I post this not to start a discussion but to only give facts.  Last Friday I took my 11 year old daughter and my 7 year old nephew to a game ranch to harvest surplus deer and exotics.  They were both on their first hunt and shooting 223 Ultramax ammo loaded with 55 grain nosler balistic tips.  A varmint bullet that works superbly on deer size game in side of 200 yards.  They took 2 management whitetail bucks, 3 whitetail does, one axis doe, one blackbuck doe and one fallow doe.  All were one shot kills except for one of the bucks my nephew hit to far back in the paunch.  The second shot broke his neck and lights out. The rest of the deer were chest shots and none ran over 30 yards.  Several fell in their tracks.  The reason we used the 223 was because this was the kids first hunt and they could not handle recoil.  I can assure you I have no problem hunting with my Bushy with the proper load.  This is not speculation, this is not expert shooters hitting deer in the head.  This was two kids with no experience on their first hunt.  

tell me something i don't know, :)
and keep telling the one's that really don't.

AR is the only rifle for me!
although I do want a 50 upper for it.

ROCK ON!

While I have not doubted the 223 as a varmint rd, I'm a bit surprised at the affectiveness you are reporting on deer sized game. I keep reading that a 22-250 is not well suited for deer, and I know it hits harder than a 223. All factors being equal, I am impressed with your results.

I do belive the kids success was because of the 55 grain Nosler Balistic tip and keeping the shots under 200 yards.  All but two were under onehundred yards.  The damage that little bullet did was unbelievable.  Unlike hollowpoints that blowup on impact the BT penetrates and then explodes.  Only one animal had a exit wound so all of the bullet energy is expended in the animal.  It was a tremendous test of caliber and bullet and I was very impressed.  In fact I have been trying to find a 6x45 upper so I could use my AR for deer hunting, I am no longer looking for one.  I will just use Ballistic Tips.