ORIGINAL: bowhunterjohn

I started using the 295 grain hollow point powerbelt bullets. I had great luck with them, shooting a less then 1 1/2 inch group at 100 yards. I shot 6 deer over the next 3 seasons with the combination. Never had one of them run farther then 65 yards, in fact 3 of them piled up.

This season I wanted to flatten out my trajectory beyond 125 yards. I went to the 223 grain aero tip powerbelt. This year I shot 5 deer with that combo from 24 yards to 82 yards. No problem as long as I put it thru the shoulder or hit the opposite shoulder.
My hunting partner used the same combo and shot a buck on opening evening of shotgun season. He double lunged it and it bled ok at first, but soon went to drops. THen nothing. Luckly it was on a trail that worked back to a main trail and we found it about 200 yards away.

Then my son shot a nice doe last weekend of shotgun out of my blind at 55 yards.
Looked for 2 hours and found no blood or deer. Then two weeks later while making new paths thru the horseweed with my four wheeler I found her about 175 yards from where she was shot. The hit was a little back, but still she should have been bleeding.

My question is should I go back to a hollow point? or a heavier bullet? Or should I go to a 245-250 grain hollow point for an inbetween compromise?

I rarely have the opportunity to shoot beyond 125 yards.

Any suggestions or comments would be great