I think you choise would depend on your hunting style. I've killed alot of deer over the years with about 20 different cartridges including the 308 and the 257.
If most of your hunting is stand hunting or spot and stalk where you have the time to pick your shot the 257 would be perfect. I personaly use a 250 Sav and a 250 clone wildcat for that type of hunting.
If your more of a still hunter or tracker(Bennoit style) a 308 with a heavy bullet is the ticket, you have to be able to reach vitals from any direction and the shooting can get fast and usualy in heavier cover so I like something that exits. My mainstays for years were a Sav 99 308/180RN's (my nephew carries it now), a Bolt Carbine 30-06/220RN's (stolen from a buddy while bear hunting). I now relie on a Sav 99 375 Win and a 35 Whelen with a 358 Win carbine in the works to replace the 35 Whelen.
