ONE BULLET : ONE DEATH

There are a couple States where a certain caliber, hunting rifle or shotgun is allowed for that perfect one hit, one kill. But even if you did have the necessary equipment, it's also important for a hunter to maintain it so as not to lose the rifle's accuracy.

The ethical way of hunting whitetail deer is not to go overboard in terms of caliber and grain. I mean, it would be too cruel to use armor-piercing rounds that may only go through the deer, but not have enough impact to knock it down. Sometimes it takes the proper bullet for most rifles and probably hundreds of rounds to experiment on before getting into the forest. One example is a Remington bullet may be different from a Federal even if the caliber and grain are the same. And check the barrel of the rifle itself to know what type of ammunition it requires.

At least bow hunters have it easy.

And not just the grain a hunter has to be concerned about when it comes to ammunition. The proper bullet must have a combination of both energy and impact that will deliver an ethical kill when deer hunting. Fragmenting types wouldn't be sufficient, but those with hollow point might since they deliver enough power to knock down the animal.

Of course, a rifle's performance is always dependent on how much the hunter cleans it. Make it a daily habit if necessary. Cleaning the barrel from any power residue will increase the spin on the grooves inside, to deliver that necessary accuracy needed for your target. Best if you clean the barrel every 15 or 20 shots fired. As for muzzleloaders, the same process is needed but more so since it's a bit more powerful than just the best rifle on the market.

And once all the preparations have been completed, it's time to see the results as hunter takes aim at the target. Depending on the position and what type of shot like broadside, the deer's anatomy will depend on the placement such as taking the deer out by shooting the lungs or heart, but never the head since it's too cruel. You have a 9-inch error margin to choose from but best if the hunter have some sort of tripod or the like to rest the rifle for a steady aim.

It's a lot of work, even if it a one shot, one kill motive to bag that trophy buck.