My only bolt-action center fire rifles are a .270 and a 7mm mag.  Both are used for deer hunting.  Both are very accurate.

However, I’m thinking seriously about getting a .308 bolt gun for the following reasons.  

1. Cost of ammo.  The 7mm ammo especially is expensive.  The .270 ammo isn’t much easier on the wallet.  (Note I do not presently reload.)

2. Life expectancy of the barrel.  I have a feeling I’d burn out my 7mm barrel long before I’d burn out a .308 barrel.  Is this correct?  What about the .270?

3. Optics.  Both rifles wear Leupold Vari-X II scopes.  Both rifles are more or less setup for hunting deer in the GA woods and the occasional 200-yard field.  I’d like a bolt gun setup more for long range target shooting.  I’m leaning hard toward using a Nikon 6.5-20x44 scope with a Badger 20 MOA base.  Sure, I could just swap out the optics on one of the existing rifles.  I just think the optics issue coupled with the other issues makes a valid excuse for a new rifle.

I’m leaning heavily toward a Savage 10FP with a 24” barrel.  I’d swap the stock for something better than the standard.  This rifle has the adjustable Accutrigger.  

What are your thoughts?  Do I have valid reasons for NEEDING (I understand the “want” already) a new rifle, or should I just change what I already own?

You certainly don't *need* another rifle.  Your .270 is probably the world's best deer cartridge.  And the cost of buying and equipping a new rifle would buy you a LOT of ammo for it.

You might really consider reloading.  A Lee Anniversary Kit with a set of .270 dies will cost less than $100, and will give you everything you absolutely need to start reloading (except for the components themselves).  Loading .270s, you'll recover this investment pretty quickly.  Spend another $20 on dies, and you can also reload for your 7mm.

Sure, an expensive progressive setup is much nicer, especially if you're cranking ammo out by the hundreds, but many millions of rounds of ammo have been loaded on a single-stage, and nearly every reloader still uses one for some things.  Plus, the knowledge you gain from reloading is invaluable.

Having said all that, if you WANT another rifle, and can afford one, well, this IS America...  

-Troy