So I'll weigh in. Couple years ago, shooting from a tree stand, deer quartering toward me. I shoot for the boiler room through the facing shoulder. Rifle is zeroed @ 200 so for this 60 yard shot the bullet hit about 3" high. Bang-flop. Hit dead-on the spine with instant death.
Fast-forward to this week. Muzzleloader season, pouring rain. I'm thinking there may be a lost blood trail due to the rain if I make a lung shot. Buck steps out across field offering a 100 yard shot. I aim for high shoulder. Bang-flop.
But then the deer struggled. He kept raising his head and digging with his front legs trying to get up. I reloaded and waited a couple minutes. The deer continued to struggle off and on and was clearly breathing but also clearly paralyzed in the rear. So I climbed down from the stand, walked across the field and shot it point blank into heart/lungs.
Upon butchering, I saw that I barely skimmed the bottom of the spine, not shattering it. I suppose the shock apparently severed or damaged the cord enough to put the deer down and paralyze, but not enough for instant death. I'm thinking another inch or two down and the deer could have run off with a non-lethal or slow death wound. Maybe that would put it into the lungs, dunno.
So I'm rethinking this high shoulder shot. I know many practice it and if hit at the right spot is instantly lethal. But I'm thinking maybe the margin for error higher or lower is too small.
At least for me @ 100 yards offhand with a muzzleloader.
