I've only shot a couple dozen animals with monos (coyotes, whitetail, elk) at ranges from 110-725 yards, but have shot many more with soft points, Power Points, match bullets (SMKs, Hornady AMAX, etc.), NBT, etc... The longest recovery I've ever had or known of within my group of hunting partners was on a 90lb whitetail doe shot with a 308/168SMK. When I finally found her 200 yards away from impact location, her remaining organs were hanging outside of her chest/body through a 6" diameter hole. Truly bizarre.
I've been extremely pleased with the killing ability of TTSX and LRX bullets including the 308/150, 300WSM/168, and 260/127. That said, I'd agree that deer, for example, will often make it a half-dozen steps from the impact site before going down. The 300WSM/168 TTSX is a really "hard" combo, especially on small whitetail. Most of the deer I've shot with that combo (half dozen) have died within feet of impact location. One small doe made it about 35 yards to the edge of the woods and then slid down a ravine a bit further, though. She was my longest recovery with a monometal.
All that said, the 7mm-08 with a 120 NBT is like having the hand of the Almighty crush a deer in an instant, though. Never had any of the many I shot with that combo make it more than a body length. Truly spectacular. However... I never had a single one exit. We're talking 120lb broadside whitetail here. I'll gladly take a 10-20 yard recovery from a monometal instead of a 3-yard "recovery" from an NBT due to the insurance the mono gives me from the ability to penetrate at any angle. Nothing wrong with either bullet, but I can't find the downside to Barnes (etc.) so far.
