Nuttin' at all wrong with the .270 ... but your initial post ended with:

My question is, what caliber rifle would you recommend? I'd like something that would be multi-use that I could use if I ever go hunting for some other species of big game or the chance to hunt somewhere that is a lot more open country that Indiana is.
THAT (IMHO) would be the .30-06 ... hands down. I believe it is the most versatile, all-around best caliber in the country.

Oh, and if you want to put another feather in the .30-06 hat ... other than general availability, selection of bullet weights/powder combos ... it would be the most economical as far as ammo costs go. I haven't bought ammo in a bazillion years, but I assume that's still the case. Heck, you can even buy military surplus ammo if that floats your boat.