While I can see your point, the truth of it in our woods is considerably different. Many if not most of our old timers had already taken to the trees. Those that weren't in trees were sitting on stumps. Our property is filled with at least 2 generations' worth of rotted treestands from the previous owners.
I think the reason for the disparity is that folks in our part of the world were generally hunting small plots that do not lend themselves to still hunting. If you go a quarter mile on most of these farms, you're on somebody else's property.
Besides, this is not about whether you or I can use a 30-30 on deer. This is about the 308 ME and 338 ME. My point is about perceptions, and my point is that my perceptions of a 30-30 in 2002 led me to pretty much the same conclusions as Marlin, specifically that there is room for a .308 chambering that is below a standard .308 WIN in performance, but considerably stouter than the 30-30 WIN.
I will also agree with you that, with 15 years of hindsight, my Marlin 336 in 30-30 WIN has turned out to be quite adequate for whitetail deer. The problem was one of perception. I had been used to the overwhelming power of the 30-06 and I had a somewhat bum experience with my first trip out with the 30-30 and just put the rifle aside and kept going. In future outings, it did just fine in the hands of my sons as the family's designated yute rifle. My point was that the disappointment in the 30-30 drove me to a Savage 99 in 308 WIN. My disappointment in 2002 was shared by a lot of other folks, hence there was a market for the 308 ME.
Last edited by shaman; 01/22/17.
