RE: looking for 270 for first deer gun
I agree with BB on this for sure. If you are talking deer from 0 to 400 yards, the regular 270 is all you need. However if the 270 WSM is in a rifle that you like better then there would be nothing wrong with that either. Graig Boddington recently wrote a good article in which he said the 270 was in his opinion, the best deer rifle going. He added that for that reason the 280 would be just as good. The browning A-Bolt in either caliber would be hard to beat. However on my retirement income, the Savage would get my vote. If it was just a money issue the NEF 270 Handi rifle for 200 bucks new would save some serious money.