JMO

But I hunt in Pennsylvania and I know of people that did hunt at one time with a .222 Remington because their kids were small and couldn't handle the recoil of a larger firearm.

Did it make it right? NO

Was it any good for hunting white tails where I live? NO

Why did they do it? Probably because they were too cheap to go out and spend the money for a first gun for a kid that in a couple of years they would out grow and then it would just sit in the gun cabinet or get pawned off on some one else.

I will agree with anyone that says that you shouldn't use anything smaller than a .243 Winchester and go one step further to say that a .243 shouldn't be used as a kids gun because you have to be selective in where you shoot to make a ethical shot on a large whitetail deer.