RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
308win, I own a 7mm08 in a browning Abolt but I'd get a 308 just for ammunition availabilty. I have a hard time finding 7mm08 sometimes, rarely see any boxes of 25-06. But 308 is everywhere, even walmart/kmart.
Rifle wise their's alot of great choices, I like the Browning Abolt micro medallion. About the same size and weight as your Marlin. I also havea Tikka T3 Lite, in 270win that I got this past spring, so far I love it. Tad bit heavier than the Browning maybe half pound or less, very smooth and awesome trigger. I had a savage 308, Nice rifle very ugly, but shot awesome. Ended up sellin it and buying god knows what. Also had a Ruger 77. Didn't care for it that much so I traded it off, Nothing wrong with it, just didn't like it.
I would buy less expensive rifles and much better scopes. But if you can buy the best of both go right ahead. I'm about to put a 400dollar leupold on 200dollar savage 17hmr.