Which is the best deer rifle......
 

That has to be 30-06 and Under 500 dollars.:s9: And better than the mossberg ATR I has.

The Savage Model 10 Package deal they sell at Walmart for $387 with the Accu trigger is the best imo. The only thing I'd do is ditch the Simmons scope when you can afford a better scope. Other than that it's a great rifle and you can expect sub moa groups from it. Another option is the Marlin XL-7 or XS-7 depending on the long or short action. Those run around $300 and are also great options.

I was thinking Savage...

what about the Edge series?
And is the new feature on the Marlin XL7 series a stainless steel coating??

If you set a $500 limit, then the savage gets the nod, east coast 30-06 or 308. Anywhere else maybe 7mm mag

A used .270 in a Remington 700 or a M-70 push feed is better than a new Savage any day!

Shop the used racks and find a great gun for less.

If you want brand new, the Savage will do fine. I'd try and find a good used A-bolt or a 700. Those are the best 2 for the money in my book.

I'd skip the Edge for savage... go 111. If you shoot far, I'd opt 7mmRM, but I'm a sucker for 7s.

While I don't think the Edge rifle is a bad choice, it's certainly not anywhere near being in the same class as the model 10 and from what I've seen it's not even all that much cheaper. To me the accu trigger alone is worth the extra on the Model 10. However, there are several other benefits to them too. The Edge rifles seem to be getting decent reviews, but they seem to be more something to compete with the Remington 770, not the 700 like the Model 10 competes with.

While I won't bash the older Remington 700's because they are a heck of a rifle, if it comes down to new rifles I would not even consider a Remington unless I wanted to experience their many quality issues they seem to be having. I'd not hesitate to pick a Savage over the Remington if both were new.

That being said the older 700's were great rifles, however, I think I'd still prefer to have the Model 10.