"Damage" is created by imparting impact energy to the target. The less impact energy - the less damage (unless one is using explosive projectiles). "DAMAGE" is a component of "ENERGY", not the other way around. It's as simple as that. Yes, people do kill deer with .357 magnums, with well less than 900 ft-lbs..... and they are simply lucky. For one thing, they don't often do this beyond 50 yds. It is theoretically possible to kill a deer with a .22 LR - (and it has been done) - but that doesn't make it an ideal projectile for the purpose, does it ? 900 ft-lbs is a generally accepted number - if you don't believe it (which you obviously do not), then check other sources - they will agree. It is a GENERAL number, to ENSURE a clean kill - not the theoretical minimum. The point of it is, as I believe I stated before, if one chooses to use a load with much less than 900 ft-lbs at point of impact - one is RISKING only wounding the animal (rather than a clean kill). Does your pride really cause you to want to take this risk - with so little margin for error ? Mine doesn't - I prefer to be safely within a margin for error. As a result, I have never lost an animal, in 23 years.
Your example of the "140 lb. doe @ 15 yds" is not even pertinent to the argument. My argument (in my previous post) was that buckshot is markedly inferior BEYOND about 40 yds. This fact stands. The fact that you can only get 2 pellets of 00 buck into the target at 75 yds (approx. 100 grain) vs. 438 grain (a 1 oz. slug) PROVES my point. You say that you understand the physics 100%. Well, do you understand that 2 pellets, totaling about 100 grain, CANNOT exceed the energy of a 438 grain slug (unless, of course, they were traveling at a much greater velocity than the slug - which is never the case) ? I suppose we are all just to take this on faith, because you said so. Or, rather, we are to somehow believe that 2 pellets, .33 in. in dia., with LESS impact energy and little hope of creating an exit wound, will do more DAMAGE than 1 slug (with 4 times the mass). It just doesn't happen that way, sorry. You stated that there are lots of "other" factors involved - such as shot placement, wound channel diameter, velocity, sectional density and bullet construction. I fail to see how you can claim that buckshot (at ANY range) can be placed more accurately than a single projectile, a slug. Further, as to the other factors you mentioned - slugs win each of these comparisons, every time (with the possible exception of wound channel diameter - which will be greater with MANY pellets striking the target.... but then, in YOUR example, we only have TWO pellets doing this). So, how does that prove your point ?
By the way, ARROWS, which you mentioned, cause DAMAGE in a very different way than projectiles from firearms. They cause wounds by cutting into the flesh, not by impact penetration. An arrow needs only enough impact energy to cause the "broadhead" to cut into (penetrate) the target, as deeply as possible. They work only because of the sharp edges and point of the "broadhead". Without that, (such as a "field point" - used for target shooting), they would be almost useless on a deer-sized animal.
In conclusion, getting past the technical issues, the real intent of my argument, which I evidently did not make clear, was to help to prevent a NEW hunter from making mistakes - and losing animals, as a result. In my hunting "career", I have tried to be exceedingly careful to take the "numbers" into account - so as to NOT cruelly wound any animals - and lose them as a result. Do you not think this an important issue? Or, is the potential wastage of game animals not important to you ?
I am sure that you have great sucess in your hunting. I really have few doubts that you are a humane individual, as well. You need to understand that my purpose is NOT to somehow condemn those that choose to use buckshot (or the .357 magnum, for that matter). Nor did I desire to start an argument. My purpose is simply to point out some pertinent FACTS - so as to try to help someone new to the sport - and others, if they are not already aware of these things. I consider misinformation to be a very important issue, in general - it causes an enormous range of problems to our society - and makes lots of problems worse, needlessly. If I offended you, somehow... well, sorry. I won't, however, stand by and not do anything when I see people being misinformed.