I hunted with a 30-30 again last week, for the first time in 12 years, and shot a doe, which was quartering to me, through the near shoulder, heart, stomach, and far lung. The bullet penetrated about 20" before exiting. When I opened her up, it looked like a bomb went off inside the deer. The damage from my 30-30 was every bit as devastating as strikes from my 7Mag, 30-06, 308 and more traumatic than wounds from my 45-70, 44Mag, Slug, and ML because of the greater velocity.

I used a 170 gr Federal Soft Point, but have experienced similar wounds from the 170 gr corelokt as well. I prefer 170 grain bullets over 150s, but that's just for the added penetration. 150s seem to shock the deer better, with more Bang-Drops, but don't always exit.

My problem with 30-30s is that don't leave large exit wounds, like more powerful rifles. I do believe that they deliver as much energy on target as other soft points from 270/308/7Mag/30-06, but that they don't blow through as badly, leaving smaller exit wounds. Deer don't run farther after being shot with a 30-30, they just don't bleed as much externally b/c of the smaller exit wounds.

As far as a beginner's deer rifle, I think that a 30-30 is great! That's what my grandpa used, my uncle used, my dad used, my brother's used, and I used. At the same time, there are other, equally-good, if not better, rifles/calibers available. I think lever actions are safer than cross-bolt safety's b/c it's harder to accidentally cock a lever than it is to accidentally knock the safety off. I do though, that that your son should practice placing the lever in safety/half-cocked position about 100 times before doing it with live ammo. He needs to know how strong the hammer's spring is, and how much pressure is necessary to safely lower the it.

All in all, I believe a 30-30/35 Rem with low power scope and soft point bullets makes a great deer rifle for both new and experience hunters. But so does a bolt/pump action in 243, 257, 260, 7mm08, 308 also loaded with soft points and appropriate scope