Shot placement trumps everything if you are wanting DRT....
Beyond that nothing is ever guaranteed. And I even thought that a 180 Partition out of a 300 mag should EASILY give an exit on a lengthwise shot on a 130ish pound deer, but they didn't... They did kill every time though. But it bothered me and I've not really been bothered since switching to the X type of bullets... Have yet to recover one in game. That way I'm prepared for any shot offered period. With some bullets other than monos I have to be picky.
Of course the other side of the coin is an older friend... 220 swift, some light HP and shoots every deer in the flank broadside and DRT is the result every time.
