Favorite Caliber?

[Strut Buster]

I have the .308 family of cartridges. .308, 7mm-08, & .243. All great cartridges. I carry the .308 the most for deer. I also have a .300 win. mag along with 7mm win. short mag. But the .308 class of cartridges gets the nod for deer hunting. Like was said earlier the shells won't cost you an arm and a leg.

[West Augusta]

6mm Remington.  Sure wish that Remington would start making 80 grain shells again. 
Haven't had a deer complain yet.

[Holston]

Given the ease of killing a whitetail, along with the quality of bullets available today, what cartridge the rifle is chambered for is definitely not the first thing I look at when buying a new rifle.

So many things to take into consideration.

What's the typical ranges you're shooting at the intended game?

Will you be walking far while carrying this rifle?

Are you a ballistics junkie? (ie.  Want the best trajectory/less wind drift waayyyyyyyy out there?)

A lot more important things than the caliber in regards to buying a new rifle.

This year alone I've loaded for and either witnessed or heard of the performance on deer from cartridges ranging from .223 Rem all the way up to a .340 Weatherby.  Haven't had a single complaint this year on performance.

In short, as long as you put a decent bullet in the right place, killing deer is as easy as pie.

Pick out your rifle first, then decide on chambering.

[Ol'Mossy]

I use a 270 now but I hunted with a 243 for alot of years using factory Remington 100 gr 243 Core-lokts and killed lots of deer with it.

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Well I have owned two 30-06 a 270, 243, two 25-06, and a 7mm Rem Mag.  If I had to choose, the 7mm Rem Mag is the one I miss the most.  Now all I have is the 25-06.  But it's one heck of a deer cartridge.  So is the 270.  The 270 is probably all the gun that you will ever need for whitetails.

[VAHUNTER]

the 3006 is my all time favorite in the deer woods. but will be buying a 7mm08 this year for the wife.she has been leying them down with a 22-250 this season. but it is on the lite side for the mountains we hunt

[Saylfish]

.270 

[Trevor2]

Why may I ask do you want to stay away from 30-06? I shoot a 30-06 and love it. I had a 7mm mag. Savage. But got rid of it bc my farthest shot is 200 yards max and that gun was very heavy.

[870BkWht]

I just want something different from the 30-06 family of cartridges.  Plus my father has a 30-06 and anytime I want to use it, I can.  Id rather buy a rifle chambered for something that neither him nor I already have. 

[jshively]

After hunting whitetails with a 7mm-08, I just can't imagine using anything else.  I have shot deer from 10 yards to 350 yards with it and it just plain kills 'em.  Plus the low recoil has me shooting it more often which helps me keep those groups at the range tight.

[Holston]

If I was wanting a gun for the mountains, I'd look real hard at something short-barreled, light, and 7mm-08 would be a sweet chambering.

I've carried my .243 Rem Mtn. Rifle for the past 3 years and haven't found anything to complain about yet.

[Gobble Nole]

7MM-08 all day.  I cant say enough good things about my A-Bolt.  I have taken numerous deer and hogs with the gun and the load really does the job.  I am shooting Fusion 140 grain bullets, but prior to that only shot Core Lockt bullets and they did the trick as well. 

[WildTigerTrout]

270 WSM. Great cartridge!

[paradis1142]

264 Winmag

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

257 weatherby mag, 7mm rem mag, or .300 ultra mag

Great combinations of high speed, flat trajectory, versatile load options and lethal performance.