Have had several Ruger American centerfires, taking antelope, whitetails and axis deer with them. The stocks have improved since they were introduced, being considerably stiffer, though I still sometimes have to rasp the front of the barrel channel to get them really free-floated. The cartridges have included the .223 and .22-50 Remingtons, .243 Winchester, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 and .30-06. They have all shot well, but the most accurate was a 6.5 Creedmoor Predator. Loaded up some 140-grain Berger Hunting VLDs with H4350, using some charge around 42 grains, and the first group at 100 yards put 5 (not 3) into .33 inch. The triggers aren't as widely adjustable as they were at first, but it's easy to take 'em apart and clip off one coil of the spring; they then can be adjusted about like the originals, from around 2.5 pounds to 4. I have several Velcro-attachable cheekpieces that can be easily adjusted for the correct scope height. I haven't had much trouble at all with the magazines, and only one has been the new box magazine.
Have had one Savage Axis, which did not have an adjustable trigger, though I managed to modify it enough to work OK. It was originally a .22-250 and shot very well, without any fiddling with the stock. Put a Shaw .250 Savage barrel on it for a while, which also shot very well; in fact it may have been the most accurate .250 I've owned, and I've owned quite a few. But the detachable magazine needed to be really whacked to stay in the stock.
Have had a couple of T/C Ventures, a .243 and .308, and both shot very well with just about any load. Probably should have kept one, but have several .243s and .308s.
Own one Mossberg Patriot .308, which shoots at least as well as the T/C Venture and RAR .308s I've had. Killed a mule deer buck with it a while back, but it's now on loan to the daughter of a friend.
One of the inexpensive rifles I'd definitely add to the list is the Mauser M18, which these days can be found for $400 to $450 new. A very fine "cheap" deer gun.
