I'd bet I've killed more deer with a .30-30 and .243 than anybody else on this thread. Killed my 80th this past season with the .30-30 and 30ish {lost count} with the .243. Both kill deer but the .30-30 is the better deer cartridge at the 50-150 yard ranges quoted by the OP. It's better because it's 170 grain .30 caliber bullets almost always exit on anything but a lenghthwise shot, even through both shoulders or with quartering shots and consistently puts more blood on the ground. It may not be a spectacular killer or a long range flat shooter but it's a damned awful dependable killer inside 200 yards. The hogwash that the .30-30 kicks more than the .243 is just that. In fact, in equal weight rifles, recoil energy is so close between the two with common deer weight bullets as to hardly be worth mentioning. The thing being, most of the cheap, lightweight, bolt guns recommended so far are substantially lighter than a 336 and consequently would actually recoil more.
