.270 all the way. I've got a rem. model 700 synthetic stainless and it kicks like a 20 guage or less and thats without any special recoil pads. You could pad it and shoot a soft shooting bullet and have just as much recoil as a 223 or 243. I could shoot that gun all day and not get tired or sore of it. You can also combine alot of ballistics in cartrages for a 270 and kill anything from yotes to big game with them. Alot of people may argue on the big game aspect of shootin a 270 for like elk and bigger but with the right bullet and shot placement there is no trouble with bringin a big animal down with one shot. Ive shot abull elk with mine 130 grain nosler ballistic tip and he went 10 yards. Ive seen a guy on tv shoot a huge bull moose with a 270 and it hardly went anywhere. WCL