My cousin is small framed and doesn't like to shoot high recoil rifles. He has used a .243 all of his life to shoot deer. He has killed dozens and almost never has to track one. His three daughters have all killed deer with a .243. In the past three weeks, literally dozens of kids in Louisiana (and everywhere else, I'm sure) have been using .243s to kill deer (in fact, judging from the pics on our local websites, they have been mowing them down). As with any rifle, shot placement is key.