I have Savage 99Fs in 358 and find that because of the stock design and weight, it is an uncomfortable rifle to shoot and, therefore, to shoot particularly well.
Vermont sucks as a hunting destination! A small deer herd means that you can go multiple years without even seeing a legal deer. Who, if they had a choice, would choose to hunt deer in Vermont? I used to hunt deer in ME, NH, and VT when I lived in New England and did a little better than average, but I hunted all over NH and VT.
The sport of hunting is diminishing in New England because more and more land is being posted, not because people aren't shooting deer with cartridges that you approve of. How hard is it to kill a deer? Shoot 'em though the lungs with a properly constructed bullet and they die in short order. I find that the combination of 22-250 and 60 grain Partition is easy to shoot, accurate, and deadly. If you tried it, you might like it.
