shot placement...

[Mungo]

A query about shot placement...

I learned to shoot for the standard heart/lung shot - roughly half way up the chest in line with the back of the leg. Shot that way for years, with perfectly adequate success (most dropping within 10m-20m, the odd runner quite a bit further).

Then recently I slightly misjudged the distance, and put a shot high. It went through the underside of the spine, and the roe buck did the classic sack-of-spuds on the spot. I was worried about loosing too much meat, but on butchering didn't really loose any more than usual.

So then started deliberately going for that shot (aiming about 4 inches down from the top of the back on a roe deer). It's been a revelation.

So my question: is this a recognised shot? And why is it not more commonly advocated? It seems to remove a level of uncertainty that I always hated in thick woodland. With the advantage that, unlike a true neck or head shot, a miss down will still kill quickly, and a miss up will completely miss.

 

[User00026]

it's a great shot, the classic high shoulder, just a bit further forward than you not tbh, so between back and middle of deer, and a bit further onto the shoulder. Bullet should take out the top of the shoulders and bottom of spine, and the deer will drop on the spot. I have found shoulder meat is not affected unless you like the top edge of the shoulder, which I certainly don't.

you might find the deer needs dispatching as you may not hit vitals, but it will not be a runner! risks associated are that the bullet goes too far forwards or backwards and a bit low and you not only miss the shoulder but also the bottom of the spine, meaning the deer is throat or gut shot. Another risk is that you ruin the saddle.

I personally use H/L when I can, but if a deer is in a place where I don't want a runner, I will use that exact high shoulder shot. Same with a big adrenalin fuelled stag, it can put him down quick without the risk of him running off deer in the woods.

it should form a part of a shot placement portfolio, and I take my hat off to you for working these things out yourself and learning not only your abilities and limitations, but how the shots work on deer, etc.

 

[Monkey Spanker]

You are still taking out both lungs. You risk damaging the spinal area though! Many game dealers get very twitchy about shots anywhere near the saddle and may deduct accordingly. You are also more likely to clip the shoulder blade higher up. If you look at the shape of the leg bone/shoulder blade there is a definite angled notch about halfway up the animal which allows the shot to be slightly further forward without actually hitting the front leg.
MS

 

[ejg]

My favourite shot, Bullet travels about an inch below the spine and shock wave upsets or paralyses spine for a moment. This doe
was taken with 243, 260m dropped on the spot.
edi

 

[Mungo]

My favourite shot, Bullet travels about an inch below the spine and shock wave upsets or paralyses spine for a moment. This doe
was taken with 243, 260m dropped on the spot.
edi

Yup - that's the one!

I wish I'd figured this out sooner.

In retrospect, it's not really all that mysterious...

 

[maan01]

Agree with ejg, also that placement leaves the best margin for possible errors ( may god forbid they should ever happen)

 

[CWMMAN3738]

I agree, have used this shot many times with minimal meat damage ideal if shooting close to your boundaries and recovery from adjacent land isn't an option.

 

[Erik Hamburger]

I don't think that this suggestion is 'Best Practice' from an animal welfare point of view. So you will need a second bullet or a knife, the deer has been injured on the ground for 5-10Min by the time you come to dispatch it. Limiting meat damage to the venison and getting a higher price from your Game Dealer should never take priority over quick humane death, IMHO.

 

[foxhunter]

A query about shot placement...

I learned to shoot for the standard heart/lung shot - roughly half way up the chest in line with the back of the leg. Shot that way for years, with perfectly adequate success (most dropping within 10m-20m, the odd runner quite a bit further).

Then recently I slightly misjudged the distance, and put a shot high. It went through the underside of the spine, and the roe buck did the classic sack-of-spuds on the spot. I was worried about loosing too much meat, but on butchering didn't really loose any more than usual.

So then started deliberately going for that shot (aiming about 4 inches down from the top of the back on a roe deer). It's been a revelation.

So my question: is this a recognised shot? And why is it not more commonly advocated? It seems to remove a level of uncertainty that I always hated in thick woodland. With the advantage that, unlike a true neck or head shot, a miss down will still kill quickly, and a miss up will completely miss.

I have always used this high lung shot as it poleaxes deer on the spot and have also persuaded others also to use this shot where previously they were heart shooting deer and seeing them run on the impact of the shot. I have never understood people shooting for the heart and watching deer run off across a field as if unscathed , much prefer to see them drop on the spot.

I use .243 with 100 grain ammo and cant remember the last time I had a runner using this shot placement.

​

 

[jimmy 84]

I don't think that this suggestion is 'Best Practice' from an animal welfare point of view. So you will need a second bullet or a knife, the deer has been injured on the ground for 5-10Min by the time you come to dispatch it. Limiting meat damage to the venison and getting a higher price from your Game Dealer should never take priority over quick humane death, IMHO.

Agree with you there the most important thing is the deer is dead a.s.a.p.

My local game dealer would deduct money for that shot as she would claim blood would travle up around the saddle joint. I know it makes no difference to the joint a shot like that.

 

[badbob]

The heart is low down in the chest cavity.
the idea of centre chest shot is to allow some margin of error
a couple of inches low will hit the heart a couple inches high will hit the lungs spine aorta.
If you`re aiming lower chest for the heart and you go low you can easily wound or break a leg.
heart shot animals usually react by running and dropping dead after 10, 20 50 yards

 

[Drag1]

Have used this shot myself with great success
but i prefer to neck them if i can get to a sensible range. So the question is, at what range do you guy's consider a neck shot is on (without being silly)

​Drag1

 

[JAYB]

I always recommend a shoulder to shot to guests who are shooting Sika on my ground, it saves them a lot of walking

John

 

[Grant.N]

Would greatly depend on the situation.
High seat , off sticks, prone ?
Up to 60 yards max for me.

 

[JAYB]

Would greatly depend on the situation.
High seat , off sticks, prone ?
Up to 60 yards max for me.

Is not every shot you take somehow dependant on the situation.

John

 

[Grant.N]

John you are correct.

 

[Monkey Spanker]

Have used this shot myself with great success
but i prefer to neck them if i can get to a sensible range. So the question is, at what range do you guy's consider a neck shot is on (without being silly)

​Drag1

You can't quantify this as there are far too many variables! A 40 stone stag sat half asleep at 250m would be easier to hit in the neck than a 7lb muntjac feeding at 20m!
A neck shot is only suitable if it is within your limitations at a given opportunity! That is about all you can say about it really.
MS

 

[dlz90]

You are still taking out both lungs. You risk damaging the spinal area though! Many game dealers get very twitchy about shots anywhere near the saddle and may deduct accordingly. You are also more likely to clip the shoulder blade higher up. If you look at the shape of the leg bone/shoulder blade there is a definite angled notch about halfway up the animal which allows the shot to be slightly further forward without actually hitting the front leg.
MS

.
This is the one that I like the most, yes sometimes they can run a bit especially sika but place the bullet here and its game over very quickly most humane shot I use.

 

[bewsher500]

bullet holes within 2" of the spine either side result in reduced price for the carcass from one the bigger dealer processors

especially on roe.
the continental market for whole saddle.loin cuts sealed up is one of their biggest markets for roe

my caveat to the advice is based on bullet contruction.
if you go a little too low away from the spine and you don't have a soft enough bullet that will dump energy and paralyse through CNS shock as it passes in close proximity to the spine you can easily get a runner (or a "gets back upper"!) with a less than satisfactory wound tract through the major portion of the lungs (missing heart and Vena Cava/Pul. Artery completely).

had a hind do exactly that.
luckily the "inadequate shot, reload" mantra was stuck in my mind and the second one didnt miss!

 

[willyroe]

Iagee that this is a great shot placement for a quick kill if you are comfortbale and confident enough to take it. Sorry to state the obvious but i guess the reason it isnt promoted is that i has 40% less margin for error than the heart shot. I.e, if you are high you miss!