OMG...
[Note I am quoting you AZ_Hunter but not picking just on you. Actually thank you for the non gun preaching part]
Ok guys... Let me check the gun "preaching" here.
1. I build guns. I know guns.
2. I check my guns ALL THE DAMN time (scopes, mounts, etc).
3. A sighted in gun doesn't not magically get out of sight unless something mechanical happens to it (like you change something; something gets loose; etc). If it is kept in a padded secured case, everything is tight on it, etc then it should shoot close to what it was sighted in (barring environmental and atmospheric conditions. Regardless of you other beliefs I have done this... sighted in a weapon, jumped it (yes out of the sky) into another location including a rather hard landing - and it shot spot on.
4. I JUST FREAKING SHOT a deer a week before at 200 yards. It hit, where it was aimed and killed the damn deer.
5. Since then it has not been dropped, etc to have changed the sighting in.
SO PLEASE FOR GOD's sake stop being a bunch of self righteous preaching gun fools. Its not my first rodeo. I probably know more about guns, ballistics and can outshoot the lot of you since I HAVE shot things at 1500+ yards; shot under real-life tactical scenarios; and basically have a gift for shooting. (that was mildly self promoting and sardonic for those of you who are hell bent on being trolls).
Those of you who read my original post, and subsequent and have provided non-gun 101 preaching input - GOD BLESS you! and thank you.
The comments about the location might be on as well. They are ground level shots at the top of the shoulder and could have been high. I could be slightly off on the vertical ballistics at a distance with the factory load as I have not chrono'ed it. That said it doesn't explain the 30 yard shot at shoulder (was trying to just drop em in place and take the shoulder out). That's a shot I can make with my hands tied, wearing a too too and bear spray in my eyes.
I do know that the Edge TLR is in the same class as the ELD match of bullets. It should open at some slower speeds. But I also know it is designed for deep penetration so it doesn't pop open super fast. I also know that some of the bullets in that class (no specific vendor, it happens from time to time) can get very small variations in the copper/metal that controls the expansion and can make them expand less (or even way more, and fragment).
Just wondering if I miss the bone and am lung shooting a deer then there is not a whole lot of density to expand that bullet fast enough.
But as AZ_Hunter said, I may have just freaking fallen out of favor with my gun god Mercury and must now sacrifice my oldest child to be back in his favor.