M700 CDL in .270 WIN?
I have hunted for decades w/ a M700 BDL in .270 WIN. This is what I use and recommend for bad country, swamps, and thickets.
The 150 gr. Nosler Partition is what you want, unless you are sure that you can drive the bullet through thick bone, in which case the copper TSX offerings are pretty reliable.
The 150 grain Partition is a truly outstanding bullet. A key factor to extracting this performance is to ensure hand loads are running at muzzle velocities of 2900fps or higher. This projectile is spectacular when used on light game, absolutely emphatic on heavier animals of up to 150kg. On heavier animals up to the size of Elk, the 150 grain Partition is one of the best bullets available in .270 caliber. For a long time I have debated this internally. The .270 is in some ways a light cartridge for large bodied game, it is certainly lighter than a 7mm Remington Magnum loaded with the 160-175 grain Partition or a .30-06 loaded with a 180 grain bullet. For many years, I preferred to ere on the side of caution and recommend the Barnes in the .270 for use on tough game. Yet after many years and having seen many tough animals downed with the violent wounding Partition, this bullet still proves its merit with an ability to produce wide wounding and deep penetration on large bodied deer and tough wild boar with armor plated shoulder shields. Furthermore, this performance can be pushed out to considerable ranges, down to impact velocities of 1800fps although wounding is at its most violent at 2200fps and above.
My one concern with the Nosler 150 grain Partition is that it can be so good, that it can lead to over confidence in the .270 cartridge. Similar notes of this nature can be found in the 6.5x55 text. Sometimes, when a bullet performs extremely well, there is a risk of eventually pushing a cartridge beyond its limitations. Therefore, it is recommended that while great performance can be expected from the 150 grain Partition on large bodied medium game, hunters should exercise circumspection...
GR
This.
I live and hunt in Missouri, where the shots are usually within 100 yards, and usually within thick brush.
My first deer rifle was a Winchester M70 .30-06 I shot my first deer with that rifle, and it dropped like a rock when hit. Problem was, it bucked so dang hard, I didn't like to shoot it more than about 20 rounds at a time at the range, so I wasn't a very good shot. Missed two prior to dropping my first.
So I moved to a Ruger Mk II in .243 and hunted with that rifle for a decade. Killed 12 deer in those 10 years, most of them dropped within 50 yards, a few dropped where they stood. I LOVED shooting that rifle, and put hundreds of rounds down range each year. With a Nikon Prostaff 3-9-40 (IIRC), I was a crack shot with that thing. Not a single shot in all those deer didn't hit precisely where I aimed it.
The last deer I shot with that old rifle was my first real, big-chested 9-pointer. THAT one ran for about 100 yards, and didn't die quickly, and was a bear to track. I don't know what happened, but the round just didn't penetrate like I thought it should have, AND wasn't precisely where I aimed it. My supposition at that time was that it must have hit a twig or branch en route, deflected a little, and lost energy (punched only one lung, not both, and missed the heart).
So I traded to a Marlin 30-30 XLR. I used only the more premium LeverEvolution rounds in it. It is pricey, but I DO love shooting that rifle... same Nikon scope transferred from the .243 Never since have I had a long track on an animal; Dead Right There when I do my part. I fire 500-600 rounds per year through that rifle.
This past year, I mixed it up. I had been building a lower AND upper with premium parts into a 6.8 SPC rifle (over the course of three years), and it was finally built. So that's what I hunted with, and man was it ever excellent. Only a 60-yard shot, but the deer took about 6 steps, laid down gently, and died. Bullet went clean thru both lungs and heart and hung just inside the far side skin.
The point of my long rambling? There's nothing wrong with your .270 that a larger caliber will fix. You need to shoot it more, love on that rifle, all year long - not just in November. A larger caliber will actually probably HURT your abilities, not enhance them.
Buy good glass. Learn to shoot well. Shoot a lot. If you have the chance, practice from an elevated position.