re: what is the smallest caliber you use for deer? (spinoff)

The owner of my LGS has let is son hunt with his AR for the last two seasons. his son has shoot at 5 deer and recovered all 5 of them. As long as you use good quality ammo (NO FMJ) and place the shot in the right spot a 223 will kill a deer. Also, the furthest shot his son made on a deer with the 223 was under 150yds.

The shot placement really matters more than caliber IMHO.

An AR with an adjustable stock is a great rifle for a youth because they are low recoil and the rifle can be adjusted to fit a young hunter.