[dakota.potts]

.30-06 is a great round with loads from 110 to 220 grain and suitable for just about any kind of game. Recoil in a well-balanced rifle is plenty comfortable for hunting conditions and you have a wide range of commonly available ammo. Even Buddy's corner store and feed mart that doesn't sell guns probably has a box of .30-06.

For hunting deer, I don't really care one way or the other about a detachable box magazine or hinged floor plate, as long as the magazine sits flush and doesn't rattle. A hinged floor plate is what I have on my custom .30-06 and I'm perfectly happy with it.

For a hunter who wanted only one rifle and one caliber, I would probably stick with the .30-06 or a .270. .308 is great but, as noted, tends to disappear during panic buying sessions while "hunting" calibers stay on the shelves. .243 is great and has low recoil and should also be commonly available, but does limit the upper end of game you hunt. A .270 or .30-06 is enough to hunt bear or elk or just about anything else on the continent should you get the chance. There are other good options out there like 7mm-08, .260, etc. but I find it difficult to go wrong with a .30-06 or a .270.

There are also the European calibers to consider: 7X57 and 6.5X55 in particular are popular. I have always wanted a full length mannlicher rifle in one of those two calibers, as they both have a certain elegance; long providence in use for hunting all kinds of game, low recoil etc. But not something I necessarily recommend for a first and possibly only rifle.