My state now let's people hunt with any cartridge as long as its at least a .22 caliber. While I understand why, but I believe it has pros and cons. However I think the cons severely outweigh the pros. I'm am wondering what the thoughts of others are on this particular subject.
Personally,
I think a deer gun should be at least, in the .30 cal range.
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if you know the cartridge's (and your) limitations, a .22 centerfire will bring home the meat. if you take a shot that has to travel through lots of meat & bone before hitting the vitals, you probably won't recover the deer. when I hunt with my .223 I only take broadside heart/lung shots at ranges less than 50 yds. and I have never lost a deer with the .223
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While I do agree that .22 caliber centerfires do have the power to take deer sized game, more often than not I feel that it is not a good practice to endorse for one reason- There are a lot of people out there who may want to hunt who don't have the experience or marksmanship to effectively hunt with rounds that need precise placement to cleanly and humanely take larger (deer sized) game. This can easily get compounded when you look at the proliferation of people buying civilianized poodle shooters that can decide to go hunting on a whim because their Rambo toy is now allowed in the game- I can see all kinds of Wonderful Hunting Opportunities there! (Picturing a Forest of Testosterone Filled Overstimulated and Excited Hunters fueled by Red Bull who's big game experience involves Fly Swatters running around me with Assult weapons and Banana Clips waiting for something to Move!). Ok... I know I'm being a little over the top, but the truth is I would probably draw the line at the .243 level, which is much better suited for the game and has better penetration, and more importantly would help to keep some of the more ill prepared who didn't buy their rifles to hunt with from tromping around the woods.
Well since my thoughts that this thread will wind up going nowhere and that moose was smart the first time... I will try to contribute to the thread...
Any .22 cal gun 223 Rem and up will kill deer just as dead as a big magnum. To say different is plain stupid as there are plenty of people that shoot deer with a 223 each year,
OK OK "What about the deer that get away? You never hear about them!"
Well there are probably just as many if not more people that go out for the first time and buy a large cal "cause it bein the ONLY gun capable/ethical" then flub the shot cause they are afraid of the gun.
Well guys... How many of them stories do ya hear?!?!? Yeah just as I thought... as many as the wounded with the 223 stories...
In a lot of cases a 223 may be the only thing that a new hunter can master as far as recoil and muzzle blast, but it is unethical for that hunter to go out with a 223 that they can place a round in a 2 inch circle at 100, and ethical if they take out a 30-06 that they print a 8 or 10 inch group through all the flinching? RIGHT... WHATEVER...
Griz, me and you agree on a lot (ok most) topics but a .30 cal minimum??? A 30-30 is more ethical than a 270, 260, 7mm-08 or a 25-06? I feel that is a little rough as most of us dont live where we can get eaten by our game! Or did you mean energy?
Well since I "contributed" would it be possible that I actually get to keep a post instead of it getting deleted? If it gets deleted or edited, I feel a PM is in order as to why... as my deleted post was not harmful to anyone but just "my opinion"... but as we all know opinions are like ....... well you get the idea
My state now let's people hunt with any cartridge as long as its at least a .22 caliber. While I understand why, but I believe it has pros and cons. However I think the cons severely outweigh the pros. I'm am wondering what the thoughts of others are on this particular subject.
only a hammer??
Billy, I figured you'd don your mexican wrestling mask and run em down with a chainsaw (I bet any tresspassers on the property leave and never come back too after seeing such a thing)
I perfer 45-70 but I work with a guy that has taken probably 30+ deer in his life with his 223. If you hit them in the chest with an SP its going to make a nice conical wound channel if it doesn't kill them out right they should bleed out fairly quick, I would say within 50-100 yards of where they are shot.
62Likes
.22 centerfires - ethical whitettail cartridges? 
Or did you mean energy?
(I bet any tresspassers on the property leave and never come back too after seeing such a thing)
