Big Al C

I'm partial to the .270, but most of the others listed will do a fine job. Whatever you get, practice a lot. Also, it would be smart to invest almost as much in your scope as you spend on the rifle. If you can't see it you sure can't hit it. Best of Luck.

Jeff Ovington

All those calibers mentioned work and work well..
I like the 30-06..For the areas that I hunt..
More important is shot placement and bullet selection..
The Bullet is what does the work..
Personally I like a bullet that will pass through 2 or 3 tree trunks
before it hits the deer knocking it down..

Matthew V. (An outdoorsman)

Go with a .270. It has less kick than a 30-06 and excellent long range trajectory and energy for deer. It is also a fairly versatile gun as it will take out almost any North American animal cleanly from a well placed shot.

rt014

I went with a Remington bolt 30-06. Easy to find ammunition and versatility to go after bigger game....if I should ever be so lucky.

Slamfire

It ain't luck, it's planning. Drive an old car and make payments to your hunt fund.

John Spartan

In the scenario you outlined initially, consider a lever action such as the Marlin 336 in 35 Remington - good to 200 yards. I wouldn't worry about 400 yard shots as how often are you going to get such an opportunity that you won't be able to hunt closer? It is a fast handling rifle and hard hitting cartridge that is good for deer and any black bear you may meet. I use the same here in Alberta and have no problems with it.

T-bird

Winchester Model 70 in the venerable 30 naught 6 caliber .....

Jeep4x4

There is no perfect caliber for deer or any game. Its all in your personal preferance and what you are comfortable with.

I like the .300 Win Mag and .308, both will kill anything in north america. They arent for everyone since different people have different recoil tolerances but they are what I like.

rt014

Slamfire: Of course you are right about that. I do plan on going up to Canada or Alaska some day. Got to feel good about the retirement war chest first. ;-)

monarchoutdoors

I would choose a .270 Weatherby mag in an Ultra Light Weight Model. The other would be my old favorite 7mm Remington Mag. It does not kick much, shoots great, short or long range, and kills what it hits. Good luck