ORIGINAL: bigpapa
So I'm about 2 weeks away from buying my rifle. It's decieded I'm going with a weatherby vanguard (wood stock). It's the best feeling rifle for me. 99% of the time the rifle will be used for deer in georgia. I hunt a variety of either wooded or pasture. So now it's the tough part. I've put it down to 3 calibers
1. 30-06
avalible anywhere for dirt cheep
selection from 100 grns to 220 grns
moderate recoil
Excellent choice as an all-around caliber. Buy it for deer hunting, and you won't be undergunned if you decide to hunt something bigger in the future.
2. .270
just as avalibel for dirt cheep
almost as much selection but not quite
less recoil
further reach before drop off
Not nearly as much selection. All I ever see at the stores are 130's and 150's. And, any "further reach before drop off" is really minimal and insignificant.
3. 7mm-08
gonna cost me an extra 5 each time I buy a box
not much selection out there
it will flat get out there before dropping off
what recoil
I doubt that there is any significant improvement over the 06 or 270 in the "get out there before dropping off" category. If ammo availability and cost are factors, pick one of the others.
If I just had to buy one rifle, it'd be a .30-06 or a .308.