[Hi Ball]

Allen.........I must agree that there are many a fine caliber that one could tag as the "perfect" whitetail deer gun. I myself have used most of those calibers over the years and can varify that bigger is NOT BETTER when it comes to whitetail deer hunting.

I remember the first time (1963) I used a 300 Win mag (Belgium Browning Rifle) with a 150 grain bullet out the barrel. Why that bullet hitting the shoulder, darn near took that deer in half at 40 yards! I can put that 7mm mag into the same catagory up close using the 140 grain bullet.

Then their was the time I had to try out my very first .458 big bore in a Express gun. Boy it sure taught me a lesson that day, hitting a buck in the chest with a 500 grain bullet at less than 50 yards. Never be resting up against a tree and pull the trigger on that cannon ever again! The bullet hit the bucks spine and completely blew up the rear half of the bones and fragments and bone came out the back the size of a grapfruit. There was shreded bone driven into both hindquarters. Such power was awsome to wittness. Truly a waste of good venison........We live and hopefully learn! The year was 1964.

The last 10 years or so I have come to appreciate the finer things in life and one of those on my list is the 1/4 bore 25-06~!
Oh I do love em all I suppose, from the Triple Deuce to the 500 Nitro Express in the vault. They all have a purpose to serve but if I had to make a choice (Heaven Forbid!!!) of all those I have aquired over the years, I would not want to be without my 25-06 model 70 for the small stuff and the .416 mag model 70 for those things that bite back.