[gt350mike]

Several years ago I passed down my Ruger M77 30-06 to my son and regretted doing ever since. It has a little more kick than a .243 or .308, but there isn't a cartridge that is more versatile or readily available. Fortunately my wife assumed I wanted a new rifle to replace the Ruger and gave me Steyr 7mm Mag for our anniversary present a few years ago. It's the most accurate rifle I've ever owned, but it's a little overkill for hunting deer unless I'm taking long range shots.

If you're considering a shot-gun for deer hunting, you've got to check out Savage's bolt action 20 gauge. Out of the box, a sports writer was shooting fairly tight groups out to 170+ yards and I've heard the shotgun can be customized to shoot accurately out to 300 yards. It's definitely not a great jack of all trades gun, but you have to admit the idea of shooting a shotgun slug out 300 yards is amazing.