I guess this is a moot point as blindhunter may have already bought the 30-30 (very good price by the way). but my experience has been 100% opposite of that of HighDesertWolf. I would say that 40-50% of the time the bullet from my 30-30 never exited the deer and they always ran. Blood trails were spotty to non existent. Yes, the deer was dead but oftentimes in the thick cover that I hunt in here in northern Maine there was a nervous period of time looking for that animal.

I have shot a like number of deer with the 35 (actually several more). In my case, the 200 grain bullet from the 35 has always exited and if the animal moves anywhere it seems to stagger 5-10 yards like a drunk sailor and plops over. Also, there seems to be a better blood trail. I don't honestly know if it has to do with the 200 grain bullet as oppsed to the 170 but the 35 seems to shock the deer better and, for lack of a better term, it pounds them.

I don't reload so I'm stuck with factory fodder. Like I said, I owned both in the past but only the 35 now.