I was the main deer finder when one didn't go down in sight on a lease out near Guthrie TX. The main "shrub" there was called Shinnery which is a bush version of an Oak tree. Deer didn't have to go far to be hard to recover. By far most of the deer I went looking for were shot with a 243. What made hunting down deer less than a pleasure was the Prairie rattler. When I used a 243 out there I shot in front of the shoulder not behind it. There is much truth to both sides of the argument. I used the 85 grain Partion a good bit and it penetrated well but made narrow wound channels. Didn't matter much to me and I never lost any deer or hog shot with it.
I'd bet 3/4 of the "no blood" tracking jobs I've helped with over the years have been shot with cup/core 6mm and .25cal bullets at standard velocities. Most were in pine plantation briar thickets with tracks everywhere, from deer and hogs. No fresh snow or virgin forest ground to work with. All these diagrams and photos everyone posts are great, but a lot of deer aren't shot at the best angles, while holding absolutely still, by a hunter with a perfect rest. It's not always watching a deer for minutes on end while you wait for a great shot presentation. Around here, we sometimes have to hunt narrow lanes in thick cover and you are left with the shot presentation you get, often times for 5 seconds or less. I'm sure the 6mm rounds are nearly optimal for a culling operation in open country, and are probably what I'd pick, and if I was heading out tomorrow to just shoot a meat doe and had plenty of time/opportunity, I'd be fine with even a .223/5.56. Deer hunting, on purpose, for a good buck? I want more rifle, because I might get one or two opportunities all season for a good shooter, and he might give me 3 seconds to make it happen and get a bullet in a vital area.
"If you can't do it with a .243, you suck" is kind of akin to saying self defense with .22LR LRN should be totally sufficient. If you can't make that headshot or CNS hit under stress on a human at 7 yards, I guess you suck. Maybe so, but I still carry centerfire JHP because schitt happens.
And that is the whole truth! Well said JPro.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD: teach me thy paths. "there are few better cartridges on Earth than the 7 x 57mm Mauser" "the .30 Springfield is light, accurate, penetrating, and has surprising stopping power"
