I have a pertinent question before making any suggestions as to calibers. I live in Texas as well and all of Texas is not created equal, so what part of Texas are you planning to hunt in? I have a thread going now because I am trying to choose between a 308 and a 7mm-08 for a barrel for my Blaser. You might get some info on 7mm-08 from the thread. I hunt in the pineywood area in east Texas and have gone back to my OLD Marlin 336T 30-30. It is a mild recoiling gun that has worked well for me, but most of my shots at deer or hogs will be under 75 yards. Welcome to Texas!!!