there have been over ten cartridges that have been harvesting whitetail deer for over thirty, forty and fifty years.

Where do you hunt and how many guns can you afford?

If you hunt in forests within 100 yards, you certainly don't need a magnum or a caliber that reaches out to 400 yards. You can use one; you don't actually need all that power.

What size is your body and how much recoil can you take?

Not every hunter wants the recoil of a magnum or even a 30-06.
I knew an army vet, trained on 7.62 mm or 30-06 cartridges (the civilian cartridge) , harvested whitetail deer with a 257 Roberts. Some of the young big boys would hide if they used that caliber.

A lighter recoiling rifle, like a 7mm/08, can do the job. 35 Remington's and 30/30 did just fine for hunters in heavy woods within 100 yards, and weren't known for great recoil.

A famous elephant hunter, by the name of Bell, early in the last century, was more concerned about expenditures, so he used light recoiling rifles. He used a 7 x 57mm Mauser cartridge to take over 1000 elephant. As Bell proved, it's not the cartridge always, but where you shoot the bullet. Bell knew anatomy, and brain shots downed elephant.

So use what makes you happy. You have choices, like magnums, and light recoiling rifles and even lever action rifles.