I have both a 7mm-08 Rem and a 270 Win and in all honesty there is not a dimes worth of difference between the two. It really boils down to whether or not you prefer a short action (7mm-08) or a long action (270). The 7mm-08 also has a little less recoil in the same weight rifle as a 270 but is you go with a light weight or feather weight in 7mm-08 like I have the recoil is comparable to a heavier 270. I really like both cartridges and find both to be very effective on deer. I prefer not to use a 30-06 on deer but that does not reflect badly upon the grand old cartridge. It just seems to me that the recoil increase, however slight, is not worth the return. I still suffer from a bad shoulder so any decrease in felt recoil is a definate plus. If you do get into handloading then a whole new world of possibilities opens up for all your cartridge candidates. If I were forced to pick a favorite for deer I would have to go with the very efficient 7mm-08 Rem. Good thing I don't have to pick.