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Guys:

I hear references here all the time to the "high shoulder shot". What is this?? Said to be instantly lethal and deer "drop in their tracks". Affects Brachial Plexus??

I would like to use it this season from one particular stand. What is the aiming point on the shoulder to have best effect??

Sorry if this has been discussed recently, hard to keep up with all the things going on this fall. THANKS.

NB


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The point at the top of the shoulder. It takes out the central nervous system. It is always instant death especially if you are using Bergers.

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NB,

This is the spot.
[Linked Image]

It will indeed fold them on the spot. If you do use this shot, the rear end falls first, then the rest of the deer.

If the rear end is not the first to give way, chamber another round as you may not have found your mark. smile


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

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It's what I call a "withers" shot. Tends to get into the front of the back loins if a little too high, but as said above, it's bang-flop every time.

[Linked Image]


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I use it as often as possible. SKane's dot marks the spot. A bit below gets the same results most of the time.

I missed low on the last buck I shot and he only went 25 yards but plowed brush the whole time. I shot a doe there a few years back and she hit the ground dead. Didn't even kick once.


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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.


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Originally Posted by snubbie

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.


I'm with you on this. Behind the shoulder and mid-body affords all kinds of wiggle room.

I know we have a lot of expert marksmen here that never miss - even on head shots whistle whistle, I'm just not one to leave those sorts of things to chance and am far from an expert marksmen. OMMV.


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

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Woods hunter for the most part here. Many times in the past when I've hit deer in the boiler house just behind the shoulder I got to utilize my tracking skills.

If presented with a good profile shot and some time I'll try to remember to place a shot at the base of the neck where it meets the shoulder. That seems to flip'em like pancakes-DRT.

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Originally Posted by snubbie
.....I'm thinking maybe the margin for error higher or lower is too small.


I am wondering the same thing.

What do ya'll think the margin of error is?


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EXCELLENT! Great reply's guys, esp SKane and 1Deernut. Including a live picture plus necropsy results too. grin

Very helpful. Wishing all you guys the best in your deer season. Ours starts Sunday, the 15th (St Antlers Day) cool

NB

Last edited by Natty_Bumpo; 11/12/15.

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"I know we have a lot of expert marksmen here that never miss - even on head shots"

Trust me, I don't qualify as one of these. My favorite spots to hunt usually yield shots less than 70 yards, but many times opportunities only come along after sunset. If I'm contemplating neck shot its due to limited light, and geographical barriers near the area that will inhibit tracking should that animal take that route (swamp).

Morning hunts with plenty of buffer space, forget about it, boiler plate will most likely be my choice.

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I still like to hold center vitals for the margin-of-error factor. A 30-50yd death run isn't so bad if it's not raining and there's an exit. Of course, stuff happens, even when things go right. Shot a deer practically broadside last week at 40yds with my 260 (130gr NAB). Tucked it tight behind the shoulder and it exited a few inches into the shoulder on the other side. Dang deer didn't bleed until it fell over, 40yds into the briars. I knew it was dead and just happened to see the glint of its eye when searching with a flashlight. Still, it stinks to bust thickets looking for a brown deer in the brown brush. Exit was dime sized and the vitals were wrecked, just didn't bleed..... it happens. Could happen again tomorrow and there might be blood everywhere. It's hunting......



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I like the crease behind the shoulder.


Some drop, some run a short distance. I shoot a 35 wheeler with Barnes more times than not and a blood trail is easy to follow.

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Originally Posted by SKane
NB,

This is the spot.
[Linked Image]

It will indeed fold them on the spot. If you do use this shot, the rear end falls first, then the rest of the deer.

If the rear end is not the first to give way, chamber another round as you may not have found your mark. smile



Exactly like SKane marked. If I have a solid rest on a still deer at less than long range it's my favorite shot. On a perfect shot it will bust the scapula (causing extra damage with the bone pieces), continue through the spine, then bust the far side. There is a fair amount of room for error with lots of room below and behind to catch the lungs. IMHO, The worst place to miss is forward of the shoulder and slightly high (missing the spine). Second worse place to miss is slightly below and slightly behind as you may miss the spine and be very high in the lung or possibly miss it(?)...less blood trail, etc...but it will still be a killing shot. Again, just my opinion and if stuff is moving/rushed/off hand I favor the area with the biggest margin of error.

[Linked Image]

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I usually go for heart/lungs, but took a high shoulder shot at a buck that stopped behind trees/brush so that it was either head, neck or top of shoulder. Was using my 30/30 model 99 with iron sights, and went for the shoulder. Bang, flop - broke the spine.

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I shot a button buck a little higher and just behind the shoulder, result was a bang-flop. Good thing as if he would have run he was headed for a very deep hollow. Even though he was a button buck it still would have been a chore to get him up out of there, instead we just backed the pick-up to where he lay and after field dressing one man could easily hadle loading him into the pick-up bed. We were back home had him skinned and quartered and were drinking our second cup of coffee just an hour and a half after leaving the house.

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The "where to hit em" thread arises frequently and I always read every word of every entrant. When I began hunting big game (whitetails) in the Adirondacks about 1950 my Dad gave me some rules for killing deer.

1. Make sure there's hair above your sights. We were using iron sights.
2. NEVER, NEVER SHOOT AT A DEER! Always SHOOT AT A SPOT on the deer.
3. Put it in the pocket. A quarter/third of the way up behind the front shoulder.

Many an entry here has extolled the high shoulder shot and mentally I believe them. I've inadvertently shot high, hit there, and watched them drop in their tracks. My experience validates them. No question. That's the place to hit.

PROBLEM is; I habitually go for the pocket shot, every time. Last season I shot a nice buck about a hundred yards out. Shot him in the pocket. Shot two does. One about seventy yards out. Shot her in the pocket. The second doe was only about 25 yards out and I shot her in the neck. The neck shot was necessitated because she had her head down and stretched back so that her neck - covered the pocket.

Dad told me he shot his first deer the summer of 1915. He shot for the pocket because that's what his dad told him to do. He shot his last, a nice buck, in the pocket - 1987. I taught my three sons to shoot em in the pocket and my grandson is hearing stories about shooting em in the pocket.

Learn to shoot them in that high shoulder spot. It's deadly. It works. ME? After a hundred years of successful family experiences of shooting them in the pocket I'll probably ......

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The only time I ever take that shot is if I want to anchor the deer where it stands due to terrain. In my opine and from experience it tears up not only the shoulder roast but can also mess up the front portion of the back loin. What a waist, just my opine.

Second exposed rib behind shoulder 1/3 up from chest ensures all meat is of good quality and the heart isn't messed up which is my favorite eating. You can see the shot placement in my Low Country Buck Deerah thread.


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Originally Posted by Natty_Bumpo
Guys:

I hear references here all the time to the "high shoulder shot". What is this?? Said to be instantly lethal and deer "drop in their tracks". Affects Brachial Plexus??

I would like to use it this season from one particular stand. What is the aiming point on the shoulder to have best effect??

Sorry if this has been discussed recently, hard to keep up with all the things going on this fall. THANKS.

NB


I have discussed this many times with fellow hunters.
IMO- It depends some on the caliber of your weapon. Also on the distance to the deer.

Personally I think about every caliber 30 and up are fine with the high shoulder. Most under 30 should take the shot behind the shoulder to avoid the large bone and get better penetration.

My usual deer rifle is a 30-06 shooting 150 grain and up ammo ( usually 150 ) I take the high shoulder shot 99 % of the time
With the exception being the need to take a sudden shot at an unknown distance over 200 yards. Then I aim for behind the shoulder so if I were to miss low it will result in a clean miss and not a broken leg and high chance to lose the deer.

I have shot around 60 deer using the high shoulder and all were DRT. Some don't even kick , they just go straight down on their chin. Sure you mess up a double hand full of meat but If I need more meat I shoot a doe.

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My favorite shot is the first reasonable one, at the front end of the deer, that's offered. I guess I don't really have a "favorite".

I've made that high shoulder shot with everything from the 257 Roberts to the 300 Win Mag.In most cases bullets were Nosler Partitions, but have used some others as well.

Last three bucks I killed involved shoulder shots and two were instantly killed. The third sort of staggered/fell down hill. Cartridge was a 270 with 130 Nosler partitions which gave exits in all cases. They may still be going for all I know.

Using 140 NPT's from the 7/08,7x57,280,and 7 Rem Mag,have all worked well with complete penetration through shoulders. Have yet to recover one.

Last elk was with that shot,7 Rem Mag, 160 NPT. Collapsed immediately and rolled down the mountain. Bullet exited.




The 280 Remington is overbore.

The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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