I agree with Superpig, if you are just starting out you may want to look at something a little more subdued than a 7mm Mag. Mine has never been a problem for me, but I have a friend who can't stand the recoil. To me it seems about the same as a 30-06. If you're just talking deer, the 7mm-08 would be a great place to start- lots of rifles chambered for it and a wide selection of ammo. However, it's pretty tough to go wrong with any of the 7mm cartridges when considering deer sized animals.