Why would a person want to hunt deer with a .224 caliber when there are so many better choices for big game? I do not see any reason for it other then eggo, it is not what we shoot somthing with that is the challange of hunting, it is getting to that point where we have that shot. I will agree that the little bitty .224s can kill cleanly but how many of the wounded deer lost to these pip squeaks would have been taken cleanly if a more inteligent choice of cartridge had been made? If deer hunting were based on how small a cartridge one used then the .22 short would be the choice for the "great" hunters we all read about. Yes .22 calibers can kill deer if all goes well, we are willing to pass any thing but a perfect shot, and the gods smile on us. You can also pound in a 12 penny nail with a screw driver but a inteligent person does not do it.