I've got a little story that relates to this subject. About 20 years ago my dad shot a mature whitetail in the Texas hill country. He was using a 300 win mag handloaded with a Hornady 150gr spire point at a range of 75yds, deer broadside and looking at us. At the shot the deer drops, flipping on his back, gives a brief flail or two and then all is still. My dad immediately approaches the deer, recieving compliments from the guide for nice shot and all then they start field-dressing the deer. They were about 2/3 finished when they realized the bullet never penatrated the ribcage! The bullet hit the shoulder dead-on, it was bloodshot to hell, but it dissentegrated there. A rib was cracked and the inside of the ribcage was bruised. The heart and lungs appeared intact. They were also "clean", like dressing out a head or neck-shot deer. What killed this deer? Was it "hydrostatic shock" or the field-dressing?
