The recoil charts indicate that the .270 is a bit less than the .30-06 due to the generally lighter bullet (something like 15% less recoil), but to me the .270 seems much more pleasant to shoot. This fall I had two rifles on the range preparing for an elk hunt. One was a .300 Win Mag and the other was a light weight .270 Win. The difference in recoil was like night and day. It really made me appreciate the gentle push of the .270.