oldsmellhound

I think the performance you got with the Dead Centers looks great. I know there are different schools of thought on what a bullet should do when it hits a game animal, but I think that people may agree more if we decide what kind of animal we're shooting at. I think Dead Centers (and similar designs) are great for thin-skinned game like deer & antelope. You don't need to shoot 24" through heavy bone to take down these creatures. I prefer a bullet that expands quickly and penetrates adequately to reach and destroy the vital organs. If it exits the other side, that is an added bonus, but I don't think it's strictly necessary. The full penetration does usually leave a better blood trail, but if the hunter puts the bullet in the right place, it expands, penetrates and shreds vital organs, most of the time the deer isn't going to go far. Most of the time they will drop where they stand or maybe run 30 - 50 yards.

Now if we're talking about larger or dangerous game, things change a lot. With elk/moose/bear size game, you want a tougher bullet that will penetrate a great deal more and not fragment when hitting bone. So I would agree with Chap for anything larger than deer size, but for thin-skinned animals, I think Dead Centers & similar designs do quite well.