You’ve heard it every fall—guys showing up to camp bragging about how they brought the “perfect” caliber this year. Trouble is, some of the most talked-up rounds end up underperforming where it matters. It’s not always about paper ballistics or what’s trending online. You’ve got to match your cartridge to real-world conditions, not what you hope happens. Big body bucks, bad weather, and longer-than-expected shots have a way of humbling a poor choice. And the truth is, there are a handful of calibers that get way more credit than they deserve when the leaves start to turn.
.243 Winchester
You’ll hear someone every season say, “My kid dropped a buck with a .243 no problem.” And that’s true—when everything goes right. But the second you add distance, a bad angle, or heavy brush, the margin for error shrinks fast. The .243 doesn’t carry the weight or punch for consistently ethical shots on bigger-bodied deer unless the shooter is dialed in. It’s a flat shooter, sure, but that doesn’t mean it hits hard. It works—but only if you treat it more like a precision tool than a forgiving hunting round. It gets overestimated more than it should.
6.5 Creedmoor
Every year, you’ll find folks singing the praises of the Creedmoor as if it’s the only cartridge you’ll ever need. It’s accurate, no question. But too many hunters get blinded by the data and forget the difference between hitting paper and punching through shoulder. On paper, it looks like it’ll take elk. In practice, it barely gets through the gristle on some big-bodied bucks when you don’t hit it perfect. It’s soft-recoiling and easy to shoot well, but that doesn’t make it a hammer. Folks rely on it for more than it can realistically do when things go sideways.
.300 Blackout
The .300 Blackout gets more time in deer blinds now than ever, thanks to the AR crowd and suppressor setups. And while it can certainly kill deer inside 100 yards, it’s not a broad-spectrum choice. Subsonic loads are a gimmick for anything bigger than varmints unless you hit brain or spine. Supersonic loads help, but you’re still throwing a relatively short, heavy bullet with limited range and poor expansion at distance. It’s a specialty round that too many hunters convince themselves is “good enough” for the field. If you’re stretching shots or dealing with wind, you’ll regret it.
.270 Winchester
The .270 still has fans, and for good reason—it’s got a flat trajectory and plenty of history behind it. But some hunters treat it like it’s magically immune to wind drift or drop. They push it to distances where they wouldn’t dare take the same shot with a .308, even though the energy difference isn’t huge. The old-school attitude of “aim for hair and send it” doesn’t hold up when your bullet placement matters more than ever. Overestimating what the .270 can do beyond 300 yards, especially in the wind, leads to a lot of lost blood trails.
.30-06 Springfield
You’ll hear the phrase “it’s killed everything in North America” like it’s a mic drop. Sure, the .30-06 has the resume, but a lot of folks run soft bullets or light loads thinking that’s all they need. When paired with modern bullets and proper weight, the .30-06 is a powerhouse—but too many hunters underload it or get sloppy with shot placement because they believe it’ll bail them out. It’s not the ballistic bulldozer people remember from Grandpa’s stories unless it’s set up right. And when it’s not, deer end up running farther than they should.
7mm-08 Remington
The 7mm-08 gets a lot of hype as a balanced round, and in some ways, that’s true. It’s easy to shoot and has better energy retention than the Creedmoor. But it’s not a miracle worker. Some hunters think it offers magnum-like performance in a short action, but it doesn’t quite get there. It runs out of steam faster than folks realize, especially with lighter bullets. And while it’s excellent for deer-sized game in reasonable conditions, it’s not going to give you the same terminal effect as a heavier .30-cal option when the angle is sharp and the range is long.
.223 Remington / 5.56 NATO
This one sparks more arguments than anything, but it belongs here. Some states allow the .223 for deer, and some folks swear by it with the right bullet. But that “right bullet” has to hit the perfect spot under perfect conditions. Too many hunters treat the .223 like it’s a cheat code—flat, fast, low recoil—and forget that deer aren’t varmints. It doesn’t leave a big margin for error. When the wind picks up or the shot isn’t perfect, it fails fast. Hunters who overestimate its performance end up trailing blood through the woods way more often than they should.
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Here’s more from us:
Calibers That Shouldn’t Even Be On the Shelf Anymore
Rifles That Shouldn’t Be Trusted Past 100 Yards
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
