what do you prefer?

[extremehunter007]

I know how to hunt. As most everybody on this site does. but here is my question. do you prefer a behind the shoulder shot, shoulder shot, or a neck shot. i have ALWAYS shot the shoulder, allowing more energy of the bullet to impact the vitals.. but different people have different views on this subject.

[WisconsinDeer]

I usually aim for the opposite shoulder if the deer is broadside or quartering away.

[o1sick7]

I have always shot for either the thre and threw. both lungs and heart or the base of the neck.

[BruceBruce1959]

I rarely consider a neck shot but if it's range for a sure shot I'll take a neck shot.
I'll usually try to hold on for a good vitals shot rather than take a shoulder shot there's a lot of good meat in the shoulder
I'd rather wait for the vitals shot than risk damaging that meat.

[onehorse]

This question comes up a couple of times every year.
I like the "high-lung" shot" for several reasons:
1. It drops and kills deer in their tracks because so much energy is transferred to the spine.
2. It doesn't ruin any meat.
3. It has lots of room for "error". If you hit a little high, you break the spine and the deer drops; hit a little low, you hit the lower lungs or heart = dead deer; a little back, you still hit the lungs or maybe the liver = dead deer; a little forward, you break a shoulder and will kill the deer.
In my opinion, the neck shot is a no-no - too easy to wound an animal as there is very little margin for error. Listen to what Bruce says about the shoulder shot as you will ruin a lot of meat unnecessarily.
Also remember that the angle at which the deer is standing is important. If it's more than a couple of degrees from broadside, it is a good idea to consider lining up your vertical post with the far side leg (a little behind it), but still go for the high lung hit (about two/thirds of the way up).
Having said that, for various reasons, my last two bucks were killed with heart shots, but both of them ran about 30-40 yards before hitting the dirt. This has happened a lot with heart shots in the past, but NEVER with good high-lung hits.
When I taught hunter firearms and bow hunter training, it was surprising to see how many hunters, young and old, had no idea of where the organs of a deer are located, so if you are not sure, check some deer anatomy charts.

[BruceBruce1959]

very well said onehorse.

Whitetail Anatomy..

Originally Posted by onehorse

This question comes up a couple of times every year.
I like the "high-lung" shot" for several reasons:
1. It drops and kills deer in their tracks because so much energy is transferred to the spine.
2. It doesn't ruin any meat.
3. It has lots of room for "error". If you hit a little high, you break the spine and the deer drops; hit a little low, you hit the lower lungs or heart = dead deer; a little back, you still hit the lungs or maybe the liver = dead deer.
In my opinion, the neck shot is a no-no - too easy to wound an animal as there is very little margin for error. Listen to what Bruce says about the shoulder shot as you will ruin a lot of meat unnecessarily.
Also remember that the angle at which the deer is standing is important. If it's more than a couple of degrees from broadside, it is a good idea to consider lining up your vertical post with the far side leg (a little behind it), but still go for the high lung hit (about two/thirds of the way up).
Having said that, for various reasons, my last two bucks were killed with heart shots, but both of them ran about 30-40 yards before hitting the dirt. This has happened a llt with heart shots in the past, but NEVER with good high-lung hits.
When I taught hunter firearms and bow hunter training, it was surprising to see how many hunters, young and old, had no idea of where the organs of a deer are located, so if you are not sure, check some deer anatomy charts.

.

[Karl.Luhr]

I always shoot with an animal broadside, follow the leg staight up 1/3 of the way on the shoulder. With any kind of an angle use the opposite leg to line up on approx 1/3 of the way up again. My outfitter in Idaho was supprised that I held where I did on my Elk. He personally always had clients shoot for the lungs not the shoulder. I did manage to get a nice clean kill with a 3006 at around 150 yards. There was some meat that did look a little damaged at the entrance point but with an Elk you get plenty.
I am not a good enough shot to take neck shots, I have heard to many stories of them not working out as planned. I think that some consideration has to be also given to what cartridge a person is shooting. Using a very fast magnum on an animal at 100 yards bad things may happen with a shoulder hit if the bullet isn't of a controlled expansion type.

Karl

[extremehunter007]

2 years ago i was hunting with my Mossberg using remington copperSolid slugs..... and being used to the follow through with my .270, and i made a shot in between 2 trees, and hit her just a little slow, and got her in the gut. she ran maybe 5 yards, dropped, and went to get back up, and my buddy finished her off with a 220 grain -06 round shooting through about 30 yards of brush. shot for the shoulder, hit her in the head. i would post pictures of it, but id end up getting 400 pages of hate mail...it was....pretty bad.... i just prefer to hit the shoulder, releases more energy into the animal, and makes for a quicker bleed out, thus a faster kill. although i dropped a doe the same year at 340 yards and with the 130 gr. Nosler BT, she didnt just, move, nothing. she just fell over. Not even a death kick!

[timberghost]

With a rifle I will always wait for the perfect broadside shot and go behind the shoulder. I always tell myself not to shoot necks/heads because I will miss and/or probably wound an animal and lose it. So I will always wait for the perfect shot