Before I left Alabama my .270 rifles accounted for about 350 whitetails in Baldwin and Bullock counties. I also used a .243 for about 20 in Dale county. Whatever caliber you pick isn't nearly as important as shot placement. Once you are sighted in, leave the bench and play with your rifle under hunting conditions. Get some life-sized deer silhouette targets and shoot them at all distances you might encounter in the field.