ORIGINAL: broey1
This is always an interesting topic. I've probably shot around 50 or so whitetails with my 30-06.... mostly with winchester pointed soft points. I've had a few deer just pile up, but most jump and "stagger" 30 yards or so. I've never had a problem.... in fact most of the time you can see them go down. It's amazing how many guys (and some girls) I meet every year looking to buy "whitetail flatteners". Rather than go into a big philosophical discussion, I've taken to saying 35 whelen when one's on the market, 350 Remington Magnum now that the 673 is out, or the 7mm magnum because they're easy to get and ammo's cheap. In the past 5-10 years I've sold such things as 338 win mags, 338 ultra mags, 300 weatherby mags, 300 ultra mags to people who ONLY hunt deer and ONLY hunt in the East. It's crazy! A real phenomenon.
One thing that most Western hunters do not consider is the "Eastern" phenomenom of losing your deer/bear/etc. to another hunter 150 yards away and around the hill, because the animal you shot took off and was subsequently shot by another hunter.
This is a real concern in some heavily-hunted areas, especially on Opening Day of firearms season. Therefore it is a reason a lot of hunters back East look for a rifle/cartridge/bullet combo they hope will drop their buck "in it's tracks." Although I normally find it unnecessary, I will admit that it is a pleasure to shoot a whitetail through the lungs with a 165-grain BT and watch it drop and never regain it's feet. That is a whole lot better than watching it run off and possibly being shot and put down by another hunter.
YOU try and talk your way into retreiving YOUR deer that another hunter shot and put down.
Brian