Thanks for the experience based info. I gather you got the deer? Probably goes without saying you got it, wanted to ask what the internal damage looked like.
I did get the deer. So when hunting (solo especially) I prefer shoulder shots, against my better judgment I decided on the first shot to shoot textbook behind the shoulder. I figured its a big gun for a little deer, no problem. I see my first shot impact and the deer didn't fold up. It kinda stumbled forward 10 yards ish and stopped. Thats when I figured screw it, chambered a 2nd and put the crosshairs high shoulder and that was the anchor.
The first shot seemed to kinda pencil through, I don't really know what to expect with that bullet on such a small animal. A better test would have been an elk. The 2nd shot was much more devastating. The exit holes looked like I used 2 different bullets.
For what it's worth, in the last 2 seasons ive watched 6 bull elk go down. Shot distances from about 175 to 325, 3 fell to Bergers, 3 fell to TTSX. These were the results.
300 WM - 180gr TTSX - 250yds - Shoulder shot - bull went ~10 yds
300 WM - 180gr TTSX - 275yds - Shoulder shot - bull folded
300 WM - 185gr Berger - 175yds - Shoulder shot (2 shots) - bull went ~10 yds
7SAUM - 168gr Berger - 325yds - Shoulder shot - bull went ~10 yds
7SAUM - 168gr Berger - 300yds - Shoulder shot - bull went ~10 yds
300 WM - 180gr TTSX - 175yds - behind shoulder and shoulder shot (4 shots) - went ~80 yds
*It's my opinion that sometimes with the monos if you don't hit something hard they have a tendency to pencil through animals. When you hit something hard they deliver a ton of energy. That last bull with the 300 WM my dad hit with a lethal behind the shoulder shot, the bull didn't react much and started running away. Two behind the shoulder follow up shots and the bull is still on its feet. The 4th shot was in the shoulder and dumped him. We recovered all the shoulder hit TTSX bullets, they look exactly how you'd expect them to look. Who knows what the bullets did that burned right through.
**The Bergers basically penetrate a couple inches and then break up, the damage is crazy.