Choices... Choices...

As for cartridge/caliber, here are my observations:

.204, .221, .222, .223 = varmints & plinking. Speed without tons o' knockdown power. Fun to shoot, & not too expensive for ammo. I wouldn't recommend them for deer unless you were a very competent shot and only attempted shots that were well within your comfort zone.

.243, .25-06 = will take varmints, but be careful if you want to save the pelts.Good deer medicine, especially the latter, but won't stretch into much larger game. Not much recoil at all.

.260, 6.5x55, 7mm-08 = wonderful for deer. Flat shooting, excellent sectional density (longbullets for a given weight = good penetration on critters), and still not a ton of recoil or muzzle blast. Can be used on bigger sizes of game if you're very careful,very comfortable, and use good bullets.

.270, 7mm Mag. = Very flat shooting, more recoil, especially the latter. More than capable of taking deer, and will cleanlyharvest elk/sheep/moose, too.

This, of course, barely scratches the surface. I didn't mention .30/30, which is one of the most revered deer cartridges of all time. If you're jonesing for a lever gun, go with the .30/30! It won't reach out very far, but it sure does its job! I didn't get into the .30-06, either, even thoughthat's my go-to rifle. It's a truckload for deer, and I wouldn't own itunless I planned on going for biggercritters.

And certain calibers are widely available, while others are better suited to handloaders. This should have a bearing on your decision, too.

A lot of it depends on what kind of gun you want. Deer aren't bulletproof by any means, so handle as many different brands/types of rifles as you can, & see what fits you best. Then see what calibers the best fitting rifleis available in, & make your choice from there.

As far as rifle brands/models go, it's hard to make a bad choice. People get zealously attached to particular models, & they'll slam all other options. So some people will heartily agree with whatever you choose, & others will lambaste you for your poor decision. If a rifle has more than a handful of people loyal to it, however, they must be doing something right.

And this logic applies to the Remington 710: almost NO ONE is a huge fan of this rifle! However, the Remington model 700's have decades of loyal fans (me among them), so don't be afraid of those.

So, see what fits you like a glove, & pick a caliber that will do what you're trying to do.One rifle in a mid-sized caliber can actually do quite a bit. Unless you're expecting to go all the way from 13-stripe gophers to cape buffalo...

Good Luck,

FC