I dont think you are wrong in the sense that you are entitled to your opinion, but I think a 158gr doing 700fps, would go right through a deers ribs, when fired from 10 yds, which is 5 yds farther than Ive shot deer w/ a 30 06 and 12 slugs. oh and those deer kicked for a minute too, and were shot in the head! Im not sure why someone would want to use a 38spl revolver for deer hunting, since you are drastically limiting your range ,but it would surly kill a deer, if you could get close enough and wait for a good angle. on the other hand, i briefly owned a 357 winchester 94 trapper, and I shot cheap 38spl 158 gr lead swc out of it. I wouldnt have hesitated to hunt deer or bear w/ it, and those bullets, in heavy cover.