recommended caliber in my opinion is the .50 caliber. As for the rifle and scope, a lot depends on what State laws apply to you. After that, there are a lot of different rifles out there. Also check you local Wal Mart.. many of them are putting rifles on sale right now. Watch for other places to start dumping stock after Christmas...

Is there any kind of rifle that appeals to you? How far do you think you will need to shoot?