. A .223 will kill any deer or coyote that ever walked if you put a GOOD BULLET where it belongs.
And therein lies the rub.
I have killed deer and coyotes both with a 223, as well as a 243. Yes, the 223 will easily kill both, and yes, the 223 is much cheaper to shoot. But, any way you cut it, the 243 is a better choice for either, and I say that even though I use a 223 for coyotes far more than I do the 243. You can walk into just about any place that sells ammo and buy 243 ammo loaded with good deer bullets, bit it's not always the case trying to find 223 ammo loaded with good bullets for deer.
Now, if I could have only one centerfire cartridge, and I didn't have to be concerned about shooting dangerous animals, it would be a 223. I am confident enough in my shooting abilities to kill whatever I would need to with it. I reload, and know which bullets are the best choice for a certain scenario, and I know what factory ammo is as well. Not everyone does though, and if you shoot enough deer with a FMJ 223, or a 50 grain VMax, failures will occur.
I love the 223, but there are better choices for deer sized game, and if there is a chance that a shooter will use his rifle for that, then I'd advise them to use something else.
