Gentlemen, I too opted for the 7-08 and I am very satistied with it. The .260 did come in a strong 2nd. It is an interesting cartridge and I believe as most of you that either would perform well on deer out to 300 yds and perhaps a little beyond. Also, for similar ballistic characteristics, you may want to check the used racks for a .257 or 7x57. If yardages were consistantly 250 yds and over however, I would probably opt for a .270 or 7mm mag for deer.