I’ve killed over a hundred deer with rounds from 22LR to 458 Lott. Started on a borrowed 270, bought all of the magnuitus hype and bought a 30-06 of my own once I saved up enough. After all of these deer, I’ve really come to realize the 243win class of cartridges (6 Dasher, 6 creed, 6.5 Grendel, 6 PPC, etc) are the most efficient deer killing cartridges available which don’t require any concession by the shooter. If I have a deer in the scope under 800yrds, I won’t take any more thought with a 243win than with a 300win mag.

I never have believed more powder can really make up for poor shot placement. I took a few shots over the years which I consider to be unethical now, after that learning experience - I believed other hunters who tried to convince me shooting in the shoulder to “knock a wheel off” might ruin some meat, but they can’t run far... so unfortunately I ruined a bunch of meat, and tracked a deer for over a mile... so I learned the hard way to not listen to hunter’s mantras, and logic out for myself what works and what doesn’t.

I’ve largely found a lot of “facts” passed around by hunters certainly are not such. Claiming a larger caliber makes up for poor shot placement certainly isn’t a fact.

Big game is big game, and deer aren’t big. If I drop more than 40grns of powder to kill a deer inside 600yrds, I think long and hard about why I’m doing something largely silly.