Originally Posted by
Bigslug
Unless you're living in an area where the whitetails allow themselves to be killed with a club from your front porch. . .
. . .carry the .30-06.
You're stating physical issues that are likely to make the process harder than it used to be. No sense in making it harder on yourself with a rifle that is in itself getting pretty well handicapped as you pass 150 yards.
Even assuming I didn't have the California lead hunting ban to contend with, it's hard enough just finding the mulies to shoot. Although I have a number of "I'd like to shoot a deer with iron sights this or cast bullets that", the mission is about making meat when the opportunity presents. Add the physical creaks and groans of age to that process, and it's now all about stainless, synthetic, and flat trajectory.