Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
.270 Winchester
Jack O'Connor's cartridge of choice for nearly 40 years of outdoor writing, which gave it a permanent audience.
- Caliber
- 0.277″ · 7.036 mm
- Introduced
- 1925
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- .30-03 Springfield
- Primary use
- Hunting
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1925
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Winchester
- Manufacturer
- Winchester
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Abundant
- Case capacity
- 67.2 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:10
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 65,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 500 yd
- Recoil
- 16–22 ft·lb
Ballistics
Real trajectory computed from a representative load — Sig Sauer Elite Rifle 140 gr, 2,970 fps, BC 0.315 G7 · 100 yd zero.
| Range | Velocity | Energy | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 yd | 2969 | 2740 | -1.5″ | — |
| 100 yd | 2821 | 2473 | 0.0″ | 0.0 |
| 200 yd | 2677 | 2227 | -2.9″ | -1.4 |
| 300 yd | 2536 | 1999 | -10.6″ | -3.4 |
| 400 yd | 2398 | 1788 | -23.8″ | -5.7 |
| 500 yd | 2266 | 1595 | -42.9″ | -8.2 |
| 600 yd | 2137 | 1419 | -68.9″ | -11.0 |
| 700 yd | 2012 | 1258 | -102.5″ | -14.0 |
| 800 yd | 1890 | 1110 | -144.7″ | -17.3 |
Point-mass G7/G1 drag model, standard atmosphere — within ~2% of reference solvers to 1000 yd; real barrels and conditions vary. Open in Ballistic Compare →
Performance
Buy links open .270 Winchester ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 7.04 | 0.277 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 7.82 | 0.308 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 11.20 | 0.441 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 17.5° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.96 | 0.471 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 12.01 | 0.473 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.24 | 0.049 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 9.75 | 0.384 | ≈ |
| Case length | 64.52 | 2.540 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 84.84 | 3.340 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .270 Winchester is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 519 active loads across 43 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 537 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady | Superformance | 130 | GMX | 3,200 | 2,955 | 0.416 G1 |
| Barnes | VOR-TX | 130 | TSX | 3,200 | 2,955 | 0.190 G7 |
| Underwood | Xtreme Hunter | 130 | Barnes TTSX | 3,200 | 2,955 | 0.190 G7 |
| Hornady | Superformance | 130 | SST | 3,200 | 2,955 | 0.457 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance GMX | 130 | GMX Lead Free | 3,190 | 2,937 | 0.416 G1 |
| Hornady | GMX Superformance | 130 | GMX | 3,190 | 2,937 | 0.416 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance GMX | 130 | GMX Solid Copper | 3,190 | 2,937 | 0.416 G1 |
| Hornady | Superformance SST | 130 | SST Polymer Tip | 3,190 | 2,937 | 0.457 G1 |
| Remington | Hypersonic Bonded SP | 130 | Bonded SP | 3,150 | 2,864 | 0.381 G1 |
| Norma | BondStrike | 130 | BondStrike | 3,117 | 2,804 | 0.282 G7 |
| Norma | BondStrike | 130 | BondStrike Bonded Polymer Tip | 3,117 | 2,804 | 0.282 G7 |
| RWS | RWS HMK | 130 | HMK SP | 3,117 | 2,804 | 0.381 G1 |
| Norma | TipStrike | 130 | Tipstrike Polymer Tip | 3,117 | 2,804 | 0.430 G1 |
| Norma | Ecostrike | 117 | Ecostrike Lead-Free Polymer Tip | 3,117 | 2,524 | 0.237 G7 |
| Hornady | Superformance SST | 140 | SST | 3,100 | 2,987 | 0.275 G7 |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
31 reloading powders listed for .270 Winchester, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .270 Winchester
12 models in the database chamber .270 Winchester. Browse all →
Lineage
ⓘ Direct parent is .30-03 Springfield, not .30-06: .270 Win case = 2.540" matches .30-03 (2.540"), not the shorter .30-06 (2.494"). Common "ne
Connected reference
History
Introduced by Winchester in 1925 as necked-down .30-06. Legendary gun writer Jack O'Connor championed it for 50 years. One of the most popular hunting cartridges ever.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .270 Winchester use?
- .270 Winchester typically uses a 1:10 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .270 Winchester?
- .270 Winchester uses a 0.277″ (7.036 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .270 Winchester still in production?
- .270 Winchester is active; typical availability is abundant.
- What is .270 Winchester used for?
- .270 Winchester is primarily used for hunting.
- What is .270 Winchester based on?
- .270 Winchester is derived from the .30-06 Springfield case.
- What are the best powders for .270 Winchester?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .270 Winchester include Reload Swiss RS60, Winchester 760, S243, Power Pro 4000-MR, among 31 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
- StandardSAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299 — Cartridge & Chamber Drawingsarchived
- StandardC.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
- SecondaryCartridge Legacies: The .30-06 Springfield Family Tree — American Hunter (NRA) · parent_cartridge
- Secondary.270 Winchester — Wikipedia (parent case field + necked-down .30-03 statement, refs to American Rifleman/RifleShooter) · parent_cartridge
- Secondary.30-03 Springfield — Wikipedia (lists .270 Winchester as based on reducing .30-03 neck to retain same overall length/shoulder) · parent_cartridge
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 519 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →