Maybe the 223 has a chance here on the interwebs, but for most regular ol Joes, the 243, '06, and 270 are still it. And in my experience, the 243 shooters STILL catch hell from everyone else for not bringing enough gun. Where I hunt, you would probably not be allowed to hunt if you showed up with a 223,and I hunt in Texas where the 22-250 is considered equal with the 30-06,go figure.
I personally would rather shoot a deer with a 357 rifle than a 223
