Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Shoulder shots-explain please

Sometimes we use the high shoulder shot for a couple reasons.. I always use it if a lung shot animal could rush to a steep canyon or heavy brush like alders, second often the game an fish issues permits or licenses for private land.. If I have permission to hunt on one ranch and not the next, it is my shot of choice..

Half way up the body, straight through shoulder bone is my cup of tea. If quartering, I at least try to break one shoulder down.

Could you illustrate that in some way? I'm picturing that you would have to shoot quite a bit forward on that shot, if it was standing dead broadside.

This^^^, cause it works if I miss. A little low or a little high, a little fro or a little back doesn't matter cause I still get the rack and meat in the sack.

I'd say that top pic hit is about perfect. If something is close enough and I can hit the spine I'll just take a neck shot and save the front of the back strap.

Yeah, not bad for 375 yds.

Like I stated above, no bones were hit. The entrance hole shown is from my 2'nd shot, which does not demonstrate the downward angle of the trajectory from my shooting position. That bullet went through the aortic arch. The first shot hit just a bit lower from the other side.

After the first shot the bull tried to run up a steep mountain and just could not do it. He then turned around and presented his right side to me and I put another 162 gr Hornady into him as shown in the photo

Then he started walking away from me and I dropped a third bullet into him through the pocket in front of the right hip bone. The third bullet penetrated through the liver dead center and was found under the skin of the left ribs.

He stepped out of sight and walked another thirty or forty yards before he fell over.

So, yes, I can see the desire to break a shoulder and anchor game, especially elk. I just can not pull off of the heart shot when he is in my cross hairs.



That is pretty much the way I prefer to do it. From whatever the angle is, I look to put the bullet through the heart.

The bullet hole in the pic is actually about six inches higher than I would have preferred. But it still went through the aorta and the bull was fully bled out into the thoracic cavity.

Half way up, or even slightly above, and right in line with the front leg...

I,can't but I like to eat.

Carlos, look at the top picture. See how the cross-hairs are actually on the spine??

CNS shot will drop them in their tracks every time.

[img:left][/img]

[img:left][/img]

^^^^ Me too.^^^^

Take out the pump and they don't go anywhere.

1/3 of the way down from the top line of the back, on the crease of the shoulder and neck, quartering towards the hunter is optimal.

Nice pics, thanks.

My personal issue with the shot is there is not as much room for error. Left and right you might be ok. Low you are fine. Hihger and its flesh wound city.

To each their own. I"ve long said if you want DRT, then hit the CNS. The high shoulder does that. The head, IMHO gives as larg or larger of a target and does the same and no meat waste.

I can see the use for CNS in some instances too, I've never been in one where I cared if they ran a bit though. But I can understand it.

And my very last shot lately was front of the shoulder breaking neck exiting behind shoulder. Due to the angle of the animal and it did get the CNS but would have worked even if it missed the spine. I'm more concerned with margins for fatal error mostly over DRT.

I love that shot. but we've had em go many places with that same shot. Heart gone, but its amazing at times how much ground they can cover. Of course finding em typically isn't hard...

In fact I can't recall many heart shots that were DRT

You're welcome.

Taking out the back end of the heart removes both suction and power sides of the pump, leaving blood pressure fairly high. They can run a very long way sometimes.

Take out the Aorta and the suction side of the pump keeps working and the critter is down and bled out in just a few heart beats. They might take a single step, maybe two...

The brown bear Riley shot this spring at 150 yards was hit twice in the heart and went about 100 yards before piling up and rolling downhill about another 100 yards.

Those 80gr TTSXs are wicked brown bear medicine!

I"ve cut the aorta off with broadheads and they still make a dash..... each animal is individual.

Your work with 80s puts them on the list for my 257 wtby some day. 100s working fine so far though.

xxclaro,

One thing that sometimes goes overlooked on the high-shoulder / CNS shots is to make sure the @ss of the animal collapses first on impact. Generally, (I say that because someone will inevitably provide an exception ) straight down or front first...reload and proceed with caution.