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There is no joint that connects the front leg to the spine. The shoulder on ungulates is the scapula, a bone that starts narrow at a joint just above the middle leg bone, and becomes quite wide and thin. The shoulder is basically attached to the side of the ribs by muscle tissue over a large area. Most of the shoulder will be above and in front of the heart. I've personally been unimpressed with the reaction of heart shot deer. If you're not shooting one of the shoulders, I prefer trying for just above the heart, where the aorta can be torn or severed. As with the heart shot, lung tissue will be damaged in the process as well, and it's still low enough in the chest cavity so that it will start to leak without filling the entire chest cavity.