270 WSM or 7mm

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Aug 21, 2012
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Is there much of a difference for Elk. Should I use a 270wsm or 7mm? Looking for a new rifle.
 
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I say you will be fine with either. The 7mm has more options for heavier bullets but the 270 has good offerings by matrix and cutting edge bullets but only if you reload. If not reloading then the 7mm, better bullet selection and cheaper ammo. In all honesty I think if you are going to kep the rifle stock, as in in factory chamber and all, I would recommend the 300 win mag. I have a 7 Rem mag but its a custom build and Im getting 3060 with 180 gr bergers. If I was myself going to buy a rifle for elk and not intending to smith it up I would buy a 300 WM. At most normal hunting ranges any of these will work fine though, people have been killing elk with each just fine.
 

Beastmode

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I have a 270 wsm and love it. With that being said I would have gotten the 7mm if I had it to do over. More options for factory ammo and ability to shoot high grain bullets at the same velocity. There are only a few options for factory loads for a wsm and if the gun doesn't like them and you don't reload you are screwed.

Both will kill elk no problem.
 
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Something else to consider if you don't reload. Go into a hunting store and try and find 270 wsm ammo in the gr and type of bullet you use. Would ruine a hunt if you lost, for got, or something happens to your last box of ammo. With the 7 mag you have a better chance of find ammo. Just my 2 cents worth.
 
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Either one. Pick the one that is chambered in a gun you want to carry up a mountain side. In the end, that will matter much more than all the other stuff.
 

30-338mag

FNG
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I'm not going to recommend something I wouldn't use. I had 270 WSM build was to be one of my antelope rifles or use on deer tag wasn't something I'd use on elk. I quit using 7mm for elk from mid 80's till about 2007 switched over to 30 cal just better bullet selection for elk.

Got good bullets for the 7mm along with 30cal nothing wrong with the 7mag or 300mag for elk and some of that depends on type terrain hunting. Couple drainage I hunt you can get over 500yd shot close as 50yd depending where your at. Myself I'd say 7mag or 300mag





wsm
 
OP
big10hunter
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I've heard the 7mm needs a 26 inch barrel to reap the benefits. Is this true?
 

Matt Cashell

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I've heard the 7mm needs a 26 inch barrel to reap the benefits. Is this true?

What benefits?

With extra barrel length comes extra velocity, but with diminishing returns after around 24 inches. 24 seems to be most common with 7 mags.
 

Matt Cashell

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IMO,

The practical difference between 7RM and 300WM for most elk hunting is nil. 7RM is a fine caliber for elk, and anything else you can hunt in the West.
 

FURMAN

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I can assure you the 7mm Rem Mag is still breathing past 27". That being said I would still choose the 7mm over the 270 all else being equal.
 
OP
big10hunter
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The barrel length is 24 in both. I'm thinking the WSM in 24 inch barrel is equal to or better than 7mm in 24 inch barrel. The ballistics are the same or better. Everyone seems to be making a big deal out go .07 larger bullet.
 

30-338mag

FNG
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I've heard the 7mm needs a 26 inch barrel to reap the benefits. Is this true?

I like long barrels and yes 26" barrel is better than 24" but you are limited in factory rifles vs having something build and that can be with caliber also. I had my first 7mag build 1968 and it had 24" barrel and when I moved to Co 1977 I was shooting 26" long barrel 7mag and 7Wby mag. When I made the switch from 7mm to 30cal I took that 26" long barrel 7mag had new 30cal barrel put on @ 26" in 30-338 mag that's the first one I had build.

Lot of renew interest in the 7mm now and you got Berger to thank for that. Got to look at the F-class with the 284 and 180gr bullets out of 30"-32" long barrels and pretty quick going to have 195gr bullet barrel guys already geared up with 1/8.5 barrel twist. I might add I'm shooting 280AI with 27" long barrel also 284 on long action same barrel length as 280AI. Well good luck
 

Shrek

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You can't get all of the performance out of either of them with a 24" barrel. The 7mm bullet family is an outstanding ballistic performer at the bullet weights used for most game and are still shootable without a brake for most people. The .277 family of bullets are comparatively poor ballistic performers in common weights and the new high bc .277 bullets will not stabilize with factory twist rate barrels. IMO the 270 wsm offers you nothing in the performance potential department compared to a 7mm mag. In the 270 wsm you are burning a bunch of powder in expensive brass to push a bullet out at high velocity to have the bullet just dump it all quick. It's defeating to purpose. Down range a 7-08 is right with that 270 wsm. For factory rifles a 7mm rem mag is hard to beat for stepping it out.
 

Shrek

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When you buy the rifle set aside $150 and get a lee 50th anniversary reloading kit and the lee 3 die set with the collet neck sizing die. With that you just cut the cost of premium ammo by 2/3 and cheap ammo by 1/2. Now you can tune the load to your rifle and afford to practice twice as much. Why the lee kit? You can spend a lot more for equipment but until you get to the very top of the line stuff you are not getting anymore performance. Lee standard dies are as good if not better than the rest of the standard brands. The press is light and doesn't feel like quality but it is. I know guys who have been loading on them for decades. The RCBS , Redding , Lyman are all quality equipment but you are not getting better than Lee. The Forster and Redding competition dies are better but cost three to five times as much for small gains in precision. Stay away from Hornady equipment .
 

philw

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Either one. Pick the one that is chambered in a gun you want to carry up a mountain side. In the end, that will matter much more than all the other stuff.

+1. All the talk about 7mm bullets being superior to .277 bullets is true if you're talking long-range shots but I didn't see that in the OP's question, he just said he wanted to hunt elk. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a good 150 grain bullet out of a .270. And he can get a WSM in a nice, light package if that's what he wants. Elk hunting usually means long walks in the hills so IMHO, the package means more than the head stamp.

And I also can't agree with the unqualified statement that a 26" barrel is "better" than a 24" barrel. Better for what? Surely not better for carrying and handling. Better at getting an extra 100 fps if you're willing to carry the longer barrel.
 

30-338mag

FNG
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+1. All the talk about 7mm bullets being superior to .277 bullets is true if you're talking long-range shots but I didn't see that in the OP's question, he just said he wanted to hunt elk. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a good 150 grain bullet out of a .270. And he can get a WSM in a nice, light package if that's what he wants. Elk hunting usually means long walks in the hills so IMHO, the package means more than the head stamp.

And I also can't agree with the unqualified statement that a 26" barrel is "better" than a 24" barrel. Better for what? Surely not better for carrying and handling. Better at getting an extra 100 fps if you're willing to carry the longer barrel.

Here is weight chart from Rem http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-sps-stainless.aspx

their 26" barrel 7mag weight almost 3oz more than 24" barrel rifles.
 

philw

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Here is weight chart from Rem http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-sps-stainless.aspx

their 26" barrel 7mag weight almost 3oz more than 24" barrel rifles.

I didn't realize the OP was limiting himself to Remington SPS's, did I miss something? That's not where I'd look for a lightweight rifle.

Here's a link to the specs for a Kimber .270 WSM, Well over a pound lighter than the Remington 26-inch barreleled 7 RM:

http://www.kimberamerica.com/rifles/model-8400-wsm-calibers/montana

Personally, I don't care for 26" barrels, even if they weigh the same as a 24" or shorter barrel. They just don't handle as well. "Better" and "best" are very subjective and velocity is just one factor in a multitude of trade-offs. And IMHO, not the most important by a long shot.

Edited to add, I was wrong in my post above, a 26" barrel will not get an extra 100 fps over a 26" barrel, closer to 50 fps.
 
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30-338mag

FNG
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I didn't realize the OP was limiting himself to Remington SPS's, did I miss something? That's not where I'd look for a lightweight rifle.

Here's a link to the specs for a Kimber .270 WSM, Well over a pound lighter than the Remington 26-inch barreleled 7 RM:

http://www.kimberamerica.com/rifles/model-8400-wsm-calibers/montana

I have no idea what the OP is going to buy but he does have choices as to weight/barrel length and that is his decision to make. Your the one making claims on weight difference.
 

philw

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If you read my post, what I said was that a 26" barrel is not better than a 24" barrel for carrying and handling. I don't think you can make an argument that it is.
 
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