I really don't think most hunters have a clue how little it takes to kill a deer. They plug a few through the lungs with a .308 or similar and they run 50 yards before they fall over so they think with a dinky .223 they'll run into the next county. It just isn't so. Deer aren't very hard to penetrate and busted lungs are busted lungs. I haven't found that it makes much difference whether they're busted with a .30-06, .243 or .223. As for penetration, I've shot 40 gr. JHP's from a .22 magnum completely through the lung cavity of several adult does and put a 38 gr. Power- Lokt HP from a 5mm Remingtom magnum rimfire through both shoulders of a forkhorn buck. None of those deer made it farther than 75 yards before they fell.
