[taylorce1]

I Love the .270 Win cartridge, it will do every thing you need a hunting cartridge to do in the lower 48 states. I've never owned a M77 Ruger, though I have friends who love them and swear by them. I think you'll be fine with your choice of rifle.

Optics is a personal choice, it is really hard to beat a good 3-9X40 for all around hunting. However, my .270 rifles one wears a 3.5-10X40 the other a 4-12X40 scope. One scope is a Leupold VX3 and the other an old Japan made Bushnell.

Start with 130 grain ammunition from different manufacturers and find what shoots best in your rifle. Start with the cheap stuff first, I find Federal Power Shock (Blue box) is usually very accurate. It is also the cheapest stuff around here, usually right at $20 a box.