I've come full circle on the .30-30 cartridge. I killed my first buck as a kid with the Winchester M94 that Dad bought for me the day I was born.
Buck was about 90-100 yards away and I shot him in the neck and he collapsed in his tracks. I shot several more with it and Federal 150 grain loads and none ran more than 30 yards or so.
Then I started believing the stuff I read in the hunting rags that the old .30-30 was marginal for deer, SYo like a dumbazz I started on the bigger,better,faster kick. (Kept the Winchester though)
Over the years I've killed deer with a .218 Bee,.243,.30-06,.308,.250 Savage,.300 Savage, .41 magnum and .45-70, Some dropped on the spot and some ran a bit but I don't ever remember a deer running over 75 yards regardless of caliber.
I would not use the .218 Bee again unless it was the same shot at 20 yards in the forehead. That doe dropped right there but I don't expect to get that shot very often if ever.
I've come back to the .30-30 in a Savage Model 99 and a .303 Savage which is REALLY close to being a .30-30 anyway.
Where I hunt these days I am never going to have a decent shot over 100 yards and the .30-30 excels for me without being overly loud or tough on my wrecked shoulder.
