Given your stated uses and the choices you started with, I would suggest for short range, bush and the like, impossible to beat the Marlin Guide gun with the 18" barrel in 45-70. Effective range easily 250 yards. They will clover leaf at 100 and whether open sights, peep or a scope they are quick handling, fast pointing and lots of thump. As long as you as you stick to 1600 fps with 350 RN they don't even have much kick. Making them go faster just hurts your shoulder, it doesn't kill one bit better. Put a hammer extension on it if you use a scope.
If you want something in 308 or 270, Browning BLR.
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