What's the Best Cartridge for Deer Hunting?

Above, a deer who showed up in my yard three weeks ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Although I don't do any hunting, deer or otherwise, I have friends who do. Each year, they go out on deer or elk hunts. Being able to do so is by lottery in New Mexico. I have a deer skinning rack in my backyard, left by a previous resident.

So, with that being said, Game & Fish has posted an article listing the best cartridges for deer hunting. 

They begin it with:

Some 35 million strong, the whitetail deer is the world’s most populous big-game animal, pursued annually by about 11 million deer hunters. The deer cartridges we use are important, driving sales and new developments, and influencing shooters and hunters worldwide.

Cleanly taking a deer is rarely a matter of extreme precision. The vital zone is not small. For most of us, shooting distances at deer aren’t far. Properly ventilating your venison is largely a matter of keeping your cool and making one reasonably good shot when the chance arises.

How well you place that shot is far more important than what you’re shooting. That said, it’s important to have confidence in your choice. Around campfires, we argue endlessly and split our hairs, comparing one cartridge to another. There are dozens and dozens of good deer cartridges, old and new. Too many for one article, in fact. Some of us like to thump our deer with larger calibers, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, except as necessary, I will avoid discussion of cartridges with bullet diameters larger than .30. They work well but are not essential for deer.

To read more, go here.