Bomberpilot, I have to differ with you strongly, and the reason is that what you say makes total sense, but conflicts with what I have experienced and seen with my hunter friends. It is illogical, but it happens. It has nothing to do with "aren't hitting them right". The most extreme personal example was the destructive heart shot from about 50 feet, mentioned in my first post.

I hit this deer from almost point blank range, saw the hole open and saw tissue and blood fly out the other side. Unbelievably, the deer did a fast walk through 18" water and into very heavy thicket. It went several hundred feet and was difficult to find.

I field dressed it. I always save the heart and liver, which I love to eat. Field dressing this one, I couldn't find the heart, and thought...??? Finally, I realized a big flat pancake thing had once been the heart. That 575 grain slug had hit it squarely, and hydrostatic shock literally caused the heart to explode. So you think that deer was not hit right????

Almost the same thing happened two years earlier and 100 yards from that spot. I hit one broadside, from close, squarely in the bullseye area. But that deer, one of two standing side by side, took off like a shot. I thought I had missed it, but could not imagine how. I began walking in the general direction, just to check... About 100 yards away, there it lay, stone dead, and hit precisely where I had the cross hairs. The slug also passed all the way through and caused great exit hole damage. Not hit right??? I think not.

There is something about deer physiology, or stamina, or adrenalin, or something that I/we may not fully understand. But sometimes squarely hit ones drop like a stone, and sometimes they run like the wind...for a short time. It may have a lot to do with where you hit, in relation to the nerve system. Break that information transmission system, and it stops right there, but such a hit is a matter of luck.

I learn something new and amazing each hunting season.