No... I do not reload.
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No... I do not reload.
Either start or stick with a more mainstream caliber like the 308/30-06/270.Originally Posted by hawk1
You know I like my coffee sweet in the morning
and I'm crazy about my tea at night
2nd.
That's what I'm looking for! Haha! Thank you!
Do you really need a short action?
Why not stick with one of the "classics", they still kill critters dead like they used too and ammo costs way less and you don't have to worry about availability.
I don't NEED a short action. But I was looking for something different than what I already shoot and The 270 WSM just kind of stuck out to me. Maybe it was the skinny top and fat bottom that got my attention?!? I don't know!
Last edited by hawk1; 12-27-2015 at 09:07.
They make the rocking world go round.
You know I like my coffee sweet in the morning
and I'm crazy about my tea at night
Whoa, paging FXHummel.
"There are no finger prints under water."
I had one, and there's some good points and some bad, So I'll go down the list but first some info about me so you understand a bit more about the why's behind it.
First I HATE anything 30 caliber for hunting, it's a personal thing and not much rational behind it beyond anecdotal incidences. (ie personal impressions, NO real data, although those experiences are vast from 30-30, 308, and 30-06 to the big magnums) There's something to be said for BC in sub 30 cal bullets specifically the 6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm flavors. That said it has nothing to do with why I don't like 30 cal so it's a moot point, lets just leave it at the fact that when I'm buying/building a hunting rifle, it's not going to be anything 30 caliber, so that colors both my purchases and my recommendations a bit, but I won't give a recommendation for something inappropriate in any form.
So I had a nice Browning A-bolt in 270 WSM, shot great, fast, flat, and I wouldn't hesitate to take ANY North American game animal with it (including bear and moose) With proper bullet selection it WILL get it done with a competent man behind the gun. That's the good. It delivers a 140-150gr bullet with a LOT of authority.
Now the Bad:
Ammo is expensive - and sometimes difficult to come by depending on location, that said, I've never seen a point in time when you couldn't walk into any big box sporting store (Cabelas, Sportsmans, Scheels, Gander, etc) and not find ammo on the shelf. I've never had a problem finding brass or bullets for loading if hand-loading is a consideration down the road, but brass is spendy, and you may have to go to a premium brass like Norma, Hornady, or Nosler to get your hands on it.
The barrel was toast inside of 1200 rounds - I burnt it out by my own OCD continually chasing a better load. - That was due to ME and not the gun or chambering, It shot solid MOA groups with multiple factory loadings, and well under with multiple hand loads I had developed. I was chasing speed and more accuracy, it was also the first rifle I truly developed loads for. So it was also sacrificial lamb to my learning experience. But know that if you go into it and use it for target shooting, or other high usage pursuits, it won't last.
Magazine capacity was diminished with a 3 round magazine, that said, for what you should be hunting with it, and if you do your part, it's not an issue.
The rifle itself is still my main big game rifle but it's been re-barreled and chambered in 7-300 WSM which gets me more bullet selections and specifically bullets with better BC.
All said and done, it's a pretty awesome chambering, BUT there's some out there that get you more for the same or less investment. If you choose it because of it's strengths, and for the right uses and reasons, it's pretty jazzy, but you should know those things going into it. It's not something I recommend for just anyone.
Now for a guy looking at a hunting rifle, that's going to get used for hunting and not much more, there's an absolute GLUT of choices most of which will be just fine for your uses. I personally like 7mm's due to the versatility and bullet selection. (7mm-08, 280 rem, 7 WSM or 7 RSAUM, 7mm Rem mag, 7mm STW, etc) Essentially the same choices are all available in 30 cal of some sort, along with some of the newer wizbang ones like the 26 and 28 Nosler, etc. It really boils down to your needs and uses and knowing your own skill set, budget, likes and dislikes, and of course the ever present random good deal found online or at a hole in the wall shop.
The barrel was toast inside of 1200 rounds - I burnt it out by my own OCD continually chasing a better load. - That was due to ME and not the gun or chambering, It shot solid MOA groups with multiple factory loadings, and well under with multiple hand loads I had developed. I was chasing speed and more accuracy, it was also the first rifle I truly developed loads for. So it was also sacrificial lamb to my learning experience. But know that if you go into it and use it for target shooting, or other high usage pursuits, it won't last.
So, if I'm reading your post accurately, I would most likely be Ok with the barrel lasting a substantial length of time if I used it strictly for hunting?!?
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