If I think about what my my perfect deer rifle would have been. It's a past tense, my knees are shot. I'm a sit and wait type, now. 1) weight, I would be packing it in my hands in front. 2) reasonably short for both quick movement and not getting tangled in the bush. 3) stock ergonomics, it would have to come up fast. The subtle shaping of the stock has a big effect, often ignored. 4)sight picture, your eye should line up with the sight, even if it's closed. This is a stock fit question. again often ignored. 5) a single sight to line with the deer would be easier.
I'll leave the cartridge and bullet choice for debate, though I think they are almost irrelevant .
