30-30 and 30/30 are indeed the same. The 25-06 is the same cartridge case as a 30-06 necked down from a 30 caliber bullet to a 25 caliber bullet. Generally the larger calibers have more power primarily because they have larger cartidge cases and therefore have a larger powder capacity. The 30-30 is a good deer round but for ranges not more than 100-150 yds., depending on how well you shoot the rifle. They are good rifles to use in heavier cover such as forests where the game will be encountered at shorter distances.

The greater the powder capacity the greater the kick a rifle will give. However, the weight of the rifle makes a difference in recoil. Lighter weight rifles with the same round will ususally recoil harder than heavier rifles. The shape and fit of the rifle also affects recoil.

I use a 25-06 for deer hunting. The recoil is pretty comfortable and it also makes a good varmint rifle with the smaller bullets. The 25-06 or higher power rifles are better at longer ranges due to the higher muzzle velocities which result in longer flater trajectories.

There are a lot of good rifle calibers for using on deer. If you ultimately want to shoot bigger game a 30-06 would be a good choice. I believe if you are going to have just one rifle for hunting that the 30-06 is the best choice. It has the knockdown power for just about any North American game and ammunition is very available just about anywhere you go.

Hope this helps,
Val