There is no “right” answer to this question.
It all comes down to what each individual is comfortable with.

 

It is more the shooter than caliber.Any centerfire WILL kill a deer and every centerfire will cripple a deer.From the 8 caliber to the 50 centerfire they will kill.
State of Maine uses a 22 mag for deer and other southern states use 22 rimfire.
I know of one co-worker years ago that crippled,missed and threw more lead at deer with a 35 than anyone else I know.

 

It is more the shooter that caliber.Any centerfire WILL kill a deer and every centerfire will cripple a deer.From the 8 caliber to the 50 centerfire they will kill.
State of Maine uses a 22 mag for deer and other southern states use 22 rimfire.
I know of one co-worker years ago that crippled,missed and threw more lead at deer with a 35 than anyone else I know.

Good point!

 

My wife's late uncle (great guy) used nothing but a 222 for deer. Killed one every year.

 

Same here, my uncle a farmer, killed one every year with his 222, usually a buck the first day.

 

I killed my first with a 222, but I wouldn’t suggest just anybody to use one. I’ll go with the 243 as a good start rifle or a recoil shy hunter, I used 100 grain RN in the one I have.
At the same time, I hunted a guy that used nothing but a 22 hornet in doe season, but he waited for, and only took head shots with it too.

 

I've heard of amish that use 22lr and aim for vitals other than head and kill bucks and does.

 

Just gotta know their insides to kill em from the outside.

 

I’ve said it before. If I were to be starting g over again whitetail hunting in PA, I’d get a .223. A 65-70gr soft point at ~2800fps will kill any whitetail in this state at any range encountered that most of us are proficient at accurately. They’re not elk. They’re not heavy boned. They’re oversized rabbit. Granted most of my whitetail hunting is done with a .280 REM and the 06 round is the most abundant and wildcat round on the planet. That’s only because of two world wars flooding the civilian market with surplus rifles and ammo for, well over one hundred years now.

 

I’ll add that the moment they allow SAs I’ll configure an AR platform into a dedicated deer rifle.

 

My AR 10 with a 5 round mag is dedicated enough🤣🤣🤣

 

it's more about the shooter than the caliber in my opinion, I read a article of someone a couple months ago that poached a mature mule deer with a .177 cal pellet gun, that's (I believe) the smallest cal of an airgun. its obviously not ethical but he killed it. but i believe the article said he made a perfect heart shot and the deer was dead with only 1 shot. I'm sure whatever are states smallest legal round is for big game would work just fine. I would have to see if I could find it and post the link.

 

The .243 Win is a good choice and I never really considered it small. I made one of the longest shots I have ever attempted with mine. I have shot a couple deer with my 22-250 Rem and it did the job both times but I consider it too small. The first deer didn't react and I thought I had missed it...there are better options.

 

I shot a deer with a 22-250AI and a 75gr Hornady BTHP in the head. It was only about 30+/- yards. It was the first and only time I shot deer with a 22 caliber bullet.

 

22_Hornet is about the smallest caliber I have seen for PA rifle deer hunting season. I wouldn't shoot at deer, I would start out with a .25" rifle calibers, 250 Savage or 257 Roberts. I know people are gonna say 243 will kill, my boy/girl uses it just fine. Go right ahead, but I think the 243/6mm is too small. Coyote, yes. Deer, no. This is just my observation from years ago. I shot deer with my 243 (either shoulder or behind the shoulder) and they ran 75 - 125 yards before the deer gave up the ghost. One doe ran 325ish yards using the 85gr Barnes X bullet. It didn't open up, just poked a small hole thru the lungs. It was the day I gave up on the 243. My friend uses the 243 religiously for 40+ years. He finds a cheap 100gr factory load locally and he goes hunting. Behind the shoulder, about a 1/3 of the way up is where he aims and I swear to Christ above, its either dead right there or it will stumble about 5 feet and die. One buck got away when he aimed at the head. The buck was found by cousin a couple of days later and it was still alive. Turns out, that my friend shot it thru jaw. It was the last time he shot it thru the head. Must of been 35+/- years ago.

 

.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...

rokslide.com

I shoot my rifle deer every year with a .223 with zero hesitation. The "correct" bullet is everything.

 

This always just shows that many people do not understand the capabilities of the rifles in their hands.
.243 isn’t even remotely close to being to light for deer. It is a deer hammer. Growing up and being involved in all kinds of pushes and drives I hit deer about any place you can imagine.( Not bragging or proud ) but the .243 never left me down and I can say I never felt under gunned.
I think many people get themselves in trouble with lighter calibers with their bullet choices. I also shot deer with a .220 swift without issue.

 

I agree with 243, that's my first deer rifle, got a buck and doe with both and that was my 2 only deer, BEST PART: didn't have to track either. actually never tracked a deer in my life!

 

Shot placement is the key.

Grandma Who Killed Huge Grizzly With 1 Shot From .22 Still Amazes Wyoming Hunters

One of the largest grizzlies ever recorded was killed in 1953 with a single shot from a .22 rifle wielded by a 63-year-old grandmother in Canada. She had…

cowboystatedaily.com

 

It's the bullet and shot selection that matter. One of the quickest rifle kills I ever had on a deer was from a 22/250.

 

My 7 year old Grandson shot a buck and a doe with a .223 last season. Both went about 50 yards, shot broadside through both lungs. That said, I’m not a fan of the caliber. But it works if you get good broadside shots at reasonable distances. I think he’s using a 6.5 Creed this season.

A .243 works well for deer, real popular with kids, but I’d prefer to give them a 7mm-08.

Folks will say overkill, but I’m a fan of .300 WSM and .300 WM. I could kill lots of deer with a .308, but I’ve become a magnum fan. Long distance shots aren’t a problem, very little bullet drop, and you never run out of horsepower. Nor are frontal and quartering to you shots an issue. Seldom does a deer go more than a few yards, many buckle in their tracks. I’ve killed 16 bull moose with those two calibers, never had to track any of them…I saw them all drop.

 

My 7 year old Grandson shot a buck and a doe with a .223 last season. Both went about 50 yards, shot broadside through both lungs. That said, I’m not a fan of the caliber. But it works if you get good broadside shots at reasonable distances. I think he’s using a 6.5 Creed this season.

A .243 works well for deer, real popular with kids, but I’d prefer to give them a 7mm-08.

Folks will say overkill, but I’m a fan of .300 WSM and .300 WM. I could kill lots of deer with a .308, but I’ve become a magnum fan. Long distance shots aren’t a problem, very little bullet drop, and you never run out of horsepower. Nor are frontal and quartering to you shots an issue. Seldom does a deer go more than a few yards, many buckle in their tracks. I’ve killed 16 bull moose with those two calibers, never had to track any of them…I saw them all drop.

I have tons of experience with a .243….love the caliber. I’ve had a .300 wsm since they came out. I really think that it’s very hard to beat that caliber!!! I really think it is the best .30 caliber out there. Short action cannon…..flat shooting hard hitting . I have a Browning abolt that is lights out. With all the doe tags now a days I get it out for a few trips.

 

Both are ethnical if the shot placement is ethical. A well placed shot with either is more ethical than a poorly placed shot with a 300 Win Mag.

 

It's all the bullet.
There are wayyy better choices than a SP.
I've never had an issue.
Have been using the .223 for quite a few years now.

 

What bullet do you use?

 

I shot my last deer with a Marlin 1894CL in 25-20

 

Wouldn’t be scared to use a 22arc pushing a 75gr Hornady to put some jerky on the racks..Shot plenty Clarion county deer with my Win 70 sporter 25-06 with factory 90gr PEP ammo devastating results!!!!

 

50 bmg or larger

 

You buy me the Barrett and I'll hunt with it everyday!!!

 

Another thing to take into account is the type of hunting. If you are stump hunting unpressured deer then pretty much any centerfire will work with the right bullets provided you choose your shot carefully.

When it comes to drives and longer range shots then the larger cartridges start to have more advantages due to better penetration and more retained velocity and mass at range. Right now my smallest is 6.5 but I may give the .22 or 6mm a shot in the future.

As for the smallest cartridge I use that would be the .45 colt in my 1873, since I’m limited by pressure that’s shooting a 250gr bullet at around 1050 fps. Haven’t killed one with it yet and the only deer I shot with it bounced off.

 

The current trend using a “light” caliber is to use a heavy for caliber bullet that expands very quickly ex: the TMK or ELDM. That link to the Rokslide forum will make you question everything. I believe there is a couple podcasts in there that are also very intriguing.

 

I use the 77gr TMK. Very destructive.

 

Cutting Edge ER Raptors
Phenomenal performance.

 

I've got some raptors loaded up in 458 Win mag that I've never shot but I think I'll get some loaded up and 7 mm mag now that you mentioned that.

 

6 ARC is about as small as I would want to go

 

My go-to is a 7mm or with iron sights a .450 marlin...good advice