Only definitional "failure" was reported by two friends, one the shooter - the other the finisher, on a Newf moose in the 1980s. Two 180 gr Hornady SPs from a .300 Roy splashed on the ribs, such that the other friend had to use his .338 to finish the job.
Est distance was just under 200 yds. Autopsy showed shallow penetration of the 180s just beyond the ribs. No fragments made it to the midline. Would the moose have expired without the finisher? Yes, no,, maybe.
I would be inclined to call BS were it not for the involved individuals, and my own experience with that bullet on a small whitetail one year earlier. '06, est 2600 fps impact on rib. In recoil saw a 2" hole open up and deer went down, expiring quickly. Sufficient fragments in the lungs/heart. I found the jacket remnant. One piece and had split open on the long axis resulting in a single flat piece of jacket metal. Still have it.
This is not intended as a knock on Hornady bullets. As those with long experience recognize, manufacturers sometimes have to make adjustments. In general, we get great products. And most troubles result from our failure to match bullet construction and performance requirements.
