Yeah, deer caliber restrictions are asinine. Believe it or not, the 327 federal just barely squeaks by the somewhat obscure South Dakota definition. This is a state that is trying to make blowgun fishing legal (and I fully support, I love blowguns). I was not alive when all these restrictions were first put into place, so I don't know what the original intent was when states did this. Now it is a case of being behind the curve. As more and more states roll out regulations for hunting with airguns, states will relax their restrictions by quite a bit. The old curmudgeons will still moan that now most states will allow cartridges as small as 32 acp, sometimes smaller. Well, a whole lot of studies have been done on airguns, and surprise surprise, deer aren't that tough. 30 caliber, 150 grain, at 800 fps. If that works when propelled by air, why wouldn't it work when propelled by burning powder? Myself, and just about everyone else choose to exceed that voluntarily. It's just another case in a long list that government should not be regulating ethics.
As for this rifle, I'm quite happy with what I see. It is pretty high on my list of choices for black bear next year.