If you just HAVE to have a blood trail, use a 45-70 with a 400+ grain LBT style bullet. You don't have to load it hot, 1400-1600 fps or so. Pretty much leaves a 1+ inch hole, all the way through. From whatever angle, even the infamous THS.
Thing is, when you shoot a critter with it, they tend not to go far...in my experience, anyway.
