I have a Browning A-Bolt with a 22" barrel that wears a Leupold VX3 1.75-6x32 in Tikka Lightweights. Right at 7.5#.
With a 120 NBT/45 grs Varget or the Winchester Supreme 140 CT load, it will do under an inch all day long from a bench, and I can routinely ring a 6 inch gong at 200 from field positions. I don't hunt areas with shots farther than that, so I don't practice any farther than that.
I have two little ones at home and don't get much time to shoot or go where I can shoot farther, but I have no doubt that combo would do fine out to 300+.
The recoil is negligible (I'll be the first to admit I don't like recoil), but the round just works on deer.
