This is a pretty funny thread.. I might point out that the 30/30 has been elevated to the status of a dangerous game rifle only on this thread. Maybe for the conditions the original poster said would a 30/30 equal a 243 in effectivness . An aquaintance of mine had a Sako finwolf in 243 winchester and used it in a heavily wooded area in NY state. He loved that gun and its effectivness on deer. Had he sat on the edge of a field or right away somewhere he would have been right at home as well. In my mind a 30/30 is a 150 yard gun no more no less. In varying terrain the 243 can be used at 300 yards easily on deer. Some people use it on larger game and I will bet that more 243's kill Elk every fall then do 30/30's. On average it is a better overall deer cartridge. What would be wrong in using a 243 on black bear . On the east coast its a short range prop anyway and with the correct bullet it will work long or short. Drop figures on ballistic tables don't lie when the range exceeds rock throwing.