I've had pass thru and non pass thru kills. I've also had pass thru and non pass thru non kills. Watching all the hunting shows and guys that probably shoot more pope and young deer in one season and probably miss just as many than I'll see in a lifetime, I see just as many non pass thrus as pass thrus. Some are so marginal that I often wonder if there isn't someone there with a gun making sure all the "big" ones are harvested for the camera. Bottom line is, if you get 10" or even less thru shoulder, that is a dead deer. You may not have much of a blood trail, and you may not find him, but that deer is dead.