Your Shot Preference

[spencer12]

I thought about this recently and figured it would be a good discussion. I notice many people shoot deer right behind the shoulder or "in the crease" with rifles or muzzleloaders. Why is this the preferred shot placement today? I myself shoot for a direct mid shoulder hit. It drops them in their tracks nearly every time. A miss left or right from a mid shoulder aim point is going to hit them either directly in the neck which is also deadly or directly in the heart or lungs. With the behind the shoulder shot you have a left right miss of shoulder and then guts. Yes behind the shoulder is just as deadly but they are going to run. Maybe not far but they're going to run, why not eliminate this? With a bow behind the shoulder is by far the smarter choice, but with a high powered rifle why not drop them? Neck shots are also usually a drop shot but I think this is a little more risky.

Do folks not prefer shoulder shots for the "loss of meat" (which for me is normally minimal). I think TV hunters prefer this because the deer run off so then they can video the "track". I noticed a lot of the older TV personalities like Will Primos and his crew normally shoot them in the shoulder as well. The first dozen or so deer I killed were with shoulder shots or neck shots. Not one, zero, none ran anywhere. For whatever reason I started shooting them in the vitals behind the shoulder and my next half dozen or so all required tracking jobs. Albeit most were rather short but some did manage to go 75-100 yards with perfect behind the shoulder hits with both a .308 and .270. I went back to shoulder shots and once again the tracking stopped.

What is your preference?

 

[Jim Boyd]

Think you should have had an “other, please explain below” category.

I have not gun hunted in several years but when I did, I used the bowling ball theory - a shot at the junction of the neck, spine and front shoulder.

Like yours, mine went 2.5 feet - straight down.

Done correctly, the shot is easily made from just about all angles.

 

[Ajohnson0587]

I prefe neck shots when presented. This particular buck this yr did not present that shot since he busted me, but he made the mistake of running into the cut over. Dropped him in his tracks at 181yrds (ranged), you can see the entrance wound. He was dead instantly, no kicking, no rolling around.

 

[Nicodemus]

I prefer a high shoulder shot.

This really goes back to the days of hunting along the Lower Oconee River. Any deer not anchored literally on the spot stood a good chance of getting in the river, and if it did it was near about always gonna be lost.

 

[Mexican Squealer]

High shoulder for me...

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

I’m going with all the above posted so far.
The bowling ball theory does exceptionally well at high shoulder.

 

[Jimmypop]

I am unable to drag a deer anymore so I shoot high offside shoulder. They just lie down right where they are and wait until I get back with the tractor.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Vitals behind the shoulder 90% of the time. I don't care if they run off a ways, and I have lost a good bit of meat from shoulder shots. If it's raining, near a property line, near a nasty horrible piece of cover or straight dropoff, I'll go for the high shoulder and drop it there. Otherwise, I'll trail it 50 yards, and not lose 10 pounds of bloodshot burger meat. The heart/lung shot bleeds the meat out good, too.

As for the neck shot, never. I've seen too many neck shot deer drop like a sack of taters, then get back up five monutes later and take off, never to be seen again. Or, crawl around on their front legs bawling until you go finish them off.

 

[Lukikus2]

In the crease for meat if the shot was presented. High shoulder to stop them in their track. I always use the bowling ball method either way. Shot two Texas heart method. Works when you are elevated.

 

[bloodiarrow68]

High shoulder shot and they don't even wiggle. Ive shot quite a few in the neck too and have came close to losing a few from that. Dont get me wrong i will take the neck if i have to but its not my preference anymore.

 

[pine floor]

Dead is Dead, with said, from members, arrows with tips have been killing for hundreds of years, then you shoot with 25, 06,7mm, 243, ETC ,shotguns, so putting a deer anchored is pretty much no problem.
Yes I kill some with the ribs blowed out, but a well deserved arrow will NAW off a lot of the same..

PF

 

[NCHillbilly]

High shoulder shot and they don't even wiggle. Ive shot quite a few in the neck too and have came close to losing a few from that. Dont get me wrong i will take the neck if i have to but its not my preference anymore.

I have personally lost two to neck shots, and know of dozens of others lost by other people I know.

 

[baddave]

Vitals behind the shoulder 90% of the time. I don't care if they run off a ways, and I have lost a good bit of meat from shoulder shots. If it's raining, near a property line, near a nasty horrible piece of cover or straight dropoff, I'll go for the high shoulder and drop it there. Otherwise, I'll trail it 50 yards, and not lose 10 pounds of bloodshot burger meat. The heart/lung shot bleeds the meat out good, too.

As for the neck shot, never. I've seen too many neck shot deer drop like a sack of taters, then get back up five monutes later and take off, never to be seen again. Or, crawl around on their front legs bawling until you go finish them off.

no way i could have said it better --- ditto-- i shoot one thru both lungs he/ she can run all they want

 

[bloodiarrow68]

They will get up and leave from a neck shot.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Not a fan of the bottom two ever or the top two often. Opposite shoulder does it’s job if you do yours and wait.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I lost a really nice 8-pointer this year by being lazy and going for a high-shoulder shot. He was in really close, I was up high, my rifle was sighted for way out there, it was almost dark, and I shot right over his back. If I had aimed for center chest vitals, I would have got him.

 

[pine floor]

Exactly, we all make, assuming, that it will be some fault for someone, but the bottom line is, it is what it is..

PF

 

[dtala]

What Hillbilly said X100

 

[JB0704]

I’m with NCH. Don’t mind tracking, and they don’t run too far anyway when shot behind the shoulder. Main reason is I hate messing up meat. I process my own, and it’s pretty nasty when a shoulder bone gets hit.

 

[kmckinnie]

I try to hit him where I can in the heat of the moment. Anywhere behind the shoulders is 1 st. As long as I know it’s a quick kill I go for it. Mostly lungs. Heart area.