This photo was sent to me by a friend in Michigan. Truthfully, I've not met this hunter.
All three cartridges produce lethal wound channels. Question is which combination of bullet and velocity will always drop 'em dead in their tracks?
30-30 is my first choice. This cartridge always seems to have the right balance of trajectory for hunting situations and energy transfer to the animal. The 170 grain FEDERAL bullet is quite soft at the tip for fast mushroom forming and energy transfer. Yet the rear of the bullet holds everything together to retain mass for breaking bones.
.243 is always a great choice for open country hunts where shots may exceed 250 yards or farther. 95 grain Ballistic Tip is both fast and deadly accurate. But for 100 - 150 yard shots in the timber, this cartridge is still too fast and wastes its energy in the open air on other side of the deer.
30-06 has been proven many times over in exponential numbers. But
some bullets are much too thick jacketed for good energy transfer in deer sized animals. Stay away from the pointed 180 grain bullets. This weight typically has a rather thick jacket intended for heavier built animals such as bear, elk, moose and so forth. The 220 grain bullets are way too heavy in the jacket for anything much lighter skinned than North American grizzly or African lion. You can't go wrong with a fast stepping 150 grain or even most 165 grain bullets. Remington AccuTip is a very good deer dropper. An old fashioned but excellent game killer is the round nosed 180 grain bullet with lots of lead exposed. These old design bullets open up fast like a 150 grain but hold together like a good 180 grain should.
Recoil-wise .243 and 30-30 are easy on the shoulder. 30-06 is painful after 10 shots or so.
I hope this is helpful. Good hunting to you.
Jack