Bludog, that's a reasonable question. I did have to follow a big whitetail buck after hitting him with a .25-35 bullet last fall. While not marginal for deer, this cartridge hardly flattens them. I was fortunate to get another shot. That's the only time I'd like to have landed a bigger blow. The other advantage of more power, of course, is more reach. I've passed up quite a few deer that could have been taken with fast-stepping magnums and optics to match. But I choose to hunt close and shoot at modest range, so declining shots because my rifle didn't shoot as flat as the curve of the earth never bothered me. Once, long ago, I fired too far with a 7x57 and had to trail the deer. Again, I was blessed with a chance to finish it. But the load was surely adequate for deer. My failing was stretching it too far -- bad judgment, not a weak hit. How about you? ... WvZ
