IMO, your caliber selection is fine. Whitetails aren't that hard to dispatch. The Rem 700 you mentioned will certainly do the job. I'm not a Remington guy, so I gravitate more towards Winchester, Ruger, Sako /Tikka, Browning and others. Will you be doing other hunting in other areas in the future? Keep that in mind. I'd also be looking at .270, 7mm-08 and .30-06 in models that feel good when shouldered. One of my main deer rifles is chambered in .25-06 and it's a deer's worst nightmare. Bottom line, the caliber choice is personal...many will get the job done just fine. It's more important to get a good quality properly fitting / feeling rifle. Additionally, accuracy is obviously necessary. Once you get your rifle, try several loads to see what shoots the best. Practice both from the bench and "field" type scenarios. Save up and get a good quality scope ASAP.