I would not encourage anyone to use a .204 for deer. And as a Hunter Trapper educator we strongly tell our students to NEVER take a head shot. Not under any circumstances. Why not? Because we've seen on walks after season with the Game Commission a couple deer a year that did not die from a head shot! These deer starved to death because the slightly misaimed bullet hit the skull and was diverted downward taking off the lower jaw. The poor animals suffered a horrible death either by starvation or being too weak to escape coyotes or bear.
Please don't ever take a head shot.

I'll second that, I shot a Doe just to put her out of her misery. She was emaciated (skin and bones) and crawled more than she walked. She lived in a ditch and would hide rather than flee, She had a small-caliber bullet lodged in her broken abscessed lower jaw.

look at the posters name, and that about says it all to me!
Just a troll looking to ruffle feathers folks!
anyone with any real experiences and or desire for ethical kills understands having proper fire power to do what is needed for fast consistent clean kills!

as has been said many times before
JUST cause something can be done, doesn't mean you should or make it right to be doing it at all !

Out of curiosity, how many deer have you found over the years that died from poorly placed shoulder shots that ended up as gut shots, or missed vitals?

Missing is missing- and in a lot of cases, the problem is actually poor tracking skills as much as anything else.

Just saying.

I would however not use .204 for deer either, but I would not and do not hesitate to use .223. Just know the limitations of your cartridge, and take your shots accordingly.

1 less troll.