with lung shot placement(this is the placement I use with all my guns)the deer I have shot with my .357 mag have all gone done quickly,just as quickly as my bigger calibers...I have seen deer shot with rifles and slug guns get away and die lingering deaths due to iffy shots,i.e. neck shots,paunch ect. if I had read only and not seen the results of the .357 mag on deer I would have doubts on using it but as they say the "proof is in the pudding"