Sot placement question

[MRSFISHERMAN]

I was taught to shot behind the shoulders. Have been doing this for years. It does work, but always have to look for the deer. Have been reading about shooting through the shoulders, and they go right down and do not get up. Does anybody do this shot? How sucessful have you been? Most of my shots are under 35 yards. So bullet placement is not a problem, I put it where I want it. It just makes me nervous. Yea I know, if it works why change it. But it would be nice, not to have to look for them.

Joe Termite
Egg Harbor Twp.

[hunt4life]

I was always taught (and practice) to aim right in the middle of the shoulder blade with my guns (depending on the angle) I have had them drop in their tracks but half the time they will still run up to 50 yds or so.
However, I mostly archery hunt and my habit is to aim right behind the shoulder blade and therefore sometimes instinctively aim there with my shotgun. Overall, they run less when I blow through both shoulder blades though.

[Ole 20 Point]

I have a bud that swears by hitting em in the shoulder with the rifle...it works for him. I try to hit just behind the shoulder & middle of the body. My belief is that just gives me some room for error if I'm a little high, low, left, or right of target. Even in the most perfect setting for a shot, the adrenaline and excitement of the moment can get in the way of the perfect shot placement.

[MRSFISHERMAN]

Because of the margin oferror. Last year on one of the hunting show they showed the plus side of the through the sholder shot. Hopefully on Monday I will have to make this desision.

Joe Termite

[Tenpointrack]

There is no better shot placement on an animal with a slug, muzzle loader or rifle then through the shoulder...you just destroyed their ability to run and crushed their lungs! The only reason we are taught to shoot behind the front leg and not through the shoulders with an bow, is becuase it is nearly an impossible shot to break through that shoulder bone with a bow...and certainly not ethical to try either

There is less room for error with a shoulder shot...shooting through the shoulder gives you a center point of the deers vitals...you hit a little far back you are still in the vitals you hit a little foward you are still in the frontal part of the lungs...most good placed shoulder shots will level a deer on the spot...it has to be upper middle of the shoulder...a lower shot is more leg then shoulder and they will run.

Aiming behind the front leg actually gives you more room for error...you do not hit that little window between the stomack and liver/lungs...you will kill the animal but might be in for a long walk and one hell of a mess when cleaning it...haha

Shoulder shot all the way!

[briarpatch]

X2 what Tenpointrack said......

[MRSFISHERMAN]

Took a large doe with the muzzelloader through the shoulder. 405 grain hollowtip powerbelt with 150 grains of tripple 7. She dropped right in her tracks. Shot another doe with my 12 guage sluggun. 2 3/4" lightfields. Shot her a little farther back. through the ribs. one very large hole on the far side, the deer ran 50 yards. So it will depend on what gun I am shooting and where my stand is located (next to the swamp) that will determine where I aim. ThoughtI would pass this on.

[robhunt]

I shoot for both shoulders. Goes right through and they drop!! Had my buck this year run off with a broken shoulder but only went 50 yards.

[Buck Tales]

When your shooting a gun it's all about kinetic energy baby and hitting the solid mass of a shoulder delivers the most shock from the bullet. All them vitals behind it are in serious trouble once the shoulder is penitrated. I love the shoulder shot and it IS my shot of choice. I have on several occations taken close shots and put the bullet through the neck. I have to say, while I have had deer run a bit with some shoulder shots, I have never seen one run after a neck shot. If I got any question at all about distance or angle or anything I go right to shoulder. In close and personal, I'll put it in the neck and start gutting. :wave:

[njhunter11]

I always aim behind the shoulder, have had no problems. This yea I had two does where the exit hole was through a shoulder and when you skin them out the meat is like jello. So I try to hit them behind the shoulder so I don't waste any meat.

[MRSFISHERMAN]

on where I am sitting and what gun I use. With the muzzeloader, I will go for the shoulder if near the swamp. If I am in the hard woods I will shoot behind the shoulder. If using my slug gun (Big holes74 caliber) I will shoot behind the shoulder to save the meat, have actually found blood on the water in the swamp from the slug gun.
Joe Termite

[HUNTIN-NUT]

I believe it also depends on the angle. The objective is to hit vitals, primarily lungs so all of us bowhunters are aware of the angles to get the arrow through the lungs - so you kind of shoot toward offside shoulder on quartering away. Whitetails with rifle aren't al that tough - more dangerous game such as large bears or African game they want you shooting broadside shoulders as you still get vitals but you are "breaking down" the animal to limit it's ability to get away should it not go down and stay down. I mostly shoot for a spot near top of the shoulder blade. This is where many things come together including the main arteries and nervouse system linking the body to the brain. Hit it and they go straight down everytime- quickest most instant death you will ever see. Watch some of these hunting shows and when you see the animal just drop at the shot - oay attention to the slow motion replays - 9 out of 10 times the bullet impacts central shoulder location about 2/3 up the body.