For approximately 30 years I ran a 4600 acre spread west of Abilene, TX. The land was leased, with a maximum of 14 hunters each year. During this period, I had hunters that used every caliber under the sun. I found that the majority of the deer that were lost, or that we spent half the night looking for, were shot with one of the .22 class guns (.222, .223, .225, 22-150,)
About ten years before I stopped running the place, we stoped the .22s, and set a minimum caliber of .243. We still lost a deer now and then as a result of in-experienced hunters, but it was by far many less than when the .22 class bullets were allowed.
My opinion of the little black gun was formed early in my first tour to Viet Nam. In addition to the fact that we had major jam and feed problems, mostly when the chips were down, the gun was not effective in an urban situation, and left a lot to be desired in heavy jungle cover. Just ask any member of 2nd Bn., 4th Marines (dubbed the "The Magnificent Bastards" for their combat record in WWII.) and the battle at Dai Do. Capt. Jay Vargas started out with a Company of 123 men, after fighting their way into the village, only 41 remained. Every trooper had a captured AK-47. The little black gun was totally usless against the VC hiding amoung the banana trees, and in the masonry buildings. Our troops in Iraq are also finding this to be true. The improved version of the black gun performs much better than the ones we used, but the bullet is still in-effective in the cement and masonery structures.