Not only does the hunting terrain and conditions play a role in your choice of rifle but you as a person also. As it is your first deer rifle I would have to ask what is your physical size and experience shooting? Even though I hunt with a 7mm mag and love it, I would not recommend it to a smaller inexperienced hunter. I started my first son out with a Marlin 30-30. Inexpensive to shoot (I load all my hunting rounds) so that he was able to put lots of practise in at the range with out developing any type of flinch (I've seen some start out with too big a cal. and start flinching right away). This year I'm starting out my second son with a 7-08. Nice flat shooting with, according to the ballistics charts, more down range hitting power than a .25-250 or .243 (which are nice deer cal. also and own them both). Before you buy look at all the variables such as hunting terrain, typical shots you will be attempting (50, 100, 200 yards etc.), your size andshooting ability, your budget (don't forget there is a lot more expence in deer hunting than a rifle and ammunition,I'm equipping my second son this year so I know the feeling....actually it's pretty darn exciting buying stuff for him). If you post more info on your hunting situation I would be able to provide morespecific information. Good luck and welcome to the obsession.