Interesting experience on mule deer with ballistic tips. I killed a 29" mule deer last year in CO with 180 grain accubonds. First shot was about 450 and it hit a bit low near the sternum and broke the off-hand leg. The animal went 600 yards and bedded down. When I was stalking him, I found his first bed and no blood.
When I relocated him, I followed it up with 3 more 180 grain accubonds, all 3 from 15 yards or so. Each shot went thru him after which he got up and ran, the first shot he was in his bed as I sneaked up from behind. The bullet entered above his hip and exited out his chest. Only a small hole. I had to hit him 2 more times and he still ran off to die about 80 yards down the hill. Four shots total. All completely passed through, but my guess is the accubond didn't expand fast enough at the speeds it was arriving. But the fact that there was no blood from the first shot at over 450 yards concerned me. Even having slowed up, it did not leave a big enough wound channel in the sternum or leg.
I was not that impressed with the accubonds but I don't have more experience than that. It could all be attributed to shot placement on the first and the fact that mule deer are just dang tough when they have holes in them at 15 yards.
Now w/ ballistic tips, I took a standing pronghorn at 175 yards. The bullet destroyed itself and the animal and that was all she wrote. It opened that antelope up. The shot was a bit back, but the insides were coming out of the hole it left. And four years ago I took a standing 5x5 bull at about 300 yards with a 180 grain ballistic tip. Broke the near shoulder, destroyed the heart and I found a small part of the base on the far hide. The bull went <10 yards. I was very happy with that.
So your mileage may vary as they say. I am and continue to be comfortable shooting ballistic tips although I still have several accubonds as well. All hand loads.
ElkScout