We seem to have lost the original intent of this thread. We were asked for suggestions for the "best deer gun." Since I don't believe any ONE answer will work we should narrow the search a little. Please answer these questions.

1) What type of terrain do you hunt in? Hilly, flat, wooded, fields, mixed?
2) What type of weapons are legal where you hunt? (I presume rifles are legal from your post)
3) How big are the deer, on average, where you hunt?
4) How far will you be shooting, on average?
5) How much do you practice?
6) How big are you?
7) What level of recoil are you comfortable with?
8) How heavy of a gun do you want to carry?
9) Do you have a preference for action types? Lever, bolt, semi-auto?
10) How much are you willing to spend?

Answer these questions and we may be able to make some INTELLIGENT, informed suggestions.