Shot placement on Big Game

[airedale]

When it comes to shot placement on Deer I have subscribed to the behind the shoulder classic heart-lung shot. It provides a pretty large target and when hit it gives good killing results with minimal edible meat damage. There are times when even a well placed heart-lung shot will produce a death sprint that can be fairly far and may require some tracking.

After viewing many hundreds of shots taking game on those African Safari videos I took note that the recommended shot placement is on the shoulder, I can constantly hear the professional hunters keep emphasizing in the shooters ear as they line up for a shot "on the shoulder" the priority is to drop the animal where it stands. While they utilize every single bit of edible meat they do not worry about any meat loss due to shot damage, they want the animal poleaxed.

Seeing is believing and there is zero doubt in my mind that the high shoulder shot is the best one to take if one wants to drop the animal in it's tracks. An exception is those Cape Buffalo I have watched a whole lot of them being taken and very few drop with one shot, they are thick tough and refuse to die with some being hit 4, 5 and even 6 times with big heavy calibers before they go down.

Al

Edited December 15, 2023 by airedale

[Northcountryman]

40 minutes ago, airedale said:

When it comes to shot placement on Deer I have subscribed to the behind the shoulder classic heart-lung shot. It provides a pretty large target and when hit it gives good killing results with minimal edible meat damage. There are times when even a well placed heart-lung shot will produce a death sprint that can be fairly far and may require some tracking.

After viewing many hundreds of shots taking game on those African Safari videos I took note that the recommended shot placement is on the shoulder, I can constantly hear the professional hunters keep emphasizing in the shooters ear as they line up for a shot "on the shoulder" the priority is to drop the animal where it stands. While they utilize every single bit of edible meat they do not worry about any meat loss due to shot damage, they want the animal poleaxed.

Seeing is believing and there is zero doubt in my mind that the high shoulder shot is the best one to take if one wants to drop the animal in it's tracks. An exception is those Cape Buffalo I have watched a whole lot of them being taken and very few drop with one shot, they are thick tough and refuse to die with some being hit 4, 5 and even 6 times with big heavy calibers before they go down.

Al

 

I agree and, usually, go for that shot as well; my Grandfather always loved the neck shot for some reason ,though.

[airedale]

I almost always go for the heart-lung shot, that being said if I had a real whopper of a wall hanger present himself for a shot he would get it in the high shoulder for sure.

Al

[Moho81]

I'm a heart/lung guy sure I have had them go a ways before dropping but finding and following a blood trail was never an issue with the gun at least. I know quite a few people that like either the shoulder or neck shot just to put them down where they stand. 

[Shoots100]

I think the best meat on a deer is the back strap's, so no high shoulder shots for me, even on one of those saber toothed deer !

I strive for the heart/ lung area and no meat damage.

SJC

 

 

 

[Daveboone]

In Africa, the concern is to anchor the animal immediatly...(not so much on plains game...impala, Kudu, warthog, etc)., no one wants to have to change a big potentially dangerouns animal into scrub. It is the same philosophy from what I read on big bears, and i definitely have witnessed the same on moose.

Whitetail...I really hate to waste any meat, especially by choosing a shoulder shot where very likely I will greatly damage both shoulders. The heart lung shot is a relatively big target, and little lost (but I tend to want to shoot high, we like the heart pickled.)

I must admit though, with black powder (I shoot patched round ball) a shoulder shot I prefer. with the durn smoke cloud, it is often difficult to tell where the deer headed or to pick up a blood trail. And very nicely, the round ball leaves much less meat damage to the area....just a nice round hole. 

[wolc123]

1 hour ago, Daveboone said:

In Africa, the concern is to anchor the animal immediatly...(not so much on plains game...impala, Kudu, warthog, etc)., no one wants to have to change a big potentially dangerouns animal into scrub. It is the same philosophy from what I read on big bears, and i definitely have witnessed the same on moose.

Whitetail...I really hate to waste any meat, especially by choosing a shoulder shot where very likely I will greatly damage both shoulders. The heart lung shot is a relatively big target, and little lost (but I tend to want to shoot high, we like the heart pickled.)

I must admit though, with black powder (I shoot patched round ball) a shoulder shot I prefer. with the durn smoke cloud, it is often difficult to tell where the deer headed or to pick up a blood trail. And very nicely, the round ball leaves much less meat damage to the area....just a nice round hole. 

An xtp bullet, driven by 100 gr of T7, dont do too much meat damage in that area either:

Nor does a relatively slow moving shotgun slug, wether it be a full diameter foster type or a sabot.  
 

The little screamin center fire rifle bullets are far better thru the lungs of a deer though, as far as the meat damage goes.  

[GreeneHunter]

I prefer to Double Lung them if I can !