.270 is great, but I would say that in order to find the right gun, shoot them, a 7 mag has a good kick, but if you can not handle the recoil no sense in shooting a gun that will scare you every time out. Shoot what makes you feel comfortable. The .270 is an awesome round, but do not let someone else tell you what to shoot. I would suggest that you find a rifle that you can comfortably shoot without having to have a muzzle brake or a recoil pad like a mattress attached. Accuracy is better than caliber , if you can get to the vitals everytime caliber size doesn't mean much. I have seen Elk taken with a 25-06, because the shooter was capable fo putting the round where it would do the most damage. Get good with the a round like a .270 and you will have the best combination, a marksman and thier rifle.