Originally Posted by Finepoint

Glad I could get some thoughtful conversation going!
The purpose of picking a point of specific internal anatomy is the "aim small, miss small" principle. If you choose a 150 lb deer and draws a 3" circle around the back wall of the right atrium, you will encompass all the major structures of the chest while avoiding the major (edible) muscle groups. The critter will most likely drop within 3-5 seconds. This is what I'd call a humane kill with a low margin for error.
Younger shooters may not know that, prior to about 1980, a sporting rifle and factory ammo capable of sub-MOA precision was a never-realized dream. Before that (the introduction of hammer-forged barrels and computer-controlled machining) 1 1/2 to 2" groups were considered quire accurate and most off-the-rack lever guns didn't break 2 1/2. But people kept within reasonable ranges and did quite well. Even the vaunted house of Holland and Holland was happy with 3" groups for their bolt rifles. A Type 99 Arisaka made in 1943 that shoots 3MOA is considered a tack-driver (most do 5-6MOA - battle rifles shoot at very large tacks) and will put all its bullets in the target area at 100 yds. That's all I expect it to do, just like I don't expect my old '53 Chev to go 150MPH. If I were to target a critter at longer range, I'd simply pick a different, more precise rifle or pass on the shot. Either way, my integrity is intact and that is what ethics is all about.
"Finepoint" is an example of two of my favorite things: paradox and irony. Actually I picked it because I needed a user ID quickly and that was what was written of the pen I was holding at the time. I grew up under a family tree festooned with engineers and obsessive attention to detail, but have spent my career working in the endlessly sloppy world of biology and human behavior, so I can see both perspectives. (Call it Camp Perry meets Kalashnikov) I tend to obsess over tools (guns/loads) but i also remember that they are used by humans, not cyborgs. Mostly I do a lot of testing because I am keenly aware of how much we humans love to fudge the data or test parameters to meet our own self-deceptions. It has much more to do with ego than physics.