NC, I would suppose looking for a rifle, and that you already have a .22 , something for deer, maybe some hogs? For an auto, it is hard to beat the Browning BAR. Not alot of people like the Remington autos it seems. Don' t overlook a good bolt action though. The best caliber for NC game will rage on for days here, so listen to everyone, go shoot some guns, see what you like. It seems that the most popular brands on here are Remington, Browning, Savage, Winchester, Marlin (for levers), some weatherbys, I am sure I missed some. But, you picked the right place to gain knowledge, lots of good guys here. Welcome to the greatest sport ever, don' t be a stranger!