I think a great rifle for you would be a Remington 700 in a synthetic or wood model.
The new SPS (special purpose synthetic) for 2005 is available in several different cartridges. the rifle is very accurate and the quality is excellent, The SPS is selling for 350.00 400.00 dollars.. I have a VS (varmit Synthetic) which is discontinued now, in .223 that is set up as a tactical rifle,and i wouldnt trade it or sell for anything. The .223 rounds are cheap, accurate, and don't have a alot of recoil, they are also not very loud. The round is good out to 300 yards, with the right loads and bench shooting up to a 1000 yards, but the wind can affect it significantly.would go with a .308,30.06, up to 300 yards,little more with 30.06, 400 +,a 7mm is a good choice. These are good rounds for whitetails