I've actually found a number of them.
First deer I ever shot with a Ballistic Tip was in 1987. It was a 100gr .257" from a .257Roberts. Load was max load of H380, chrono'd at 3,100fps. Shot was downward from a tree stand, range ~40yds, deer facing away from me at a slight angle. Bullet impacted last rib, essentially exploded on impact. Fragments of jacket and lead were scattered through torso, and plastic tip was imbedded in heart along with small pieces of lead core. No exit wound.
Next deer I killed with a B.T. Was a muley doe I shot I '88 in Montana. Load was 85gr .257" over max load of H414. Chrono'd 3,350fps. I had taken these to shoot p'dogs, and did use 96 of them to connect with over 50dogs hunting on some BLM CRP land near Big Sandy. I'd taken some Hornady 117's for muleys but had loose jackets and bullets were accurate at 100yds but keyholing at 250. Took 7 misses on 3deer to figure something was going on. Checked zero at 250, had 2 misses, one full side keyhole, on 2x3' cardboard box. Got 1.5" three shot grouping with B.T's dead center. Fourth B.T. next am impacted large muley doe through spine at 370yds. Plastic tip was in mush of shattered bone next to 2" exit wound. Very little jacket or core found. Lower impact velocity gave better weight retention.
Other "finds" include 35gr V-max .224" from .22Hornet from shallow softball size wound cavity in deer chest, and spine blow up of 150gr .284" from 7mm08- 2,900fps m/v, at measured 148 yds, core separated, base of jacket found next to tip. ~6" penetration, blew out 6" x4" section of spine.
Last deer I shot with B.T. Was with 130gr B.S.T. From .270win. Range, 90yds, angling heart shot. Gray/white tip found near entry hole on rib. Lots of jacket shards thrown through wound channel, small exit wound- 140lb doe.
My assumption is that if you're not finding tips, someone else is processing your deer for you. Seldom do I not find them, of course, when I use B.T's. Seldom do I use them anymore. I've gravitated to "shooting" deer with cast bullets. Can't call shooting them in the backyard "hunting".
