Deer - best aim point

[Namman]

I should explain again @Namman, in the kind of country we shoot - the very steep, scrubby hill country of the Central North Island - any kind of run on after a shot can prove disastrous, as the animal can easily be lost down ravines, and into impenetrable scrub. Once they embark on a dead run, there's no knowing where they will end up. That is to be avoided, hence the great effort to drop them right there.

And I thought you Kiwis were tough!! I understand your point of view in your circumstances. Where I stalk in Scotland is very similar . If they run ten yards they can be down a ravine or in impenetrable thicket stage conifers in which you can not walk.

 

[rem284]

I like to split the 5th hair up andc2nd hair to the right of the mid hilar shot

 

[takbok]

I find that shooting deer in the centre of the chest usually does the trick (especially on smaller sika and roe), or maybe the neck if it looks big enough and the crosshair isn't wobbling too much. I usually hit at least one shoulder and the deer don't go far at all. I don't shoot a lot of reds but remember once purposely aiming high on the shoulder on a red knobber and dropping it on the spot as I couldn't afford for it to run.

I can't remember the last deer I shot that was standing perfectly broadside.

The much vaunted hilar shot doesnt leave a lot of room for error if the shot goes further forward IMO.

 

[Leroux]

I like to keep it very simple. Middle of the deer in terms of height, aiming to exit far shoulder. Stops them right there and a bit of margin if not a perfect shot.

 

[Selous]

We were stalking today and my young stalker had a couple of good mature fallow does. We seem to have had a lot of talk and arguments about point of aim at 30m and any other distance.
Well my young stalker today tried two different ones, the classic up the back of the front leg etc and the high hilar using his 6.5 X 55 and a 140gr bullet.
The first at 170yds resulted in a high jump a run of 20 yds and dead.
The second dropped the beast on the spot at 164yds. However it was down but still alive and needed despatch.
For my money, at distance, up back of front leg and 1/3 to 1/2 way up the body is the spot. I have mostly shot deer in that area and will continue to do so.

Clearly I wasn’t there but the hilar shot is usually immediately or at least very rapidly fatal due to damage to the great vessels at the heart base. Was it a true hilar shot or closer to the so called high shoulder shot ( which is probably better considered to be a spine shot)?

 

[User00025]

Clearly I wasn’t there but the hilar shot is usually immediately or at least very rapidly fatal due to damage to the great vessels at the heart base. Was it a true hilar shot or closer to the so called high shoulder shot ( which is probably better considered to be a spine shot)?

My mistake I SHOULD HAVE SAID TOWARDS HIGH SHOULDER. These new terms get us ancients confused, it certainly wasn't a spine shot and just above position 2 on the anatomical drawing.

 

[Selous]

That makes sense as there is the potential in that area to double lung shoot without disrupting the great vessels probably somewhere around the green cross on the picture where the bullet could miss the spine and skim through the top of both lungs leading to a slower bleed into the thoracic cavity. It is a fairly narrow corridor in reality so probably doesn’t occur very often so falls into the “one of those things” bucket that exists where we shoot large ungulates from distance.
On the terminology front I am probably a bit more anally retentive than most and I am not directing this comment at anyone but the term shoulder relates to the joint only (green circle) so saying high shoulder as on the picture is not really high shoulder it is high thorax or probably spine and the so called behind the shoulder shot is actually a rear (I would say caudal) thoracic shot which will give double lung penetration and a greater probability of running than a mid thoracic shot between the two vertical lines. Shots low in the rear or mid thorax will also probably result in some degree of a run.

 

[User00033]

On the terminology front I am probably a bit more anally retentive than most...

Probably?

Too late mate, the shoulder is the shoulder, same shoulder all over the world. As in shoulder blade, probably.

 

[User00025]

Probably?

Too late mate, the shoulder is the shoulder, same shoulder all over the world. As in shoulder blade, probably.

A bit like the cussif on a woman, same everywhere.

 

[Selous]

Probably?

Too late mate, the shoulder is the shoulder, same shoulder all over the world. As in shoulder blade, probably.

I know it is too late, but the shoulder blade is not the shoulder, it is the scapula, the shoulder is the ball and socket, nothing else! Like I say ... a bit retentive but that’s what comes from the job I do!!
I would like to think I’m alone with such pedantry but just call a bullet a head and all the other retentives will show themselves!!

 

[rem284]

The deer that dont stand perfectly broadside on just are not playing the game very well.

I remember when I was about 10. Me and a pal was out with catapults trying to get rabbits. We came across a guy who was probably 16/17 who was shooting with an asi paratrooper airgun (i think). We got talking and the guy told us some bullsiht and said he always shot rabbits through their right eye. When he left we both said what if the rabbit is leftside facing

 

[john_little]

I like to split the 5th hair up andc2nd hair to the right of the mid hilar shot

If you’re splitting hares you should consider a different bullet

 

[Norfolk Horn]

That makes sense as there is the potential in that area to double lung shoot without disrupting the great vessels probably somewhere around the green cross on the picture where the bullet could miss the spine and skim through the top of both lungs leading to a slower bleed into the thoracic cavity. It is a fairly narrow corridor in reality so probably doesn’t occur very often so falls into the “one of those things” bucket that exists where we shoot large ungulates from distance.
On the terminology front I am probably a bit more anally retentive than most and I am not directing this comment at anyone but the term shoulder relates to the joint only (green circle) so saying high shoulder as on the picture is not really high shoulder it is high thorax or probably spine and the so called behind the shoulder shot is actually a rear (I would say caudal) thoracic shot which will give double lung penetration and a greater probability of running than a mid thoracic shot between the two vertical lines. Shots low in the rear or mid thorax will also probably result in some degree of a run.

You can beat a bit of anally retentive.

Me
Basin and sinks when they described them in the wrong situation.
I know sad

 

[Border]

The deer that dont stand perfectly broadside on just are not playing the game very well.

I remember when I was about 10. Me and a pal was out with catapults trying to get rabbits. We came across a guy who was probably 16/17 who was shooting with an asi paratrooper airgun (i think). We got talking and the guy told us some bullsiht and said he always shot rabbits through their right eye. When he left we both said what if the rabbit is leftside facing

Patience my padewan

 

[Pete6.5]

The deer that dont stand perfectly broadside on just are not playing the game very well.

I remember when I was about 10. Me and a pal was out with catapults trying to get rabbits. We came across a guy who was probably 16/17 who was shooting with an asi paratrooper airgun (i think). We got talking and the guy told us some bullsiht and said he always shot rabbits through their right eye. When he left we both said what if the rabbit is leftside facing

The right eye is the one that is facing you at the time. The wrong eye is the one you can't see.

 

[Leroux]

It really is not all that complicated. Nice to anchor them.on the spot but not that much wrong with an engine room shot and a 50 yard death run in my honest opinion.

 

[User00033]

FIFTY YARDS ???

What is this, middle distance running followed by hide and seek? Nah bugger that. What we want is a Tyson round one knockout.

 

[Shootgun]

It really is not all that complicated. Nice to anchor them.on the spot but not that much wrong with an engine room shot and a 50 yard death run in my honest opinion.

Nothing wrong with that in open field... But thick forestry blocks?

 

[Overlay]

I think any shot on a Sika is like hitting a stab vest covered brick wall as i found out earlier this year, Shot a young Sika Stag 150yds heart/lung shot rolled 50yds downhill got up and ran another 80yds towards me , dived head first into long grass where it expired . Unbelievable animals are Sika.

What calibre and bullet were you using out of interest

 

[Leroux]

Fair point. I am just not sure all of us are that accurate every single time. I hunt in the tick Eastern Cape bushveld in South Africa and you certainly aim to anchor a bushbusk or a kudu but stuff happens....