just like a hunter posted previously about shooting/ thinking he missed on a buck

here's my story

hunting with my wife opening weekend when this buck showed up
at 4:15pm
156 yds across the pond - I sent a 165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip from a 30-06

Buck looked up, walked off like nothing happened
We searched the area, didn't see a drop of blood so we didn't spend more time

Thought I missed, was quite pizzed off at myself

shot 2 more does with the same results; 165 gr Nosler BT:
First doe skipped like nothing happened, second doe ran.
None had blood where they were shot. I convinced myself
that I didn't miss and went searching. Found both of them
about 75-100 yds away.

small hole in , small hole out and no blood where they were shot.
Being thin skinned; bullet didn't expand.
Same bullet did wonder on thick skin hogs though.

Based on that I suspected the same thing happened to my first buck.
I took advantage of the recent winter de-foliage and scout deep into the
ravine/creek. Buck found was 75 yds from where he was shot.

This will never happen again, next time I am searching 100 yd circle
blood or no blood. Lesson learned.

Going back to Nosler Partition for deer next season.

Pretty cool you found him before his antlers and skull were chewed up and damaged.

Man that stinks. That looks like pretty country.

At least you found the buck and I bet you won't let lack of blood stop you next time. I always search if I find no blood since I have learned that not all animals leave a blood trail. Found a few without a drop of blood except where they fell.

Glad you found him. Like you said I always look extensively if shots have been fired. For whatever reason they don't all bleed or react the same, and have found that a lot of the times bullets will do great one time and ok the next and no telling what the third time.

I cant speak highly enough about your choice for next year though. They may be old school and expensive, but you get what you pay for.

I shot a doe this year with the round I bought for my Nilgai hunt. She dropped right where she was, but when I examined her, there wasn't anything but a tiny pin drop of blood on the ground and the entrance and exit wounds were about the size of the bullet diameter and nothing more.

Those rounds designed for heavier game will blow right through a WT.

Good that you found him. Looks like he will make a nice euro mount.

I guess I've been lucky with that bullet. I've never had this problem with it, but have read from many that have.

But I shoot for high shoulder, so probably why I still get pretty good expansion.

that will do it, it needs bone / resistance to expand; and if I had taken a high shoulder shot
I think they would all fallen at the spot

I was trying to preserve what little meat are there in their shoulders

bullet experiences to date:

Nosler Partition - everything dropped on the spot
Nosler Ballistic Tip - great on hogs, fly through deer with small exit holes, deer ran good distance
Hollow Points - massive expansion internally (may mistaken for gut shot) small entrance,
large exit hole, massive blood at spot and good blood trail

I am not saying anything wrong with BT , just that it needs to hit bones or tough hide
to work as designed. Zipping through soft skin and tissues without expanding is understood

But....but.....but....."ballistic tips explode on impact". Cant tell you how many times I have heard that one.

Glad you found your buck. I have had nothing but great results from ballistic tips on everything from Fox to large Boar. Have seen one instance where the bullet on a deer my brother shot zipped in and out leaving no blood trail but we still found the deer. Have NEVER seen the "explode on impact" that so many people claim these bullets do so often.

Looks like a pretty good buck. In addition to the Nosler Partition you might try dropping down the 150 B Tip. I have had
great result on deer size animals with them.

I have twice on mature bucks. One made it about 40 yards and the other was wounded, but killed later. The first one was about 85 yards and hit in vitals and it exploded on the rib cage. A few fragments made it into lungs. The entry wound was about the size of a saucer and off course no exit wound. The other one was the same but at 165 yards. It blew up on the rib cage but did not get vitals. Deer had lost a lot of weight a month later when it was killed and stunk from the wound that looked as if it was getting infected.

Why shoot crap bullets when there are so many better options on today's market. Smh

Anybody use Nosler Accubonds? I'm trying the 110g Accubonds and 120g Partitions out of my .257 Weatherby Mag next season. Curious to see how the AB's perform.

I love BT bullets. They have performed great for me. Now on the other hand, Barnes TTSX have only given me " small hole in and out "without any blood trail....

I've seen it.

Shot a doe that I had to crawl close to 50 yards through tall grass to have a shot on. My buddies were all back a couple hundred yards but watching through binocs. When it hit her, somehow it exploded on a rib and everything blew towards the wound in a hole about 4 inches wide. Before we even approached the deer, my friends were talking about how gross all that "green stuff that blew out" was.

Really bizarre to see.

Agreed ^^^ Great deer by the way! Glad you found him!

Another glad you found your buck I shoot 130 grain Remington CORE-LOKT with great success on hogs and deer. Only had 1 run of it was a piglet at 250 yards because I missed it

They have preformed flawlessly for me in 300 WM, 308, 30-06. 270 next.