Let’s face it, a lot of shots at whitetail deer in many regions come at relatively close range —100 yards and in. Let’s also agree most of us shoot lighter recoiling rifles better and more accurately — particularly helpful for smaller statured adults and youth. Oh, and if the cartridge is optimized for the AR platform, you can customize it to your heart’s content. So, let’s answer these questions. Are the .223 Rem and .300 Blackout adequate for deer and which is better? Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn head to the range to shoot gel and find out.