I have been hunting with a BAR in .270 Winchester since 1993. My opinion on the said rifle is extremely positive. I stalk and make runs; I prefer a semi over a bolt for that kind of hunting. My rifle would not qualify as lightweight (22 inches barrel, blued steel and nice wood), but it is not the end of the world to carry either. It never failed to perform its duty. I have hunted in all possible weathers with it, from warm and sunny to freezing rain building ice on the rifle, snow and cold (I know, it might not be a factor in Florida, but have you not been dreaming of Alaska?), and the most care it received was to get wiped at the end of the day. Just remember it is a hunting rifle, and a very good one in my opinion, not a target rifle. If you want to enjoy shooting target a lot with your deer rifle (I assure you, some people do!), the bolt action might present a better option. It is not that the BAR is inaccurate, but it is more complicated to disassemble and reassemble for in depth cleaning purposes, which usually occur more frequently when a rifle is used for target. If you stick to deer hunting, as posted, I strongly recommend the BAR. Read around, not many complaints against it. As for the .270 Winchester caliber, it is my personal belief that it is enough for absolutely anything in North America, and definitely appropriate for deer.
