I believe that most of the wounding of deer with the .30-30 over time has been due to the fact that the rifles themselves came with crappy open sights, which people attempted to use out to 200 yards. Such a distance is in fact within the cartridges effective range, but not within the skill of 99% of hunters.
Seeing a deer out there, they just couldn't resist taking free-hand shots, using their butt heavy carbines, and launching poorly aimed bullets. After the first miss, the deer probably ran, and they probably kept levering and firing the remaining 6 to 10 rounds, crippling and maiming.
A good set of open peep sights, or a good 4x scope, turns the average 30-30 into a consistent killer out to 200.
One poster asked why limit yourself to the range and power of a .30-30 when you could use a 30-06 or .308 which is good out to 500.
Here's why, especially if you hunt east of the Mississippi.
At short ranges, being 75 yard and under, I have seen in my 55 years of deer hunting far more deer lost to high powered rifles than to the .30-30. I have personally seen 150 grain corelokts fired from the .30-06 and .308, and 140 grain corelokts from a 7 Mag, pass straight through deer at that range, with little or no expansion, even on great shots. The deer then run, and run hard, for a long time. Sometimes you can find them, and sometimes you can't. Depends on terrain, brush, time of day. That little .30 hole generally provides little or no blood trail, and if they run just 300 yards or so at sunset, you probably have a lost deer. The coyotes have it by morning.
In contrast, at point blank and up to 75 yards, where the vast majority of whitetails are shot, a solid hit with a .30-30 is a dead deer. Yes, they will prance along for 100 feet or so, but then they drop stone dead. Here is where the lower velocity .30-30 really really shines. (Same is true for the .35 Remington). Perfect bullet performance at those distances, and generally beyond.
Just my experience.
Mannyrock
