Age old debate based on opinion.

I have and have hunted with all four of the cartridges the OP asked about. Simply put, which ever one happened to be in my hands at the time I encountered the game specified. As far as the .300 Win. Mag. is concerned, personally do not find the recoil to be all that bad but then again I shoot it and others quite a bit.
Regarding 500ish yard shots, not me brother. No way. I've only done two very long shots; one at a deer at 426 paces and an elk at 530 yards laser measured. I consider myself lucky that both were one shot kills but try when possible to get a hell of a lot closer. The deer had been hit by one of my buddies and was getting away. The elk on the other hand was in a wide open "park" and it was impossible to get any closer. Know the area there was a three month session of serious long range practice out to 500 meters and that practice paid off when the time came. Deer was with a .308 Win. and the elk a .300 Win. mag.
I've probably killed more deer with a 30-06 or .308 than anything else but a few have fallen from the .270 as well along with a nice antelope back in 2009.
Basically, all four cartridges will work for what you asked. Some may work a little better but all will work.
Paul B.
 
I can actually answer your question without giving an opinion! Your requirements make it pretty straightforward.

All rounds will kill the animals you listed.
All are good to 500 yards if you as the shooter are capable
Round cost and recoil eliminate 300 WM because they are expensive and by far has the most recoil. 30-06 also has more recoil than the 308 and 270.
308 and 270 are all great for deer and all around cartridge.
Between 308 and 270, the 270 is the better varmint round because it shoots much flatter. Based on your requirements, 270 is the clear winner.

Having said that, the 270 is not a good varmint round. You really are asking too much from only one gun. A second rifle chambered in 223 or 22-250 should be purchased if you are serious about varmint shooting.
 
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I do own an AR-15 I built and it is solid at 400yds pinging a 6x12" plate. I am very happy with all of the feedback in this thread. I have just been beating my head against the wall on exactly what I want to buy for my next bolt action rifle. I am probably going to settle on the "extra medium" .308 in a Tikka T3X Lite. I do plan on picking up a .270 and 22-250 eventually as well later on. And to Old Roper, I shoot a Hoyt as well currently own the Hoyt Ignite.
 
I began handloading for an '06 way back when. My uncle had swaged some 80-grain .32-20 bullets to .308. Ahead of a bunch of 3031, they left home around 3,800 or more ft/sec. The effect on jackrabbits could easily be called "obscene". Great varmint load.
 
I do own an AR-15 I built and it is solid at 400yds pinging a 6x12" plate. I am very happy with all of the feedback in this thread. I have just been beating my head against the wall on exactly what I want to buy for my next bolt action rifle. I am probably going to settle on the "extra medium" .308 in a Tikka T3X Lite. I do plan on picking up a .270 and 22-250 eventually as well later on. And to Old Roper, I shoot a Hoyt as well currently own the Hoyt Ignite.
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I think you'll be pretty happy with the .308... most who have one are, and the Tikka is a great rifle by all accounts.

If you eventually decide that 30 cal is a little extra, which many observant and discerning folk do :D, you can re-barrel to 7mm-08, keep the short action, and have the best caliber ever. That is my opinion at least.

Happy shooting!
 
The opening post, then post #3, and then post #5 pretty much sums up "to the point" as good as a thread can get (IMO). Good, respectful and courteous all around. I do agree with you, Lefteye, even though I don't have a .270 in my arsenal. I do believe you're spot on with the OP's question.

SPMcfly, FWIW, If I didn't already have three '06s, one of those could have easily been a .270; just a little hindsight there... I do have a .223 bolt gun too, and really like it. I live in Wyoming, and the 30-06, along with the .223 will do any and everything I need personally in the field. The .223 is a legal caliber for deer here, too, as long as one uses a 60grn. bullet (minimum) in a round. Very accurate, very versatile, very economic (especially being a re-loader) and always a whole lot of fun to shoot.
 
308 win, .300 win mag, .270 win, or 30-06?
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The differences in the .308, 30-06, and .270 are academic. I would call all of them suitable for taking any game in North America and all of them to be pushing the envelope of reason in regards to varmint - but there is no doubt they will take varmint.

The difference in performance for the .300 is a bit more pronounced then between the other three but for the vast majority of people its theoretical because they will never be shooting game that size at the ranges the .300 holds an advantage at. Further two of the factors you discuss (recoil and cost) surely do not hold in favor of the .300.

For an experienced shooter within 500 yards shooting game animals in North America? The answer is yes to any of those cartridges. It is unlikely said shooter will actually notice the difference.
 
Give a highly trained shooter in long range a 300 mag and a 260 Rem and if it's in the rifle's, he'll shoot one as well as the other.
 
At 16, I only owned one rifle, bought for deer hunting, a Savage 110, 30/06 with a 2.5X Weaver scope. Hadn't intended to hunt woodchucks and crows at the time, but was invited to do so by a friend who was a couple of years older.

I managed to shoot woodchucks at ranges over 200 yards, one at about 500 yards. We handloaded 125 grain Sierra bullets on a friend's Lyman Jr. press.

After several years, I decided to sell the Savage, which, at the time had a Bishop stock that I'd finished in a Weatherby style, and it shot really well.

A few years later, I decided to sell the '06 and buy a .22-250 because deer were scarce and I hunted more varmints than deer, never having shot a deer at that point. First fall with the .22-250, I shot a deer with it. Who'd a thunk that?

If I'd bought a .243 Win as a combination caliber, I'd probably have been much better off.
 
In these days the question is seldom asked and really makes little sense. You can buy a 308 or 30-06 for black bear, moose or similar size game. If you shoot 40 or 50 bear a year, ammo cost might favor the 308 :D Also for target and practice the 308 is lowest cost in class.

You can kill a deer with anything so it does not matter. Same for coyote.

I dont know what is meant by varmint, but assuming you had a 30 caliber, then a 243 winchester might make sense for deer and smaller varmint. Or hunt deer with the 30 caliber and get a 223 for the smaller rifle. Again, for ammo the 223 is most plentiful and price right.

Two guns easy.

If I lived in some imaginary fantasy land of just one rifle for the game listed, I would opt for the 6.5x55 with a barrel that would handle up to 160 grain bullets.

I also like the 7mm-08 as a catch all gun. But, if you really think about it almost any medium bore high power rifle cartridge would work. In a pinch, I would be hard press to argue any round based on 308 or 30-06 case necked up or down could not make due. To be anywhere near optimum, in this century, its a 2 rifle minimum.
 
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#1 choice: 308 Winchester
#2 choice: 7mm08 Remington

The 308 has a few hundred more foot pounds in the first 500 yards but they are pretty much equal after that. Either one has more than enough power to take a Deer well past 500 yards and the 308 can handle the moose and bears to about 400.

If you do YOUR part of course.

;-)
 
Partial to the .270.

But, what the heck, the only government a man needs, 45-70. And a good range finder. When in doubt, bring the Hammer of Thor :eek:.
 
range

To answer your question bluntly.......none of your choices offer a viable option.

One rifle/cartridge to shoot 500 pound bears (that would be a big blackie I know) and 5 pound prairie dogs? And some guys are talking elk in this post as well?

Big game rifles are for big game, varmint rifles for varmints. The .243 Win has been touted as a dual purpose cartridge, but is a little much for most varminting and a little light for big game, by some folks opinion. The current love affair with the 6.5 CRM, and the abandoned .260 may come as close as the
"new" dual purpose round as we've been.

Who really uses ONE rifle for everything anyhow?
 
Any more any one of those choices will work fine. Reason being the bullet's of today really might make difference, hate to admit that. But a 30-06 with a 180gr TSX, if they make it, will kill a rock chuck just fine as far away as you can hit it. Do they make a 100gr TSX in 243? If so I would think it will penetrate and kill big game farther than we should be shooting. It is about bullet's and placement!
 
Deer and other animals at 500 yards requires a laser rangefinder to determine the exact distance, and a chart of the ballistics of the particular cartridge/bullet used. The other thing needed, is TIME to use them. Where I like to hunt, we're on a woods road that allows shooting deer out to nearly 500 yards, but rarely the TIME to use a rangefinder or ballistics chart. We get about 5-15 seconds to sight and make a shot, so need to set up our rifles to maximize point-blank range. I don't need to hold over the kill zone out to 325 yards with my .270 Win. Then, hold just below the spine out to about 375. Beyond that, I don't shoot, since I can't accurately estimate the distance and the bullet drops fast.
 
I understand that money is often a limiting factor but finding a caliber that works for everything is like finding a golf club that drives, chips and putts but I still want to get a good golf score.

I suggest you prioritize what you need most and go get a rifle that works very well for one or two tasks. Save up, do research and pick the next one to perform another niche. In time, you will have good tools and you will be happy with them. Buying a gun to do all things ok, just means you may never be totally happy with any aspect of it.

Grandpa used to say that something good for everything is usually good for nothing.
 
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