One observation is none of us asked if this was Bharrigan915's first rifle. He said it was his first deer rifle so I assumed it was not his first rifle, I could be wrong. I am also as I type assuming Bharrigan915 is a male, I could be wrong about that as well.
If I am wrong in the assumption this is not Bharrigan915's first rifle I still recommend the 308 as an all purpose rifle for a hunter on a budget, but would also recommend a used 22LR for learning to shoot. I honestly don't advocate deer hunting with any rifle for someone with no shooting experience.
I am baffled by this notion that a 308 has to much recoil for a young shooter. With the availability of rounds like
308 Win 125 gr SST® CustomLite™ I am convinced that the 308 is the perfect round for a young sportsman on a budget who needs a rifle that will allow them to hunt any north American big game species as well as varmint and target shooting.