Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Shot Placement on Oryx?

I'll be putting the stalk on a scimitar horned oryx in a bit over a week and would like to hear from those of you who have actually hunted oryx.

I've been doing some research on shot placement and, as usual, opinions are mixed on the subject. Some say use a standard behind-the-shoulder placement, but most of the diagrams I've seen show the lungs riding above the heart, which is positioned somewhat forward and low, protected by bone. This leads some to say "No, no, don't shoot behind the shoulder or you've screwed the pooch." These folks advocate shooting at the shoulder, but some decry that placement on the basis of excessive meat damage, which I'd like to avoid. This leads to a third school of thought, which holds that you should shoot just behind the shoulder -- not 3 or 4 inches behind, but JUST behind the shoulder, inline with the rear line of the front leg.

What say you, experienced oryx slayers?

I'll probably use a .300 WSM, but I don't want to launch another cartridge selection debate. This is all about placement.

Never have shot an oryx, but this should give you an idea of structure and plumbing:

what ib posted.....



maddog

Boddington has a book on shot placement with pics like that. I saw some of the pics and they all look pretty much alike. It's weird. I've heard that African plains game have their vitals lower and further forward than North American game. It seems to be true. Strange, but valid. I wonder why the divergence.

Straight up the rear of the front leg & 1/3 up from the belly. Works on most all plains game. Hits the top of the heart & lungs.

In Texas,
Why, only a Texas Heart shot will do!

Have downed a couple of Scimitar Horned Oryx. Put both down with a shot thru the shoulder about 1/3 up. Both dropped on the spot. Heavy animal, delicious meat. I use TSX's and had virtually no meat loss.

I knew you were gonna do this....

Shot placement is what these guys have said.....but the meat is no good, go ahead and send it to me.....

I knew you would be along...mind sharing an oryx roast?

Shhhhhhhh......( soon as KW comes through on sending me the "bad" meat.....)

Poobah - I'll just go ahead and apologize in advance for failing you. You know how I'm a terrible hunter and worse shot, so my odds of actually bagging one are miniscule... almost non-existant, really. It would be a miracle of the first order.

So it's highly doubtful I'll ever have the good fortune of being in a position to send you some of that bad Oryx meat.

I'll see if I still have some road-killed muskrat though. It might be a tad freezer burned, but you can just eat around those parts.

Any Axis left...???

What Axis?

*blink blink*

Actually, not much... but will shoot an Axis doe late Oct. to replentish.

You can shoot those down here for $200 or a bit less. You can't beat that deal with a stick.

Can always shoot em in the rear shoulder. *Grins*

You must have me confused with Swampy.

Lol, just wanted to keep ALL options open.

Shot mine in the shoulder-DRT. They are pretty much plumbed like all four legged cloven hooved animals. The only PG I found to be differently plumbed was Wildebeast.

I shot a gemsbuck too far back on a quartering away shot once. Luckily I got a piece of both lungs but he went a long way before we found him.

Approached every clump of brush for about a mile with the rifles at the ready as they can get pretty grouchy when hurt and those horns are long and sharp...

When i was on my Oryx hunt on fort bliss in february I saw first hand what a typical behind the shoulder white-tail shot does. It kills them, but they can go a LONG LONG way. Not something you want on the McGreagor range! The folks I spoke with prior to the hunt said shoot for the ball of the shoulder. I did and he went DRT with the top of his heart ripped off. Didnt destroy that much meat. Polaxed him with a 180 Accu-bond out of a 300 win.

Really glad your taking advantage of Texas year round hunting.