.270 or .30-06 for Whitetail, Mule deer and Elk???

I have a .22-250 for the little critters and a .25-06 for Whitetail. I'm thinking of adding another gun to the stable for when my boy reaches hunting age.

Would y'all recomend a .270 or .30-06? I know they will both do fine on whitetail and hogs but which one would y'all carry if you went Mule deer hunting? Elk Hunting?

Also, How far would you consider the effective ranges of each on Mule deer and Elk?

Ther is no discernable difference in a 270 and 30-06 to me on either end of the rifle. They are both capable of taking deer, muleys, and elk, I would say to around 300 yards, and I'm sure would go longer, but wouldnt feel comfortable doing it myself.

Personaly if i already had a rifle like a 25-06 and I was looking for another gun I would be looking for something a littler biger like a 300 win mag or something like it.

matt

270 is pretty close to a 25/06. Of the ones you mentioned, I'd go for the 30/06 for elk. It's good for about as far as most folks should try.

Had you not thrown Elk in there I would have said the 270.

Not much difference between a .25-06 and a .270...not much difference between a .270 and a .30-06. If you're serious about elk, you should consider a .300 WM or .300 WSM. Any of the above would be fine for mule deer.

Also just an idea, but alot of people on here always say, I am going to be handing this gun down to my son in a couple of years and looking for something new...

If you are happy with what you have then why not just get your kid a different gun. When I started hunting my dad didnt give me a gun, I bought a bolt action rem 700 when I was 10 years old with my own money. They will respect it alot more when it is truely theirs.

matt

When shooting 150's through both of them, the 06 holds a considerable edge of about 200 fps and 360 ft-lbs. A much better choice when elk or considered.

Thanks for the input. I know the .300 mag family is better for Elk but really most of my hunting is going to be for Whitetail and some for Muleys.

I hope to go on an Elk hunt soon. However, I can always borrow a .300 mag or 7 Mag.

I know my son will probably want to buy his own rifle eventually but at least this gives me an excuse to get a new one now.

I've successfully taken four elk and fifteen mule deer with a 30-06. But I'd bet my last dollar the .270 could do it as well.

The 06 is a legitimate elk rifle, I wouldn't feel under gunned if thats what I were using, bullets in the 150 to 165 range would be my choice.

My vote is for the '06 using a 180g bullet on elk.

Have you consider a the 270 WSM?

Agree.

If it is going to be mostly whitetail & muley, then I would say 270 and borrow a 300/7 mag for whenever you do hunt an elk. If you want a little more confidence or margin of error on an elk, and dont want to borrow a gun, then go with the 30.06

Can't go wrong with either gun, both will kill all 3 animals with a good shot. I just prefer the 270, thats what I have shot for over 30 years.

If you can't decide, just buy the 270 and the 7 mag... all bases covered with less recoil.

When ever I think of elk hunting the 30-06 and 7mag are the first two rounds I think of.

Reggie

My relatives in Colorado elk hunt with .30-30's and make fun of flat landers with much of anything bigger.

Put a 150 grain Partition from a .270 in the boiler room at any reasonable distance....., get ready for some good eating elk steaks!

Either will do what your post asks with the proper projectile. The 30-06 really shines with heavier bullets. There is lots to be said for a 180gr bullet when used on elk.

I vote .3006, most elk guides want you to use a 30 caliber for a reason. The .3006 is probably the most versatile round in the world for range of options. I went hunting in Idaho for black bear and they said 30 cal minumum as well.

The 270 will work, but 3006 will do it much better. I see alot of shooters using 06 at 800-1000 yards. After reading alot about Carlos Hathcock I just had to have one.

Yep, most of the difference between the 270 and 06' on elk is keyboard tapping computer jabber. In the field the difference is nil.

You might consider the 06' just because it would give you a little more gap from you 25/06.

Either would be a fine choice.

Bill

Yep, I agree...., if I had to choose between the two and elk were in the mix, give me the 30-06. Factory ammo in HUGE variety found anywhere, relatively inexpensive compared to anything ending in Wby, WSM, SAUM...., etc.. For handloaders, tough to beat 180gr or 200gr Partitions for elk in the timber - for deer, pretty much any 150gr will get it done. For that matter, one could simplify and stick with the 165gr Barnes TSX for anything. That'd be boring though

Since you already have a 25-06, adding a 30-06 creates a very flexible battery of hunting rifles. If one shoots heavier bullets in each (120 & 180+'s) you can easily harvest any of the animals on your list. The .270 is too similar to your 25-06 and is almost redundant. A 25-06/30-06 or .270/30-06 combo makes for a good pair o'rifles for deer & elk hunters so long as one takes advantage of the heavier .30 bullets with better sectional densities. If running 150's only I would choose the .270 though.

Both the .270 and the .30-06 will work fine on the deer species you mention. If I was going to hunt whitetail and mule deer more than elk, I would pick the .270. If I were to hunt elk more often, I would choose the.30-06.

See articles: Jack O'Conner........the 270 win will take "any" North American game. Caliber is more on choice, Preference...both rounds will do justice. I prefer 270 win over any other round, but this is strictly an opinion. Best way to figure this out for you self is to fire both and draw you own conclusion. Accuracy kills, people hunt elk and even grizzly with bows. My savage has much more knock down than my Diamond Black Ice! I would love to take an elk with my bow and would not hesitate given the opportunity!

Use enough gun! .30-06 is versatile enough for hogs, whitetails, antelope, mulies, black bear, and elk. Yeah, you can kill an elk with a .270, but it's kinda like this: do you want to shoot a coyote with a .22 mag or a .223? Get a .30-06 and don't worry about it, you're covered. Or, since you've got a .25-06, maybe consider a .375 Ruger or H&H? That would take care of mulies, elk, moose, brown bear, grizzlies, or darn near anything else on the planet.

So will a 222 or a 223! That statement doesn't really say anything.
I base a rifles capabilities on muzzle energy. If it doesn't meet my first standard, then it doesn't make the list.
Varmints = 1000 ft-lbs at the muzzle.
Deer = 2000 ft-lbs at the muzzle.
Elk = 3000 ft-lbs at the muzzle.

While the 270 more than meets my standard for deer, it fails to meet the elk. The 30-06 just barely makes the elk standard.

I am from Montana and I would say with good probability that the .270 and .30-06 account for the majority of elk brought to bag during the general season in this state. These two cartridges are enormously popular here and are capable of cleanly taking elk and even moose. Most people can shoot these rounds accurately because of their moderate recoil and that allows them to place their shots precisely. Most people cannot shoot magnums well which leads to a lot of lost and wounded game. Elk are large, tenacious animals and they are not impressed with muzzle energy. A suitable bullet through the vitals from one of many big game cartridges available to the hunter will make quite an impression on an elk I assure you. The .270 and .30-06 loaded with good bullets have plenty of penetration to reach the vitals of an elk. I have personally killed elk with the .30-06 just as thousands of others have and it works just fine.

If I only had the pick of the 2, I would have to go with the 30-06!!! However, both are "tried and true" veterans and we would just be splitting hairs here! Which happens all the time on these threads.

I'll probably go with the .30-06 to give me a wider variance. My dad has a Remington 700 that has been shot about 12 times. He doesn't hunt but about once every couple of years and wouldn't mind a little less recoil. So, I'm thinking of getting another .25-06 and trading him rifles.

thanks for all the input.

I took my last elk with my 270. It did a great job. The 06 is great also, and the variety and availability of bullets is probably better. The 06 will work on any north American game animal, although I'd prefer a cannon for grizzlies.