If you're sitting in a blind shooting deer under a feeder and have the time/patience to wait for the perfect shot, 223 Rem is ok. If you're hunting an area where you may get a shot longer than 250 yds or you may need to take a quartering shot, go with a more powerful cartridge. I would hate to have to pass on the buck of a lifetime or worse wound the buck of a lifetime because I made the decision to hunt with a 223 Rem.

I almost fell for this...

Now where did I leave my coffee cup?

Hands down, 30-06 or could be 308, which one you have.

You need the 7 Iron and only the 7 Iron for deer!
The 7 Iron

I've used a 223. Not the best round. If you do, use a bullet constructed for game, not varmints. The Sierra Game King 55 works on hogs, in my experience. Should work on Texas deer.

223 Rem won't work. Need at least 300 Win Mag but even that is probably only good to about 125 yards.

Now someone will quote you and say you should always use enough gun...blah, blah, blah.

Maybe a 60mm mortar?

Bullets matter more than headstamp and shot placement trumps all else. .223 is fine for everything native to Texas. My deer gun is a 20" 223ai, suppressed, with 62 tsx or 65 gamekings. Stupid accurate, easy recoil, easy to pile primers at the range, and I've never lost a deer or hog to it.

This isn't 1962...

As with anything, shot placement is key. With that said, I've killed several deer with a .223 and a .222, but there are definitely better calibers out there.

I learn so much on here.

Both.