308 vs 6.5

[WoodsieEC]

My 270 kicks a bit so not worried about the recoil too much.

A 308 isn’t going to do anything that your 270 won’t.


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[pre 64]

First of all,a couple of disagreements.
Shooty , i doubt if the 6.5 will fade away.It has already been around for 60 years or so longer than the 308.

Adoons , If we are talking about the 6.5x55 or 6.5 Creed there will not be more meat damage than with a 308 in comparable bullet weights and shot placement.

Woodsie,i gotta agree with your post.

Glen , the fact that you have a 270 changes the dynamics of your choice between a 6.5 and a 308 [again assuming x55 or Creed] and the answer is not as clear cut as it would seem.

[Koebelwagen]

First of all,a couple of disagreements.
Shooty , i doubt if the 6.5 will fade away.It has already been around for 60 years or so longer than the 308.

Adoons , If we are talking about the 6.5x55 or 6.5 Creed there will not be more meat damage than with a 308 in comparable bullet weights and shot placement.

Woodsie,i gotta agree with your post.

Glen , the fact that you have a 270 changes the dynamics of your choice between a 6.5 and a 308 [again assuming x55 or Creed] and the answer is not as clear cut as it would seem.

The .270 with its .277" diameter bullets is as close as dammit to 7mm and pretty much smack in the middle of the .308 that shoots a 7.82mm diameter bullet and the 6.72mm bullet of the 6.5.

For hunting purposes there is nothing the 6.5 can do better than the .270, albeit with less recoil, whereas the .308 can shoot much heavier bullets given the barrel twist will stabilise the bullet. More is always more when hunting and personally I would rather shoot an eland with a premium 180gr or 200gr bullet from a .308 than a 150gr bullet from either the .270 or 6.5.

[glenn.watson]

I'm shooting 130grs with the 270 hence why I'd like something bigger

[pre 64]

Koebelwagen...i totally agree.

But.....the 270 with a good 150-160gr premium bullet will do the job.

As the OP states,he is using 130gr bullets in the 270....then the 308 is a better choice than the 6.5.

I think that out of a choice of 2 rifles , between the 6.5 , 270 and 308 , the 6.5 and 308 will make more sense.
The 270 is a nowhere caliber....can shoot smaller game with the 130gr bullet.....can shoot bigger game with 160gr bullets but for less recoil,less meat damage and less compromise a 308 is a better choice.

If you shoot only Springbuck at longish distances,the 270 is fine. Bigger animals like Gemsbuck at distance in the Kalahari NO. A bushveld rifle NO. Close by Bushbuck/Pig in the thick stuff NO. Eland/Blues ect NO.

Soooo,the 270 can be made to work but to me it makes a poor choice for the man looking for versatillity. Here,both the 6.5 and 308 beat it hands down.

[WoodsieEC]

I'm shooting 130grs with the 270 hence why I'd like something bigger

If you want another rifle, buy what your heart wants and what you want to shoot.
If you want to shoot heavier bullets, then use a 150gr in your 270
If you want a short action, then buy a 243, 308, 6.5, 6x......
If recoil is not an issue and you want true versatility, then buy a 30-06.
If you want something bigger then get something bigger, 300WM, 300H&H, 375, etc.

I think the difference between the 270 and 308 is to minor to make a real world difference in your hunting.
In my opinion, when you buy 2nd, 3rd rifles, they should be substantially different with different uses or your current one's will just live in your safe for eternity.

I hunt exclusively in the EC and have a 30-06 (180gr) and a 6.5 CM (140gr). I think that all my bases are covered for springbok through to Eland. In reality, I get the opportunity or consider Eland once every decade and my 30-06 is snuggly tucked up in my safe, only seeing the light of day for a visual inspection and oiling, every couple of months.

[glenn.watson]

thanks guys.

[Messor]

Personally I feel a 308 is the perfect companion to the 270, one a flat shooting plains cartridge, the other a slow and heavy bushveld cartridge, in fact a lightweight 308 is in my mind THE perfect bushveld rifle.
But we are in the age of the bullet, not the cartridge, so while a 130gr bullet from a 270 can hunt almost anything, a 150gr monolithic from a 270 can literally hunt all our non dangerous game, and not just marginally more than adequate.

For me it comes down to the hunter’s setup, when hunting with a PH the hunter almost always have “backup”, so the PH would prefer the hunter shooting something he can control, meaning placing the bullet correctly. If I were to hunt eland alone I would not use my 270, or my 308 for that matter, and I do have both, I would use a big hammer, make sure I put that animal down for the count, then my 338 would come out, other folk might have a 9.3 or 375.
But as I’ve always mentioned precious few people hunt eland bulls, they are just too big, no ordinary person have that freezer space, so for many it’s a once or twice in a lifetime thing.

You must decide, hunt a lot, then it’s a 308, if you don’t hunt a lot, buy some 150gr Peregrine bushmasters for the 270 if bigger game is on the menu.

[glenn.watson]

right now I want to purchase a beautiful looking wooden stock rifle that probably will only shoot springbok and maybe every couple of years a kudu. If I ever go for a bigger animal I'll try borrow a rifle.

I'm happy for my 270 to sit in the safe a bit more and use it if friends or my wife ever want to shoot with me or just to go to the range for fun. Budget is limited so although it'll be a second rifle it'll have to be something that can do most things, such as the 308. The 308 will replace my 270 and do more. Then oneday in the distant future I would get something for longer distance range shooting

[glenn.watson]

The other option is to buy the 6.5 and then increase the bullet weight on my 270 for bigger game. I'm not likely to shoot eland. Kudu and gemsbok will be the biggest and at close range. Sooo many choices and factors. But I do want a rifle I like to look at:)