.270 win. overkill?

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Race4hills, I've had that experience with a regular 270, a 7mm 08 and even a 308. Seems the larger bullets don't have enough time to expand sometimes, leaving small holes on both ends.




That's the experience I've had as well, with a 243, 270 and 308. I've found the bullet passes right through w\o that much damage. I've had more damage from a 22-250 with ballistic tips.
 
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Yeah, .270 is way too much, and in my PERSONAL opinion, I figure if you don't save the pelts, You shouldn't be shooting coyotes. Unless it is to protect livestock.

Dave

Just my humble opinion, Don't mean to cause a war.



I wouldn't think a desert coyote pelt would be worth $.02 but maybe I'm wrong.
 
130 grain nosler partition,stay off the shoulder. I have seen a ton of coyotes smashed with the ole 270, fur damage ain't to bad , we save our fur and the guy that skins and sews them up for me always wants to know what gun made that big hole - its always the 22-250.

270 kinda hard on cats though
 
some of my fondest memories of my early days were with a Rem 700 in 270 with a Sierra 90g HP loaded with IMR 3031 and another load with AA2700.

The 270 was also was a back up jackrabbit rifle, and a rock chuck rifle.

The 270 with the 90g Sierra will absolutely ventilate a coyote, no spinners, no runners, just coyotes shot all to heck, killed very humanely with the 90's zipping along at 3550 fps out of a 24" barrel. Trying to sew up a coyote shot with a 270 will end up with a hide looking more like a quilt than a pelt.

The 270 on coyotes and jacks worked so well that my hunting parnter built a 270 with a 30" Hart barrel on it to shoot chucks with. Every shot on a chuck with this custom long barrel'd 270 was like DAA's hits on chucks with the 75g V-Max out of the 6mm AI.

With all the cheap 270's in pawn shops, they make fantastic yote rifles at a very affordable price. My 270's had the wierd practice of having the 90g Sierra and the 130g Sierra print at almost the same point of impact.
 
Lets examine some analogies. Is it over-kill to use 80# test line and a wire leader to catch crappie?,no, it won't catch them any better than 6# test with only a minnow hook.It will catch fish, it's just more than you need.
Is it over-kill to use a 100# pull long bow and broomstick sized cedar shafts to bow hunt rabbits?,no, it won't kill a rabbit any better than a 50# compound bow using light carbon arrows.It will kill a rabbit, it's just more than you need.
Is it over-kill to use a 10 ga. double gun with #2 shot to hunt bobwhites over a dog?,no, it won't knock down a bobwhite any better than a fine 20ga. or 28ga, O/U using #7 shot. It will kill a bobwhite, it's just more than you need.
To most hunters, it's about matching your rifle/cartridge to the size of the game.Is it over kill to use a 270 or a 300 mag....no. Neither will kill a coyote any more dead,than my .17 remington,or someone elses .20 tac. or .223, it's just more than you need.
The coyote is on average, a 25-30 pound animal, it just doesn't take a whole lot to kill one with a well placed shot, from what most of us consider predator calibers, such as the .22 centerfires, .17s .20s and .19s.
When they get shot with the big stuff, there is usually a big mess. Leaving a lousy hide if your keeping to skin,and an even uglier corpse if your just after the glory shot with the Cannon then kick the carcass in the ditch kind of guy.
You'll see more positive comments about photos, when they are posed with coyotes or cats, that just look like they went to sleep, than you ever do when the bodies look like they were hit with an RPG. Im sure there is a small percentage of guys who get quite tickled when they blow up a coyote like a prairie dog hit with a 22-250, in fact Ive seen it right here. I don't understand it, but Ive seen it.
So, is the .270 overkill; no.....it's just more than you need.
 
Respectfully, yes, that is overkill, in my humble opinion. It's like hitting a mosquito with a sledge hammer. Since I expect I'll be in the minority on this, I'll cite the definition of overkill:

o·ver·kill (vr-kl)
n.
1. Destructive nuclear capacity exceeding the amount needed to destroy an enemy.
2. Excessive killing.
3. An excess of what is necessary or appropriate for a particular end

I'll suggest that definition #3 is operative here. You might need a .223, but a 22 Hornet or 17 something would be preferable. You are going to be using a deer and elk rifle to kill a, what, mebbe 40 lb coyote? I would humbly suggest that you save your rubles and pick up another rifle in a caliber better suited to hunting coyote and fox and such that won't nuke the pelts.

If a .270 is all you have, use it, but only until you can save up and get a good calling rifle in an appropriate caliber.

Take care, and good luck!
 
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So, is the .270 overkill; no.....it's just more than you need.



Agreed. The .270 is my first rifle of choice. In 49 years of hunting with that caliber, I have shot everything from grouse to bull elk. It kills'em all. If thats what you have, use it, enjoy it. It's a great caliber.
 
Nothing more can be added to that from this end. Very well stated.

I have seen only one coyote shot with a 270. took a guest. His first trip and all he owned was a 270. This was about 20 years ago. He had hand loaded some 90 HP if my memory serves me right. He is a member here and may chime in. He hit the coyote in mid chest facing in. When I peeled the coyote that night, I could not find the bullet entrance till I got the skin off.

If it is all ya got, go for it. Then tell your wife you NEED a 17-22 cal rifle so you can save the furs and buy her a nice present with your fur check.
 

25-06, no gore
4dayswithSL4.jpg


Same gun, no gore.
Lance2Rachel.jpg


338 win mag, a little blood, no gore. Not even close to being cut in half.
Elkhuntdouble2.jpg


338, no gore.
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338, no gore.
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Still no gore.
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If you are having a problem with gore in your photos, blame the photographer , not the gun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Can you get buy with less gun, absolutely. But if you don't have the money or the desire to buy a predator specific gun then use what you have. It will make a huge mess of fox and cats. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Nice photos lance, that is definately one way of showing what large calibers are going to do to an animal. that is pretty much the results i had with my .270. most of the time bullet passes cleand through.
 
If you reload, why not try some reduced loads with bullets designed for the 6.8 SPC. I have no doubt you could make a fur friendly load with a little expirementation.

I have considered doing the same thing, but usually just grab a .223 or .243.
 
I personally don't see any problem with using a .270 on a 'yote, but I'd prefer to use my .223. Dead is dead! I would do it to save a deer's life so I would have a deer to shoot and eat during that season. A big factor these days is the cost of a .270 bullet. That part seems like a waste of an expensive bullet to me.
 
I guess if you don't think a coyote is worth the cost of a 270 bullet, it doesnt make any difference what you shoot one with. Those of us who shoot coyotes for fur will choose something a little smaller.

Randy
 


"I wouldn't think a desert coyote pelt would be worth $.02 but maybe I'm wrong."

A quick glance at the Arizona Trapping Association fur sale results for 07-08 season shows coyotes averaged $19.64, with better handled fur bringing more obviously.
 
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If thats what you got, use it. You will get exits no matter what. Stay away from the light bullets. Try heavy bullets and stay off the shoulder.



I agree with this. Go with heavy for caliber bullets. A Sierra 150 grain GameKing works well. Strong enough to hold together on a deer, pig elk or bear. Often does not blow up on a smaller target like a coyote. Sometimes it will damage them a lot depending on shot placement.

Lighter bullets with in general do more damage.
 
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Yeah, .270 is way too much, and in my PERSONAL opinion, I figure if you don't save the pelts, You shouldn't be shooting coyotes. Unless it is to protect livestock.

Dave

Just my humble opinion, Don't mean to cause a war.



Do you consider
Fawns
Doe
Ducks
Quail
Pheasant
Chukar
"Livestock"?????????
 
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