Not all of us think the Winchester 94 was the end all be all of rifle design. And a bolt action .300 with irons only would be pretty lame.
Hunting deer in the woods around here with a bolt action .300 would be pretty lame. Tough to beat a 94 or if you prefer scopes, a 336 for deer in the woods. I've got scoped bolt actions in several chamberings {.223, .243, .308, .30-06} but they mostly stay home while the levers go hunting { I do still take the .223 out to do some "stunt shooting" sometimes}. My tags get filled every year.
I have an open sighted 336 .30-30 myself. I much prefer a scoped bolt gun even in the woods.
Why is that ? I've shot a ton of deer with both and can't see a damn bit of advantage to the bolt guns for deer in the woods. Put a good trigger on a 336 or 94 AE { work the sear/hammer notch depth and angles if neccesary} and scope it if so desired. Theyre're plenty accurate, flat shooting and powerful enough for any range you'll encounter in the woods. They carry better in the hand than any fat bolt gun, regardless of the weight {my 94 carries better than my 5 lb Marlin single shot bolt action 22} and with a full mag tube they balance better for offhand shooting than most lightweight bolt actions. What's not to like ? I DEFINITELY prefer to carry mine in the woods for deer over my Ruger 77 Hawkeye .30-06, my Tikka 595 .243 or my Weatherby Vanguard .308.. Those all usually stay home while my 336 or 94's are out slaying bucks.
