I'm glad you stuck it out and tagged him - good job!
In the future, I would recommend that you take "bow hunting" shots. In my opinion, whacking shoulders just wastes meat.
I respect your opinion, however, I have bowhunted with selfbows for many years and shot placement is entirely dependent on the weapon! I believe in breaking down the shoulders with a gun since you get the running gear and the vitals....
And I respectfully disagree.
Even when hunting with a rifle, bowhunting shots are the best - by far. They kill quickly and ruin less meat.
But back to handguns, you are using a low powered hole poker. Better by far to poke a hole through both lungs than to try to break down the running gear. If you had double-lunged him you would've found him bled out likely within 50yds and you could eat the shoulders.
I kill with my bow. I can kill farther with my rifle. I aim at the same spot. Both the bullet and the broadhead make a mess of the same vitals. Rifle shot critters drop faster than arrow hit ones, in my experience. But neither go very far.
I think breaking shoulders should be applied to bitey-scratchy game.
