We should just chuc all these big guns in the bush. I am not saying you can't, not saying they havn't killed many. Personally I think the restrict your shots. I have been lucky, never gut shot a deer, or had a bad shot. But I am sure some day I will. If you hunt in wide open areas, it doesn't matter, let it run. But in heavily wooded areas I want every edge to get it to slow down sooner. Double lung shotss, turning lungs to mush and big exit hole and they still run. Bigger exit hole, more blood, more trauma.
Not saying the deer is not just dead, which is the common reply. I just like every edge I can. Might try a 45-70.
your going the wrong way, a 223 will kill a deer as fast maybe faster than a 45-70 provided you hit them in the same spot with a decent bullet at about the same distance. I would guess I have killed over a hundred deer pretty easy. Just to let you know our limit here in GA is 12 and I have killed 4-5 some years. I have the biggest 10 pt over my head as I type this reply and killed with a Colt 6720 at 40 yards and he ran less than many many I have shot with a 30-06 or 270 or 308 etc. 45-70 I owned did not impress.
