This post is kinda late, but I just got here.
I have killed deer with a 30-30 and a 35 Rem, and still have both. Will take the 35 over the 30-30 every time. More "knock down", and doesn't recoil any worse than the 30-30. I have found my Marlin 336 35 Rem to be more accurate than my Win 94 30-30, and it is a heck of a lot easier to mount a scope on. Have a Simmons 4x on it and have worked up handloads with 200 gr bullets that give 3 shot 1" groups @ 100 yds.