This has been an on going back and fourth arguement since O' Conner first started writing about the .270. Does it kill them any more dead then any other caliber? Probably not. But when talking of an "all around rifle" the .308 has to take the cake. Especially with bullet choices now days. The .30 caliber is definitly alot more veristile. If I were headed for a coyote I would load some 125 gr TNT HP's, up for elk I would take 165 gr Hornaday SST. If I were heading to Missouri on a timber whitetail hunt I would use Sierra 180 gr RN. That couldn't be done with most of the other calibers out there.
As far as name brands go, there are DAWGS in every manufacturers line. I have owned Rugers, Remington, HOWA, Browning, etc. Pretty simple some of them shot great, some were ok "hunting rifles", and some were just flat out DAWGS. I have owned a couple Remingtons that wouldn't shot 3 times in the some sheet of paper. An Interarms Mark X .270 that would burn your hand off if you touched the barrel after 3 shots. A Savage 30.06 that the bolt was so stiff after the shot that you had to put the butt between your kness and pull up on it. While I have others like my (crap) Ruger SS 22 250 that will put 10 shots that I can cover with a nickel and a 673 in 350 Remington Mag that will out shoot me everday of the week. What it all boils down too is what you like in a rifle. I have always had good luck with my Marlin lever guns, my HOWA rifles, my Brownings, and my Rugers.
Let's face it if there was a "perfect" hunting rifle for every situation then it would be a no brainer. We all would own it and we would have nothing to talk about on the forums. But unfortunatly, there is not so thats what keeps us going in the gun shops every chance we get. For me the one that fits most situations the best for me is the .308.

Just my 2 penny's worth....