# 270 WSM Vs. 300 Win. Mag for elk



## rbt2 (May 3, 2006)

what are your thoughts on these two calibers for elk (270 WSM / 300 Win. Mag.)?

thanks


rbt2


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## diggler (Aug 16, 2005)

I prefer .300 WIN. MAG. Of course .270 WSM would work.


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## asolde (May 22, 2004)

I have shot elk with a .270 win and I am sure a .270 wsm will work. I believe that you could shoot a larger grain bullet with the .300 mag. If you have the choice go with the .300 mag. I am going to use a .300 wsm with a barnes 165gr triple shock bullet.


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## Bowhntr (Aug 7, 2006)

Hey RBT2
my choice (I've take 1 bighorn,2 5x5 bulls in Colorado-go there every other year) is to use a bow. I shoot a mathews switchback LD, but took my animals with my PSE 6000. They never ran that far either 20-25 yards. Will post some picture later
just my thrill of the chase answer

norm


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## Spots and Dots (May 23, 2004)

Either will work, but you should consider down range ballistics in your choice. I am not sure how much energy a .270 looses at around 300 yards, but there is a chance you'll need to take a long shot.

I shot 2 elk this past season. Each was 280+ yards, and my .300 WSM did not exit.
My buddy shot a couple with his 30-06 and got pass throughs, but he took easy 30 yards shots............wish I was that lucky. (then again, I took 2 animals on my first ever Elk hunt......guess I am pretty lucky).


I would take the largest claiber you can shoot well. That way you won't have the concern.
One thing is for sure, you can never kill you target too much, but you may track one a long way that you don't end up finding.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

300 win mag , easily the choice for ammo avail and load variations, one of the most common elk rounds out there....

now......... 7mag VS 300 win mag is an ugly elk debate ....LOL


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Heck he will wake up dead an have no idea what killed him. Both will work fine..Just make shure you use the right 270 bullet.

Charlie


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## wedington (Dec 19, 2007)

.300 Win Mag for sure. If you go to Winchester's website you can view a ballistics table and you will see how much more energy that the .300 will deliver downrange than the .270WSM. Also, the .300 is gonna give you a flatter shot. If you really want to step it up try at .300 Wby Mag. It will knock an elk flat on its ***** out to 400 yards.


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## wedington (Dec 19, 2007)

I'm sorry try this website, I thought it was Winchester.

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ballistics/


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## Gwill (Sep 6, 2007)

With the quality bullets these days caliber selection has become somewhat watered down. Either will kill just fine but more importantly pick a good bullet (Partition, TSX, Trophy Bonded, A-Frame, etc.) and put the bullet where it needs to go. The rest will fall into place...

All about the bullets...


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## wtc3 (Aug 16, 2005)

Both are good choices. I work with a guy here that says his wife has taken plenty of elk over the last 20+ years with a .243 and only had to put a second shot into one of them. Caliber is always a touchy subject on the bigger game but good shot placement is common ground that everyone usually agrees on.................... wtc


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## elkhunter49 (Jun 7, 2004)

Shoot the .300WSM. The.270 will kill an Elk like a .243 will but that's not
to say say you should be Elk hunting with either of them. 
Shoot a good trophy bonded bullet with the .300WSM then stick it in the 
boiler room and the rest will be work out just fine. Good Luck with your
hunt.


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

300 win mag with a premium bullet.
I choose Barnes triple shocks in 165 gn


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## Snap Draggin (Nov 11, 2007)

.300 Win Mag. You hav e a huge range of bullet weights you can choose from and greater knockdown IMO.


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## Lezz Go (Jun 27, 2006)

I shoot a .300 WSM and a 7MM WSM. I like the ballistics of the 180 grain .300 WSM, and I also like the 7MM WSM with 160 grain pills. 

With a Burris FFII and their Ballistic-plex reticle 300 yards is no problemo with the .300.


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## Hoop54 (Aug 16, 2006)

*300 win mag*

I happen to have a BAR in 300 win mag ( made in Belgium) w/ a Redfield 4x12 that I would sell you. In good shape..haven't shot is 10 years or so. $900.00
PM me if interested.

Hoop54


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## tokavi (May 6, 2006)

I am not going to debate which caliber you should use, both will work. I do own a .270 WSM and have taken elk, deer and antelope with it so I can tell you how it performed. I carry this rifle as my "guide gun". That means it is with me in Montana for my hunting. Clients use it if they have a problem with their rifles or just want to hunt with it. This is a Kimber 8400 Classic. All game was taken with Federal factory ammo using 140 gr. Trophy Bonded bullets. In the past 2 seasons this rifle has taken 2 elk, 6-8 mule deer, 2 whitetails and half a dozen antelope. The elk were both shot at 200-300 yards, both pass thru shots, elk down in less than 50 yards. Deer and antelope have been taken from 50 to 384 yards. I have recovered one bullet, from the deer shot at 384 (lazer ranged before shot). This shot hit the front left shoulder of the buck angled back to the right hip and was lodged under the hide. Perfect mushroom, deer travelled 2 feet straight down, makes for easy tracking! LOL I also had a hunter shoot a whitetail this season and make a bad shot. Deer was coming out, quartering away and I said wait until he turns/stops, he didn't and shot. Deer lunged behind some brush and disappeared. We waited far about an hour before tracking. Found the buck about 30 yards away, he had been dead since the shot. When I gutted him I found the bullet had entered behind the shoulder, passed between the shoulder and rib cage before going thru the strenum and exiting. The bullet did not actually enter the vitals. The lungs and heart were severly bruised and apparently the kenetic energy from the bullet was enough to kill the buck. I am not saying this is the "magic" caliber but the .270 WSM is very capable of killing elk and if you like it, shoot it!


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## THE JAMMER (Aug 1, 2005)

Jack O'Connor probably killed more elk than anyone on this board, and he did it with 130 grain 270's. I'm sure, however, he took sensible shots, and probably had to pass on some situations because he didn't have enough gun.

It's been said many times, but many guns will kill what ever we are hunting. It's just that when you are confronted with that marginal situation: 6X7 scoring 350, and he's 350-400 yards out there on his way over the ridge to the next canyon, it's 30 minutes before dark, and you're already 5 miles from your camp. That's when I want that bigger gun and bigger bullet. 

It's just like optics: 95% of the optics out there are great- in the day light. It's that first and last 15 minutes of light where those $1000 binoculars are worth their weight in gold.

I pay too much money and spend too much time to maybe miss the tropy of a lifetime, because I was using too little gun. 

Get the 300!!!!!!!!!

THE JAMMER


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## Belt Sanders (Jun 30, 2004)

.338 Win Mag


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## NW80 (Apr 26, 2006)

I also shoot a 270 WSM almost exclusively. In fact a friend of mine and I "wildcatted" the round before Winchester.
He has shot an Elk with excellant performance - 140 gr Accubond. I hand load 140 Accubonds at 3300 fps.
I can only echo what Tokavi said!


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## OL' LUNGBUSTER (Mar 3, 2008)

Right on Jammer.....You get what you pay for. don't skimp on the rifle because it cost too much. don't lose a trophy because you weren't prepared. get the .300


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