You had to have hit a limb or sapling or maybe a bad load. Did it sound and recoil like normal when you shot?

The entrance hole in the top pic is the bottom hole. The hole just above that is where I cut the bullet out.

There wasn't any thing in the way of the shot. As far as recoil goes, you know how it is. When you're shooting a buck, even a 50 cal feels like a red ryder

I had that happen with ballistic tips in a 308 I thought the fusion was a better bullet.
That's crazy

Not saying fusions won't kill deer, but my experience with these plus everything I have read from others is nothing but positive.

Only bad thing I read about barnes is some guns don't shoot them well. But, I would like to see what a "not good result" group would be. Some people have u realistic expectations out of factory ammo in my opinion. Now hand loads are a different story, you can dial any bullet in to your specific gun

Core-Lok nuff said

I got away from those years ago and won't be going back. This is the only animal I've ever lost on fusions and I have killed a dump truck load of hogs with them.

^^^ THIS ^^^

Really though, that is a fluke. It don't matter what round you're using that shouldn't happen but one in a billion shots

HAHAHA!

Deer are just plain tough animals. I lost a big 8 a few weeks ago with a 300 grain slug square in his shoulder. Did it ride the rib cage? I've shot a few deer with my .270 using hornadys where the bullet went all the way through but it lodged just underneath the skin on the opposite shoulder.

Feeling's mutual.

After thinking about this some more.... the bullet had to slowed down by something. It could have been a lot of things. Also it sounds like by a quartering away shot that the scope may be a tad off or a flinch. Which it could also be a plain old fluke.

I just about spit my coffee out when I read that.

I just started shooting Barnes TTSX from my 270 and killed two bucks this year. One was a Cull 5pt and the other was a 10pt. Both deer were under 185lbs. Disappointed in the performance. All of the kinetic energy is used inside the cavity of the deer which does not leave much left for an exit wound. Both deer ran 30-40 yards after impact with virtually zero blood trail. Exit wound was no larger than a nickle and I was very confused. I called Barnes and asked if this was typical, and they said yes. Both deer bled significantly inside the body cavity, but without a large exit wound, they could be difficult to track.

My guess is there wasn't a lot of powder in case

Many years ago I was sitting in some big open pines, could see an edge of short pines about 50 yards to my left. A BIG buck was easing just inside the edge of those short pines going away from me (I'd estimate him to be about 75/100 yards away). I shot and it looked like you fluffed a pillow case full of hair all over him, he hit the dirt, flopped over and got up and took off running. I eased down the tree and packed up my climber, piddled around about 15 mins and walked over there. Hair everywhere! We never found a speck of blood nor the deer. Did find a tiny pine limb that it looked like maybe I hit, so I'm thinking it exploded that ballistic tip and just fragmented all over the deer?? But even that was just a guess.

I'm betting there is a sapling with a hole in it and there just wasn't enough energy left to penetrate. I shot two does in one shot years ago and the entrance hole in the second deer was about a 1/2 - 3/4" hole similar to what you are showing.

the reason I know there wasn`t is because I went back to the same spot and sat down 3 different times replaying the shot trying make sure I was searching the right spot for blood and also making sure there were no limbs or anything that could have deflected the bullet. I was trying to convince myself I missed but couldn't. believe me, I wish that were the case

What did the recovered bullet weigh? Looks like the bullet fell apart before it hit the deer. I don't see how 3" of skin can flatten a 140gr monolithic bullet. Bullets need momentum to penetrate, mass x velocity. The bullet had to have lost a lot of mass or velocity.

Y'all crack me up suggesting that changing the diameter of the bullet by couple hundredths or switching to a softer bullet will fix the problem.