gr. FMJ's so far and the kick is pretty solid, but I think that the mediocre stock is responsible.

i wouldnt let recoil determine between the two..
for bench shooting they make recoil pads for gun or shoulder.. in the hunt ,,i doubt you would notice the recoil..
good luck.. sounds like you are going to have some good long shot opportunities, i kinda envy you that.. truth is i ll be lucky to get an hundred yd shot.. of course ethics require
the safest kill shot ,i can possibly get..im practicing
real condition stalk shooting ,,at the range now..

I knocked a deer flat with a 150 gr. RN from a .270 this past fall. The shot was maybe 50 yards and the bullet blew through it's chest and out a shoulder (traveled about two feet).

Didn't feel a thing, although probably because I was shooting offhand and my entire body absorbed the recoil (as well as a jacket).

When I was sighting in the rifle with the 150's, after maybe 20 rounds my shoulder got rather sore and pulling the trigger wasn't very fun. I believe that is due to a hard plastic buttpad and the fact that I was laying down, so everything drove into my shoulder.

However, it was fine.

Good evening,

I bought a 270W when I was 17, 41 years ago, still have it, 1000's of rounds later.

I also have a 30-06.

If you can shoot one without flinching you can shoot the other.

You can't go wrong with either.

If I had to do it all over again I would probably get a 308W, but then again ....

Do you really need that much "grunt" ?, 243W work well on pigs as long as you don't shoot them up the bum.

The 270W takes them any which way, and I'm talking about 100's of dead pigs, ditto the 308W.

Cheers

Mark