I am just now going to get into hunting. I have shot rifles before quite a bit at ranges and targets, but want to get into the whitetail scene.

I was just wondering what would be a couple of the better, smaller rifles to own for this.

I want to take into consideration cost and supply of ammo, cost of gun, etc..

I would guess something in the .243, .270 range, or maybe a .308.

I just wanted some opinions from guys that know this stuff more than me.

All you mentioned are great. 308 is cheaper if you are not planning on reloading.

do you want opinions on calibers or rifles?

How much do you plan to shoot at range? If not much, then cost of ammo isn't important. My advise would be to shop around for rifles, pick the ones you prefer and then decide on caliber. I personally would not start from since there are so many calibers that will do great for whitetail.

If you plan to spend a lot of time on range doing target shooting then .308Win is always a safe choice to start with.

i would look at a tikka rifle. they are great guns. good price for what you get. they come with bases and rings. they have an awesome trigger,are super accurate,and the action is as smooth as glass. many good calibers to choose from:308,270,30-06,any of these would be a great start for a deer rifle.

I like my 308 its my go 2 gun

I would like a rifle to be able to shoot targets and hunt with.

A great start? Where is he supposed to go from here?

7mm/08 wouldnt look anywere else

Tikka is a good one, Academy is selling Remington 700's for around the 350 range in a few of those calibers, a good one to look at is the 7mm-08. .308, '06, .270 are good ones as well. There's a lot of folks that like .243, and it's a good one..but I'd probably start with a minimum of a 7-08.

He doesn't reload so not the best choice. If he reloaded then I would recommend 6.5x55 over 7-08.

Caliber - 7mm-08 or .308.

Rifle & scope recommendations would depend on the budget you're trying to stay within.

The 2 walmarts and 2 small gun shops I pass on the way to my place stock 7-08.
Academy Bass pro Cabelas Gander Dicks and not cheaper than dirt stock 7-08.
Every online ammo dealer has 7-08, I've never been to a gun shop that didn't stock 7-08.
The 2 feed stores I use stock 7-08.
I don't know of a ammo manufacturer that doesn't offer 7-08.

Necessary to reload or hard to find ammo

308 and winchester powermax

I would think either the .270 or 7-08 would be a great choice for a rifle caliber that are both great shooting and will take any game animal in Texas. .270 ammo is available anywhere they sell ammo in Texas. Remington is a great rifle choice also and is my preference. Scopes depend on your budget but Vortex or Zeiss Conquest are great for the money and will last you a long time.

25-06 is a good one too

$$$ for ammo, not the cheapest out there to shoot.

.308 gets my vote.

not toooo bad unless you send a lot down range

True, and if that was the case, reloading would become a necessity anyways. If the OP is willing to learn to reload, Tikka T3 Lite in 6.5x55 would be an awesome all-around rifle from small critters up to elk and bear. From 80gr varmint loads up to 160gr elk loads, you could manage by with only one rifle. Due to fine selection of high BC bullets, it will retain a lot of energy for long range shots as well.

For short actions, 260 Remington, 6.5x47 Lapua, 6.5 Creedmore etc. Couldn't go wrong with any of these, or 7-08. For calibers like these I would highly recommend reloading, otherwise stick with .308, .243 or .270/30-06.

Basic Lee reloading kit, $80 on sale at Cabela's. Dies, $20. Calibers and small items, less than $50. Space to reload, well, that's the biggest question here.

Now that would be a good combo.

Just pick one that feels right and tickles your fancy. Deer aren't hard to kill. Good luck.

nonsense , on this forum it takes a 5000.00 custom gun loaded with an accubonded partition tsx gliding metal scirrocco.

I like the 25 bores 25-06 and 257wby. You can find plinking ammo in both in the mid $30's. 7-08 is also a good mild recoil round

Mfg like remi and the new whinnys are growing on me.

Glad you finally got it figured out.

Best advice I can give iis you don't need a cannon and 95% of people shoot a whole hell of a lot better with a 270 or less then big 30 cals