As the question stated " 25 cal. or larger" and " deer rifle" I will comment accordingly.

A 260 Rem. would be hard to beat. A 257 Roberts, 6.5 X 55, 250 savage would also be great but ammo may be just a little harder to find.

I got a .243 for my kids to hunt deer and antelope with but have not been happy with it. I am looking to get something a little bigger like the above. The .243 was not really designed and brought out as a DEER cartridge. It was and is a compromise varmint/deer cartridge for the hunter who wants one gun to do two jobs. It is not the best for eather job but " capable" for both.

I hope you .243 fans don' t take offence. I am not saying a .243 will not kill deer. I know it will (I' ve shot two deer and two pronghorn with one) Just stating the facts of the original purpose it was designed for.

Robin