I'm gonna be 18 in December and figure I might as well celebrate by getting a new rifle. Right now all I have is a Remington 710[:'(]
I've been reading this forum a lot, so I was maybe thinking something like a Remington 700 or a Savage maybe? As far as caliber, I'm open for opinions. Right now I have a .30-06. Its good, but I want to try something a little smaller. Maybe a .243 for deer and smaller stuff like coyotes. I'm curious about the .25-06 too. I'm not really partial to any company, so tell me what ya think. Thanks.

If you want a bolt, I'd go with the Savage .243 with the "accu-trigger". Its alot of bang for the buck!! The .243 is a great dual-purpose rifle and the Savage is well worth what you have to give.

I use both the 243 Win and 25-06 and either one works well on deer size game . To get the best price you are going to have to shop around and compare prices . Find a dealer that will order + commission , or accept delivery for a fee and shop the net . works for me .

Quality wise, you get more bang for the buck with a Savage, followed closely by Winchesters, For quality AND looks, I choose the Winchesters!

I would also suggest either the Savage or Winchester. Hard to beat either for price and reliablity.

As much as I like the Remington 700's I don't like the 710's at all.
You are better off with the Savage or the Weatherby Vangaurd. Both can be purchase at Wal Mart or you local sportshop under 400

Savage is probably the best "budget" rifle on the market. If you want to spend a little more and end up with a rifle that is a little better in the cosmetic department and built for abuse then look at the Ruger 77 Mk II. As far as cartridge goes, I love my 270 Win and 7mm-08 Rem, but if I were buying a deer rifle today I would look at the 260 Rem.

Have you heard enough about the savages yet... They are probably the best bang for the buck, I don't think you will here one that is recommended any more than them. Also look at the Tikka and CZ, they are great bang for the buck as well.

I'm going to second the vote for the Ruger M77 MK II. My next purchase will be an M77 MK II in 7mm-08.

When price is an issue (and isn't it always?) I recommend that people check out the used gun market, too. Sometimes you can find some great deals. Savages have a great reputation among their owners, but their resale value isn't high; I've seen like-new rifles, scoped, for under $250. (Unfortunately for me, they've been right-handed models, and I'm left-handed.)

I got a killer deal on a used Remington 742 carbine, including a Leupold VX-II scope, sling, and hard case--for less than the retail price of the scope and case alone.

As it gets closer to opening day the deals get scarcer, but they're out there...

You might also try www.gunbroker.com or www.auctionarms.com for online auctions. Some nice values there, too.

Good luck!