It should be remembered that some people are not able to hunt with the more powerful calibers. One year I had broken my back, and I would have been unable to hunt had my father not purchased a .22 Hornet for me to use. That caliber is of course not ideal for whitetails, but it CAN do the job efficiently if you are aware of it' s limitations and use it accordingly. As I said before, I would not at all recommend it for an inexperienced hunter or one who would not limit their shot choices. I would never hunt with such a small caliber (I normally use .30-06) unless I had no other option.