Sigh.......
I use a Hornet and they drop on the spot everytime.

Keyword, HIT THEM IN THE VITALS.As in heart, lungs.

At 15 yds ? You would still shoot a deer in the vitals at 15 yds ? Jeeeeeeeeez. We are way different.

Why are you calling him a Women Of Ill Repute?

We all got to remember that zrex is from texas, and all the animals in texas are in high fenced pens, if he did accidently blow ones jaw off all they have to do is chase it to the other side of the pen.


And a "big" deer weighs about 84lbs. [:'(]My Red Rider could bring one of those down

Hey now.. no reason to be draggin' my state into this! I've been fairly agreeing with you fellows right up till now. And some areas, say the panhandle, get 150lb class and some of the prettiest racks in the country.
And just for an FYI, these areas ain't like ya'll lil' backyards, we are talking 1000's of acres on the larger ones.. that's a lotta chasing on an animal that don't wanna play with you no more. Most of the area around me, central Texas is low, cattle-fenced, 5 strands barb-wire high, roughly a grown man's waist so the deer are not really hindered now are they?
But I still say the same thing, shoot vitals with a large caliber.

MY friend has a ranch in Edwards County Texas, 70 acres, last Weekend they shot an 8 pointer that went 180 on the hoof. Pretty good size huh.
I took a 10 pointer their 2 years ago 160 on the hoof. Same friend had a lease in south Texas took a 14 pointer that went 195lbs on the hoof. There are some pretty good deer arond here, but nowhere near the 300 lb northern monsters. I took a 165lbr last year right outside my town, 15 yd neck shot with the .22 Hornet. Dropped him in his tracks, I took a 180 lb hog last month, 40 yd shot to the head with the Hornet, he never even kicked.

There still more area that are, low fenced but high fences are gpoing up everywhere. Hunting in Texas has comercialized big time, it makes it hard for us middle class to hunt here anymore. Another buddy has 100 acres , he got fenced out or in depending on how you look at it, he is in the back in a corner with igh fences on 3 sides, needless to say we dont see much there anymore, deer cannot pass through. High fences suck. Who wants to pay $25,000 for a 200 class deer that will never make a record book. Seems like lots of folks. I guess some people have more money that brains.
But on another note dont think a high fenced 15,000 acre ranch = easy hunting. A bucks normal range aint nowhere near that size, he probably doesnt even realise he trapped inside.

Well I understand that gut shot is not what we call the vital area we would like to hit. But it is a vital shot. As a neck or head shot would be.
The whole argument is about a bullet killing like a knife or arrow.
You know where I stand, bullets kill by spilling blood or cutting off neuro signals. Why do we aim behind the shoulders, because thats where all the main organs are that would cause rapid loss of blood and quick kills.
Bullets crush arteries and arrows cut them.

vi·tal (vtl)
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of life.[/align]2. Necessary to the continuation of life.[/align]3. Used or done on a living cell or tissue, as in staining.[/align]4. Destructive to life; fatal, as of an injury.[/align][/align]

150lb class....Man thats reaching our doe sized deer up north! LOL

I guess that what I was trying to say is that if I was going to use a small caliber rifle for deer hunting, say my .223, it would be right here at home in a not so legal way. Now I do not do that, I have never shot a deer with anything smaller than my 30-30 and I dont intend to. I dont doubt that a .223 or 22 Hornet would kill a deer, but why use it when I have a .270 or other appropriate power of gun around here to do the job more humanely. If a bow can kill an animal then even a .17 caliber rifle can, its all about shot placement anyways. Now to chime in on the main reason not to take ass shots, gut shots etc.? Because I hunt for the meat, plain and simple. I have taken head shots, my first 3 deer ever where head shots. The first two because I was young and didnt know better, the last one was because the deer was quite a distance from me and I couldnt tell for sure he even had horns. I had him sighted in making sure and he started to turn to run and I pulled the trigger. Boom, behind the ear and out the eye, dead on the spot and no more movement. Good eating deer too. Now I try to aim for just behind the shoulder, I dont mind losing a front quarter or some ribs, there isnt much there anyhow in a 120# deer anyways (which is about average around here) and its better than taking head shots. Now I am not saying that I would never take a head shot again, but not as long as I have a better shot. I remember when I was growing up my dad shot a big buck in the ass on the last day of the season. What a mess, that deer tasted like crap (literally) and we had to cut away a lot of bloodshot meat. I think about that everytime I have a deer turn and run from me.