I know this has probably been discused already. But, 

here we go again.lol. take the .270.it has greater distance and penetration. we use a premium 140 gr boattail by hornady and have killed many bears out to 300 yds. spend the extra couple of dollars for premium brand ammo. it is well worth it. and shot placement as usual should supercede calibre. but i'd still recommend using the .270..

good hunting to all...

I agree to get better ammo!

I assume we are talking black bear, either cartridge is bear capable. Both have been killing bears with standard ammo for years. IMO, the real question is which rifle and scope (are they scoped?) combination is better suited to the type and location of the hunt.

Dale

Yes both rifles are scoped. 3x9 power. My 30-30 has a side mounted scope, which still allows me to use my iron sites if needed.

I've hunted bears in Northern Clearfield/Elk counties. You've got the land description exactly right. Unless the 270 is a short barreled, lightweight rifle, take the 30-30. It'll do fine for the crap you will be hunting in. Keep the scope on 3X.

I toted a Savage 99, a lot of times, our drivers just carried handguns (usually 44 mag).

Best of luck,

Dale

Considering the terrain and that you say "driving" as opposed to sitting in a stand, I too would opt for the 30-30. As semi autos are not legal for hunting in PA, unless your 270 is a pump, the lever 30-30 will be easier to carry, swing around on the ledges,and get off a second shot if necessary. Good Luck and Good Hunting.

We will be moving, not sitting. My 270 is light and easy to carry. 308 would probably be the best choice? If it was light, short and scoped?

If the .308 is too heavy for you to carry, whatcha gonna do when you kill a bear? Call in a helicopter?

Tom, unless you've run the ridges, laurel hells, and rocks he is talking about, you have no idea what a few extra inches of barrel or half a pound means at the end of the day. Or when you get up and do it all over again the next day. Light and handy is the best. He'll have a crew to help with the bear but only him to lug his rifle.

Since the 270 is also light and handy, I would alternate them.

BTW, if the 308 was light, it would displace the 30-30 but it's still a toss up between it and the 270 IMO.

Dale

I Bear hunted the NC/TN line in the Appy's for years....laurel, Rhodie, bluffs, ridges so steep the dogs I was running after wouldn't go down....anymore questions?
BTW, I was carrying an old "heavy" -06

Going into and out of Slickrock Creek makes the rest of the world look flat! The area we camped in was called Jeffries Hell

Dont get me wrong. I am not afraid of a heavy gun, but the 308 i have is a long range rifle. 1000 yard rifle with an acis stock and a 24" barrel.

If shots longer than 200 yards are a possibility I would opt for the .270 Winchester.

If he is hunting in PA laurel and Rhoddie like he says, he will be lucky to have a 75 yd shot!
BTW, everything I read says PA bears can be way bigger than our scrawny bears.....don't think I want to shoot a big PA bear with a .270!

We do have some big ones. Most years, about 10 or so (kill is 3500 give or take) will go over 600 lbs. And 800 lbs is not unheard of. That said, I've been at the check stations several different times, most are less than 250 and I think the biggest I've seen weighed was 350 (dressed). And you're right, the vast majority of shots are close. Once in awhile you can find a gas line/forest road that allows a longer shot but not often.

270 is just fine, so is the 30-30.

Dale

So is my 7mmMag or my .375RUM or my .416Rigby.......

Tom, if I had any of those guns, I would not be asking the question. 

wojo , You ain't got much time to mess around figuring out what load to shoot. What do you use for deer in the 270? That will work just fine. If you don't have something already then I'd probably grab a box of Winchester Super X 150 grain Power Points and go hunting. Or standard Hornady with the Interlock or Remington Corelokts.

Tom , do you have useful information that actually pertains to OP's questions?

Dale

I got this guy with a .270 130gr bullet didn't make it 40yd before dropped dead

both .270 and 30-30 are excellant bear rifles it all depends on wich one you feel more confident with. but i would buy premium ammo you get what you pay for.