.223 isn't allowed for deer in many states. Check your local laws to be sure. My state opened deer and pronghorn to it last year. Is it my first choice? No. Would I discard the opportunity to hunt if it were the only rifle I owned? Absolutely not.

I'm one of those freaks though who, while going to college, filled my freezer with elk three seasons in a row using the only rifle I owned - a .243. I knew I was at a disadvantage, I picked my shots, and was very deliberate about what I was doing. Two dropped in their tracks, one made it maybe 10 yards and dropped. I'm glad I have other choices for elk today, but I was happy to have more than ramen noodles to get me through school.

I'll give the advantage to a hunter with a minimum-allowable chambering who knows he's at a disadvantage and who compensates by honing his shooting skills and being selective on what shots he'll take over the guy who thinks that because he has a bigger gun he no longer needs to pay as much attention to his marksmanship or be selective in what shots he can take. I see plenty of the latter anymore. They lose their share of game as well.

"Target", "game", or "quarry". Many say "caliber", I say "chambering." The shooting sports are fraught with terms used and abused. I suggest we could all be a little more understanding when we know what someone means to say, even when they do it a different way than we might have?