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I understand that Jerry. I'm almost there myself. I love the gun but the 30-30 cartridge has caused me some rodeos. None worse than this year. I had a broadside 50 yard shot on an 8 point buck a couple weeks ago and I guess the brush deflected my bullet. I dont know. At the time I was sure I hit him. Anyway he started to run and I fired a follow up hitting him too far back. Only found that out later. I found no blood and no evidence of a hit despite looking for an hour. A couple hours later a guy came over to me and asked me if I fired the shots that morning. I said yes and he said the buck is dead 3/4 of a mile down the trail. Shot in the hindquarters. It was my buck but there was never evidence of a blood trail.
A week later my wife shoots a Doe with her 30-30 and she tells me she rolled it and shows me where. I could find no blood for a good while and had to make circles looking around until I started finding pin drops. We found the deer mostly without help of a blood trail by just following the general direction. It was shot in the shoulder and did require a finisher.
I've shot most of my deer with a 30-06 and have never had a rodeo or lack of blood trail with that cartridge. I may just be done with 30-30's at this point. It's not the first time I've had no blood trail with one.

I understand that Jerry. I'm almost there myself. I love the gun but the 30-30 cartridge has caused me some rodeos. None worse than this year. I had a broadside 50 yard shot on an 8 point buck a couple weeks ago and I guess the brush deflected my bullet. I dont know. At the time I was sure I hit him. Anyway he started to run and I fired a follow up hitting him too far back. Only found that out later. I found no blood and no evidence the trail. Shot in the hindquarters. It was my buck but there was no evidence of a blood trail.
A week later my wife shoots a Doe with her 30-30 and she tells me she rolled it and shows me where. I could find no blood for a good while and had to make circles looking around until I started finding pin drops. We found the deer mostly without help of a blood trail by just following the general direction. It was shot in the shoulder and did require a finisher.
I've shot most of my deer with a 30-06 and have never had a rodeo or lack of blood trail with that cartridge. I may just be done with 30-30's at this point. It's not the first time I've had no blood trail with one.

What bullets are you using ? I've lost count of how many deer I've shot through BOTH shoulders with 170 core lokts, silvertips and power shoks with never an issue and a dead deer nearly instantly every single time. Never had an issue with blood trails when needed either. There is a youtube video out there where a guy compares the penetration of a 170 core lokt .30-30, and 180 power points from a .308, .30-06 and .300 Win. mag in gallon milk jugs full of water. You should look it up. As I recall the .30-30 stopped in the 7th jug, the .308 in the 4th, the .30-06 in the 5th and the .300 in the 3rd. I stopped a 150 gr. Fusion in the buck I shot through the shoulders with my .30-06 this year. Having done it many times before, I'm quite certain my .30-30 with 170 core lokt or power shok would not have stopped in that buck. The trouble you had finding the buck you gut shot was your fault not the cartridges fault. Pretty sure you know that.

I always use Winchester Power Point 170's and my wife uses 150 Core Lokts. I've had a lot of good quick kills but I've found when I do need a blood trail I dont have one. I'm seriously thinking about Buffalo Bore 190's.
And it wasn't gut shot it was a hindquarters hit.

Ruger Mark II stainless 338 boat paddle stock

I always use Winchester Power Point 170's and my wife uses 150 Core Lokts. I've had a lot of good quick kills but I've found when I do need a blood trail I dont have one. I'm seriously thinking about Buffalo Bore 190's.
And it wasn't gut shot it was a hindquarters hit.

For me it's easy, a pre 64 Model 70 featherweight in .270...and you?

I’m a sucker for nice walnut and blue; Savage-Anschutz 54 Sporter

I always try to avoid hind quarters shots. Never tried 170 power points but have used the 150's and they don't penetrate as well as any of the 170's I've used, often not exiting, which isn't conducive to good blood trails. I've killed 80 deer with a .30-30 as of two years ago. Never lost one and never had one go more than 75-80 yards after the shot. The vast majority went less than 50 yards..

Of course we all try to avoid hindquarter shots. I'll repeat myself. I had a 50 yard broadside shot. No reason to believe I missed so when the deer started running I fired a follow up shot which hit too far back. First shot must've been deflected. No I don't try for hindquarter shots.

The one that's my favorite for sentimental reasons (and I have a few of them), is my Ruger 77 RLS in .358Win that my Wife bought for me (The ONLY one she's ever bought me). It's not my most accurate rifle, but it has never failed me. It'd be the last one to go...