How much horsepower does it take to reliably put a deer down?

[Don Dayacetah]

I can respect that and totally agree. The '06 would have done it in sooner. Do you feel a 270 Win or say a 7mm-08 would have ended it just as fast as the 30.06? They quickly end loads and loads of whitetail instantaneous every season and have for years so I feel that either one would have along with some more rounds in that power range.

I don't hunt with a 223 Rem although many people do and swear by them. I'd say alot more detail on bullet wt/type, range, and shot placement would have to be accounted for using something that small and weak but accounting for these things, it's doable.

I agree with a good vital shot, your '06 would have ended that scene alot sooner but I guess my point is so would several other cartridges between the 223 and the 30.06. I don't believe in skating that line of not enough and just enough, I just believe whole heartedly that the line of more than enough is a pretty good tick below 30.06. That's all

270 Win and 7mm-08, as well as many others are fine hunting calibers. I just don't see the benefit or merit of skating the edge between 270, 260,etc,
and "too weak to dependably do the job", till the dead minimum is discovered. It could be 243, who knows? I don't intend to see any more animal
suffering, in order to find out. IMO, there should be a hedge factor between absolute minimal, and what you use to get the job done. Once again opinion, but
it's what's required, for the ethical taking of game.

 

[horsemen61]

Shot placement is important but it's not everything. Unfortunately, it's become a crutch answer for those who have little understanding of terminal ballistics. You have to use enough gun with the right bullet or your shot placement is meaningless.

Well CraigC I said that with the thought in mind that hunters for the most part are very ethical and will use a caliber/cartridge that will reliably deliver a one shot kill very quickly within the acceptable range and capabilities of that cartridge for me the bare minimum is a 243 seeing as how I have used it to great effect but for “Me” I would go no smaller in caliber

 

[TN Outlaw]

I think an even more important detail than these minuscule differences between all the major hunting cartridges is bullet weight and type. It's fun to talk about each round as if there's a mile of difference between them but there's really not unless you choose ammo that helps to make a big difference.

A 65gr 243 win varmit round is alot different than say a 220gr bonded 30.06. 100-105gr bonded 243 vs 150gr 30.06 varmit round can make them go the other way.

If all were using the same bullet design and all using say, a heavy for caliber bullet, there's really not a huge difference. Especially for thin skinned game such as whitetail.

Of course that comes with common sense that there's underpowered rounds out there (and over powered imo) but all of the major whitetail rounds that have been doing it for years will continue to do it as long as we do our part. Doing our part is what makes us ethical hunters.

Being in proper range, with the correct bullet type, with proper bullet placement will make up waaaaaay more ground than if your using a 260 or a 30.06. Just how i see it.

 

[FL-NC]

I reliably kill deer with 223. I would never try this past 300 yards. Most deer are killed at less than 100 yards. A friend in Texas killed a deer at 1 mile with a 338 Lapua just to say he did it. He actually stalked AWAY from the deer to get his 1 mile shot.

 

[Keyfer 55]

W=V × I , 1 hp = 745.7 watts. F×S =ft.lbs.,
ft.lbs =550 per. Second = 1 hp

 

[Keyfer 55]

3006 Springfield 150 gr has 2100 lbs. NRG .
It has 3.82 hp per. Second.

 

[Art Eatman]

At the rate that we're seeing an increase in Silly, by Friday we'll be in a State Home for the Bewildered.