Hilar shot location

stevenedwards · Oct 9, 2021

I have followed the various discussions around the hilar/high shoulder shot for some time but never used it. I rely on the traditional chest shot and very occasional neck shot from directly behind an animal. I mostly use a 243 with 85gr Nosler Partitions, apparently there are alternatives, over N150. Whilst always recovering my deer I have not been entirely happy with the speed of kill with Red stags they generally run 20 to 100 yards and often in to unhelpful spots. This evening I shot my second red using the Hilar shot placement. Revalation, instant bang collapse with both, should have listened to you and tried sooner.

J@son · Oct 10, 2021

Agree completely. Get it right and you put the animal on the ground killing it where it stood. Also there’s a greater margin for error - shoot low and you are still in the lungs. Shoot high and you’ve pinned the shoulder. (Although please don’t think I am advocating sloppy shooting...)

stevenedwards · Oct 10, 2021

Ive just got the animal squared away in the fridge and have studied the entry and exit, little damage and very satisfying results

User00033 · Oct 10, 2021

stevenedwards said:
I have followed the various discussions around the hilar/high shoulder shot for some time but never used it.

Steven, the way this is written looks like you might be using hilar / high shoulder as interchangeable terms for the same shot placement? I may have misunderstood what you’re saying and you already know this but the hilar and high shoulder shots are different points of aim and killing mechanism.

Good to hear whatever one you chose worked out well for you, as it will every time you hit the magic spot. The fellas were talking the other day about .243 Win not being up to it for red stags; it's a shot placement problem not a cartridge problem.

308rws · Oct 10, 2021

Makes you realise that the ‘kill zone’ on the DMQ deer silhouette target is perhaps too far back?

slider · Oct 10, 2021

Get the Hillar shot right and you should miss the shoulder and lessen meat damage.

J@son · Oct 10, 2021

I think this is a really useful diagram. And I agree with the distinction between a shoulder shot and hilar shot.

At the risk of splitting hairs... I would move the X marking the hilum slightly to the left so that it is at the same height but over the gap between the next two ribs - i.e. ribs 5 and 6 rather than 4 and 5.

The hilum is the “junction box” connecting the heart, arteries and (importantly) the nerves that link the heart to the CNS. As I understand it, lots of organs, including the liver, have a hilum. As do other things... such as beans. The hilum on a kidney bean is very easy to see. And if you are shooting kidney beans this is definitely where to hit them.

User00033 · Oct 10, 2021

Jason Page said:
At the risk of splitting hairs... I would move the X marking the hilum slightly to the left so that it is at the same height but over the gap between the next two ribs - i.e. ribs 5 and 6 rather than 4 and 5.

The most frequent mistake made when targeting the hilar is to resist the “front line of the foreleg” rule when shooting broadside and place the shot slightly too far back. Above the heart is too far back for the DRT effect. That little bit further forwards is the hilar zone and it makes all the difference. I can tell when an animal goes down whether I’ve got fresh heart for tea - DRT is a yes, a stagger around or short run and it’s a bankable no.

However the real trick is to know where to aim on the quartering animal. I rarely shoot a red deer broadside when stalking. Simply because the likelihood of the animal presenting broadside in our terrain is quite low. You’re usually above / below / behind / in front of the animal. The raking shot from behind or in front of the shoulder or through the brisket is very deadly. Just a question of visualising where the hilar is in 3D. Longer range shooting I usually target the high shoulder.

I’ve got a library of vitals photos here to show the hilar shot placement that I can share if you like but not too keen to post them here as it’s all just needless gore.

Jelen · Oct 10, 2021

308rws said:
Makes you realise that the ‘kill zone’ on the DMQ deer silhouette target is perhaps too far back?

It always has been. When I started out shooting deer they mostly ran on after the shot before dropping. The more experienced people I stalked with also had this problem, so I assumed it was normal (this was before the days of Internet , mobile phone etc). After doing a few grallochs the penny dropped and i moved my point of aim to go up the leg (as opposed to up the rear of the leg as taught) and the percentage of animals that dropped on the spot went up a lot. This co-incided with my moving to an area with a lot of standing crops which forced me to aim higher. They all dropped then and the Gamedealers didn't bat an eyelid when they collected the carcases.

gixer1 · Oct 10, 2021

It’s an effective shot - and so are high shoulder or “pinning” shots. I shoot in some areas with extremely thick cover (rhododendron and gorse) and switched to these shots almost exclusively, (unless it’s a neck shot) and it consistently drops them on the spot.

This mornings buck (this is the exit as he was slightly quartering) dropped on the spot.

stevenedwards · Oct 10, 2021

dodgyknees said:
Steven, the way this is written looks like you might be using hilar / high shoulder as interchangeable terms for the same shot placement? I may have misunderstood what you’re saying and you already know this but the hilar and high shoulder shots are different points of aim and killing mechanism.

View attachment 224925

Good to hear whatever one you chose worked out well for you, as it will every time you hit the magic spot. The fellas were talking the other day about .243 Win not being up to it for red stags; it's a shot placement problem not a cartridge problem.

Hello Dodgy
You make a good point, we are talking hilar placement as per your previous illustrations. I will be more precise in future.

stevenedwards · Oct 10, 2021

dodgyknees said:
The most frequent mistake made when targeting the hilar is to resist the “front line of the foreleg” rule when shooting broadside and place the shot slightly too far back. Above the heart is too far back for the DRT effect. That little bit further forwards is the hilar zone and it makes all the difference. I can tell when an animal goes down whether I’ve got fresh heart for tea - DRT is a yes, a stagger around or short run and it’s a bankable no.

However the real trick is to know where to aim on the quartering animal. I rarely shoot a red deer broadside when stalking. Simply because the likelihood of the animal presenting broadside in our terrain is quite low. You’re usually above / below / behind / in front of the animal. The raking shot from behind or in front of the shoulder or through the brisket is very deadly. Just a question of visualising where the hilar is in 3D. Longer range shooting I usually target the high shoulder.

I’ve got a library of vitals photos here to show the hilar shot placement that I can share if you like but not too keen to post them here as it’s all just needless gore.

I have been fortunate with my first two. slight down angle absolutely broadside and I would say the second was a fraction further back but heart intact just.

Utectok · Oct 10, 2021

308rws said:
Makes you realise that the ‘kill zone’ on the DMQ deer silhouette target is perhaps too far back?

I say where the middle of the neck line meets the leg line is the spot

gixer1 · Oct 10, 2021

Utectok said:
I say where the middle of the neck line meets the leg line is the spot

Yup, this is what I was always told and it’s served me well when broadside.

Taff · Oct 11, 2021

Bugger me, never knew the name of this shot. A bit like the client who asked me how I found the atlas joint so easily, I replied what’s the atlas joint.

Devon Stalker · Oct 11, 2021

dodgyknees said:
The most frequent mistake made when targeting the hilar is to resist the “front line of the foreleg” rule when shooting broadside and place the shot slightly too far back. Above the heart is too far back for the DRT effect. That little bit further forwards is the hilar zone and it makes all the difference. I can tell when an animal goes down whether I’ve got fresh heart for tea - DRT is a yes, a stagger around or short run and it’s a bankable no.

However the real trick is to know where to aim on the quartering animal. I rarely shoot a red deer broadside when stalking. Simply because the likelihood of the animal presenting broadside in our terrain is quite low. You’re usually above / below / behind / in front of the animal. The raking shot from behind or in front of the shoulder or through the brisket is very deadly. Just a question of visualising where the hilar is in 3D. Longer range shooting I usually target the high shoulder.

I’ve got a library of vitals photos here to show the hilar shot placement that I can share if you like but not too keen to post them here as it’s all just needless gore.

Hi, would be very interested to see these please?

Jason The Turner · Mar 15, 2026

User00033 said:
The most frequent mistake made when targeting the hilar is to resist the “front line of the foreleg” rule when shooting broadside and place the shot slightly too far back. Above the heart is too far back for the DRT effect. That little bit further forwards is the hilar zone and it makes all the difference. I can tell when an animal goes down whether I’ve got fresh heart for tea - DRT is a yes, a stagger around or short run and it’s a bankable no.

However the real trick is to know where to aim on the quartering animal. I rarely shoot a red deer broadside when stalking. Simply because the likelihood of the animal presenting broadside in our terrain is quite low. You’re usually above / below / behind / in front of the animal. The raking shot from behind or in front of the shoulder or through the brisket is very deadly. Just a question of visualising where the hilar is in 3D. Longer range shooting I usually target the high shoulder.

I’ve got a library of vitals photos here to show the hilar shot placement that I can share if you like but not too keen to post them here as it’s all just needless gore.

Hi, I know this was a while ago now, but as a newbie stalker, I think this would be a really useful learning tool for me, would you mind sharing the photos with me please? Many thanks

NullMac · Mar 15, 2026

Oh a 2021 post comes alive!

I think they have got their plexus confused. Maybe not.

2 shots.

1. Put it in the middle of the shoulder blade. Easy to see
2. Put it just behind the shoulder/leg joint. Hence the comment about up the front of the leg

Have a look at deer photos online. Some kitchen table practice

Jason The Turner · Mar 15, 2026

NullMac said:
Oh a 2021 post comes alive!

I think they have got their plexus confused. Maybe not.

2 shots.

1. Put it in the middle of the shoulder blade. Easy to see
2. Put it just behind the shoulder/leg joint. Hence the comment about up the front of the leg

Have a look at deer photos online. Some kitchen table practice

Yup…. From broadside I get that. Thanks for the reply.
00033 said he had quartering photos of actual shots and I just thought that would be really useful. I’ve looked at anatomy and deer photos but thought actually seeing the quartering shot placement would perhaps add something to my understanding.

cheers.

VSS · Mar 15, 2026

Jason The Turner said:
Yup…. From broadside I get that. Thanks for the reply.
00033 said he had quartering photos of actual shots and I just thought that would be really useful. I’ve looked at anatomy and deer photos but thought actually seeing the quartering shot placement would perhaps add something to my understanding. cheers.

I think that "user00033" is no longer a site member. May have been "Dodgyknees"? He had a lot to say about the hilar shot placement.
There’s a photo been posted on another thread recently that shows the position of the hilar shot.
It's a good one to know.

Hilar shot location

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads