"Sometimes the magic works, and sometimes it doesn't" Old Lodge Skins in Little Big Man.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/florida-teen-survives-spear-through-head
Placement and caliber appear adequate. Evidently it weaved it's way through non vital anatomy some how, or maybe if the tip was more of a "Keith" style
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About the time I don't believe a " good hit-got away" story I recall this. I also remember about 30 years ago the Idaho F&G collared elk, recovered the collars during and after the season, and reported only about a third of the elk shot were recovered. Apply your own experience to infer why.
Larger calibers make recovery more certain in my experience. Bullet technology has improved performance in all calibers, and admittedly a piece of my large bore bias, is based on bullet failure. Better bullets have changed my advice to a young fellow I work with, desiring to get into the game, is different than what it would have been a couple of decades ago.
To make it just an energy question. If we take a .300 Winchester Magnum, and give the 180 grain Nosler Partition bullet, 3100 fps, at 100 yards we get 3406 ft/lbs. If we take a 220 grain Partition 2700 fps, same 100 yards we get 2825 ft/lbs.
Target, elk, moose, big bear, or hog, quartering either way, and my experience tells me the results with the 220 grain bullet will yield a more positive result. Especially if we're talking recovery.