I will first tell of my desires and inventory, then go on to my question.
I have recently gotten the bug for long range shooting. I shot my buddy's Sako TRG .308 this past fall. Hammered a deer at over 500 yards and it was the easiest shot I've ever taken at a deer. What I learned from that is that the right equipment can make a hell of a lot of difference.
Now, what I need to take this to the next step is some equipment changes, training and practice, practice, practice.
I would say I'm a good shot. But, not a great one. I have every bad habit you can think of. I'm a flincher. I yank the trigger. I close my eyes when the rifle goes off. I look up after the shot. I don't seat the gun against my shoulder very well. I get lined up wrong behind the gun. You name it, I do it. I intend to get trained up on that to try to learn how to shoot, again.
Anyway, I digress. Currently, I am shooting a Savage Model 10 FLP ('L' for left handed. I'm right handed, but shoot left. More on that later.) chambered in .308. I have a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5 x 14 scope on it. It was the best scope I could afford at the time that I got it and, truth is, it's treated me pretty well. However, it is not ideal for long range stuff.
Fast-forward a few years when oil is hovering around $100/bbl; and this came in the mail the other day:
View attachment 12935
That's a Nightforce 5.5 x 22 x 50 with NP-R1 reticle. My pride and joy.
Also, I got one of these the other day after trading in a right handed Remington 700 .308 that I won at a skeet shoot:
View attachment 12936
Browning A-bolt in .270 WSM. Your options are pretty limited when you shoot lefty and the A-Bolt was one of those options.
I also have a Beretta Ultra-Light 12-gauge over/under that I bought after my first deployment for about $2,300. It's beautiful, but I hate that gun. It doesn't fit me right and it beats the shit out of me. 12 gauge + ultra light weight + 100 rounds of sporting clays = shoulder that looks like hamburger meat. My thinking is that the Beretta can give me some working capital for upgrades.
On to my dillema:
The Savage is a tack-driver. I love the Accu-trigger, the bull barrel, the action, everything. However, the ballistics for the .270 WSM are more favorable than even the .308. But, I've never even pulled the trigger on a .270 WSM, so I don't know what it feels like, shoots like, nothing.
Here's my thinking: Trick out that Savage with the Nightforce scope. Put a McMillan A5 stock on it, bipod, and possibly get the barrel threaded for a supressor or muzzle break. Then, put the Nikon scope on the .270 WSM and make it my general hunting rig. I might possibly ugrade the scope if I have the scratch after tricking out the Savage. If I do all this to the Savage, it will cease to be much of a hunting gun unless I can haul it in the back of a truck. It's already heavy with the barrel, but it's about to get a lot heavier.
Anybody have any experience with the .270 WSM? How does it do against whitetail, pigs, etc. Have you found it to be as flat shooting as advertised? Nasty recoil?
All thoughts are welcome.
I have recently gotten the bug for long range shooting. I shot my buddy's Sako TRG .308 this past fall. Hammered a deer at over 500 yards and it was the easiest shot I've ever taken at a deer. What I learned from that is that the right equipment can make a hell of a lot of difference.
Now, what I need to take this to the next step is some equipment changes, training and practice, practice, practice.
I would say I'm a good shot. But, not a great one. I have every bad habit you can think of. I'm a flincher. I yank the trigger. I close my eyes when the rifle goes off. I look up after the shot. I don't seat the gun against my shoulder very well. I get lined up wrong behind the gun. You name it, I do it. I intend to get trained up on that to try to learn how to shoot, again.
Anyway, I digress. Currently, I am shooting a Savage Model 10 FLP ('L' for left handed. I'm right handed, but shoot left. More on that later.) chambered in .308. I have a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5 x 14 scope on it. It was the best scope I could afford at the time that I got it and, truth is, it's treated me pretty well. However, it is not ideal for long range stuff.
Fast-forward a few years when oil is hovering around $100/bbl; and this came in the mail the other day:
View attachment 12935
That's a Nightforce 5.5 x 22 x 50 with NP-R1 reticle. My pride and joy.
Also, I got one of these the other day after trading in a right handed Remington 700 .308 that I won at a skeet shoot:
View attachment 12936
Browning A-bolt in .270 WSM. Your options are pretty limited when you shoot lefty and the A-Bolt was one of those options.
I also have a Beretta Ultra-Light 12-gauge over/under that I bought after my first deployment for about $2,300. It's beautiful, but I hate that gun. It doesn't fit me right and it beats the shit out of me. 12 gauge + ultra light weight + 100 rounds of sporting clays = shoulder that looks like hamburger meat. My thinking is that the Beretta can give me some working capital for upgrades.
On to my dillema:
The Savage is a tack-driver. I love the Accu-trigger, the bull barrel, the action, everything. However, the ballistics for the .270 WSM are more favorable than even the .308. But, I've never even pulled the trigger on a .270 WSM, so I don't know what it feels like, shoots like, nothing.
Here's my thinking: Trick out that Savage with the Nightforce scope. Put a McMillan A5 stock on it, bipod, and possibly get the barrel threaded for a supressor or muzzle break. Then, put the Nikon scope on the .270 WSM and make it my general hunting rig. I might possibly ugrade the scope if I have the scratch after tricking out the Savage. If I do all this to the Savage, it will cease to be much of a hunting gun unless I can haul it in the back of a truck. It's already heavy with the barrel, but it's about to get a lot heavier.
Anybody have any experience with the .270 WSM? How does it do against whitetail, pigs, etc. Have you found it to be as flat shooting as advertised? Nasty recoil?
All thoughts are welcome.