When it comes to deer hunting I like a comfortable shooting rifle that carries nicely.
This for me too.
Call me old fashioned, but I still rifle hunt on my feet (bowhunting is another story). And because of this, I want a rifle I don't really notice after 3-4 miles through the woods. I've learned that for me at least, that means 7 lbs. or less.
When you rank carry weight/length that high, it kinda takes care of some of the other parameters. Meaning, nobody is going to enjoy shooting an '06/7mag/etc. in a 7 lb. rifle. .308 is about the most I want to put up with in a 7 lb. gun, and that's because I shoot my hunting rifles a lot. I may go through 100 rounds pre-season just to refamiliarize myself with the gun, check zero, sort ammo, verify holdovers at different ranges, etc. I'm not a guy than will go 2,3 or more seasons on one box of ammo. So that being said, a 7mm-08 or .308 is probably the most gun I'd ever use for deer.
Like I said in another thread, the "ideal" deer rifle to me has the following characteristics:
7.5 lbs carry weight (or less) scoped
1000 ft. lbs. energy at 300 yards
1 MOA accuracy to 300 yards
4 or 5 shot capacity
40" total length or less
12 lbs. or less felt recoil
My research lately has shown that there are actually very few calibers that are close to those specs. The .243 is one of them, and that is probably why it's been such a popular deer caliber for so long. The 6.8 Rem SPC is a newcomer that also meets those. My "new favorite rifle" - the 7.62x39 bolt action - falls just short of the energy requirement, but for closer distances, it meets all the others.