[JLA]

I can see one issue right there in print.. Your letting an uncertain shooter take an uncertain shot at far too great a distance for an uncertain shooter to be shooting in the first place. Its not the size of the caliber that drops game, its the placement of the bullet. Gutshooting a deer at 260 yds with a .264 winmag is cruel. That deer dropped because the kinetic shock of the bullet broke its spine. I guarantee you that deer suffered until it bled out and finally passed away..

My go to deer load in .243 is 85 sierra gameking at 3200 fps. It will anchor deer with authority out to 300 yds. Cleanly and quickly. The .243 is more than capable as a deer cartridge.

Point im trying to make is the size and power of the rifle/cartridge isnt a substitute for lack of shooting skill. My wife hunts deer with a .223 loaded with 53 gr Barnes TSX bullets, She can put a magazine full into 2 inches at 100 yds but i dont set her up in the hunting field for that long a shot. Her blind this season is set up where she will have a maximum of 61 yds between her and a deer. Her and I are both confident she can cleanly kill at that range, even though she is more than capable of 2 MOA 100 yd shots, thats is taking the adrenaline factor into account. And part of being a responsible hunter.