We know they can work if placed well. The critical question, however, is whether they work better (or even as well) as other bullets when placed into a maliciously motivated animal in less than ideal locations for that is what one can expect under the circumstances (and which is why a lot of people like the long hole idea better.)
Yeah, when they're coming at you from 60 feet away (or less) and traveling at about 20-30 miles an hour through truly thick (jungle-like) brush, they don't give you much to shoot at, nor is the situation conducive to "proper shot placement".
The last two that I had to follow up after clients had wounded them, didn't provide ideal circumstance in which to dispatch them.
For example: One bear was killed only after I'd accidently shot through a 4-inch thick alder with a .375 H&H magnum loaded with 300 grain Nosler Partition bullets. That shot was fired from about 25 or 30 feet. Even still, the bear kept coming and I dropped him at about 12 feet with a shot into the end of the nose.
