My favorite deer rifle is a .25-06 Rem 700 CDL, with a 6x Leupold. It's done real well for me for several years now on both deer & coyotes:
For some reason I went back to my old .308 Win/Rem 700 with the Krieger barrel & 4.5-14x this year, to shoot this GIANT whitetail... The backstrap steaks did cook up real nice on the BBQ last night, but I'll admit the antlers are just plain tiny! He's actually a 3x3 if I count the eye guards, and no, I didn't quite have to use a magnifying glass!
My youngest son favors his 6mm Rem 700 BDL with the 3.5-10x Leupold, but this year went with our .30-06 Model of 1917 for his whitetail buck. Showing off his 6mm Rem on a muley hunt:
Pleased as all get out with his Veteran's Day buck this year, using the ancient M1917, topped by a 6x Leupold, shooting 165 gr Noslers. He's the fourth generation of my family to use that old rifle:
Don't have a good field photo of it, but time to time I like to break out the traditional Thompson-Center .50 cal muzzle loader and try for deer. It's done real well in the past.
Best of luck to all who are still hunting! Regards, Guy
I've got a great idea for You if You want a Rifle that kicks less.....keep the very same Rifle You have and get the Remington "Managed Recoil" shells,they work great and shoot awesomely with a lot less recoil and it will probably only be an inch lower or even right on the money from whatever grain bullet Your shooting now?
I shoot the Nosler 165gr. Partition with 57.5gr. of H4350, Remington Brass and Primers (9 1/2). It was a load suggested to me by an old Camp Perry shooter. One of those rare occasions where I never even tried anything else in it. Loaded that suggested (I trusted him a lot 
) load, it shot super groups and that was that. I bought 2lbs. of that 4350 back then and still have 1lb. of it left. Card board cans no less. 
