Originally Posted by emtrescue6

Making the "assumption" that "if someone wants to/does hunt with one they obviously have good shooting skills" makes absolutely no sense! Weapon chose has little to do with skills...

The common theme here is...shot placement is critical when using a 223...that alone indicates that the 223 is a marginal option for deer (again why several states don't allow their use on deer)...have I seen deer taken with a 223? Yup...did they all die quickly, yup...where all of the shots perfectly placed? Yup...have I seen deer taken with a 22LR? Yup...same scenario as with the 223. Shot placement and skill level and the ability to restrain ones self from taking a bad shot (when that huge buck presents itself) is most important when using "small tackle", and not everyone is of a high ethical standard and holds the skills to do this...