.270win and lead free ammunition

[Slim01]

I've read that the .270win is a marginal calibre for larger plains game. Has the development of lead free ammunition made it a more viable option?

 

[deewayne2003]

First hand I don’t know, I do have a friend that did plains game and shot 12 animals including zebra with a .270win & Barnes TTSX

 

[375Fox]

I think the 270 remains what it is. A good deer cartridge. I’d use it up to Kudu if I ever took mine to Africa but I think better options for a traveling hunter.

 

[Doug3006]

The .270 is NOT marginal for plains game! It’s a sensible minimum for most plains game. Excluding Eland, it will cleanly take anything you’d like to hunt in that category.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Can’t speak for lead-free, but with the old Winchester Super X 150Gr Power Point factory load… my daughter has successfully used the .270 Winchester to take all of her plains game to date (mostly with one shot kills):
Kudu
Wildebeest
Zebra
Impala
Reedbuck
Bushbuck
Springbok
Sable
Warthog
Bush pig

Only one warthog required a second shot.

Initial shot placement is extremely critical when employing this caliber against the larger African antelope, but (barring eland) you will not have a problem if you shoot straight.

 

[BRICKBURN]

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/the-270-winchester-in-africa.45457/
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/270-for-plains-game.39501/#post-377762

Follow all the links above. and then follow the links in the links.
More discussion on 270's

I've taken Steenbok to Giraffe with .270 Win 130grain TTSX

Enjoy your hunt.

 

[pilar]

I don’t know about marginal, it’s pretty good with 130gr barns TSX and Norma oryx 150gr on nilgai and aoudad
My buddies wife just killed a huge old aoudad with 140gr TSX, went in last rib , through the heart and lungs, neck ,and stopped under the eye
She killed her zebra with same gun @ 200 yards

My friend Mr blocker killed everything in Africa except DG , with a 257 weatherby with 120gr nosler partition

 

[Slim01]

Thank your advice and comments, they're appreciated.

 

[BGHNTR416]

Sent my nephew last summer to South Africa with handloads using the 129 gr barnes LRX. Sable, kudu and on down the list without any issues.

 

[WyoBull]

Sent my nephew last summer to South Africa with handloads using the 129 gr barnes LRX. Sable, kudu and on down the list without any issues.

That is a perfect bullet for hunting plains game in that caliber.

 

[schwerpunkt88]

My .270, A Rugger M77 absolutely loves Barnes 129 grain LRX pushed by Accurate 4350. I've only shot deer with it, but I can put a quarter over the 3 shot groups and velocity is in the 3,000 FPS range. Last year I shot a good buck at the incredible distance of 22 yards...

 

[Slim01]

Last year I shot a good buck at the incredible distance of 22 yards...

Richard Prior, a well known British deer stalker, used to advise people 'get as close as you can, and then get 10 yards closer'.

 

[HankBuck]

I've read that the .270win is a marginal calibre for larger plains game. Has the development of lead free ammunition made it a more viable option?

@Slim01 - were You reading old articles written by “Elmer Keith” ? If you can shoot a .270 win Accurately and use well constructed bullets…why would there be any problems?

 

[JimmyJack54]

A Winchester M70 Classic Stainless in .270 Win has been my go to African plaines game rifle for three African safaris, soon to be four. I’ve also carried a 458 Lott for DG and have used a camp rifle in .300 WM. I shoot my .270 well and have confidence with it. I’ve used 150 gr. Barnes TSX loaded by Safari Arms. (FYI- Safari Arms now recommends 1:9.5 twist rate or greater for the 150 gr. TSX. I have a factory 1:10.)

Zebra, sable, waterbuck, Nyala, gemsbok, hartebeest and smaller type plaines game.

 

[Tra3]

For sure the .270 will work. I’ve had a .270 with me on 3 safaris. My kids and sisters used it for PG up to eland and giraffe (neck shot). We use barnes bullets. I’ve used it for kudu.

 

[BGHNTR416]

I do think that the Barnes x has elevated the effectiveness of many rifles. When they first came out I had a friend loading them up for his 257 wby. He was amazed by the results on game. Bullets holding together at those speeds are devastating on game animals. I have also been impressed with the accuracy that I have been able to get with relative ease.

 

[colorado]

I think the 270 remains what it is. A good deer cartridge. I’d use it up to Kudu if I ever took mine to Africa but I think better options for a traveling hunter.

When I lived in Montana in the 70s and 80s I got my first elk with a 243. I moved up to a 270 Win because of grizzlies. I guided in the Bob with it and never felt undergunned for elk or grizzlies.

 

[dchum]

130 ttsx is so deadly is not even funny

 

[Nyati]

With a .270, I have taken up to a Roan, which is the heaviest antelope second to Eland.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

I've read that the .270win is a marginal calibre for larger plains game. Has the development of lead free ammunition made it a more viable option?

I do not think that lead free ammunition has made any cartridge more lethal.