Killed quite a few "woods" deer from whitetail does to 300-pound mule deer bucks with the .30-06 and 200-grain Nosler Partitions. Not all were 50 yards or less, but all well inside 100.
Used this combination because at the time a bolt-action .30-06 with a 4x scope was my only big game rifle, having lost some others due to a divorce. Had long known the .30-06 was a fine all-around cartridge for Montana game, but didn't realize quite how well it worked with that one load until using it.
It worked very well on whitetail does without ruining much meat at all, and also shot lengthwise through a big mule deer buck facing almost directly away.
Of course, it also worked well on elk--which is the main reason I started loading it. But also killed one pronghorn doe with a rib-shot at 250 yards, and she dropped quickly as well--with the same minor meat-damage.
All of which is one more factor about why the longer I hunt, the more I've started disbelieving all the agonizing rifle loonies often go through to pick the "perfect" rifle and cartridge. This may seem like heresy, but there it is.
my grandpap(RIP), Dad (RIP) and my uncle (RIP) had '06s. my dad and grandpap had Rem m760, while my uncle had Rem m760 (pump actions are a PA thing.) i had a Rem m700 Mountain rifle in '06 with a 4x scope. we had Rem 180gr RN factory ammo. most shots were 50 yards and under. my dad had killed a very old and fat 9 pt at 250ish yards and he used open sights. he had a 1.5 - 5?x Weaver on a see thru mount, but he never sighted it in. my dad killed alot of deer with that rifle.
the more i think about the "perfect" rifle and cartridge to hunt with is my Winchester m94 TE in 30-30 (which is now a 35/30-30) that my grandpap gave me. i killed alot of deer with that rifle. what do i do with it? i put her in the safe for about 20 years and then i forgot about her. then a few years ago i heard about the 35/30-30 and i sent it to JES Reboring and he did an awesome job.
"Russia sucks." ---- Me, US Army (retired) 12B & 51B
Russian Admiral said, after the Moskva sank, "we have the world's worst navy but we aren't as bad as our army".
