Yes the 30-30 is just fine for deer up to 100+ yards. Longer range ballistics for the classic blunt bullet shape show a significant drop. However Hornady has addressed this issue.
http://www.hornady.com/store/30-30-W...EVERevolution/
For 200 to 300 range target and varmint hunting the .223 is a good choice but it is not a recommended deer gun.If you don't like the looks of the AR type black rifles, the Ruger Mini 14 is a good choice.