I just went through the same dilemma.
I purchased a 6.5x55mm TIkka T3 Rifle with a Leupold 3.5-12x40mm scope for several reasons including:
Chuck Hawk recommended it- He is an expert on firearms and writes many insightful articles. In research trying to find the perfect whitetail round, I stumbled across thewebpage listed below and mymind was made up. My requirements weresimilar to yours;something with minimal recoil for whitetail,versatile for varmints or big gameand light kicking for target shooting at the range. I have been keeping my shells and plan to reload in the near future. Enough said, read below. http://www.chuckhawks.com/firearm_favorites.htm

He quotes here

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Favorite CXP2 Class Game Cartridge = 6.5x55 SE
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"The 6.5x55 is one of the all-time classic cartridges. It is useful for a wide range of hunting (and target shooting) applications. It seems to do everything well, without unnecessary fuss or bother. Recoil is moderate and killing power is surprisingly good. I would rate it as just about perfect for hunting all manner of deer, antelope, goats, sheep, caribou, black bear and similar size game worldwide. In Northern Europe the 6.5x55 has routinely been used in to take even very large animals such as Scandinavian moose and polar bear. It is not a specialized long range cartridge, but its trajectory is flat enough for about 95% of all big game hunting. Read about the 6.5x55 on the Reloading Page and the Rifle Cartridge Page, and then give this Scandinavian import a try. I think that you will be as impressed as I am."

You can also see the "deer rifle" article on the website under rifles at top of page.

-Brandon