I'd have recommended a 357, but nothing wrong with the 30-30. Easy to load both with specs from squirrel to HD to elk in timber. I've found the Marlin in 357 to be far more accurate and easy to find good loads for with all types of power levels than the Marlin 30-30. And if you imagine a 30-30 somehow has more power than a 357 out of a long barrel, well, it's just because you haven't seen them in action. A 180 XTP at 1700 shoots through 10 milk jugs with 4 1/2" plywood pieces spaced between them at 25 yds. And the milk jugs didn't just leak slowly. I was glad I had 12 jugs set up, because the slug, weighing 135gr, was in the 11th. Good luck getting any bullet 170gr and under to do that in a 30-30. 357 rifles are elk guns.
