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My favorite for 35 years has been my Browning BLR in .308.
Just recently bought a Marlin guide gun in 45/70 that might replace it.
When in heavy brush I like a Winchester 94 in 44 mag.
Fifty some years ago, when I was still living with my parents and in school, I used a Winchester model 94 in 30 caliber. It has killed more deer than anything else I've ever used. Most of my adult life I've hunted, either with a rifle, shotgun or bow, but I've never been as serious as I was back then. Today I have 14 lever action rifles, several bolt action rifles, a couple pumps and several auto loaders. I shoot the lever action rifles more that any of the rest of them.
I depends on where you hunt and the likely shot. A,308 is fne for whitetail i the woods with a hevier bullet. For anyhting else a .243 to a .270 is fine dependng on the bullet used. I even know guys rtaht relaod witha 22-250 that thnik its a lighting killer on whitetail. For mule deer a .270 up is favoered by most. I tend to favor a .270 overall as a good longer range deer rifle.I see people use 7mm magnum but ost seem to flinch more with tehm because of recoil IMO which isn't good.
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I have hunted with a Sako Finnbear .30-06 since I was nine or ten. My father finally gave it to me when I was in my late 20's. Love that gun; Only bolt action centerfire rifle I'm likely to ever need in North America (Yes, lots of people take elk with 185 grain .30-06). 150 grain jacketed soft point is a dandy round for whitetail and mulies.
I've flirted with the idea of getting a heavy-barrelled rifle in .308 for hog hunting, but if I buy another one it will probably be a semi-automatic. I think an AR-10 fits the bill nicely and since every bell and whistle manufactured these days comes in picatinny rail system, that's probably the most practical choice.
A Remington 700 for anywhere where I can expect to take a shot over 150 yards or so...
An old Winchester model 94 in 30-30 for everything else.
Both are well worn (the Winchester is actually Pre-64 and quite 'collectible'), have a touch of rust and operate like extensions of my body. Never been much of a gear-*****, constantly buying new rifles chambered in backwater calibers. Always thought it's better to learn one rifle and use it forever than to have 100 rifles to choose from.
As someone mentioned, the rifle you choose should match the area you hunt.
We routinely hunt a couple of cedar swamps where you can't see more than 40 yards -- the Ithaca 37 Featherweight and some slugs, or the Win 94 30-30 are the most practical. As I get older, the 30-30 has more appeal simply because it's easier to carry.
On the other hand, when we hit the wheat and corn fields, I like the longer reach and penetration of the Krag 6.5x55.
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