What is the minimum ethical rifle round for whitetail deer?

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A .243, with the caveat that you have proper bullet selection and you pick your shots. While smaller Texas whitetail are easily taken with that round, larger whitetail in other parts of the country require a bit more to get the job done.

I personally prefer to error on the side of caution as I'm not recoil sensitive and I tend to be a poor judge of distance in the prairies where I often hunt.

Certainly they can be taken with smaller calibers but why? Heck you take them with a pointy stick but a humane kill requires accuracy, proper performance from you round and enough velocity to get the job done.

Yes I could shoot one in the head with a .223 or .204 Ruger but that is not ethical in my opinion, but more of a stunt....Show more

Minimum would be the 223 for states with smaller whitetails . In the midwest, where 250lb whitetails are common I would say 243....Show more

I would have to say the 243 as well. I don't understand the want for anyone to shoot anything smaller. The 243 has very little kick and has enough power to do the job. Why go any smaller?...Show more

some people say .243 some people say .223, i think the .223 would be fine, it wouldn't be my first choice if i was Buying a gun.but you may be surprised how many deer have been cleanly killed with a .223. its more about shot placement than anything, a deer will die quicker if shot in the vitals with a .223 than if it was shot in the guts with a .270 or .30-06 ....Show more

.243 Win, in my opinion.

Some people say .22-250 or even .223, and while I know deer can be humanely killed with those cartridges I don't think it's ethical to risk it....Show more