I've been hunting this buck for three years and I finally got a shot on him last night right at dark. He was 100 yards. I shot and he buckled and ran off.  I found hair and just a little blood.  We tracked him all night and today and nothing.  I know my knight muzzleloader is dead on.  I think these ballistic tip bullets I'm shooting zip right through the deer and don't expand at all.  I shot a doe the day before and there was just a clean hole and not much blood.  Any thoughts on why these plastic tips won't expand.  They are the only thing that groups well in my knight.

He made this one look like a baby.

the plastic tips should be the most reliable in expansion......maybe the velocity isn't high enough, but I've never ever heard of ballistic tip types not expanding

and damn I'd be happy to get/see a buck like the one in the pic...bar none

I'm shooting 150 grains of Triple 7 so is should be at or over 2000fps.

Quoted: I'm shooting 150 grains of Triple 7 so is should be at or over 2000fps.

that's mz velocity right....what would be the vel. at 100yds....

Quoted: I've been hunting this buck for three years and I finally got a shot on him last night right at dark. He was 100 yards. I shot and he buckled and ran off.  I found hair and just a little blood.  We tracked him all night and today and nothing.  I know my knight muzzleloader is dead on.  I think these ballistic tip bullets I'm shooting zip right through the deer and don't expand at all.  I shot a doe the day before and there was just a clean hole and not much blood.  Any thoughts on why these plastic tips won't expand.  They are the only thing that groups well in my knight. He made this one look like a baby. im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3cf36b3127cce8215fbdaedff0000001610

Could it have been just dark enough for you to have hit a small limb or tree and had the bullet deflected outside of the vitals?

Quoted: Quoted: I'm shooting 150 grains of Triple 7 so is should be at or over 2000fps. that's mz velocity right....what would be the vel. at 100yds....

no clue

also don't feel bad....you aint alone......This year I've missed three good bucks....didn't get a shot at all...and last day for deer season in the zone that I've got tags for is tommorrow-sunday......

That happened to my adopted brother a couple of years ago. He had a great shot on a monster of a buck and took it. He hit the buck and it fell, then got up. Well is was starting to get dark and he started to follow the blood trail and it went for 50 or so yards and then stopped, well he looked and looked. He looked for I think an hour and couldn't find it. Well he gave up because it was too dark and in a remote hard to get to location. Well as it turns out they found the buck about 6 months later. It was about another 50 yards from where the blood trail stopped in an aera of very heavy brush. My brother told me it made him sick that they couldn't find it that night. That was the only deer he had a shot at during the season. It sucks and I hope I have better luck than that this year because I am hunting in his spot this year since he is in Kuwait. I promised him 10 pounds of deer jerky for Christmas. I better make good on that promise. Thanks Arvin

I shot this buck in 2001.

I doubt I'll be lucky enough to see another like him again...

Your buck is there. Get a dog and go back.

Quoted: I shot this buck in 2001. I doubt I'll be lucky enough to see another like him again... www.ltownracing.org/Test_Forum/uploads/post-3-1099178713.jpg

Nice deer