Personally,I don't like anything heavier than a 165 for deer in a 30-06. You want the major shock wave to occur before the bullet hits the center of the vitals. IMO, the 180 gr are intended for elk sized game as far as bullet weight, but not all 180 gr .308 bullets perform well on elk sized game. For a deer round, find the combinationusing a hunting bulletthat is most accurate. Be sure to stay away from the MATCHKing for deer, as this is a match bullet and not a hunting bullet. The GAMEKing by Sierra performs well on deer.