I have owned 2 S&W 460's, and 2 Encore barrels chambered for the same cartridge. I tested the Hornady 200gr FTX factoy load from my 14 inch Encore barrel into 3 one gallon jugs filled with water at 50 and 100 yards, and while the splash was very impressive, there was only a small amount of the bullet left. It was about like a dime, both in diameter and in thickness. After this test I pulled down the rest of the ammo and reloaded with 240gr XTP Mags. The results were very similar. I would say the problem lies with the bullet and it's loading. I sold/traded all my 460's and related stuff and returned to my normal Contender chamberings with no regrets. I am not suggesting you do the same, but I would recommend a different bullet and or loading. As far as the 30-30, I would not hesitate to shoot a whitetail at 100 to 150 yards with an accurate 150 grain factory load, or a reloaded equivalent. Don't beat yourself up too much, it's happened to most of us at one time or another.