in the 7's are awesome!) but this also means fairly heavy recoil, so you're going to want a muzzle brake . I was going to recommend 7mag till I saw it on your list, the only other thing I can think of is 284-6.5, or rebarrel your 7mag and have a something like a painkiller brake installed, I understand their pretty good to the shooter. bigngreen found a style of break he says is friendly as far as others around you are concerned. By rebarreling you can dictate weight and still get a really good barrel that'll give you the accuracy you want. just an option never to late to start reloading, you'll find more help and knowledge here than you'd ever ask for __________________ Keep in mind the animals we shoot for food and display are not bullet proof. Contrary to popular belief, they bleed and die just like they did a hundred years ago. Being competent with a given rifle is far more important than impressive ballistics and poor shootability. High velocity misses never put a steak in the freezer. I'd use your 257 for deer, and I think you'll do fine at almost any range. In addition, many people use a 25-06 or 257 Wby for elk though I'd personally be a bit hesitant at loooong range with it (i.e. over your 800 yards suggested) for anything. I bought a 257 Wby early this year as my long range deer rifle and it's a great rifle! With