Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What's your favorite shot?

Old Weller 107

High shoulder shot for me. CNS shot but with a large margin of error for a ethical kill that a neck or head shot can’t claim.

Big fan of neck shots

Looking away back of the head with a 22-250 for filling freezer with does. If im trophy hunting its a broadside shoulder shot with the 25-06.

I like Jack Daniel shots sometimes!

Szihn, I'm with you. (previous page) I rarely get the chance to pick my shot so I hunt with rifles and bullets that will penetrate to and through the vitals regardless of the angle. I imagine a five inch ball in the middle of the chest, between the front legs and one third up, slightly back. Regardless of the angle the deer presents I just aim for the ball and a dead deer results.
But my favorite, if I can choose, is quartering towards me. Goes in just in front of the shoulder, angles through that pretend ball and exits the ribcage on the off side. Not much meat damage and hits both lungs and the top of the heart. This has always resulted in a deer down on the spot or within 25 - 30yards. If the animal is unspooked, I have a good rest, the distance is less than 150yards then a neck shot works well. If it's broadside, like on a magazine front cover, I like the back of the shoulder 1/3 up and a little more. My experience ranges from the .223 to 45/70 and 12 ga. slug guns and regardless of the caliber, a heart shot deer makes a death run from 10 to 100yards. It has been my observation that a deer shot just over the heart dies more quickly than a true "heart shot." Your experiences may be different but that is mine.

Depends on the terrain a bit. I hate to see a game animal run down a gully or draw. I’m in my 70’s and don’t care to drag animals a long ways or up steep hills.
Mostly I shoot behind the shoulders. But I’ll take a head or neck shot on a doe if not to far away. I’ve been known to shoot through the shoulders.

High neck.

this post for the WIN !

spiced RUM

I’m confident in being able to get a quickly lethal shot into the heart lung area of a deer from better than 270 degrees of angles - obviously avoid shooting from the back of a deer but depending on elevation it is still doable but not ideal if meat preservation is priority #1.

Head shots are never preferred because nothing on a deer moves as frequently, quickly and abruptly as it’s head.

On the whole interesting comments....

If things are happening quick, then get into the front third and let the bullet do its work.

With time, most often it is take what they give without giving them the opportunity to take it away. One jump, one tree, one unseen depression, one whatever and they may be gone.

[quote=strosfann]

A. - obviously avoid shooting from the back of a deer but depending on elevation it is still doable but not ideal

B. Head shots are never preferred because nothing on a deer moves as frequently, quickly and abruptly as it’s head.
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A. I agree, NEVER took a Texas Heart shot, ain't going to.

BUT if a deer or Buck is straight away and head UP --> back of the neck shot works REAL GOOD.
I've done it a couple of Xs. This was the last time. 2017. Knocked his NOSE in the dirt, bugged his eyes.




B. Head shots are lethal -- most of the time ? ?

Sometimes they are very MESSY. I quit doing them.


Jerry

Not being critical..... I prefer more user friendly pix.

Jerry

When buck hunting I'll take any shot that's presented, even a Texas heart shot is a good shot as long as your shooting the proper bullet and caliber. When I'm doe hunting I like shooting them behind or just below the ear, and when their coming towards me I whistle and shoot them in the white spot. We don't eat anything besides the straps, tenderloins and hams. Most years we have to quit shooting does because we can't find anyone who wants them.

Favorite shot is thru the lungs. Nice big target, a deer with no lungs doesn’t go far and it’s well bled when you walk up to it.
Second favorite is Gibson’s Finest (straight up, thank you) by the campfire, complimented by a Cohiba Rubusto.

Same, I'd rather lose a little meat from the shoulders than possibly lose the whole deer. The shoulder shot usually drops them on the spot.

I always take a broad side lung shot if possible on an unwounded animal. I have only did the "Texas heart shot" on one moose that some one else had hit and only because it was running towards the thick spruce and I was lucky to hit it. I take great pride in never wounding and loosing a big game animal. Part of that is because I am willing to not shoot if it is not a good shot for me. Another reason is most of my critters in my mediocre 55 year hunting career have been well under 200 hundred yards at standing moose and caribou that are broad side and fairly stationary.

Nosler Partitions and Barnes X bullets at reasonable distances and good shot placement makes for great pictures after the trigger is pulled. I have done a few of the "raking" shots on moose, caribou and bears and the .338 Winny with either one of those bullets always dug deep. I have also done a few head shots on moose and caribou at under 100 yards when I had a good rest and knew I could pull it off.

I have also done a few neck shots. I know of more lost moose with attempted neck shots then any other. I'm talking moose falling down at the shot, the hunter relaxing and working thru the brush to get the animal and it jumps up and disappears before they could take another shot. My three neck shots broke the neck and the moose collapses.

Give me a standing broad side shot with a good rest under 100 yards and I am a happy hunter. Blowing a decent sized hole through both lungs kills every thing in Alaska very quickly. But, if light is fading, the critter is close to water or the thick stuff I may hit the shoulder to anchor it.

I prefer to bisect the aortic arch (top of the heart) regardless the angle. Usually results in a short run and I still get to eat the heart.

Outside of that, I like the cerebral cortex (skull/spine juncture) when culling or sparing meat.