I started out with a 30/06 because I had no family guidance at all;and the advice I got from from the few people I knew who hunted said I could not go wrong with a 30/06,and I now know they were right.
Being an avid reader, I was influenced by O'Connor,and 3 years after the 30/06 I got my first 270.Though I've never lost my admiration for the 30/06,once I got (and used) the 270, I never again bothered very much with the 30/06. I've killed game with both,but after messing with many different cartridges,on the range and out hunting,I've found it is pretty tough to beat a 270 by any measurable degree without a sacrifice in barrel length and life,more recoil,heavier rifle,etc.
I went through the litany of chamberings like the 7 mag,270 Weatherby, 280,STW, 7x57,7/08,all the WSM's except the 325(what is that for?) various 300's and 338's(which I lump together in terms of performance and have little use for anymore)etc ad nauseum; hunted with and killed stuff with most all of them. I found that most of the stuff hawked to put the 270 in the grave generally ended up eating the 270's dust,and did not provide any advantages over the older cartridge from a practical standpoint. The only other one I really "liked" was the 7 mag,and though the differences between it and the 270 are small, it does shoot a slightly heavier bullet as fast, or faster, than the 270 without getting into excessive recoil and rifle weight,and kills with impunity.
I've always been more about "bullets" than "cartridges",finding the real magic does not lie with cartridges,and have a hard time getting very excited about every new cartridge that comes along.Both the 270 and 7 mag provide enough velocity for any sane job;shoot very accurately with the bullets I like,and don't kick you into next week.I don't think any of the new stuff that has come along since the 270 and 7 mag were "born"provides any material advantage given good bullets in any of them.
Another good thing about both these cartridges is that they function very well from a staggered box magazine in the kind of rifles I like,and trust,like a M70 Winchester or a good Mauser,unlike some of the grotesque-looking creations being squeezed into short actions today.
Factory ammo for both the 270 and 7 Rem Mag are everywhere big game is normally hunted;both are moderate recoiling rounds, flat shooting, easy to hit with to 400 yards without dots or other stuff,great component bullets are available,and they don't leave you with a headachefrom recoil after a range session. Everything I've hit properly has been thoroughly dead,very quickly and without a lot of drama, in the brush or out far in the open. Generally,I have not needed a blood or any other kind of trail,because the intended victims are usually "right over there" if I have done my part.
In their category, there may be other cartridges just as good today,but there are certainly none that are "better".
