Hi all,
I see we have a lot of birthdays-mine's in a week. My question is--how good is a Tikka lite in 270 wsm. It could be my last rifle. I'm starting to have age catch up and will be going on a disabled hunt in October. I am a lefty and not a rich man. At Cabela's they have a used Tikka like mentioned. They still want like $550-I thought that was a bit high, but in general, even in a different rifle, would I perhaps like a 30.06 better? I see that there are few options in factory loads. And I always wanted an odd six, with a light mag round it could be a better round for an aging shoulder-so I guess there is two questions-what about the cheaper Tikka and is meat loss a problem with a 270 wsm? I do like the idea of how flat that must shoot. I could be shooting across a farm field-a good 200 yds or more. Thanks for any help.
Sincerely,
Michael
Hi Water man,
Ya, I got the bug bad for a new rifle. I have three already, but will be starting to hunt in a far more open area than I have for the last 30yrs. I hear good things about Tikka--so thank you on the price. I thought it was high as well. The problem is having one shipped to a dealer. I called Gander MT. and they want $75 for a transfered purchase. That's a rip and takes away the better deal. I have time-I started early so I find what's right. Thanks for your help and I still am concerned with the meat loss issue with that little missle. Thanks again for your help.
Sincerely,
Mike
I think they are nice guns. Did they ever get them figured out to where you don't have to put the weapon on fire to unload it? Or am I thinking of another brand?
Gunbroker has a section that list of FFLs that will do a transfer in you want to buy online. Some will do it for $20.00-$30.00. The Tikka lite is one of those rifles that does everything exceptionally well. The only drawback is since they are a lightweight rifle, they have a very sharp kick in the heavier calibers. They are a dream to carry and in .270WSM with a properly constructed bullet, it would be a fantastic combination.
I used one(T3) last fall in the same caliber for deer season. It grouped under 1in at the range. It was light, easy to carry and weatherproof. It's an excellent gun.
I have a Tikka T3 Hunter in .270WSM, with the walnut stock. It is about a 1 moa shooter most of the time, which is a lot better than I can shoot in the field. I didn't like the plastic magazine or tirggerguard group, but that was just a personal decision based on aesthetics. I haven't had any trouble with either.
It is the smoothest bolt action rifle I own. The .270WSM is a good stopper, I have shot a lot of game from rabbits to scrub bulls with it. It probably shoots a tad flatter and hits that little bit harder than the standard .270, but it would take a clever animal to notice the difference.
As far as stopping power/meat destruction goes, as with any calibre it's all about projectile selection. If you really stoke up a WSM cartridge than the increased velocity will soon show up the shortcomings of poor quality projectiles, and if you're shooting deer with something like a Ballistic Tip it will probably look like a grenade's gone off in there., especially if you hit bone. Choose a harder projectile for a magnum cartridge and place your shots behind the shoulder, not on it, and I think you'll destroy the same or less meat than you would with an '06.
The Tikka T3 is lightweight, nicely balanced and accurate. The action is smooth. The 270WSM shoots flat and hits hard, and is easy to download to regular .270 velocities still with good accuracy.
The downside is the recoil, which is a bit stiff, and the plastic bolt shroud broke on mine. Hope this helps.
Hi Mike Tikka make a 6.5x55 which the fins take 1000s of moose every year with the 160 grain Norma load..Also the Marlin xl7 270 is an absolute bargain .zero either to 225 with a 3x9 scope and youll have a great all rounder
I don't know if Tommyg is kidding or not, but MY hunting partner has shot 10 deer or better with the .270 WSM and followed ALL of them a bit of distance. He has used several loads as well. I recommended it to him as a lightning cartridge, but I must have been wrong. None have dropped on the spot, go figure.
Having seen a few deer that were shot with a .270WSM, it is hard to believe they went very far. I am talking volleyball size holes. Kind of ridiculous really. I have a 7mmWSM and experienced the same issue with 150gr SPs on the first deer I killed with it. I have gone to 160gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claws since then with much better results. Unless you plan on antelope hunting, I really can't see what practical advantage the .270 WSM has over the .270 Win. (and I am not much interested in finite energy and trajectory stats). Actually, even for antelope, get a .270 Win with the same length barrel and use Hornady Super Performance ammunition and I really don't think there is any difference. And if you want to hunt Elk or Moose someday, something in the .284, .308, or .338 domain is going to be better for ya IMO. To each his own though.
As far the Tikka they are slick feeling guns and very accurate by all accounts. Still not sure about the safety system. I can't remember of you can unload while in safe, or have to go to fire ( a sensless design flaw in some bolt guns).
Hi all,
Thanks for all the great help. It seems the plastic issue is on a few minds. And having them run off would seem odd with the ballistics for that little cruise missile. It is still on the top of the list however, because I cannot see much better of a deal or better rifle. I always work on placement as well. Perhaps a bit of a change will be easy with such a dead-on round. The greatest selling point is the killing range--that is why the last thing I thought I would hear is that ten deer ran off. I have put down plenty with a 30-30 that perhaps had one last kick after they fell. But this long range thing is all new to me and will have to learn all over again. Thanks guys,
Sincerely,
Michael Sicowitz
Hate to follow up one post with another but I think you've hit on the point that some folks on here might be missing. That being, the .30/30 is a brilliant hunting cartridge that produces as many or more one shot kills than just about anything else I've used, and works very consistently.
It isn't because of special magical attributes possessed by the .30/30 that it works so well, it's just because it shoots a fairly big bullet at a moderate velocity - you're not asking too much of projectile construction when you use a .30/30, and the majority of 150gn flat nosed .30 cal bullets work great for this very reason. The average guy can walk into a shop, buy a packet of bullets and get good results on most game with them.
Something like a .270WSM pushes the envelope a lot harder. It has to, to achieve its flat trajectory. You can't just use any old 130 or 150gn off the shelf projectile and expect uniform results, especially if the ranges are fairly short. This isn't a fault of the cartridge - just be willing to pay a bit more for projectiles that will work properly if you have to.
The 130gn core-lokts are a cheap projectile that work well in my .270WSM for pigs and brumbies. I've had many one shot kills using them. Nosler BT's are good for something the size of a goat, they don't give adequate penetration on bigger game. I wouldn't be afraid to step up to a partition or similar for general use in the WSM.
If you're having trouble stopping game, guys, look closely at what your projectile isn't doing, they're what kills the animal. The cartridge is just a means to get it there.
It depends on how the bullet fails (fragmentation failure). A shot in the ribs, hitting the rib bone itself, can send shrapnel in a fairly wide cone. Even on a perfectly broadside shot, pieces can go into the neck, shoulder, and even the hind quarter (I've seen it happen). Most of the time, though, a perfectly broadside shot doesn't happen. A behind-the-shoulder shot may go into the front shoulder, which will bloodshot it, if quartering away, for example.
The thing is, I've had pretty bad bloodshot even using a .30-30, depending on where the bullet hit. I've really liked my .260 performance this year, though. Even with a quartering away shot where I went through the near rib and through the opposing shoulder and leg bone, bloodshot wasn't horribly bad (was using 140gr bullets, though -- heavy for game and impact velocity of at/below 2700fps) in that shoulder. The exit wound was fairly impressive, a hole about as big as a nickel all the way through the shoulder.
or, just a tad naive? I'm guessing 25 or under, got the world by the tail, and maybe 10 big-game animals under your belt. Enthusiasm is great, and your comments are usually on point, if a bit terse. When you've had time to temper that energy with experience, you'll learn there are few absolutes in shooting or hunting and that the 'old-timers' usually knew what they were talking about. I was full of myself at one time, then a seasoned citizen showed me what REAL shootin' was like. Learned a lot, once I started listenin, 'stead of talkin.
A Tikka in plain ol' .270 won't lead anyone far astray. As already pointed out, most every rifle made today is pretty darn good and whether you choose the original or the WSM, it'll get the job done on deer, hogs, sheep, goats, caribou, elk and maybe even moose, if you're hard-pressed. One thing I like to keep in mind, as I buy any particular gun, is you can usually get most of your money back to buy a different one, if you need to...so don't worry yourself too much. Just buy the darn thing and tell us how she shoots!
Perfect deer rifle: a rifle one can shoot precisely and accurately within a comfortable range where whitetails are expected to appear and is within the regulations (of caliber, etc.) of the area being hunted.
I have no problem with the .270 WSM. I think it is the BEST WSM. However, I thought it would drop deer like lightning just like my fast .25's. Bullet speeds are near the same on the chrono. My explanation the my hunting partner, bullets too tough for deer. Even though using Bal. Tip style bullets from Nosler. I have read that due to speed abilities, .270 cal. bullets are built just a bit more stout. Could be, there are only about 3 mainstream .270 hunting rounds out there and they are all very fast. Just speculation on my part as for not dropping deer like stones. Doesn't really matter, they all died in very humane fashion just the same.
I switched from "fast" 130gr bullets to slower (~2750fps) 140gr Accubond bullets, in my standard 270, and have been happy with the results: Consistent exit wounds, larger, and considerably shorter, blood trails. Only two deer, so far, 1 Wisconsin buck, one from Michigan. Neither were DRT (which I could care less about, since I can actually track a wounded deer) but neither went as much as 50 yards, either.
Hi guys,
I cannot tell you guys how interesting all the information is. This site is fun to be a part of. I'm thinking if I go with the used rifle-the only one used in a left hand bolt is in .270 wsm-I'll just go with a heavy slow slug. That plan works pretty good in Wisconsin. If the shot is too far then I'll pass. If it is a bit close I will limit the chances of having to eat mostly hamburger. In .270 wsm it should still shoot flatter than most. In short, I really can't go wrong. I just will spend time at the range and make sure of getting good optics. I had a Burris get foggy on me this past year and put a Nikon on my rifled 20ga. , and saw an improvement. Down around SE Wisconsin it's shotgun but I'm heading up North again where there's more deer than people. I can't waste time any more. There are alot of deer around here-three in my backyard during a blinding snowstorm all day on Tuesday. But all the hunters is a turnoff and a five hour drive is well worth it for that special feeling. I'm sure you old vets know what I'm trying to say. But it's a big investment in time and money and up there you need to be ready for any range shot. A 30-30 just can't cut it sometimes and over the years I've had to pass so many shots it's making me sick to think about. Back in the day we did alot of walking and a brush gun was the way to go. But just on the next hill 200yrd away will be a dream buck and that's all the closer he will let you get sometimes. As you can see I am going over this in my head right now and want to be able to take that shot for once. I'm not getting any younger and need to do this. Thanks again, you guys are great. I will keep in touch-I'll be 55 on Sunday- and will probably be buying my last rifle. It sure goes by fast don't it guys. Great forum and members,
Sincerely,
Michael Sicowitz
Tracking is a whole lot easier when your bullet makes an exit hole. I don't use solid bullets but I'm a big fan of the controlled expansion type that gives complete penetration. My next bullets for the WSM will be Woodleigh PP's.
I’ve shot seven mature blacktails and muleys with my .270wsm. Big older animals. Only one didn’t drop in his tracks. He was a 27” non typical who looked at me as I shot at 80feet. He ran about 100 feet. I’m using hand loaded Hornady 140 grain interlock btsp bullets with tremendous accuracy. Supposedly the 3,200 chronographed fps is too much for this bullet to work effectively. They’ve done there job every time.
10 year old post but one of the enduring lessons of hunting. Animals don't always do what they are supposed to, when you pull the trigger. That's just the way it is.......
I enjoyed reading thru it. I wonder what the outcome was. Hopefully he got the WSM, put a good scope on it, and slayed the buck of a lifetime with a perfect shot.
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