I have never had this happen to me, but have heard from friends about it. Evidently the bullet hits something which makes it tumble, after which it slows radically because of the drag of the reverse mushroom, and usually the skin acts as a big rubber band, stretching out with the impact of the bullet, and retracting after stopping it. One friend who was watching another friend shoot an elk, I believe, from the off side actually claims to have seen the skin stretch out like a tent for a couple feet on impact. They found the bullet in the same position as you did.

It is no wonder the wildebeest could barely keep its feet, with it taking the full impact of a .416 in the forequarters, when the bullet reversed, it would felt like it was being hit by a truck.

Lynn Miller