I have shot (and seen many other people shoot) deer with a .30-06. As long as the shots are in the vitals (ribcage) there is virtually no meat damage. It all depends on where the shot is placed. Even if a bad shot is made, it doesn't mean it will ruin a lot of meat. One year, I shot a 180 lb or so mule deer in the back of the rib cage, hitting the liver and back of the lungs. It hunched up and looked like I gut shot it, so I shot again. He was running after I shot him the first time, and I failed to lead him properly for the second shot. The second shot went right across the top of the hams, breaking the backbone. The deer went straight down with that shot. I ruined only maybe 2 or 3 lbs of meat total, most on the far side of the backbone, and the bullet exited. Really not too much damage. I was shooting 165 gr. Sierra Gameking handloads that day. I think when you get into much higher velocity rounds such as the 7 STW (which I saw the result of my boss taking a 75 yd shot at a small mulie, near the top of the ribcage, just clipping the shoulder blade, and the whole off side shoulder was bloodshot and had tons of tiny bone fragments in it, not sure what bullet), and very fragile bullets, then meat damage can become a problem if a bad shot is made.