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Started looking at rifles 3 months ago, Have never hunted. Recent politics have started my wife and I thinking we should buy some weapons. Along the way my two sons have become very interested in shooting and hunting. I decided after researching that I wanted to get three 270 rifles. My first was purchased 4 weeks ago: a near new Remington Model 70 270 with a BOSS. My boys and I have found a hobby we all enjoy doing together.

The more I read the more I'm unsure of my caliber selections.

I bought another (second) 270 at a gun show this weekend. And about 600 rounds of 130 and 100 grain ammo at $10 a box. My friend cleaned it up and checked it out: he says it is probably 70s vintage very seldom shot model 700 Remington 270. He scared me when I brought the gun home..... he told me an old trick is to fire a rifle several times to hide barrel rust then sell it at one of these shows....... instead he found a very sweet rifle.

I'm reading a lot about other calibers and am thinking I wished I would have spread out my calibers instead of planning on just 3 270s. Tonight I've read several posts that make me wish I'd consider a smaller caliber..... For instance a 7mm.08 or even a 25.06 or 243. Lots of stuff to consider!

This last rifle will be for my 15 year old son who is tall/lanky; also my wife may shoot it as well.

All 3 of these rifles will probably be used 80% + shooting range, <20% hunting.

If I could start over I think I'd spread my calibers out.... like 243, 7mm-08 and 308. But I know the 270 is an extremely accurate round.

Thoughts on the 243, 25.06 or 7mm-08 for our third rifle?

Thanks again.
 
30-06 is a tried and true caliber as well. I bowhunt and have always tried to avoid modern firearm hunting (too crowded in the woods); however, i love to shoot pretty much anything at the range. If 80&#37; is at the range, then consider the cost and availability of the ammo as well. A variety of calibers would be an excellent way for you to determine which is the best for you. You could sell or trade one of the 270's at the next show and get one of the others you mentioned.
 
My standard recommendations:
.223
.308

one pistol caliber carbine (either semi-auto or lever action)

That said, it looks like you are doing a lot of hunting, so the .223 may be culled (unless you call coyotes and pop rabbits). Maybe step the .223 up to a .243 and have a light recoiling rifle for the younger ones.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the guns yo have chosen, but if you are worrying about your kids and larger calibers, you're smarter than most dads out there. Young shooters don't like to shoot a lot if they are getting beat up by their guns.
 
The .243 is a great caliber to start kids out on as it's a legal caliber for deer hunting with fairly low recoil. The .270 is a great mid range caliber that fits nicely between the .243 and the .30-06 that I would have as the third rifle. :s0155:
 
If I did decide to ditch the Winchester (not sure the Boss is worth the bother but I'm convinced it works), and I did obtain a 243, to go along with my model 70 270, what do you think as a third option to keep things interesting? what would you think of the 7mm-08 as a third option? I'm reading interesting things about that round..... balistics close to a 270 but significantly less recoil. Or a 308? Elk would be way down the road so I wouldn't worry about anything other than deer and the range for now. I'd like to eventually handload.....

Thank you again
 
Sounds like you got some good rifles there.

Thing with the 270 Winchester is that it's an "old cartridge" (not a new super magnum of some sort), needs a long action and they're like a drug on the market. It's a total buyer's market for hunting rifles in 270 (as well as 7mm Rem. Mag.) they're everywhere. Walk into any pawn shop in the northwest and you're bound to see em.

And they're both great cartridges.

Looking at other cartridges like the 243, 7mm-08, etc. With rifles like a Remington 700 those are all built on a short action and much more desirable than the longer actions of things like the 270 and 30-06.

I'm cheap and particular to Remington 700s. If it was me, I'd get the wife and kids going on the 270s and go looking for an ole Remington 700 ADL in 7mm Rem. Mag.
 
Plinking: .223 wins (cheaper, lower recoil)
Practicality: .308 wins

Stopping at three rifles: Why?

I change my earlier advice to:
Buy them all. Buy a .243. Buy a .308. Buy a .223. Buy a .357 lever gun.
 
sadly, the price of ammo is dictating to many people what caliber to buy. if 80% range or target shooting, why not pick up surpllus rifles and ammo for cheap shooting. keep the 270's for the hunt. 3 mosins for less than a good winchester 270 and ammo at reasonable prices. same applies to 8mm and mausers plus your boys get an appreciation of history.
 
You already have a "smaller" calibre covered, I'd do .308 or the venerable 30-06, something heavy for big stuff.

308 will be a great choice for ammo availability and pretty close to '06 for whack at the terminal end, IIRC. They really don't push back that badly, shoot some 12 gauge magnums through a pistol-grip-only Mossberg for awhile and the 308 becomes comfortable by comparison. :)
 

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