Reply #63: No, the design criteria of most "hunting rifles" was the killing of human beings at extreme ranges.

[benEzra]

Bolt-action deer rifles started out as military weapons, and still serve in that capacity. But the qualities that made them useful to the military also made them useful to hunters.

A Winchester Model 70 in .30-06, or a Remington Model 700 in .308 Winchester, are both civilianized military Mauser derivatives chambered for high-powered military calibers, and the Remington "deer rifle" is still used as the primary U.S. military sniper rifle.



That's a Remington above, currently used in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 was the USMC scout/sniper rifle in Vietnam, and was the rifle used by Sgt. Carlos Hathcock.



Here's the most common deer rifle caliber in the United States:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.30-06_Springfield

It was also the primary U.S. combat cartridge in World Wars 1 and 2.