Mar 8, 2024 5 min read

By Dave Bates

For the Observer-Reporter

In this installment, I will commit outdoor column heresy. I will dismiss Jack O’Connor, George Block and legions of other .270 enthusiasts, instead preaching the gospel of my beloved .308 cartridge.

There, I’ve said it.

You’re probably insisting Bates be removed in a straight jacket. We knew it would happen, eventually. He has taken to disparaging a collective 100 years of shooting knowledge and practice of both local and national repute, declaring that the .270 is defunct.

Not so fast.

I am neither kicking cute bird dog puppies nor am I for destroying the dreams of Little Leaguers, who aspire to be major leaguers. I simply felt like a little controversy when first I awoke this morning. Forgive my orneriness.

Now that I have your attention and your feathers have been properly ruffled, follow closely. I know the .270 is a fine caliber, though it could be a bit on the light side for elephants and most African big game safari use. Yes, that was written tongue in cheek. Most of the .270 crowd will swear it is great on everything from chipmunks to Tyrannosaurus Rex. But my question is this: How much rifle/caliber is needed for whitetail deer in our corner of Pennsylvania? Have .30-30s done the job for better than a century? Can a fellow or gal equipped with a .243 do the job just as nicely? Sure they can. All this talk about the .270 over the years was great food for discussion. However, can I use a sledge hammer for cracking black walnuts? Sure. Is it the best tool in the shed for the job? No, not really.

Let’s start with true confessions. My first rifle was a Ruger M77 bolt action in, wait for it, .270. Big brother Glenn owned the same rifle, so when it came time for the 12-year-old aspiring gun writer to make his signature purchase, naturally it had to be a .270 like big brother’s. Glenn tried to talk me into buying cousin Sam’s .243 Remington 660 Mohawk. It was the perfect gun for a slightly built youth of 13 but by October of 1979 I had already made up my mind. Off we went to the old Ace Auto on Main St. in Washington.

I have kicked myself multiple times since that day. I shot the Ruger for a number of years but was always taken back by what I felt was the sharp recoil of the fairly snappy .270. Even though the rifle was hefty by comparison, it was moderately uncomfortable to shoot. Maybe this was just my imagination? I have no difficulty with the recoil of a .30-06′. I’ve always have been a coward by nature. I don’t enjoy pain. I’ve had similar experiences with pistol calibers, finding the .40 caliber pistol to be a bit hard on the hands, especially in smaller framed, lighter semi-automatics. There’s no problem managing the recoil of the .45 ACP and find that I shoot a 9mm much better. When I began shooting/training with the handgun platform more seriously, you can bet I dumped the .40 cal. like a hot potato.

Around 1992, after shooting a fair number of groundhogs and a few whitetails, I was minding my own business, window shopping the aisles of the “newly opened” Ace Sporting Goods on Route 19. I spied a Browning micro Medallion lying in the corner, forgotten like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Someone had cut this weapon’s butt stock to a ridiculously short length, I am guessing to accommodate a smaller youth or a slightly built lady. Since I am fairly short in stature, I grabbed a Pachmayr Slip Grip off the shelf and added it to the butt. The fit was like a glove and thus began my 30-plus year love affair with the little carbine. It is short (probably too short) but donning winter garb, it seems to fit just right. It is chopped up like me.

I have since had a proper spacer installed and although a bit piecemeal at first glance, the functionality more than makes up for the appearance. Much of the bluing has been worn away declaring its age and use, again, like me. But the rifle shoots. I’m never going to claim sharpshooter status but the rifle is lively in the hand, comes to shoulder quickly and points like my favorite shotgun. Snap shooting is its forte. I’ve not taken a deer farther than 100 yards with it but quite a few have fallen to it between 25 and 75 yards, a greater percentage being one-shot kills.

I am sorry to disappoint you but there is no scientific basis for this article. I shoot a 165 grain Ballistic Tip bullet over 45.5 grains of Winchester 748 powder and Remington large rifle primers. I hand load, weighing every individual charge. I have no idea if precise measurement is the key to this success but as a baseball coach, I am immersed in superstition. I’ll keep weighing my payloads, thank you.

To George and Jack I make no apologies. … I just smile and think to myself, “What if George had stumbled upon that rifle in Ace Sporting Goods all those years ago?”

Dave Bates writes a weekly outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter. He can be reached at alphaomegashootingsolutions@gmail.com