This question pops up every few months in one form or another but it's alway fun to respond to & read the responses.  I'll have to stick with the .30-06.  It'll kill any deer in any condition at any range that I will ever try and you can get one in any action you prefer, single shot to semi-auto.  You could pretty much say the same for your .270 or any caliber from 6.5 mm to .33.  I don't much care for the extreme long range shooting beyond say 500 yards but have seen the old '06 get it done way out there (the longest being a ranged 680 yards).

My favorite gun for deer is my Model 700 Remington Mountain Rifle in .280 caliber.  If I know my shots will be long I use my .270 WSM.

While I love shooting my.338 Win Mag at everything, I think that my .270 would be a great gun for that.  I shot my largest deer to date a few years back with my .338 and this year I think I will give the .270 a chance to prove itself.

For the last 6 years I have been using a 7mm Remington magnum with 160gr tsx bullets with good results from antelope to elk. Before that I used an old 30-06 for over 20 years. I will be trying out a .270wsm this year but honestly that old 30-06 is still my favorite hunting rifle.

Great responses guys!

I have to say, if nobody ever developed a rifle other than the 30-06 and 30-30 we would still have two of the best deer guns for their respective conditions. I have killed deer with both and they're both great guns. 30-30 in heavy brush with shots under 200yds or so and the 30-06 out to (and beyond) 300yds.

I've taken to the 270 as my all time favorite. Since I was in grade school I have been reading the Jack O'connor books and maybe thats why I love the 270. I have a buddy that shoots a 280 and though similar to the 270, it is a ballistic "step-up".

I'm glad I didn't get a bunch of those "I shoot deer at 1,000 yars with my 300 RUM" posts! I agree some people may have the practice (training) to shoot that far, but if you havn't had the practice and dumped a couple grand into your optics please refrain from attempting that. I know this long range hunting deal has gotten big lately but to me it leads to a lot of needlesly injured animals. Besides, anyone can get within a 1,000 yards of a creature. A good hunter can stalk within a decent range.

I live and hunt in open country where I could shoot 1,000 all day long if I wanted to but most of my deer have been taken under 200 yds. I did make one (actualy 3) shot(s) a few years back that killed a nice muley out at 442 yds. And for me that was my limit I felt to make a clean kill. Some guys may thumb their nose at that but take it for what it is....a rem 700 270 with a leupold 14x scope....it's a long shot! I try to keep them under 300 and I consider myself a good shooter. So go hunting, don't just fling lead and pray. Just my opinion. You can do what you want.

I would love to put some rounds through the 257 AI some day too.

Thanks!

I have shot at deer with a 30-06.  Even hit one.  It ran away. 

I've given up on those puny calibers (that ought to get some replies!).

Seriously there is nothing wrong with the 30-06 or even that little 270.  But I am more of an Elmer Keith fan than Jack OConner.  I'd rather hit an animal with a large slow moving projectile than a fast little one (thus avoiding all of your blooshot concerns from high velocity impacts).When I was planning my African Hunt a decade ago I began to hunt everything with my 375 H&H Win M70.  The first deer I hit with it I took high behind the shoulders and he did a spectacular full roll over.  I was hooked. 

I've taken every deer I have hunted since with the 375 H&H. 

Good post Okanogan!  I couldn't agree more with everything you said in your post and I have used a pre 64 Model 70 30-06 with handloaded 150 grain Hornady BTSPs with great success for quite some time now and my longest mulie was at 311 yards and I couldn't get any closer because of the terrain.  The 06 is more than enough gun for everything up through elk and moose, IF you put the proper bullet in the boilerroom and that's always the key!  I have to laugh when I here the name Elmer Keith mentioned.  He was a "good old boy" that liked to lob the heavy bullets at his targets and was always in an argument with the Professor and great writer Jack O'Connor with his faster, lighter bullet theory.  I was really disgusted with Elmer when I finally read his book and he talked about shooting at animals hundreds of yards away with his open sighted 44 mag handgun---absolutely disgusting to say the least!!!

For me it all depends on what I pull out of the safe and walk out the door with.  The only caliber of rifle that is in my safe that I haven't taken a deer with is the .22.  The last few years I have put the rifles away for deer and have taken out one of my pistols.  My favorite there is the Thompson Center Contender 7-30 Waters.  I have taken deer with that pistol out to 200 yards.  Now if I had to pick a rifle I would take my Ruger 77 in 7mm and then the next one would end up being my .340 Weatherby which I pack on all of my elk hunts anymore.  My biggest problem is that they are all a favorite of mine and all will get the job done.  It is just that some are a little bit newer than some of the others.