The Encore is not what I consider to be a "carry" gun. The 30-30 will giterdun out to 150+ and can be had in a Contender. I prefer the 7-30 Waters and consider it to be a 200+ yard deer gun but factory ammo can be hard to find. The 35 Rem is another worth consideration. I tried an Encore once and couldn't get my paws around it. It is a big gun, but then your hands may be larger than mine. Best to try before you buy.