I've had the same results with many loads

by RangerBob, Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 12:08 (4360 days ago) @ Charles

Stopped deer DRT with:

30-06 150gr at 2800fps and 180gr at 2600fps
.303 British 180gr at 2400
.45 Colt 290gr RCBS at 1200fps (carbine)
.458WM 375gr cast at 1700fps
.458WM 525gr cast "solid" at 1500fps

But I've also hit deer with most of those same loads and had them travel some distance. Once the deer was poorly hit. Mostly they were good or very good hits.

Conclusion: Hitting the right place is most important (spine/neck shots work quickly). Have enough gun to make a hole all the way through. The rest is mostly pure luck.

I can tell little difference in the results I get from the 30-06 and the .45 Colt. The '06 leaves a better blood trail, but the deer don't seem to stop much quicker.

I never get time to shoot deer 2x or 3x, but I'm sure that multiple hits are quite important.