I like my .308 rifles. It will recoil less than your 270 or 25-06 you want, and it shoots a bigger bullet. It is a little slower so longer range trajectory is not as great but honestly, i have never shot at a deer past 100 yards before. If you intend to hunt over open fields that are massive, a flatter shooting cartridge may be up your alley. But with the .308, if you decide to ever go hunt an elk or black bear, the rifle will still be good for that. There is a lot of good factory ammo available for the .308. If you stepped down to like a .243, I would only use premium bullets like Partitions on deer then, and that will jack up ammo prices. But with a .308 you don't need those premium bullets to ensure penetration. I am a .30 caliber fan.