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270 vs 7mm Rem Mag Review & Comparison
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May 10, 2024
0:00 Intro 1:30 270 vs 7mm Rem Mag Cartridge History & Development 11:37 Cartridge Sizes 13:21 Trajectory & Kinetic Energy 19:42 Wind Deflection 21:03 Recoil 21:52 Other Factors: Frontal Area, Sectional Density, & BC 23:55 Ammo Selection 25:31 Rifle Selection 27:35 270 vs 7mm Rem Mag: Which one is right for you? To learn more about popular calibers like the 270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum visit: https://huntingguns101.com/optin1615146914565?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=HG101&utm_term=YT&utm_content=270vs7mm In this video, I conduct a detailed comparison of the 270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum cartridges. The 270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum are both popular and effective centerfire rifle cartridges with dedicated fan bases and there's a good amount of overlap in their capabilities and best uses. However, there are also some big differences in the cartridges and each is definitely suited for specific tasks. In this episode, I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the 270 vs 7mm Rem Mag in order to give you the information necessary to choose the right one for your needs. To read a more detailed comparison of the 270 vs 7mm Rem Mag, visit: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/270-vs-7mm-rem-mag/
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hi there, I'm John McAdams, founder of the Big Game Hunting blog, and in this video
0:05
I'm going to do a detailed comparison of the .270 Winchester and 7mm
0:10
Remington Magnum cartridges. Now, both are effective and useful cartridges with dedicated fan bases, and there's definitely a good bit of overlap in
0:20
their capabilities. But, you'll learn here shortly that there's also a divergence
0:25
in what each cartridge is best suited for. So, in this episode I investigate the
0:31
.270 vs. the 7mm Rem Mag debate in detail, and I'll provide some
0:36
insight into which cartridge is better suited for common hunting situations, so
0:41
you can make an informed decision on which one will work best for your
0:45
individual needs. Before we get started, make sure you're on my email list. To do
0:50
that, click that link below or go to HuntingGuns101.com. Once you get there
0:57
sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting cartridges. You'll get my free
1:02
e-book when you do that, plus you'll also start to receive the emails I send out
1:05
every weekday. These are entertaining and informative emails about hunting, shooting, ballistics, etc. And I get feedback all the time from people
1:14
telling me how much they enjoy receiving them, and how much they look forward to
1:18
hearing from me every day. So, make sure you are getting them too by going to
1:22
HuntingGuns101.com or, like I said, by clicking that link in the video
1:27
description below. Okay, let's get started talking about the .270 and the 7mm
1:33
Rem Mag, and as usual, we'll start with the history of these two cartridges. Now
1:38
the story of the .270 and the 7mm Remington Magnum both start with
1:41
the .30-06 Springfield. The United States Army started looking for a new
1:46
Infantry Service Rifle and cartridge after receiving a deadly demonstration of the capabilities of the revolutionary new Mauser rifle and 7mm
1:55
Mauser cartridge in the hands of Spanish troops in Cuba during 1898. They
2:01
eventually selected the bolt-action 1903 Springfield rifle, chambered in the new .30-06 Springfield cartridge, to replace the older Springfield Model 1892
2:10
better known as the Krag-Jorgensen rifle, which was chambered in the .30-40 Krag
2:15
cartridge. Now, the new .30-06 was dimensionally similar to the 7x57mm Mauser, and it's highly likely that the designers of the .30-06
2:25
based their cartridge design heavily on the revolutionary 7mm Mauser cartridge. Now, some have even gone so far as to say that the 7mm
2:34
Mauser is the parent to the less well-known .30-03 Springfield, from which the legendary .30-06 Springfield is descended. Anyway, initial
2:44
loadings for that cartridge used smokeless powder to fire a 150 grain
2:49
spitzer bullet at about 2,700 feet per second. Believe it or not, that was a
2:54
massive leap forward in performance compared to other popular American cartridges used during that era, like the .45-70 and, to a lesser extent, the .30-40
3:02
Krag. And, just for reference, the .30-40 Krag fired a 220 grain bullet at about
3:08
2,000 feet per second. So, dropping down to 150 grain spitzer bullet instead of a
3:14
220 grain round-nose bullet and pushing it at 2,700 feet per second instead of
3:18
2,000 feet per second was a big leap forward. And, as you can imagine, the .30-06
3:23
was a big hit with the military, and it was also an almost instant hit in
3:27
the civilian market as well. Now, as is often the case with any well-designed
3:33
centerfire rifle cartridge, Wildcatters almost immediately started modifying the .30-06 to accomplish a variety of different tasks. Some designers
3:41
necked the .30-06 case down to use smaller diameter bullets, which was the
3:45
case, say, with the .25-06 and .280 Remington cartridges. And, this is what
3:50
the folks at Winchester did when they modified the case to use smaller .277
3:55
caliber instead of .308 caliber bullets. The result was the .270 Winchester
4:01
cartridge, which Winchester released in 1925 with their new Winchester Model 54
4:06
rifle. The original .270 Winchester offerings shot a 130 grain bullet at a
4:11
velocity of 3,140 feet per second. This was an incredibly high velocity for the
4:17
1920s, and it was a tremendous speed improvement over the .30-06, which was
4:22
itself a pretty high velocity cartridge at the time. Now, subsequent factory
4:26
loadings for the cartridge have dropped the typical velocity with 130 grain
4:30
bullets down to about 3,060 feet per second, which is still a pretty high
4:35
velocity loading even today, really. Now, American hunters appreciated the flat shooting characteristics of the round, as well as the fact that it was so effective
4:44
on thin-skinned game. The cartridge gradually became more and more popular, which was helped by Jack O'Connor and his famous affinity for the cartridge
4:52
that he expressed in countless outdoor life articles over the years. Now, while
5:00
O'Connor did indeed love the .270 and used it extensively on hunts all over
5:03
the world, it was far from the only cartridge he used. And, indeed, the .270
5:08
was probably also a good enough cartridge and filled a big enough niche
5:12
that it probably would have been successful even without help from Jack O'Connor. But, you know, every little bit helps with that sort of stuff, and it's
5:19
always an interesting fact about both O'Connor and the cartridge that they are
5:24
so strongly linked together. Now, the .270 is a bit of an oddity when it comes to
5:30
bullet diameter, though. Now, unlike all the other popular 7mm cartridges, like the 7mm Mauser, 7mm 08, 7mm Remington Magnum, the .280 Remington
5:41
the .280 Ackley Improved, the .28 Nosler, all of those cartridges use .284
5:46
caliber bullets, while the .270 Winchester uses slightly smaller .277 caliber bullets. It's unclear exactly why designers at Winchester decided to go
5:57
with the .277 caliber instead of .284 caliber bullets with the .270. One
6:02
theory is that they selected that particular bullet size based on the
6:06
obscure 6.8x57mm Chinese Mauser cartridge. It's also possible that the folks at Winchester wanted to create a distinctly American
6:15
bullet size and avoid the 6.5mm and 7mm bullets popular in Europe by building a brand new bullet diameter that is exactly 10% smaller
6:25
than the one used in the .30-06. .9x.308 is .277. Now, regardless of their exact reasons, the design team at Winchester went with
6:35
the .277 caliber bullet diameter and the rest is history. Now, interestingly enough, while the .270 Winchester cartridge turned out to be a
6:44
smashing commercial success for the company, .277 caliber bullets haven't really caught on themselves otherwise. You have the .270 Winchester Short Mag
6:53
and the .270 Weatherby along with the newer 6.8 Remington SPC, the .27 Nosler
6:59
and the 6.8 Western. All of those cartridges use .277 caliber bullets themselves but they're the only other cartridges that utilize
7:07
bullets of that size. If you think of all of the cartridges that have come
7:11
and gone since 1925, those 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 cartridges that I just listed, that's a
7:18
pretty small sample size. But even so, the .270 Winchester remains incredibly
7:23
popular and also a very effective big-game hunting cartridge all over the
7:27
world regardless of its somewhat unusual bullet diameter. Okay, now let's switch
7:33
gears and talk about the 7mm Remington Magnum. Now, the years following World War II were a true renaissance of civilian firearm and
7:42
cartridge development in the United States. That time period saw a flood of
7:46
new centerfire rifle cartridges like the .223, the .243 and the .308. That same
7:51
general time period also saw the start of the modern quote-unquote Magnum era
7:56
when Winchester introduced a line of new belted Magnum cartridges that utilized a
8:02
modified .375 Howland & Howland Magnum case. They introduced the .458 Winchester Magnum first in 1956, then the .264 Winchester Magnum and the .338
8:13
Winchester Magnum during the next couple years. All of those cartridges utilized a
8:17
.375 H&H case necked down or up in the case of the .458 Winmagn and shortened
8:24
from 2.85 inches to 2.5 inches long. The designers used these shortened cases so
8:30
that all of those new cartridges would fit in a standard length rifle action
8:34
which is the same as the .270 and the .30-06 Springfield instead of the longer
8:39
Magnum-linked action required by the original .375 Howland & Howland Magnum cartridge. Now Remington took a page out of Winchester's playbook and they rolled
8:48
out their own belted Magnum cartridge in 1962 which was also based on the .375
8:53
We know that cartridge now as the 7mm Remington Magnum. Once again
8:59
used the same neck down and shortened .375 H&H case and in this case they
9:05
necked it down to use .284 caliber bullets. Now the .30-06 was and remains
9:13
the gold standard by which most similar cartridges are judged. Well the use of a
9:18
larger case based on the belted .375 H&H along with the use of smaller
9:23
diameter .284 caliber bullets by the 7mm Remington Magnum resulted in a significant ballistic improvement over the .30-06. Indeed
9:32
the 7mm Rem Mag will shoot the same weight bullet faster than the .30-06 and the narrower .284 caliber bullets the 7 Mag uses have a
9:43
higher ballistic coefficient and more sectional density than .30 caliber bullets of the same weight used by the .30-06 and other .30 caliber cartridges
9:52
So for these reasons typical 7mm Rem Mag loads have a flatter
9:58
trajectory, they retain more energy downrange and all other things equal they will penetrate better than .30-06 Springfield loads using the same
10:06
weight bullets. The 7mm Remington Magnum also fit in a standard linked rifle action just like the .30-06 and to top it all off the new 7 Mag
10:17
was rolled out at the same time as the now legendary Remington Model 700 rifle
10:22
So American hunters and shooters were immediately offered the chance to use a
10:27
new high-performance cartridge that was available in a well-built reasonably priced and potentially very accurate new rifle. With all that in mind
10:36
it's not surprising at all that the flat shooting and hard-hitting 7mm Rem Mag quickly caught on with hunters and shooters in North
10:42
America and the 7 Mag remains incredibly popular among hunters to this day
10:47
And as a quick aside I thought it was very interesting here that both the .270
10:51
and the 7 Rem Mag were introduced at the same time as a new rifle from
10:56
Winchester and Remington respectively. Now the Remington 700 is still around still in production it's a great rifle. That's not the case with the Winchester
11:06
Model 54 it was a very well received rifle at the time it's known as the
11:11
quote-unquote rifleman's rifle. It was replaced by the Winchester Model 70 so
11:17
even though the Model 54 itself is not around anymore the Model 70 is
11:22
descended from it and you know like I said the 54 was an
11:27
excellent rifle at the time so I just thought that was interesting that both of these cartridges that became so popular were also introduced at the same
11:34
time as a really well received rifle. Okay anyway let's talk about cartridge
11:39
sizes for the .270 and the 7 Rem Mag. So first thing the 7 Rem Mag is physically
11:45
larger than the .270. Now the .270 does have a slightly greater maximum
11:49
authorized overall length of 3.34 inches versus 3.29 inches and it has a
11:55
little bit longer case of 2.54 inches versus 2.5 inches. Both cartridges are close enough in size that they fit in a standard or a long-action
12:04
rifle. However the 7 Rem Mag has a larger .532 inch rim diameter while the
12:10
.270 has a .473 inch rim diameter. Now the 7 Rem Mag also has a
12:16
steeper 25 degree shoulder and the .270 has a 17.5 degree shoulder and the
12:21
shoulder on the 7 Rem Mag also sits a little bit farther forward than the one
12:25
on the .270. So the end result is the 7 Rem Mag does have a significantly larger
12:31
case capacity than the .270. Bullet size and bullet weight are also other
12:36
important differences. .270 uses .277 caliber bullets while the 7 Rem Mag
12:41
uses a little bit larger .284 caliber bullets. The vast majority of .270
12:46
factory loads shoot bullets in the 130 to 160 grain range. 130 and 150 grain
12:52
bullets are the most popular there. The 7 Rem Mag shoots a little bit wider
12:56
range of bullet weights say 139 grains on the low end to 175 grains on the
13:03
upper end at least with common factory loads. 140, 150, 160 and 175 grain loads
13:09
are more common for that cartridge. Now interestingly the .270 is loaded to a
13:14
higher semi maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi versus just 61,000 psi for the
13:20
7 Rem Mag. Now the differences in their external dimensions do translate into
13:25
some pretty stark differences in their ballistic performance. So this is illustrated when you compare Hornady Precision Hunter, Nosler Trophy Grade and
13:33
Winchester Deer Season XP factory ammunition for both cartridges. The .270 Winchester loads use 130 grain extreme point with a .450 BC, 145
13:44
grain ELDX with a .536 BC and 150 grain partition bullets with a .465 BC
13:51
The 7 Rem Mag uses 140 grain extreme point with a .484 BC, 162 grain ELDX
13:59
with a .631 BC and 160 grain partition with a .475 BC. Now the
14:06
Winchester loads use light for caliber deer hunting bullets. The Hornady loads
14:10
use heavier for caliber and exceptionally aerodynamic bullets with a very high BC and the Nosler loads use some of the heaviest for caliber bullets
14:18
that are commonly available for each cartridge in factory loads. Now before I
14:23
go into details comparing ballistics in these cartridges I want to point out that the various bullets used in those 7mm loads all have a higher
14:29
BC than those used in comparable .270 Winchester loads. Going back to the point
14:34
that I made earlier about things usually topping out around 150 grains for the
14:39
.270, that's because of the, due in large part anyway, to the rifling twist rate
14:45
used by that cartridge. The 1 in 10 inch rifling twist rate pretty standard with
14:50
the .270 means that cartridge has a hard time stabilizing bullets that are very
14:56
long and sleek like that ELDX for instance that are heavier than 150
15:01
grains. There is a little bit of a push that we're seeing now as I record this
15:05
to use a .270 or rather for manufacturers to produce .270 rifles with a
15:11
little bit faster rifling twist rate. That is the case with the .270, excuse me
15:15
the .27 Nosler and the 6.8 Western, right. They're not the same as the .270 but
15:20
they use faster rifling twist weights so they use that same diameter bullet and
15:24
they can use heavier and more aerodynamic bullets like say that 165
15:29
grain Acubon Long Range from Nosler. So it is possible that we could see some
15:35
changes on this front in the future and you know we might see .270 Winchester
15:40
loads using you know things that are heavier than 150 grains that are real
15:44
high BC but as I record this right now that is kind of how things stand and
15:49
that is a big part of the reason why like I said things top out normally
15:55
around 150 grains for the .270. Okay so let's get into the details of how those
16:00
different loads compare to each other. Now the 7mm Remington Magnum does have a flatter trajectory and more kinetic energy than comparable .270
16:10
Winchester loads at all ranges. This is due to the fact that the 7mm
16:14
Remington Magnum has either similar or a slightly higher muzzle velocity than the .270 when firing heavier bullets. Additionally since it
16:22
uses more aerodynamic bullets with a higher ballistic coefficient that gap in performance grows in favor of the 7mm Mag as range increases
16:30
The details matter here though and there's a bit of overlap with their performance. Every 7mm Remington Magnum load in this comparison has a
16:38
little bit more muzzle energy and a little bit flatter trajectory than the comparable .270 Winchester load with the same bullet
16:47
However that .270 load firing the really high BC-145 ELTX bullet actually has a
16:53
flatter trajectory and more retained energy than the 7mm Rim Mag load
16:58
with 160 grain partition. Now while the 7mm Rim Mag Deer Season XP load has a tiny bit flatter trajectory than the 145 grain ELTX, that
17:10
cartridge, that load from the .270 does have more retained energy at 200 to
17:14
500 yards as well. So here's how each 7mm Rim Mag load compares
17:20
individually to the comparable .270 Winchester load in terms of muzzle energy, retained energy at 500 yards and bullet drop at 500 yards. Deer Season XP
17:28
the 7mm Rim Mag has 10% more muzzle energy, 17.6% more kinetic energy at 500 yards and 0.7 inches or 1.8% less bullet drop at 500
17:40
yards. Hornady Precision Hunter 7mm Rim Mag has 9.5% more muzzle energy, 21% more kinetic energy at 500 yards and 1.1 inch or 3% less
17:53
bullet drop at 500 yards. Nosler Trophy Grid 7mm Rim Mag has 18.4
18:00
more muzzle energy, 22.6% more kinetic energy at 500 yards and 5.4
18:05
inches or 13.5% less bullet drop at 500 yards. So with all that in mind, it's
18:11
pretty clear the 7mm Rim Mag is both more powerful and flatter
18:15
shooting than the .270. That's not surprising, right? We're comparing a more
18:19
modern Magnum cartridge in the 7mm Rim Mag to an older quote-unquote standard class centerfire rifle cartridge in the .270. But
18:29
interestingly though, the .270 is also still a really flat shooting cartridge
18:34
The 7mm Mag is a little bit flatter shooting, but it's kind of right there
18:38
with it. But the 7mm Rim Mag does have a much bigger advantage in terms of
18:43
kinetic energy. Additionally, all the loads in this comparison also easily maintain at least a thousand foot-pounds of energy out past 500 yards
18:51
That .162 ELDX load from the 7mm Mag has well in excess of 1,500 foot-pounds of
18:57
energy out past 500 and still has over 2,000 foot-pounds of kinetic energy at
19:02
400 yards. And the 140 and 160 grain 7mm Rim Mag loads maintain at least 1,500
19:09
foot-pounds of kinetic energy out to 400 yards and they drop below 1,500
19:14
foot-pounds of energy just shy of 500 yards. That .145 grain .270 load carries
19:19
1,500 foot-pounds of kinetic energy out past 400 yards while the other two loads
19:24
for that cartridge dip below that threshold just shy of 400 yards. So the
19:28
big takeaways so far are the 7mm Rim Mag has a small advantage in terms of
19:33
flatter trajectory and a bigger advantage in terms of kinetic energy at
19:38
all ranges and that advantage increases as range increases. Now let's talk about
19:43
wind deflection. Once again the 7mm Rim Mag also has the advantage in this area
19:48
Now this makes sense because once again we're shooting a cartridge that uses
19:51
more aerodynamic bullets at a higher velocity. Once again exact details vary
19:56
Overall the 7mm Rim Mag has an advantage ranging from 16 to 53% less wind
20:02
deflection at 500 yards. So here's the breakdown by loading for wind drift at
20:08
300 yards and 500 yards. Deer Season .270 has 0.6 inches or 10.7
20:14
more wind deflection at 300 yards and 1.8 inches or 10.8% more wind deflection of 500 yards. Hornady Precision Hunter .270 has
20:26
0.8 inches or 17.7% more wind deflection at 300 yards and 2.4 inches or
20:32
18.1% more wind deflection at 500 yards. Nosler Trophy Grade .270 has 0.7
20:40
inches or 11.4% more wind deflection at 300 yards and 2 inches or 10.9
20:47
more wind deflection at 500 yards. So once again 7mm Rim Mag does have an
20:52
advantage here. So yeah I'd rather have a cartridge that has less wind deflection
20:56
but we're not talking like the 7mm Rim Mag has like a foot less wind
21:00
deflection or something like that. Advantage not a giant one. Now let's talk
21:04
about recoil. Now when you compare the recoil produced by hand loads
21:09
approximating the performance of the Hornady factory loads firing those ELDX bullets when you're using them in identical 7 pound rifles you see the
21:17
7mm Rim Mag has about 29% more recoil than the .270. Now this is where the 7mm
21:23
Rim Mag users really pay the piper quote-unquote for the benefits that cartridge offers in terms of wind deflection, kinetic energy and trajectory
21:32
Now the 7mm Rim Mag isn't that hard of a recoiling cartridge and it's known as
21:36
one of the lighter recoiling quote-unquote magnum cartridges and many hunters are able to handle it without serious trouble. It's just the .270 has
21:45
even less recoil and it does have an advantage in this respect especially for
21:49
those that just struggle with recoil a little bit. Okay let's talk about a
21:53
couple of other factors. First I've mentioned it before but the 7mm Rim Mag
21:57
does use larger diameter bullets. So specifically those larger diameter .284 caliber bullets have about 5% more frontal surface area than the .277
22:07
caliber bullets used by the .270 Winchester. All other things being equal
22:11
bigger bullet will make a bigger hole cause more tissue damage and result in
22:15
more blood loss on a game animal. Small advantage in favor of the 7mm Rim Mag
22:19
especially on bigger game. But especially when you combine that with the fact that
22:23
the 7mm Rim Mag carries more kinetic energy downrange those larger diameter bullets can be helpful when hunting bigger game especially stuff
22:30
like elk, moose, etc. It also has a slight edge over the .270 in bullet sectional
22:36
density. Now all other things being equal a heavier bullet of a given caliber will
22:41
be longer and have a higher sectional density and consequently penetrate deeper than projectiles with a lower mass and lower sectional density. As an
22:51
example 130 grain, 140 grain, and 150 grain .277 caliber bullets have
22:56
sectional densities of .242, .261, and .279. Compare that to 140, 150, and 160 grain .284 caliber bullets which have
23:06
sectional densities of .248, .266, and .283. The differences are small across the
23:13
board but when comparing the most popular bullet weights for each cartridge like that 140 grain bullet for the 7mm Rim Mag and a 130 grain bullet for a .270, etc
23:21
the 7mm Rim Mag does have a small edge. This also applies to ballistic coefficient
23:27
The bullets used in this comparison illustrate those differences well with all of the 7mm Rim Mag bullets slightly outclassing those used by the .270
23:37
So where do we stand with each cartridge? The 7mm Rim Mag fires a larger
23:41
diameter, usually heavier, and usually more aerodynamic bullet at a slightly faster velocity than the .270. For this reason the 7mm Rim Mag usually has a
23:50
flatter trajectory, more retained kinetic energy, but more recoil than the .270. Now
23:56
in terms of ammo both are extremely popular among hunters and shooters all
24:00
over the world. Both, though almost certainly the .270, are also likely in
24:05
the top 10 most popular centerfire cartridges in the United States. Now
24:10
while the 7mm Rim Mag is very popular itself, the .270 is probably the more
24:14
widely used of the two, but that's not to say the 7mm Rim Mag is rare. Almost
24:19
every big ammunition manufacturer makes ammo for both cartridges and you can
24:23
find both cartridges in almost every really popular hunting ammo line. Bard's Vortex, Federal Terminal Ascent, Power Shock, Hornady Precision Hunter
24:34
Nosler Trophy Grade, Remington Corelock, Winchester Super X, etc. Now while it's
24:40
usually very easy to find a variety of ammo for both cartridges during normal
24:44
times, ammo is usually a little easier to find and there will generally be a
24:49
larger selection to choose from for the .270. And .270 Winchester ammo is usually
24:55
a little less expensive. You will see oftentimes some regional variation in
25:01
terms of availability and pricing for both, but just taken across the aggregate
25:05
in the United States, .270 is going to be a little easier to find and a little bit
25:11
less expensive. During the 2020 to 2023 ammo shortage, the difference between the
25:17
two has become even more apparent and at least where I live and shop, the .270
25:22
Winchester is usually easier and cheaper in terms of, easier to find and
25:28
less expensive in terms of ammo. The case is similar with rifles and once again
25:33
the .270 is usually a little bit more common than the 7 rim mag, but there's
25:37
usually a good selection of rifles chambered in both. They're both really
25:41
common in most of the really popular bolt-action rifles and in fact I'd say
25:45
that just about every really popular bolt-action hunting rifle in current production is available in .270 and 7 rim mag. For instance you can get them
25:54
both in the Remington 700, the Winchester Model 70, the Browning X-Bolt
25:58
Christensen Arms Mesa, Mossberg Patriot, the Ruger Hawkeye, Savage Axis, etc. Now
26:07
both cartridges are also available in a few lever-action and semi-automatic rifles as well, like the Browning automatic rifle and the Browning
26:14
lever-action rifle. And here's another interesting thing that you need to keep
26:18
in mind as well. Barrel lengths do vary for both cartridges depending on the
26:22
manufacturer and exact model. .270 is most common in rifles with a 22 inch barrel
26:28
but it's not unusual to see it with a longer 24 inch barrel. On the other hand
26:32
Magnum cartridges like the 7 rim mag tend to have longer barrels. That's
26:37
because they need a longer barrel to effectively and efficiently burn that
26:41
larger powder charge. For this reason 24 inch and even 26 inch barrels are more
26:47
typical for the 7 rim mag. So for instance I'll use the Winchester Model
26:51
70 Super Grade to illustrate this point. It's available in both cartridges with the
26:56
.270. It has a 24 inch long barrel, 44.75 inches long overall and it weighs
27:02
8 pounds 4 ounces. The 7 rim mag has a 26 inch long barrel, is 46.75 inches
27:09
long overall and it weighs 8 pounds 8 ounces. So like I said the details do
27:13
vary but you're going to see oftentimes rifles chambered in .270, especially
27:19
those of the 22 inch barrel, are going to be shorter, lighter, handier, more easy to
27:25
maneuver than rifles chambered in 7 rim mag. Sometimes that's more important on a
27:30
hunt than at other times so just keep that in mind. We'll talk about that here again in a second. Okay so which one is right for you? Do you primarily hunt
27:39
medium-sized game like whitetail deer and feral hogs? It ranges within 200
27:44
yards. Both the .270 and the 7mm rim mag are outstanding deer
27:48
hunting cartridges and they'll work great on deer sized game with good shot
27:52
placement. The .270 in particular is nothing if not a great deer hunting
27:57
cartridge and it remains one of the most popular North American hunting
28:01
cartridges in general. There's nothing wrong with using the 7 rim mag on deer
28:04
inside 200 yards but it's really more than you need for that sort of work and
28:08
it's also just rougher on both your shoulder and your wallet. Additionally, if
28:12
you're gonna be hunting in the tight confines of a deer stand or in thick brush, remember what I just talked about in terms of the size differences in
28:19
those rifles. That couple extra inches and overall length can be a real
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headache to deal with when you're trying to quickly and quietly maneuver for a shot. So definitely consider the .270 if you prefer a more compact rifle. In
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general, I would recommend the .270 for someone who is primarily interested in
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hunting deer. But are you looking for a cartridge better suited for a longer
28:41
range hunting for a game like mule deer, pronghorn or potentially even whitetail and more open country where you might need to take a shot at a longer range
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Once again, both work really well here overall. That flat shooting .270 shines in
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this area compared to a lot of other cartridges but the 7 rim mag is one of
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the few that outclasses the .270 in this area. Not a darn thing wrong with using
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the .270 on an open country hunt but those open country mule deer and pronghorn
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hunts often have more windy conditions as well. So this gives the 7 rim mag an
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edge here, especially when you're using high BC wind bucking bullets. What about
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if you want a hunting cartridge that's better suited for a bigger game? Black Bear, Caribou, Moose, Elk, Eel and Kudu, etc. The .270 is a fantastic choice for use on
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bigger game and once again, not a darn thing wrong with using it on one of those hunts. In fact, I would say the .270 is probably the smallest
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serious elk cartridge. Of these two cartridges though, I'd probably lean towards the 7 rim mag because it uses larger diameter and heavier bullets with
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a bigger sectional density that tend to penetrate better. Loaded with something
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like a quality 160 grain partition or A-frame, 168 grain acubon long-range or
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150 to 160 grain lead-free bullet like the Barnes TSX or TTSX, the 7
30:01
rim mag is a fantastic choice for use on really big game at reasonable range
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It's not often counted among the real heavy hunters but the .270 can be darn
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effective in this role at shorter range when using heavy for caliber controlled
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expansion bullets like 150 grain Nassau partition for instance. Now lots of
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hunters have killed untold numbers of elk and moose, etc. with a .270 and if
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anything the .270 is even more effective on really large game now than it was 20-30
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years ago just because we have access to much better quality bullets these days
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So for instance I have a friend that used a 150 grain Nassau partition to
30:38
kill a lot of game very cleanly in Africa. Kudu, Blue Will the Beast, Zebra, etc
30:44
One shot kills on everything. It worked great. So that's not to say that you
30:50
can't do it but I would say that of these two cartridges, I would say the
30:56
.270 is probably the better choice for someone who exclusively or primarily
30:59
hunts for deer and they might want to hunt Africa or maybe go hunt elk once
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or twice in their life. On the other hand I think the 7 rim mag is a better
31:11
option for someone who's going to be doing a lot of elk hunting or a moose
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hunting or going to Africa several times. So you know that's kind of how I divide
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them up there. Okay what if we take things up a notch and we're hunting
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brown or grizzly bear? Or what if you're hunting like in Canada or Alaska and you
31:28
would like a heavier hitting cartridge just in case you find yourself on the
31:32
wrong end of a big bear attack. You're hunting moose in Canada or Alaska
31:36
you get your moose down and then you get a bear that wants to wants to take that
31:41
kill away from you and attack you in the process. Neither cartridge would be
31:46
my first choice for use on one of those hunts but they will definitely work in a
31:50
pinch and of these two I would go with the 7 rim mag since it uses larger
31:54
diameter and heavier bullets. Make sure that you use premium, heavy for caliber
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160 grain or heavier bullets if you go that route. And this is a case where if
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you might have an encounter with a bear when you're out there I would go as
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heavy as I can get to use on my moose or whatever I'm out there hunting just to
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have that in case I run into a bear. Now let's talk about recoil. What if you need
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a lower recoil in cartridge for whatever reason? Neither has terrible recoil but the 270 has a big advantage over the 7 rim mag here. Now I wouldn't
32:28
probably recommend the 270 for a very recoil shy hunter. Instead I'd point them
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to something like a 6.5 Creedmoor or a 7mm 08 Remington but of
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these two 7 rim mag has more recoil than the 270 so I'd point people to the 270
32:42
What about if you're looking for a great cartridge for sheep, mountain goat or
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tar hunting where you need an effective cartridge with manageable recoil and a
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lightweight and easy to carry rifle? Both will certainly work here but thanks to
32:55
Jack O'Connor the 270 is considered a classic sheep hunting cartridge if there
32:59
ever was one. Even so I'd give the 7 rim mag an edge here because it has the
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flattest trajectory, the most resistance to wind drift and the most retained
33:06
energy at extended range when using ideal bullets. But that's not to say the
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270 is a bad choice I just think the 7 rim mag is better. Now as I've stated
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many times here right the 7 rim mag and the 270 are both solid rifle cartridges
33:21
and there is a good amount of overlap in their performance and ideal uses but
33:25
like I just went over there's some significant differences between their performance in certain respects and I would point hunters to one cartridge over
33:34
the other in those specific situations that I just covered. What you got to do
33:39
is you have to carefully evaluate your needs as a hunter based on the circumstances you foresee using that cartridge in, get a good hunting rifle
33:46
chambered in the cartridge you select, learn to shoot it well, use good bullets
33:50
and it should serve you well afield. Now if you enjoyed this video please make
33:55
sure you subscribe to my youtube channel right now. Just click that red subscribe
33:59
button below to make sure you don't miss out on any of my other new videos on
34:03
hunting gear reviews, cartridge comparisons and more. Now for more detailed information on popular hunting cartridges and what they're best suited
34:10
for to include the 270 and the 7 rim mag but some others as well click that link
34:15
in the description below or go to huntingguns101.com to get a free ebook I
34:21
have written on the best hunting cartridges. Okay now I'm going to turn it
34:25
over to you. Which cartridge do you prefer of these two? The 270 or the 7
34:30
millimeter Remington Magnum? What game have you successfully taken with each one? Let me know by leaving a comment on this video right now and also feel
34:40
free to leave a comment with requests for other cartridge comparisons you would
34:44
like to see in the future. I did this one because someone specifically requested
34:47
it. If I get a lot of requests for a good comparison I'll definitely add that to
34:53
my list of things I'll do in the future. So thanks for watching, have a great day
34:56
and good hunting