.270 or .308

[muskrat30]

You would not go wrong with either caliber. I would go with a 308 though. It has been my favorite deer round for over 25 years.
I would think the Rem 700 comes in 308, at least some version. A few other common choices are Ruger, Savage, & a Browning A-Bolt. I have an A-Bolt & Mod 70 in 308 & both are fine. A Mod 70 may be getting a little hard to come by soon.

I would look at a regular sporter weight with most likely a 22" barrel. If the trigger is over 4 lbs I would get it down to 3 or so. How to do that depends on the model you get. Try to get at least a mid-grade scope. Check out a Nikon Monarch and Leupold first and if you need to lower it by $100 Burris has some good ones. I shoot a Varix-III 1.75-6 on my A-bolt. Whatever you get I wouldn't go over a 3-9pwr. A 2-7 is a nice size also. I used to live in MS & have seen the deer towers overlooking the 'beanfield'. If that is your type of hunting a higher pwr scope in a heavier package may be appropriate. I usually hunt on foot & seldom sit down. One guy's setup may not be the first choice for another.