RE: Ultimate Deer rifle....
The "ultimate" deer rifle is such a personal thing.
Someone in the thick Eastern woods of the Eastern coast may choose a lever action 30-30 with iron sights or a tang peep sight.
Someone out West in Wyoming where teh wind blows constantly and the shots can be looooongmay prefer your 257 STW.
In other words there is no such thingas one single ultimatedeer rifle.
For me I think would be a Winchester model 70 feather weight chambered in .270 Winchester with a nice 3-9X40 scope sitting on top in Ded Nutz rings.