Thread: Advice Needed: Choosing Caliber for Open Tops Hunting

Originally Posted by NIMROD

I'm surprised by all the comments claiming that this caliber or that caliber is too big for Fellow ???
Show me the caliber that when placed squarely through both front shoulders of a Fallow, Sika or Red, leaves much, if any, front shoulder meat salvageable for human consumption, unless your not worried about consuming savagely bruised & bloodshot meat, or worse, ingesting lead and splintered bone fragments.
Pick your "hunting" caliber on individual rifle preference first, then ammunition availability and cost, then caliber.... Just look at the "223 on deer" thread to see what damage the small 223 can do !
If your only going to head shoot or neck shoot your deer, then my post is irrelevant, but who's that good ? ...... rant over sorry ...

I would also say it's the opposite, the smaller bullets like .223 with the more frangible bullets used will damage more meat than a traditional soft point .308 will. I have a .375H&H which everyone says will blow big holes in goats and deer. Quite the opposite, the bullets are constructed more stoutly and my bigger concern is they pencil straight through without expanding and meat damage would be less than my various other calibres.

But never the less I agree, if a shoulder is shot, it stays where it is, on the carcass.