Some cartridges look great on paper and even better in gun shop conversations. They promise flat trajectories, low recoil, or hard hits—sometimes all three. But when you’re deep in the woods or lining up on a buck that’s slipping through cover at last light, all those numbers and promises don’t help much if the round underdelivers when it matters. Whether it’s poor terminal performance, unpredictable accuracy, or real-world limitations that don’t show up on the back of the box, some calibers earn a reputation they can’t live up to. Here are the ones that hunters keep trying, hoping they’ll be the answer—only to regret it after the shot.
.243 Winchester
You hear it all the time: “Perfect for kids, but still enough for deer.” Problem is, that’s only half true. The .243 can kill clean with the right shot, but it leaves no margin for error. Wound channels tend to be narrow, and on bigger-bodied deer, it sometimes fails to exit. If you’re not careful with shot placement, you end up tracking farther than you’d like—or not recovering the deer at all. Plenty of folks brag about its accuracy and mild recoil, but when the shot angles get tricky or the brush is thick, it shows its limits fast.
.300 Winchester Magnum
The .300 Win Mag has long been a darling for long-range hunters, and there’s no question it has power. But the recoil wears you down fast, especially in lighter rifles. If you flinch even a little, your groups fall apart, and that supposed long-range advantage vanishes. It also tends to be overkill for most whitetail or mule deer situations. Bloodshot meat, heavy guns, and loud reports make some hunters rethink their decision after carrying it around for a few seasons. It looks great on the ballistics chart but demands more than most folks expect.
6.5 PRC
The 6.5 PRC made a fast rise on the promise of flat shooting and low wind drift, but it’s not a miracle worker. Recoil is sharper than the 6.5 Creedmoor, and it eats barrels faster than most hunters realize. The factory ammo is pricey, and when you’re in the middle of nowhere, finding a box can be hit or miss. In the real world, it doesn’t do much the Creedmoor can’t already handle inside of 400 yards. For all the hype, many hunters go back to something more manageable once they’ve had to pack it through the hills a few times.
.270 WSM
On paper, the .270 Winchester Short Magnum offers a bump in performance over the classic .270, but in practice, it’s a different story. Barrel life tends to be short, recoil jumps noticeably, and ammo selection is limited compared to its parent round. You also need a magnum-length action and a heavier rifle to tame the recoil and muzzle blast. Many hunters who jump ship from the old .270 hoping for something better end up wishing they hadn’t. You get a louder bang and a harder kick, but not much else to show for it in the field.
.25-06 Remington
The .25-06 gets praised for its speed and flat trajectory, but it’s a fickle round when it comes to performance on game. If your bullet choice isn’t dialed in or your angle isn’t perfect, it can punch right through without creating enough trauma to anchor a deer. That’s especially true with smaller, lighter bullets that fragment too early or fail to expand. It’s great for antelope and varmints, but when you’re in a tree stand staring down a heavy-bodied buck, it can feel underpowered in a hurry. It’s a caliber that rewards precision and punishes mistakes.
.300 AAC Blackout
There’s a lot of love for the .300 Blackout thanks to its performance in short barrels and suppressed rifles. But when it comes to real-world hunting, especially with subsonic ammo, it struggles. Energy levels are marginal at best unless you’re using hot supersonic loads—and even then, you’re still working with a round designed for close quarters. It’s popular among hog and deer hunters in thick woods, but many end up frustrated with poor blood trails and sketchy terminal performance. It’s a fun round to shoot, but not one to bet your season on when a clean kill is on the line.
.223 Remington
Some hunters swear by the .223 for deer-sized game, especially with modern bonded bullets. But if the shot’s not perfect, you’re in for a long track. The round’s biggest issue is energy—it just doesn’t carry much beyond 100 yards, and even up close, performance is bullet-dependent. Plenty of hunters love its accuracy and low recoil, but when you’re in that moment where everything counts, you’re asking a lot from a tiny bullet. It might work, but it often leaves you second-guessing, and that’s not a good place to be when you’re pulling the trigger.
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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.
