Because we've been brainwashed by rifle/ammo companies, many (not all) gun writers, magazines, books, and old wives telling tales that the faster we drive our bullets the more dead stuff will be. High velocity may well have its place in areas where extremely long shots are taken (or where hunters are unable/too lazy to close the distance) but such is far from the norm in many places whitetails are seen. Instead of making blanket statements to the effect that the .300 is plenty good for all deer hunting, or the .300 is lacking as a deer cartridge, one should preface one's opinion with what hunting conditions are like in his bailiwick + how he hunts.
Here in the Eastern woodlands where I hunt, a hundred yards is right far away to expect to get a clear shot at a deer. All my hunting life I found that wimpy (by Western standards) loads were A-ok for whacking deer, that anything .30 caliber with 1500fps or better terminal velocity did the trick. I routinely load my '06 hunting ammo to .300 levels, and sometimes .30-30 levels because, well, why not- who wants to get belted every time they pull the trigger? To that end, in my neck of the woods, a factory rifle using factory ammo of .300 Savage persuasion is a well nigh perfect combo, as testified to by legions of hunters who have bought and used them.
