min energy to kill a deer. come to Tenn, in November with the CENTERFIRE rifle of your choice! hunt for a month and half kill three bucks (for the season) and three does ( A DAY) you can try all your gun's and load's see which one works for you best. bring a big cooler. p.s. thee a day only in ( L ) county's personaly I perfer the 223 ranch rifle with 45gr hp real easy to shoot those bean eatin verman from my combine. when i go hunting i use a smoke pole. (don't kill it if somebody is not going to eat it )