I'm impressed that Hayward Simmons took the time to postmortem examine the wounds and the bullets, when available, and record the details of the shot, including how far the deer was when hit, how far it traveled after being hit, if not DRT.
And to tabulate and keep up with that data for 20 years is a real treasure. I'm glad Layne Simpson knew Hayward Simmons and took the time to write the article.
So many opinions in this business are anecdotal and not from reproducible data. This approach by Mr. Simmons is a breath of fresh air. This data just gives trends, as statistically valid conclusions require a much larger cohort (sample number), when observed differences are subtle and the hypothesis is loaded with confounding variables.
Stated another way, with multiple similar calibers and similar bullets used on game with different angled shots, some in bone, others not, variables are running wild. It would take a huge sampling of such events to establish hard statistical evidence. An association is much easier to establish than causation, because it requires a much lower burden of proof. Trends and associations are all we're going to get from this scenario and we're fortunate to have them.
DF
