I am a "dyed in the wool" 30-06 man and the best rifle that I ever bought for deer hunting is a Ruger 77. I have many more but it is deadly accurate, has a light recoil, and the action is smooth. I shot an "03 Springfield for 15+ years and this one replaced it easily. Other rounds will do just as well for normal hunting. 270s are necked down '06s and are flatter shooting with nearly as big a payload. 243s are very popular and are necked down 308s. 308s have similiar ballistics to the '06 and lots of folks love them--have a few myself.
Any centerfire rifle will make you a good deer rifle but I prefer one of the above. 25-06s, 280s, 260s, etc are all good rounds. I am a skinny 140# 6'2" old fart and '06s do not punish my shoulder so much that I will change. If you are squeamish or of light frame then the 243 may be what you want. It is much more pleasant to shoot and is fairly flat shooting. I have only shot a few deer at over 200 yards so long range accuracy is not a concern. A bud uses an old SKS and has killed quite a few deer with it. The 7.62X39 cartridge is nothing to sneeze about--ask any vet about them. They are not 500 yd shooters but then again, most of your shots will be around 100 or less. A shotgun is probably the most versatile shooter you can have. A slug barrel will shoot like a rifle out to about 75-100 yds and buckshot is great at one third that range. A bud killed a doe last year while bird hunting with #71/2 shot. Close up a shotgun is tough to beat.
Hope I have not totally confused you. Go to your favorite gun store and shoulder a few. See what feels comfortable and natural to you. I have an old 742 carbine length in '06 that fits like a glove. Actually is more accurate than the longer barreled 7400s. Hope you find something that you fall in love with and enjoy shooting.




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I love the 270 for just about anything, but for larger game I finally ungraded to a magnum caliber so that I don't have to stalk up so close. If you have never had a hunting rifle before you can't buy a wrong one for your first one. The things that you learn from you first rifle and your hunts with it with teach you what you need to know when you are buying a rifle for YOU. I prefer wooden stocks and a blued finish so I have bought more guns used then new. Like -06 said"Just go to your favorite gun store and shoulder a few" If you don't have a favorite gun store, find one. Good luck and have fun! 
