I love this forum!! Thank you for the replies and synopsis of your own experiences. Exactly what I was looking for. All but one of my deer have been shot with 7mm Mag and a high-stepping 140 B-tip handload, very messy, but VERY VERY quick killer. One of the reasons for my post here is my own lack of personal experience with the round other than the aforementioned tracking jobs. Ive never personally pulled the trigger with a 30-30 on a deer. I think UncleNorby may have hit on something solid, as I have never seen a 30-30 equipped with what I would call a quality optical sight. Most have "scopes" I wouldn't put on my 6 yr old cousin's Red Ryder bb gun. As well, the lighter bullet theory may hold water, with velocities of the 170 gr pills treading dangerously close to the minimum expansion threshold of many modern jacketed bullets at fairly close ranges (~1700-1800 fps in most designes). Again, thank you guys for taking the time!!