sounds like a miss! Whenever I shot a rifle a high shoulder shot usually drops em in their tracks. However I too have missed!! Shot a doe once (heart/lung shot) she was in a herd so I only saw the herd run as the smoke cleared. Could not find any sign of deer. A sleepless night wondering if the gun was off(couldn't be me,LOL). Shot the gun the next morning , gun rt on. Went back in the morning light and found the deer, she ran the opposite way from what I thought. Easy to follow when I found the blood trail. only 100 yds from where I shot. I've always shot the Hornady XTP over 100-150 grains of pyrodex.

I have had horrible luck with power belts out of my CVA accura. I like the hornady and thompson shockwave bullets fir factory bullets but i have a guy who makes them and his 300 grain all lead HP is evil on a deer.