The next best thing for thick cover and yardage is most likely a 30-06 to me that would be your best bet its strong enough for thick cover and it has enough felocity to get good distance and be very accurate.

30/06 Remington 700

A lot of it depends on what you are personally most comfortable with. You mention that you aren't comfortable with the lever action. For me, I am most comfortable with a bolt action over a lever or pump action rifle. Does a bolt action shoot better than the lever or pump...that is another debate for another time.

Most of the time I hunt is either with a .270 pump, or a .300 win.mag. bolt action. I am comfortable with the .270 out to 200 yards, and he .300 out to 300 yards. Could either rifle shoot farther and make a kill, absolutely. But am I comfortable taking those shots? No. Can either rifle be used in thick cover, absolutely.

IMO (and some others have posted this caliber already), if I were in your shoes, I would look at a 30-06 bolt action.

Remember the old saying "it's not the bow, it's the Indian".

lol, Mlh beat me to the punch. Hornady's flex tip 30-30 will give yu longer range and you wont have to buy another rifle ( of course a new rifle is always a good thing though) If you dont want to buy a new gun at this timne I woould try these soft tipped 30-30 rounds. here is a link and the ballistics. Good luck and good hunting.

I use a bolt action 25-06 and have never lost a deer that I intended to get. I don't see a need for an auto-loader because I seldom shoot a second shot at deer. They are a big target and pretty easy to hit and you can reload in a second or so if you need to. I used a .30-.30 once myself and it is good for close shots (50 yards) but wasn't too good or shooting over 100 yards.

You might look at the .30-30 Hornady LeverEvolution ammo. Should extend the effective range. But ... I think they are using a long barrel for their published figures ... perhaps a 24 incher, as on the Marlin 336XLR.

I use my bolt action .270 for fields and brush. It has never failed me, Find a rifle that you are comfortable with and can shoot accurately. A well placed shot from any caliber that is reasonable for deer will kill the same as any other cartridge, dead is dead.

25-06 or 30-06

I use a 270 win but I have never shot a deer in the bush, I have always had open field to shoot in. A 270 is an awsome rifle!

I however you are in the bush and still want some range I would get a 30-06 or a 308. It is a heavier bullet that will likely do a bit better if it hits a stick. That dosen't mean you can shoot through trees!