Hi,

I hunt with a 130 grain 270, as well as other clibers / guages.

I would not be so fast to judge based on a single experience. You are not really sure what happened. As other have said it sounds like shot placement. This could have been due to deflection. Could there have been deflction off a twig, a rib, or simply some movement on the part of the deer? All of these things have happened to me.

When all is said and done the bullet killed the deer. From what you describe, the bullet fragmented inside the deer and did not penetrate fully. The various pieces were lethal. I have had that happen with a rib deflection (remember broadside shots are usually not perfectly broadside).

IMHO we are too quick to blame our equipment and run out and buy something more expensive. Hey that is what keeps people in business. Experts, so-called or real, aside, I am not sure that for deer there is all that much difference between bullets designed for deer hunting (note this excludes varmit bullets, military bullets, and bullets intended for shooting competions). How did they ever kill deer before the invention of the super bullet? Had the bullet not fragmented, it is possible that you would have a good blood trail. But don't bet on it. I did not get a blood trail with a 12 guage heart shot (the top of the heart was hit) which had a good exit wound. The deer ran and I did not see blood until just before I found the deer. It is also possible that without the fragmentation the bullet would not have been lethal or not immediately lethal.

My suggestion is to relax and buy my more ammo.