RE: First real rifle - mostly for dear, What would you get?
I sure hope you are after DEER and not DEAR. Caliber wise, I'd agree with the others. A mild recoiler such as the 25/06 would be super. Select a rifle based on: budget, fit and feel, reliability and, by all means, get one that has (or can be made to have) a decent trigger. Then go practice alot. Good Luck.