7mm is my caliber of choice. Great caliber for close and get also get out there without worrying. Plenty of different sizes available in factory ammo as well. Also, with the 7mm, if someday you decide you want to go after something more than a whitetail, suck as elk, then you already have the fun, whereas if you end up with a 7mm-08 or a .243, you will need more gun. Good luck with your choice. I shoot a Ruger M77 Mark II in stainless/black and love it and my brother has the same gun with equal satisfaction...although my gun is responsible for more game!