# Shot placement on Whitetail Deer



## TRAPPERSC (Jun 28, 2007)

Seems to be quite a few new hunters on here that may benifit from a question placed to experienced hunters.

Where do you shoot a deer?

My anwser starts with how far is the deer and how good can you shoot???

Front shoulder shots --- I have never shot a deer in the lower part of the front shoulder with right at 200 deer harvested. To me it is not a quick enough kill.

My preference ---The heart is located low and behind the front leg. I aim (if shooting at the vitals) for the heart/lung connection area. It sits about three inches back from the joint of the shoulder blade and short leg bone say an inch below the deers center line. This area is slightly raised due to the joint and easy to pick out on a deer (down in SC anyway). A bullet with proper kenitic energy will anchor a deer in it's tracks if shot there. The smaller calibers will let a deer ramble a bit after the shot.

Sharp shooters -- A Hunter with a good shooting rifle which can pick a small target at 200/300 yards has more options. The neck, head and spine offer anchor shots with the major majority of centerfire rifle cartridges. When I meat hunt for my freezer I 100% shoot head shots. I disconnect the ear bone from the neck bone. This is about a three inch circle for a target. The lower neck till about half way up is a real anchor shot also. The spine if shooting broad side can be accessed from clipping the top portion of the shoulder blades. If deer is walking away or up hill from ya aim just back of the shoulder blades dead center.

Any other ideas...


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

I would disagree with much of what you said there. IMO, and I have shot many deer and elk, a good solid shoulder shot is more likely to drop an animal in his tracks than a heart shot. An animal can live for up to 5 minutes without a heart and can run a long ways in 5 minutes. My favorite shot is the shoulder. Not because it brings them down the best, but because it is the biggest, easiest place to hit. You hit the shoulder bone and send fragments into the lungs and possibly the heart, and that animal will die very quickly. I equate it to shooting the lungs with a shotgun from the inside. Based on my experience nothing brings an animal down quicker than either a head or spine shot. They go straight down every time. I don't prefer this shot because it is smaller and more difficult to hit. My preference would be shoulder first, spine 2nd, and heart 3rd. I never worry much about ruining meat as any meat on the table is better than a wounded and lost animal. I'll sacrifice a little meat to make sure it is a good clean kill.

I think you were looking for a debate, so there you go.


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## TRAPPERSC (Jun 28, 2007)

Not looking for a debate at all. Just noticed on this forum a lot of talk about different caliber rifles. *Shot placement is the key in my opinion.*

I watch the filmed hunts on TV an the deer run off with a broke leg (which is a kill shot) when shot in the shoulder. There is a big difference in a high shoulder and low shoulder shot. The high shoulder is usually getting the spine. I just prefer the double lung shot weather bow or rifle hunting. Cutting the oxygen off stops the brain. That is a quick kill. The kenitic energy delivered by the projectile either provides enough stopping power or not.

I have never hunted Elk.

The all the deer I have killed had bigger lungs than shoulders LOL.....


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

Well, I will agree with you this time. Lungs are bigger than shoulders. The shoulder bone is the ultimate lung shot IMO. You shatter the shoulder bone and it is like sticking a shot gun in the chest cavity and pulling the trigger (almost). I'll also agree that shot placement is the most important thing. I'd put it above all else. That is why I try to tune my hand loads to get the best groups possible out of all my guns. A high velocity, high energy bullet placed in the wrong location is a poor substitute for perfect shot placement.


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## jgat (Oct 27, 2006)

I'm not a fan of head or neck shots, especially with a bow. There is way to big a chance of wounding the animal and not recovering it. I put the pin on the heart/lungs and let her fly.


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## RIVER RATT (May 26, 2007)

Iv personaly shot a lot of deer in the heart and most of them fall dead in site of my stand...Deer can travel a long distance on adrenalin, but a heart shot will be very fatal and a short blood trail...If you shoot a deer in the heart from a stand you will catch one lung as well, again a short trail...As for trying to hit the shoulder...Depending on if the leg is forward or not you will most likly will hit the heart and lungs as thay sit behind it...If the leg is forward id aim just behind the shoulder...This exposes the heart the best...The lungs taper off so Id avoid a high shoulder hit at all times...I pesonaly aim just behind the shoulder and as low as posiable...If the deer bolts as you shoot, you will still catch the deer high in the lungs...All deer will die from a liver hit or a gut shot, it just takes time...How ever Deer can live from just a single lung shot...The lung can and will reinflate over time...Thay way I see it, dont take an iffy shot, its no differant than the guy sky busting ducks, its just wrong...


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## magnum44270 (Jul 20, 2007)

shoot just behind the shoulder, just below center......you get both lungs and top of the heart..ive never dropped a deer withthis shot, but they usually run 35 yds with an amazing blood trail//i love the blood trail

if im hunting close to the property line or creek /river hunting with private on both sides, and i need them ot drop on the spot....dead center shouler... you get double lung and take out both shoulders.

with neck shots they usually drop, but unless you you get spine, they sometimes get back up and run off.
-but with a neck throat shot, its a beautiful sight watching the blood spray !


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## Nick Roehl (Mar 7, 2002)

There is a bundle of nerves high and to the right of the shoulder, have dropped more deer dead in their tracks with this shot. Heart shots are good also, farthest a deer has gotten from me is about 50yrds.


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