RE: Savage Rifles
A .243 is good, but it's on the "light" end of the deer rifles. Accurate shot placement is a must and you'll have venison steak. [8D]
I am a .30 caliber fan and have a classic older Savage 110 in a .308 that is awesome. It is lethally accurate at 100 yards and/or more. I also have an even older Marlin 30AS .30-30 with open sights that I use for close brush hunting. But given the choice, I grab the .308 and hit the woods/field edges.