4seventy :
Yeah, point taken. The good thing about the frontal spine-shot though is that it is instantaneously obvious if the client stuffs it up, so the guide can put in a shot 'on the turn' if necessary, or a proper frontal shot if he comes!

A client that can't shoot well is going to be a liability at any angle!

JPK:
With premium soft-points like the Woodleigh bonded-core bullet, a metre of penetration is a given at NE velocities so there is no chance of the bullet not making it in to the spine from the front. Your point about "less than premium" softs is well taken, though. A good example would be the early Winchester .458 soft-points. Not a confidence-builder! There's simply no excuse for shooting cheap bullets at dangerous game these days.