I have a couple of different deer rifles but I would highly recommend my favorite one, a Remington 270 pump. I got the special purpose one with the flat matte finish instead of a blued barrel. Go with whatever action you are most comfortable with but the 270 (the 30.06 is overrated and more than you need for deer) is a great all around gun for deer hunting. It has a flat trajectory and plenty of knockdown power without too much overkill.