Would you shoot a whitetail (at relatively close range: 100 yards or less) with a .32-20? I've got a m92 that I'd like to hunt with at least once because of who it belonged to, but I'm on the fence. The energy is pretty anemic, but it's still almost an 8mm.
And yes, I know a .22 to the head would work... but I don't plan to shoot behind the ear, so I'm asking about standard vital shots.
Yes, I would if I could make up some H.V. loads. say a 115 gr at 1800-2000 fps. I wouldn't use it much past 100 yards though. The .32-20 and .30 carbine were pretty popular around Foster, OR in the 50's as kids guns. The shots were pretty close and the deer weren't usually very large but a lot of them died. The first rifle I was given was a .32-20 Model 1892. It had been my older brother-in-laws first deer gun. He had killed several blacktails with it. I couldn't find any H.V. ammo though. His dad even used a .25-20 Remington pump on a few deer.
When I got a bit older I was lent more powerful rifles. Two different 25-35 Model 1894 Winchesers. They killed deer just fine. .
