Shoulder shots are recommended here quite often as a sure way to put animals down in their tracks. However, I find myself a bit confused as to where exactly folks are shooting when taking shoulder shots.

As I understand it, high shoulder shot refers to the area where the spine runs between the shoulder blades? This makes sense to me,as its accessible from a variety of angles.

However, I have also seen reference to shooting then in the shoulder knuckle,which would be quite far forward if I'm picturing it correctly. Also, it would be very difficult to take both of the shoulder knuckles unless you got a perfect broadside shot, correct? Is one enough?

I like the idea of being able to chose to drop one in its tracks without having to resort to head shots, so I'd like figure out exactly what the best way to achieve this is. I try to envision exactly where the joints and bones lie in live creatures, but I'm not sure I'd have the confidence right now to say for certain that I could place it perfectly. Any help?

The point of the "knee" up to the point of attachment at the shoulder (there is only muscular attachment at the upper joint) is a good point to shoot for. If you hit the joint of the knee joint or slightly higher, you will take out the wheels and also go through the lungs from most angles. Also, a good chance you will hit the heart with a raking shot or slightly forward shot.

A good way to envision the shot is to imagine the shoulder on the off side and shoot for that from whatever angle you are at. Unless you are directly in front of the animal, it is most likely you will go through some major lung, shoulder, and/or heart area and the animal will bleed out fairly quickly.

The point of the "knee" up to the point of attachment at the shoulder (there is only muscular attachment at the upper joint) is a good point to shoot for. If you hit the joint of the knee joint or slightly higher, you will take out the wheels and also go through the lungs from most angles. Also, a good chance you will hit the heart with a raking shot or slightly forward shot.

A good way to envision the shot is to imagine the shoulder on the off side and shoot for that from whatever angle you are at. Unless you are directly in front of the animal, it is most likely you will go through some major lung, shoulder, and/or heart area and the animal will bleed out fairly quickly.

Put your self in there place..

A few illustrations I found on the web:


<--- seems a little low to me



and last....

Under the right conditions, the right caliber, the right range, and with a Trophy Bonded, I'd take that last shot, even on a moose. Planned POI for base of tail. He's going down!

As for "any help?" Inside 100 yards with a good scope and a good rest has worked pretty well for me when I can get it. So has anywhere in the spine.

Great pics Eric. Shoulder shots are IMO a great shot and I now aim high shoulder always when I can. Animals fold up DRT and meat loss is not bad at all.

Great pics Eric. I guess this one was about spot on for a "high shoulder" hit:




It dropped like a box of rocks..

Nice one, BSA! Elk burgers for dinner!!

Eric

Yeah, that was one from a few years ago. Very tasty critter. The 338 loaded with 250's worked just fine

That's a solid combination!!!

Eric

The high shoulder is directly in line with the spinal column. Shock it or damage it(the s/c) and the animal will go down.

I had to make a "Don't Shoot!!" shot yrs back when a friend's wounded deer I was searching for came out of a brush pile running dead away from me. Put a quick bead on the tail and pulled just to the right of it for the shot.

Top of the vertical post on the elk pic looks better to me than so high to miss the lungs. Internals 1 st ,bones 2 nd way I roll. Magnum Man

That would be within an inch or two of where I shot my elk this year, which is what makes me want to try shooting bone. It died fairly quickly, but it didn't go down right away. I want to have the option of putting them down in their tracks.

My partner used this shot for a moose one time. Admittedly, it was only 20 yds away. He didn't go down but he couldn't move. It broke the pelvis so he couldn't walk so he just stood there. My partner moved around to the side and put him down with a 10 yd neck shot.

Goodluck xxclaro, but I'll never yield to CNS before internal damage to the heart lungs is done. magnum Man

Love them shoulder shots.Works great when you don't want animal to run, especially down a steep canyon.

The trouble with the "high shoulder shot" is that if you aren't careful and hit too high, the animal will go down all right, but they can often get up and run off.
If he's a perfet broadside, I like to aim a 1/3 the way up the chest just behind the front leg. That takes out alot of blood vessels. If he's angling away, I try for the far shoulder. If he's angling to me, the near shoulder is a very deadly shot. I've had several go right down with that hit.
The straight going away shot works quite well with a good premium bullet and "root of the tail shot." E

I keep reading about the high shoulder shot. But when it actually comes time to pull the trigger, I just can not quite put the cross hair there.

Both of these bulls were mobile for a minute or so. They just did not feel like going very far. The scapula and foreleg bones were not hit in either case.

Good shooting and nice bulls buddy...

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.

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^^^^ 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.

I thought heart shot animals always made a mad dash if the running gear isn't taken out in the process. At least that's my experience.

May not go far, but everyone I've seen has taken off like a shot before piling up.

I had the exact same experience with a heart shot resulting in a dash until season before last. I shot a very nice buck, and he dropped in hia tracks like I'd hit him in the head. He never twitched. The shot slipped between ribs going in ans coming out, taking the top of the heart off in between.

If the vessels and arteries right above the heart are taken out blood pressure drops immediately. Could be the top of the heart where they tie in or just above it. I've had this happen a few times with both bows and rifles. They don't take a step, just kinda crumple.

Through the heart (and not taking out the connections) it can still beat, even with a hole in it, and keep the blood pressure up enough for the short mad dash.

At least that's how it seems from what I've seen...

Nothing works the same every time.

I blew the top off of a buck's heart and he still hauled ass for about a hundred yards before he nose plowed.

Experiences with 175 lb deer are a little different than 700 lb elk on stopping them in their tracks. The 150 grain NBT out of a 7mm Rem mag has killed almost every lung shot deer on the spot but a whole different story on even 400 lb cow elk. The only immediate stops have been neck and head shots typically. But I'm very interested in trying the high shoulder.

Like one of the other guys my crosshairs tend to go on the shoulder crease just below the body mid-point natural land all other shots require a little quick re-programming. That point of maximum forgiveness in all directions to still be a lethal shot.