.270 vs 7*57 Which is the best???

[DLSJR]

My son and I have used .270’s on four or five African hunts, taking a number of large plains game including multiple Kudu, Sable, Zebra, Topi and lots of other stuff, shooting mostly 150 grain Nosler Partitions or Barnes TTSX’s. Here at home I’ve taken elk and Alaskan Moose with that gun. You’ll do fine with any .270 Winchester.

But…. I’ve always wanted a 7x57! I’ve got a beautiful 2-pi Eve walnut blank that is begging to be put on a single shot action in 7x57.

 

[Just a dude in BC]

My son and I have used .270’s on four or five African hunts, taking a number of large plains game including multiple Kudu, Sable, Zebra, Topi and lots of other stuff, shooting mostly 150 grain Nosler Partitions or Barnes TTSX’s. Here at home I’ve taken elk and Alaskan Moose with that gun. You’ll do fine with any .270 Winchester.

But…. I’ve always wanted a 7x57! I’ve got a beautiful 2-pi Eve walnut blank that is begging to be put on a single shot action in 7x57.

I found a 7x57 Ruger no.1 about 2 years ago, with a 22" barrel. A am not sure if a more handly little rifle exists. With good brass and the strength of a falling block action I have the rifle shooting 160gr bullets at 2800fps. If you have a drill press and routing table, it's reasonably easy to make your own Ruger no.1 stocks. Just practice on a cheap price of maple or something first.

 

[Neophyte]

@m457109
If jack O'Connor didn't praise the 270 and beat it to death with high praise it would never have got off the ground. It won't do anything the 280 and old ought 6 won't do as good or better
Bob

Jack O’Connor was a pompous windbag that wasn’t fit to carry Elmer’s suitcase.

Sure, he could string words together using correct grammar and punctuation, but I found him to be full of himself. I had the displeasure of meeting him as a kid.

 

[Red Leg]

Jack O’Connor was a pompous windbag that wasn’t fit to carry Elmer’s suitcase.

Sure, he could string words together using correct grammar and punctuation, but I found him to be full of himself. I had the displeasure of meeting him as a kid.

That's too bad - I had the same reaction to Keith - except he wrote like a twelve year old who had failed English twice. As I said earlier in this thread, both chamberings are nearly perfect for the right applications.

I personally think the .270 with a 130 gr bullet is the best balanced deer rifle one can own. Second place by a tiny amount would be a 7x57, 7x64, 7x65R, .280, or 7mm 08. For Africa, because of 170gr class bullets and a healthy dose of nostalgia, I prefer the 7x57. I could care less what Elmer Keith might have struggled to articulate about any of them.

 

[petander]

Can you check the bores with a borescope?

That would help me to decide. I do not buy a gun without seeing the bore.

 

[WAB]

That's too bad - I had the same reaction to Keith - except he wrote like a twelve year old who had failed English twice. As I said earlier in this thread, both chamberings are nearly perfect for the right applications.

I personally think the .270 with a 130 gr bullet is the best balanced deer rifle one can own. Second place by a tiny amount would be a 7x57, 7x64, 7x65R, .280, or 7mm 08. For Africa, because of 170gr class bullets and a healthy dose of nostalgia, I prefer the 7x57. I could care less what Elmer Keith might have struggled to articulate about any of them.

Exactly. The .270 is one of the best western US calibers ever dreamt of for deer sized critters. The 7x57 with174 gr bullets is hands down the better choice for larger critters in the bush. One doesn’t have to be better than the other, they excel in different applications.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

That's too bad - I had the same reaction to Keith - except he wrote like a twelve year old who had failed English twice. As I said earlier in this thread, both chamberings are nearly perfect for the right applications.

I personally think the .270 with a 130 gr bullet is the best balanced deer rifle one can own. Second place by a tiny amount would be a 7x57, 7x64, 7x65R, .280, or 7mm 08. For Africa, because of 170gr class bullets and a healthy dose of nostalgia, I prefer the 7x57. I could care less what Elmer Keith might have struggled to articulate about any of them.

@Red Leg
Elmer and Jack may have been diametrically opposed but fortunately both schools of thought work.
We just have to choose what is right for us.
Throw in Roy's high velocity kills better and we have three camps to put our swags in.
Is one better than the other. Depends on what you choose, all will get the job done if used correctly.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Exactly. The .270 is one of the best western US calibers ever dreamt of for deer sized critters. The 7x57 with174 gr bullets is hands down the better choice for larger critters in the bush. One doesn’t have to be better than the other, they excel in different applications.

@WAB
If'n that was the case why did Roy invent the 257 Weatherby. The best beanfield rifle for long range deer in windy Texas apparently.
Just saying
Bob

 

[Red Leg]

@WAB
If'n that was the case why did Roy invent the 257 Weatherby. The best beanfield rifle for long range deer in windy Texas apparently.
Just saying
Bob

I don’t think he “needed” to invent it at all. But look, I own both and appreciate both. The .257 is wonderful, but the .270 is perfect.

 

[petander]

Then there is the 7x65R version. I have this combination gun with a 20 gauge / 7x65R . Merkel made the 7 mm barrel free floating, it shoots groups like a good bolt rifle.

I find myself stalking deer with this one quite often. Slug up close for unicorns, 7 mm point blank up to 200 m. I like those long 7 mm bullets.