I always liked hunting with a .243 when I lived in pa. It will get the job done if you place your shot correctly and it dont have much if any kick to it. my friends are always talkin bout this gun kicks like a mule like they are happy about it. I personally dont like a gun that knocks the **** out of my shoulder. I dont understand the need for it. it really confuses me when people are buying young hunters these guns that kick the **** out of their shoulders. what a great way to mess up their shooting abilities by making them cringe everytime they shoot. if you really enjoy the kick, more power to you but me personally, i like to draw the line at a 12 gauge. more than that and im not enjoying that gun. a friend of mine was having trouble with his shooting once and it was because it gun slammed the hell out of his shoulder. I told him to grab his .22 and start shooting with that for a while. after a while his shot come back to him cause he wasn't waiting for that slam on his shoulder.he could start focusing on his fundamentals instead. I do think a .223 is not enough for a deer but if it is kick you are concerned with, I believe a 243 would suit you just fine. and a smaller caliber dont make you less of a man. just my 2 cents