Both my kids have used a .243 youth model to take 5 deer now. None traveled more than 50 yards after the shot, and the most recent was dropped in his tracks by my 10 yr old with a hard quartering to shot placed perfectly in front of the near shoulder. Bullet wiped out one lung, most of the second lung, cut most of the arteries holding the heart and thru the opposite ribs. The bullet was just under the skin and in near perfect mushroomed shape. I would not hesitate to hunt with that little gun myself if I gun hunted anymore.

My daughter has moved on to a nice 25-.06 that her g'pa gave her. It is a nice deer caliber as well, but certainly more kick and noise.