The oldest shooting arguements

In my life, I have traveled around most of the planet. Fortunately, some electronics or aerospace company was paying for my travels. I worked hard, but I always tried to build in enough free time to check out the local firearms attractions and a few really nice golf courses. We'll leave the golf tales for another blog. I've visited gun stores all over the US and in several European countries as well. It doesn't matter where you go, someone is always debating which cartridge is best suited for a particular task. Whether the application is target shooting, hunting, military, LE, or "tactical", there are usually at least two camps for every issue. I'll use my favorite as an example.

30'06 vs 270 Winchester. Most gun stores in rural America resemble a beer commercial the day before deer season. One side of the room tauts the 30'06 as the ultimate deer killer while the other side cheers on the 270 Winchester. "Great Taste, Less Filling". The 30'06 supporters think the 270 Win is too small to ensure a clean kill. The 270 crowd claims it shoots flatter than the 30'06 and guarantees more accuracy and therefore more kills. Of course, the 30'06 came first and the 270 was originally a wildcat cartridge based on the 30'06. However, since the 270 Win became so popular, ammunition manufacturers have introduced many additional loadings for the 30'06. Currently, I can easily find loadings for the 30'06 with bullet weights ranging from 123 grains to 200 grains. The 270 Win has commercial loads ranging from 100 grains to 150 grains. By comparing equal weight bullets using ballistic data for rifles zeroed at 200 yards, it is easy to see exactly which bullets drop the most, or shoot the flattest. At 400 yards, using 150 grain spitzer bullets, the 30'06 drops 19.2 inches while the 270 Win drops 21.6 inches.

How can this be true? It is simple physics. I can also find loadings for the 270 Win with the same bullet that only drop 19.4 inches. The type of powder used and the size of the charge will affect the trajectory of the bullet. In the years immediately after its conception, the 270 shot lighter bullets than any available 30'06 ammunition and it tended to drop less than the 30'06. Time has passed. The great thing about the 30'06 is its ability to be loaded with such a wide range of bullets. One can carry one rifle with loads that are tailored to take coyotes, deer, elk or even bear. The trajectory will be differ across the changes in bullet weights, but the changes can be accounted for with any decent scope. Yes, the scope is the key. Back when the 270 Win was first conceived hunters still used iron sights. It is much tougher to account for bullet drop with iron sights compared to modern scopes. A round that drops less makes the hunter's job much easier with iron sights.

The truth is, more dear have been taken with iron sighted lever action guns chambered in the much slower 30-30 Win than an other caliber. In America, we tend to strive for accuracy. Taking shots at over 400 yards is rare in most parts of the country. Rare, not always, but rare. The list of calibers that can be zeroed at 200 yards and still hit a 10 inch circle at 400+ yards is very long indeed. I tend to put more emphasis on the weight of the bullet as velocity becomes less of a factor down range. I'd be happy to shoot 270 Win at most game that roams in my neck of the woods. The thing I find most interesting is how profoundly attached some shooters become to a particular cartridge without really understanding its true performance characteristics. I often quiz the 270 fans on how much flatter it shoots than a 30'06. I get answers ranging from 2" to 12" without any mention of a particular range. It's really just a quirk of an industry and sport that I love very dearly. I don't contend that anyone is right or wrong, just opinionated. I still maintain that the 22 LR is the most accurate round ever created, but I have seen strong evidence that the 17 HMR is actually more inheritly accurate. We all have our hang ups and opinions. I find pleasure in listening and analyzing these traits. There are so many, maybe I'll opine about more of them in the future. For now, I'll keep shooting 30-30 and 30'06. Whatever it is that each shooter believes in is what they should stick with. As long as it works for them, we should all support our fellow shooters. They are the best defense for protecting our gun rights. We should refrain from accusing other shooters as "stupid" because they have a different opinion. Yes, I routinely run into people who tell me that some "expert" on the Internet or in a gun store has told them they are stupid for failing to agree on such things as the 270 vs 30'06 argument or whether or not a 308 Win makes a better "sniper" rifle than a 300 Win Mag, etc. It's mostly food for thought. As long as shooters keep buying guns and keep putting rounds down range and help to prevent deer and varmint over population, I'm pretty happy. We are all on the same side, in the end. Live free or die.