Ammo

.270 Winchester: Made For The Hunting Grounds

The .270 Winchester is a modern hunting cartridge, used by many, for taking animals such as deer and elk to the dinner table. But, what is the .270, and how did it come about? Let’s take a closer look to see what we can find.

Published

2 years ago

March 30, 2023

Joshua Gillem

Feature | Hunting Gear on the ground in the forest | .270 Winchester: Made For The Hunting Grounds

Hunters agree the .270 Winchester cartridges are definitely made for the hunting ground, with versatility and effectiveness perfect for long ranges.

In this article:

The .270 Winchester
Stalking the Coyote
Shot Fired: .270 Winchester Ballistics
Coyote Toughness

Modern Shooter: .270 Winchester Hunting Cartridge

The .270 Winchester

The .270 Winchester is a modern cartridge for hunting animals such as deer and elk. Its versatility makes it capable of taking down bigger game like moose and grizzlies.

Back in the early to mid-1920s, Winchester set out to produce a lighter recoiling load to give the shooter a faster, flatter shooting projectile. They took a neck down of a .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridge and shove a .277 caliber piece of pointy lead on the front weighing in at 130 grains.

Thus, the end result is the .270 Winchester cartridge made specifically for hunting. A coyote hunting video below shows how the Winchester does its job in the hunting grounds.

Stalking the Coyote

|

A young coyote appears in the field with a bunch of cattle behind it. The shooter waits to get a clean shot of the coyote as the cattle distances from the target.

Coyotes are very smart animals so the shooter must be patient before he goes for the kill.

Shot Fired: .270 Winchester Ballistics

|

The shooter takes the shot and the coyote had no idea what hit him. The .270 Winchester's muzzle velocity of 2900 fps gave the animal zero time to react.

If you look closely, you will see blood gushing out from the coyote as it takes off running, though it did not take long before the coyote lost consciousness.

[instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BYVCRIElAYK/ hidecaption=true width=625]

Coyote Toughness

|

The video shows how tough these coyotes can be. The shooter hit it directly through the vitals but the animal still manages to run a little.

As a result, the coyote leaves a trail of blood like dragging a paintbrush on the field.

The .270 Winchester rifle cartridge is the go-to hunting tool for many looking to take most of what North America has to offer. It shoots flat, fast, and bucks the wind.

While it's not a tack driver, it does a good job indeed. If it takes on the toughness of a coyote, then it's definitely reliable enough to take on a variety of game.

Here's a video on coyote hunting with a .270 by coyotehuntinghq:

Is a .270 a good rifle cartridge? Many shooters and hunters will say so. No wonder it stays and stays popular since its introduction in 1925.