My earlier quote, ".... knock deer over with a stick...", a clarification --- 223's, 22-250's, 243's, etc. Deer are a pretty weak "big" game animal. Thin skinned, small boned, easily penetrated, frequently volunteer for "shot placement" (sic) i.e. too curious for their own good, stand broadside and ponder the world when they should be running, and they give up life pretty easily versus some of the other ungulates out there.

BTW, even the trusty 30-06 (a favorite of mine) is really a small bore in the grand scheme of things. Similarly, most the American "favorites" fall into the category of actually being "pretty easy going" so there isn't toooo much to worry about. Barring the "old injuries" factor, the recoil thing is really kind of relative. I wonder if the hunters doing the serious stuff in Africa on a regulation basis are on some sort of exotic fortified diet banned by the FDA here in the States.

EKM