Best shot placement for instant kill

[double browtine]

If it is a doe, neck shot if it's under 100. I normally shoot bucks in the heart lung area. However on neck shots, I aim close to the head. I shot a doe once at 75 yards. She dropped and never moved a muscle. .308 with nosler ballistic tips. Not even a kick or tail flicker. It was 430, so I hunted till dark. Got down and walked up to the doe. She was still alive. Paralyzed and breathing through a huge hole in her neck. My dad had dropped my off at my stand and drove to another area to hunt. I didn't have a knife, so I had to shoot her again. Yes it was illegal, about 5 minutes after shooting hours, but I had to do it. Hearing that gasping and gurgling sound was terrible. I don't shoot those Hornady rounds anymore for that reason.

 

[catman529]

Shoulder blade (scapula) will drop the deer, but it will still be alive for a few seconds. Double lung and death run the deer doesn't suffer, its just running away until it bleeds out.
The only way to instantly kill a deer is a head shot between the eye and ear, but that's a low percentage shot, and I haven't even tried that.

I just go for double lung or heart and try not to mess up shoulder meat. Lungs are the most ethical shot because of the margin for error and how quick it kills the deer. Shoot behind the shoulder and no meat is wasted and the deer will crash within seconds.

 

[Popcorn]

Neck shot and down! No searching, no getting up and the back straps and heart meat are in tact.

 

[fairchaser]

I'm having a hard time visualizing the placement of this. Are you referring to a broadside deer or a head on "facing you" shot? My thought is its hard to shoot just in front of the shoulder on a broadside deer but maybe I'm just misunderstanding.

Broadside or angle toward, shot right where the neck and shoulder join.

 

[fairchaser]

This buck made a death run for 100 yards before collapsing. Wouldn't you consider this a high shoulder shot?

 

[WTM]

that shot is a couple of inches too high for the nerve center.

 

[MUP]

that shot is a couple of inches too high for the nerve center.

Yep.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I hunt some places where you definitely need to drop them or it will turn into a quarter and pack only saga. In those cases, with a solid rest, and reasonable distance, I go for neck.

 

[fairchaser]

that shot is a couple of inches too high for the nerve center.

Gotcha, it's a smaller target than I thought. The buck was running and I had to stop him and make a quick shot at 250 yds. It got the job done but I was surprised that he ran anywhere especially after seeing where he was hit.

 

[catman529]

Gotcha, it's a smaller target than I thought. The buck was running and I had to stop him and make a quick shot at 250 yds. It got the job done but I was surprised that he ran anywhere especially after seeing where he was hit.

Did you cut into the deer and see where the bullet actually hit? It looks like it would have been direct spine or even above the spinal cord. But obviously it wasn't a direct spinal hit and it obviously killed him quick. Pictures can be deceiving so maybe it went lower than it looks.

 

[megalomaniac]

Jeez, I can't belive this thread has gone on for 3 pages....

Everyone should shoot high shoulder, not simply because it instantly dispatches the animal if hit, but mostly because it provides the largest room for error without wounding an animal.

Aim high shoulder and miss 6 in low... heart shot, dead animal. Miss 6in forward, hit neck, dead animal. Miss 6in back, hit top of lungs, dead animal. Miss 6in high, clean miss, no suffering or wounded animal.

No other shot provides such a large room for error which provides a kill shot, yet doesn't cripple an animal with a less than perfect shot.

I used to aim heart back in the day. Missed a deer a few inches low and blew off the front leg. Luckily she gave me a follow up shot and I dispatched her. No more heart shots for me... too little room for error if just a few inches low or forward.

 

[catman529]

Jeez, I can't belive this thread has gone on for 3 pages....

Everyone should shoot high shoulder, not simply because it instantly dispatches the animal if hit, but mostly because it provides the largest room for error without wounding an animal.

Aim high shoulder and miss 6 in low... heart shot, dead animal. Miss 6in forward, hit neck, dead animal. Miss 6in back, hit top of lungs, dead animal. Miss 6in high, clean miss, no suffering or wounded animal.

No other shot provides such a large room for error which provides a kill shot, yet doesn't cripple an animal with a less than perfect shot.

I used to aim heart back in the day. Missed a deer a few inches low and blew off the front leg. Luckily she gave me a follow up shot and I dispatched her. No more heart shots for me... too little room for error if just a few inches low or forward.

If you value the shoulder meat it's better to aim directly behind the shoulder. I've had some shoulder shot deer where most of the meat was fine and some where the bone and bullet fragmented so much it was a clotted mess of blood.

 

[TraumaSlave]

Jeez, I can't believe this has gone on for 3 pages and ya'll keep talking about this "margine of error" If you can't hit 3", you should go to the range and wait until next season. I've shot multiple times @~275-300 and hit lung/heart every time. With the exception of 1 deer, it's my only shot. That 1 was a great 6 and he was going away from me. That required a neck shot.

 

[WTM]

If you value the shoulder meat it's better to aim directly behind the shoulder. I've had some shoulder shot deer where most of the meat was fine and some where the bone and bullet fragmented so much it was a clotted mess of blood.

it depends on bullet construction and velocity.

 

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

Heart lungs for me from years of almost exclusively bow hunting. As others have stated, central nervous system is the only way for instant death, otherwise hemorrhaging is what kills the deer. All of my kills over 40 years of deer hunting has been under 100 yards. I like the challenge of getting close...the closer they are the greater the adrenaline rush for me. No offense intended for anyone shooting deer at longer ranges.

 

[fairchaser]

Did you cut into the deer and see where the bullet actually hit? It looks like it would have been direct spine or even above the spinal cord. But obviously it wasn't a direct spinal hit and it obviously killed him quick. Pictures can be deceiving so maybe it went lower than it looks.

No, I didn't but the hole you see there was the entry and it came out a little lower on the other side. He ran 100 yards before falling. I'm shooting a 150 grain hornady interlock from a .270 at 2750 FPS. It had to have gone under the spine. There was no reaction from the deer other than to run.

 

[Andy S.]

South Carolina Biologist Charles Ruth did a study back in the day that encompassed shot place, caliber used, deer's reaction to shot placement, and recovery distance. Pretty good read for all hunters, but will hurt the feelings of guys who think a .338 Lazzeroni is needed to anchor/kill a 175 lb southeastern whitetail. The gist of it can be read here.

Answering Questions About Guns, Ammo, Deer and Man's Best Friend

Discussion and debate are great things when it comes to hunting deer, especially when it comes to guns, ammunition and tracking. A study by the South Carolina DNR sheds some insight on these topics.

www.deeranddeerhunting.com

 

[Ladys man]

South Carolina Biologist Charles Ruth did a study back in the day that encompassed shot place, caliber used, deer's reaction to shot placement, and recovery distance. Pretty good read for all hunters, but will hurt the feelings of guys who think a .338 Lazzeroni is needed to anchor/kill a 175 lb southeastern whitetail. The gist of it can be read here.

Answering Questions About Guns, Ammo, Deer and Man's Best Friend

Discussion and debate are great things when it comes to hunting deer, especially when it comes to guns, ammunition and tracking. A study by the South Carolina DNR sheds some insight on these topics.

www.deeranddeerhunting.com

Interesting read, thanks

 

[RGC]

Inside 150 I take the neck shot. Over 150 heart / lungs.

 

[fairchaser]

South Carolina Biologist Charles Ruth did a study back in the day that encompassed shot place, caliber used, deer's reaction to shot placement, and recovery distance. Pretty good read for all hunters, but will hurt the feelings of guys who think a .338 Lazzeroni is needed to anchor/kill a 175 lb southeastern whitetail. The gist of it can be read here.

Answering Questions About Guns, Ammo, Deer and Man's Best Friend

Discussion and debate are great things when it comes to hunting deer, especially when it comes to guns, ammunition and tracking. A study by the South Carolina DNR sheds some insight on these topics.

www.deeranddeerhunting.com

Great article Andy. Worth the read!