The use of highly visable colours is recommended. Look at it this way, if you sit perfectly still, and the deer can't smell you, they wont see you either. No, they are not totally colour blind, like some people say. And I don't know what colours they can see well. But I have been within yards of deer, in normal blue jeans and shirts. If I didn't move, they never knew I was even there. And since you will be rifle hunting, and lets say your shots will be around 100 yards, well, even at 290 pounds, your still pretty small looking at that range, hunkered down, and not moving. Plus, like big country said, it might save your life. People may look at you and laugh for walking around like a flashing strobe light, but at least they can see who their laughing at. Right? Animals like coyotes and waterfowl are a different story. Their vision is supurb, and I highly recommend the use of camo. As for a rifle, I don't think your a pansy, you just need some experiance shooting lighter recoiling rifles. If you start off bad, you will start to flinch and pick up other bad habits that will be hard to overcome. If you are only hunting deer for now, the .270 should be at the high end of calibers on your list. It is the perfect choice for deer, elk and even moose. The 7mm-08 remington is a little lighter on recoil, but it still delivers near .270 performance. A .243 would be a better choice for you right now. They kick very little, you will be able to learn to shoot it very well, and I'm pretty sure you can find a good deal on a used one around home. Down the road, if you want to get somthing bigger, trade it in. No harm, no foul. Good luck, keep us posted, and don't get dead!