I could kill deer every year for as long as I live with a .22 short if I had to, but what would be the fun of that? I have a .54 cal. black powder muzzleloader, a 7mm Remington Mag, a 378 Weatherby, and an AR-15, and I usually rotate them between hunts just for the fun of it. I try to hit behind the front shoulder whenever possible, and the deer don't seem to notice which rifle I am shooting on that particular day. They all get to come home with me. I still think 500 yards is a long way to shoot at a deer with a rifle because I am usually using something less steady than a shooting bench for a rest, and because I am OLD. I have to admit that you 1,000-yard shooters/hunters fascinate me. You guys have me dreaming about a long-range rifle build, and I even have a place I could use that type of setup. I have always loaded my own, so that would be no problem, but some of your weights and measurements are a little complicated for me. It would be trial and error for me. I like trial and error.