Very good point briman-we have same problem-also with "nimrods" that buy a factory boresighted remington model 710 to shoot maybe 1-3 times a year,then can't figure out why their "perfectly" shot deer can't be found. But yet,they swear their rifle is as good or better than everybody elses and they KNOW they're shooting abilities are every bit as good as somebody that shoots year round.
ORIGINAL: Briman
Around here the biggest crippler guns are probably remington 742s in 30-06. Then again, if you give someone with no shooting skill, who fires less than a box of shells per year, and who probably doesn't even check his zero every year a .243, 30-30, a 30-06, or a 30-378, he's bound to shoot a deer poorly and lose it, a good heart-lung shot on a deer is only a matter of luck for this kind of hunter.