Hit an inch behind the shoulder. Ran another 80 yards. Not a drop of blood. No exit wounds.

Don't shoot 150g soft points at deer at 75 yards with a 300 win mag. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Don't shoot 150g soft points at deer at 75 yards with a 300 win mag. Dumb, dumb, dumb.


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Are you suggesting that a heavier bullet is required? A mono? Sometimes you don’t get an exit, it happens, I’ve seen a 300gr Partition from a 375 stay in a 125lb black bear on a rib shot.

I bet that same scenario with a larger sample size would show a lot of DRT deer. I used the 150NBT at 3,350-3,400 for a few seasons in a 26” 300WM and it was like lightning. Very messy lighting.

I'm sure if I hit an inch or two further back and down she may have dropped right there.

I was disturbed by the lack of pass through and zero blood. For 30-45 minutes I was trying to figure out how I missed this deer. and luckily I was so convinced I hit her from how she reacted that I just kept looking around - 80 Yards Away!!! - before I found her. If she ran 120 yards, I'm not sure I would have, I was starting to believe that I hit a branch somehow and was about to give up looking.

Do not like this round for this gun. The bullet just disintegrated in her and left me nothing to trail.

What bullet was this? If it was anything bonded-core, I would have also expected a pass-through on a doe like that. If it was a more fragile cup/core variant, perhaps not.

No charge up front or consulting fee afterwards. Samples of 1 are not statistically viable. Next for all things 300 win mag 180gr Nosler Partitions at 3000fps or thereabouts is the universal answer to all questions asked or not. You will not go past go or collect $200 for your story and complaint. Mb

It's important to have confidence in your chosen bullet. A 180 Partition ought to do what you want it to.

Josh, I have shot the .300 wm since about 1970.. I have killed dozens of deer with various 150 gr. bullets.. The NBTB is a favorite.. I never had one run very far and always had a blood trail.. Mostly they were right there.. Or easily found.. I have also used this bullet on bighorn sheep and numerous elk.. It is not my first choice for elk, but they were there and I was there and they worked like a charm.. I have never used the bullet you mentioned so I cannot speak about it.. I have also used 165s , a few 180's , 200 grain, and 220 gr. All killed well..

Maybe you should get a 30-30, then work on aiming for the vitals.

One thing is for sure: blaming the cartridge/rifle/scope/bullet will continue to be the path of the ignorant if the result isn't the desired one.

you got the deer and if you choose the ammo it's not the bullets fault, not to start a fight but how is your tracking skills? another pair of eye's might of helped looking for blood

You killed a deer. An 80-yard run isn't out of the ordinary. Don't beat yourself up over it, and don't beat up anything else.


Okie John

It is a long-standing axiom at the 'Fire that you can't claim bullet failure if you recover the deer and not the bullet.

You also can't claim bullet failure if you never recover the deer.

The shot hit right behind the shoulder. The bullet did not exit. The lungs were mangled inside. What the heck are you talking about?

I shared the pics of both sides of the deer. There was no blood coming from the entry wound. There was no exit wound. The bullet disintegrated.

I am not complaining, I am acknowledging I made a mistake on the ammo choice. The bullet was too fast and soft for this shot. I'm giving people a heads up.

The run isn't what bothers me. It's the zero blood left behind. Not a drop. No exit wound. Bad bullet for the gun/distance. Probably a better round for a longer 300-400 yard shot but it's just too fast/soft at 75 yards to get any penetration.. Just giving a review/public service on it.

Shoot lower. You were in "no man's land" with that shot. Too low for a spine hit, too high for major blood vessels. It isn't a great shot. Wrecks the tops of the lungs, and can sometimes "shock" the spine, but it doesn't take the fight or flight out of 'em.

I hate to spoil the party but a lung shot deer blows blood out it's mouth. Try a Hornady GMX or Interbond in your 300 win mag if you a want pass through shots.

Is it possible something was hit before the deer and you only got part of the bullet to strike?
Weird stuff happens in the sticks.

I dunno, for deer I thought the lower limit was 150's in a .30-06 and 180's in a .300winmag.

"Watch and learn".


Bullet construction is the key, not just weight.

A soft bullet can “nuke” in the lungs at high impact speed and kill well without leaving a blood trail, making tracking tougher than it has to be on the deer with the tenacity to run. That is often the thing with soft bullets at high-speed, you either get a spectacular DRT, or a tracking job with no exit wound. A tougher bullet might mean less DRT events, but at least generally gives an exit on the runners. I get what the OP is saying. You sometimes don’t know until you try it.

Soft 150gr in 300WM equals the result you had. Move up to a more stout 165gr at least or a 150 mono.

When I used a 300 Win I always used the 180 NBT. Results were spectacular with drt kills and they exited.

I double-lunged a blacktail doe with a 150-grain Remington CoreLokt at about 30 yards once. No blood trail at all, but I did find a piece of lung tissue about the size of my thumbnail. I just started working on concentric circles from that piece of tissue and found the deer, looking exactly like yours, about 40 yards away. I think the hit was too high for it to leak blood.

Change bullets if you like but don't be too surprised if the exact same thing happens again.


Okie John