Hello, this is my first post here. I apologize for coming so close to asking the old question that makes everyone moan and groan but I want to ask your opinions on my particular application.

I hunt my family farm and joining personal property in NC. My deer are pretty small and a 200 lb buck would be sure something to talk about.

I am by choice primarily a woods guy that likes getting close and usually spend more time with archery tackle or a .30-30. I have long preferred the 06 for more consistent blood trails and less bruising up close than the .270. Yet I have never really tried to shoot much past 200 or so.

I have a much older vastly more experienced hunting friend (gets a heck of a buck almost every year, also a 1000 yard wildcat guy) that just shakes his head and says that as pressured as our deer are around here that the best way to see something good is fill the feeder up, wait for the November fun, and shoot long while never ever going into the woods and spooking up the area. He says the crazy pressure from our hundreds of small farms and our fickle mountain winds just makes hunting close too hard for the big old bucks. He has advised me to start treating older bucks like another species and to stop doing the stuff that fills the freezers with does.

My property has a spot where I know I could get a good predictable 350-400 yard shot if I decided to practice up and try it that way for a change. I can't get closer without blowing my cover, I can indeed back up as I gain experience if needed.

I am concerned about terminal performance on my small deer. I wonder if at that range if the lighter faster remaining bullet speed of the .270 (probably a 130 or 140 SST) will trump the .30-06 165 SST ( assume everything is handloaded to near book max levels)? I will not shoot if it is clearly windy, and I can practice the elevation. What I can't change is bullet performance at reduced speeds and energy vs diameter (whatever that is actually worth). I know this is not really long range at all and that I why I am hoping to not need to get into the 200 grain VLD class of bullet.

Over the years I have already worked out my clear preference for the .30-06 within 200 yards but I need your help working out what to at least expect at almost double that yardage.

Thanks