I am assuming that you are hunting deer however, even if you hunt bear, any of the following will work. As has been said, you must determine your own recoil tolerance (low recoil rounds are available).

For bullet and load selection, 30-06 is tops. The 308 and .280 are close seconds. They will feel about the same and are all accurate.

If you can borrow some rifles, give them a try. Try different loads. It is worth spending the money on ammo now to avoid a mistake.

Enjoy the process! It is my favorite part of buying.