Heavy brush or open timber? OR, long range open land? Consider where you will hunt as well as the size of the deer. I don't know how big your deer get out there but I would always opt for the one I shoot best, but I won't limit myself to a long range light rifle for open country when a long range round nosed or flat nosed rifle like a .308 will do everything the .243 will do in all terrain. Even a .308 will be deflected off a branch, but it will also dump a deer a long way down range.
Also consider bullet performance on the deer. (I would go with the .308 with some type of jacketed bullet with an exposed lead tip. 130-150 grains unless you know you will be hunting in some dense brush. Then I may go even heavier on bullet weight.)
Have you looked at lead loads for a 3030? That caliber and bullet killed a lot of deer over the years. Look for a medium velocity load for the .308 if you are recoil conscious that is accurate and has a picture of a deer on the box. But don't be surprised if you opt for a heavy load and don't even feel recoil when you nail that buck.
I load Sierra 150 gr. blems in round as well as flat nosed .308 sjfp/sjrp and they're good to the 150 yards I have tested them at. But I live in Iowa and we cannot use centerfire rifles for deer.
Now, go to the bullet manufacturers website and see what their specs say. I imagine everyone and his brother will have an opinion on what is best. And while this may not be the acid test...get about a foot of wet phone books and go pop some holes in them at 100, 150, and 200 yards and see what the bullet does. I also imagine if you buy a factory load you will be ok. The box of many manufacturers ammo has pictures of the game the ammo is suitable for.
A 150 gr .308 would suit me fine. I use 125s on coyotes and groundhogs. Good luck.
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