And here come several more pages of posts!!!!!!!

You're going to get tons of really strong opinions about what's "best", and what's "absolutely unacceptable" for the game you're hunting. These opinions can be helpful, but they mean little on the gun range, and even less in the field.

If you're a good enough hunter to get close before shooting, then feel free to get a smaller caliber, or a cartride that burns less powder. If you want to shoot from several counties away, go for a magnum. Whatever you choose, just make sure you spend enough time at the range to beable to hit what you're aiming at in the field!

My advice would be to avail yourself of the cameraderie at the shooting range, and see who'll let you send afew rounds through their rifles. You can see what "speaks to you" through some actual shooting.

I s'pose you could also look into ammo availability, or whether you feel like reloading, or if you're a caliber-nonconformist by nature, or if you ever see yourself buying more guns in the future, or if this is going to be your one-and-only-go-to rifle, or if you'll be passing this down to a pre-teen someday, or loaning it to your boss who's got a reconstructed shoulder...

Whatever you choose, though, you have to post some picutures!

Good Luck!