"- Personally I do not feel that it is an ideal caliber for average white tail sized game but it is capable of making a humane kill."

While far from ideal, the .223 is "adequate" for whitetail deer at limited ranges, provided you use the right bullets and place the bullet precisely in a vital area.

I once compared the wound channel in two whitetails of about the same weight, field dressed +- 150 pounds. One had been shot with a .223 with the Nosler Partition 60-grain bullet, and one with a 130-grain Nosler Partiton from a .270 Win. Both were broadside shots thru the ribs and both lungs, both exited the off side ribcage. Range under 100 yards for each animal.

From visual examoination, it seemed that the .270 had done about 4 times the amount of damage done bythe .223.

However, neither animal moved over 5' from where it had been standing whne shot. Hmmm......

BTW, the .22/250 (and .220 SWIFT) is an entirely different proposition. If used with controlled expansion bullets, its' much higher impact velocity does things to larger animals that the .223 is just too slow to duplicate!