On the other hand, there are more than a few very good hunters who post here regularly, and use .223's for their deer. .
I once used a .222 Rem for deer in Texas.....It was a sako L-461 with a very special barrel.....at 16 1/4" and shot quite well.....It accounted for several one shot kills....all at about 100 yards and using 50 grain soft points.....(and yes....it was legal)....and no, there was no deer lost to it. Since then I graduated to the .25-06 for deer......
My father once killed three deer near Tofte Minnesota with a .25-20 with three shots from his M-92 Winchester.....and that was in 1932 when that cartridge was legal in Minnesota....it's not now.....He then used a .303 Savage and later graduated to a .308 Winchester.....certainly more than enough.
Foot pounds of energy will never replace the requirement for shot placement.....and I've never read anything about states requiring proof of hunters ability to shoot......oh.....one more thing.....I've never read or known of anyone arrested and fined for using a firearm less than the required....it seems to be one of those unenforced "rules"......which means it really don't exist.....and further, I've never heard of anyone even checked for such an infraction....one could hunt elk with a Red Ryder BB gun if he chose.....FINE.....just don't shoot their eye out!.....LMAO
