.270win and lead free ammunition

Slim01 · Mar 16, 2025

I've read that the .270win is a marginal calibre for larger plains game. Has the development of lead free ammunition made it a more viable option?

deewayne2003 · Mar 16, 2025

First hand I don’t know, I do have a friend that did plains game and shot 12 animals including zebra with a .270win & Barnes TTSX

375Fox · Mar 16, 2025

I think the 270 remains what it is. A good deer cartridge. I’d use it up to Kudu if I ever took mine to Africa but I think better options for a traveling hunter.

Doug3006 · Mar 16, 2025

The .270 is NOT marginal for plains game! It’s a sensible minimum for most plains game. Excluding Eland, it will cleanly take anything you’d like to hunt in that category.

Hunter-Habib · Mar 16, 2025

Can’t speak for lead-free, but with the old Winchester Super X 150Gr Power Point factory load… my daughter has successfully used the .270 Winchester to take all of her plains game to date (mostly with one shot kills):
Kudu
Wildebeest
Zebra
Impala
Reedbuck
Bushbuck
Springbok
Sable
Warthog
Bush pig

Only one warthog required a second shot.

Initial shot placement is extremely critical when employing this caliber against the larger African antelope, but (barring eland) you will not have a problem if you shoot straight.

BRICKBURN · Mar 16, 2025

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/the-270-winchester-in-africa.45457/
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/270-for-plains-game.39501/#post-377762

Follow all the links above. and then follow the links in the links.
More discussion on 270's

I've taken Steenbok to Giraffe with .270 Win 130grain TTSX

Enjoy your hunt.

pilar · Mar 16, 2025

I don’t know about marginal, it’s pretty good with 130gr barns TSX and Norma oryx 150gr on nilgai and aoudad
My buddies wife just killed a huge old aoudad with 140gr TSX, went in last rib , through the heart and lungs, neck ,and stopped under the eye
She killed her zebra with same gun @ 200 yards

My friend Mr blocker killed everything in Africa except DG , with a 257 weatherby with 120gr nosler partition

Slim01 · Mar 17, 2025

Thank your advice and comments, they're appreciated.

BGHNTR416 · Mar 17, 2025

Sent my nephew last summer to South Africa with handloads using the 129 gr barnes LRX. Sable, kudu and on down the list without any issues.

WyoBull · Mar 17, 2025

BGHNTR416 said:
Sent my nephew last summer to South Africa with handloads using the 129 gr barnes LRX. Sable, kudu and on down the list without any issues.

That is a perfect bullet for hunting plains game in that caliber.

schwerpunkt88 · Mar 20, 2025

My .270, A Rugger M77 absolutely loves Barnes 129 grain LRX pushed by Accurate 4350. I've only shot deer with it, but I can put a quarter over the 3 shot groups and velocity is in the 3,000 FPS range. Last year I shot a good buck at the incredible distance of 22 yards...

Slim01 · Mar 21, 2025

schwerpunkt88 said:
Last year I shot a good buck at the incredible distance of 22 yards...

Richard Prior, a well known British deer stalker, used to advise people 'get as close as you can, and then get 10 yards closer'.

HankBuck · Mar 21, 2025

Slim01 said:
I've read that the .270win is a marginal calibre for larger plains game. Has the development of lead free ammunition made it a more viable option?

@Slim01 - were You reading old articles written by “Elmer Keith” ? If you can shoot a .270 win Accurately and use well constructed bullets…why would there be any problems?

JimmyJack54 · Mar 21, 2025

A Winchester M70 Classic Stainless in .270 Win has been my go to African plaines game rifle for three African safaris, soon to be four. I’ve also carried a 458 Lott for DG and have used a camp rifle in .300 WM. I shoot my .270 well and have confidence with it. I’ve used 150 gr. Barnes TSX loaded by Safari Arms. (FYI- Safari Arms now recommends 1:9.5 twist rate or greater for the 150 gr. TSX. I have a factory 1:10.)

Zebra, sable, waterbuck, Nyala, gemsbok, hartebeest and smaller type plaines game.

Tra3 · Mar 21, 2025

For sure the .270 will work. I’ve had a .270 with me on 3 safaris. My kids and sisters used it for PG up to eland and giraffe (neck shot). We use barnes bullets. I’ve used it for kudu.

BGHNTR416 · Mar 21, 2025

I do think that the Barnes x has elevated the effectiveness of many rifles. When they first came out I had a friend loading them up for his 257 wby. He was amazed by the results on game. Bullets holding together at those speeds are devastating on game animals. I have also been impressed with the accuracy that I have been able to get with relative ease.

colorado · Mar 22, 2025

375Fox said:
I think the 270 remains what it is. A good deer cartridge. I’d use it up to Kudu if I ever took mine to Africa but I think better options for a traveling hunter.

When I lived in Montana in the 70s and 80s I got my first elk with a 243. I moved up to a 270 Win because of grizzlies. I guided in the Bob with it and never felt undergunned for elk or grizzlies.

dchum · Mar 22, 2025

130 ttsx is so deadly is not even funny

Nyati · Mar 23, 2025

With a .270, I have taken up to a Roan, which is the heaviest antelope second to Eland.

Doug Hamilton · Mar 23, 2025

Slim01 said:
I've read that the .270win is a marginal calibre for larger plains game. Has the development of lead free ammunition made it a more viable option?

I do not think that lead free ammunition has made any cartridge more lethal.

.270win and lead free ammunition

Slim01

deewayne2003

375Fox

Doug3006

Hunter-Habib

BRICKBURN

pilar

Slim01

BGHNTR416

WyoBull

schwerpunkt88

Slim01

HankBuck

JimmyJack54

Tra3

BGHNTR416

colorado

dchum

Nyati

Doug Hamilton

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