Interesting .....

[Sexcrazedbuck]

This past Sat. I attended a 6 hour sminar on grizzly hunting. The instuctor has been a guide for grizzly hunting on Kodiac island for over 40 years, so as you can imagine there was some pretty interesting topics and stories to boot. One topic I found to be of great interest was shot placement. The guide informed his audience of about 40 hunters that the most devastating shot you can take on any big game animal is a straight facing away shot (a.k.a. "Texas heart shot"). He said with the bullet entering the rear it breaks the pelvis causing it to mushroom, then tears its way through the midsection through the vitals and lodges in the neck. He mentioned that with this shot you are getting all of the energy out of the bullet with it staying in the animal, opposed to it passing through the animal with a broadside/quartering shot. He also mentioned that it is very hard to get hunters to take this shot in the field as most are used to taking the shot directly through the vitals. He said the reason being hunters would not normally practice this shot on other big game is due to the loss of meat. I personally have never taken this shot but have heard other deer hunters (often farmers) swear by this so called Texas heart shot. i do not intend to offend any farmers, that is just who I have heard say they swear by it. I just thought some of you may be interested to hear what this seasoned guide has taught me. Id like to hear some thoughts if anybody is interested.

 

[deadeye]

Well... I happened to Texas heart shoot a buck with my muzzleloader one season. It was feeding in a field broadside at about 150 yards. I pulled up to shoot and nothing. Here after cleaning my gun after shooting at a yote my firing pin froze up. Now I always let the firing pin down. Anyway I recocked the gun and pulled the trigger as hard as I could cause I was mad. It went bang and I heard it hit the deer. So we waited until the next am to track since we had pin drop size blood in the snow. We found the buck about 100 later. Could not find the bullet hole until we gutted it. Right in the hinder. Don't recall now how bad it torn up the innerds. It died, but without snow it would have been very difficult to find. Thats my texas heart shot experience.

 

[GunnerJon]

Years ago I shot a buck in a somewhat similar manner. He came blazing by my tree stand during slug season and was so close I could have dropped a rock on him and killed him. Anyway, he came running past and the first slug missed him completely, as did the second. He immediately turned down a path and ran directly away from me. The rifle sights on my slug gun were lined up right on his backbone and the 3rd slug was on its way (this shot was only about 30 yards). The 20 gauge slug entered just left of his pooper and went all the way through his body and lodged under the spine up towards the neck. Needless to say, the buck didn't go far....and talk about penetration. Never underestimate the tiny 20 gauge! If I remember right, it really didn't mess up too much meat and the guts were perfectly intact.

I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to shoot deer this way, but it worked.

 

[Bodeen]

I'm sure alot of game has been killed with a rear end shot,but I don't believe it to be an ideal shot...no way. There is just too many variables to insure a quick kill.

I picture this senario... There's your bear sir, the big brown one standing broadside, I ranged him at 122 yards.
No, don't shoot yet, let him turn ( bear turns straight away). Now let him have it.

<-- clients face

Makes me wonder if the grizzly guide hates animals or just wants to make them suffer

 

[firedog]

I agree with Bodeen on this one. You might tear the inards up more on the Texas heart shot but why? You run the risk of the intestines opening up and tainting the meat. That would be a fun one to field dress! I would think that a shot broadside through the vitals would be 99.9% lethal every time. If the Texas heart shot was so great we would all have been taught this technique a long time ago.

 

[Liv4Rut]

I think the guy is right, by him saying all the energy of the bullet is used in the bear instead of passing through, with that shot you would take out the whole bear, but would i do it over a broadside double lung, heck no lol nothing beats a hole through the lungs, i can see why he says that, but i doubt many would go for it, heck mines well shoot them in the head, if you are gonna be taking shots like that in my opinion. if bear hunting is anything like shotgun hunting, you shoot them as many times as you can before they go down, well maybe im the only one that lets the lead fly until it is down. but i bet alot of bears catch alot of lead, no matter how you do it.

 

[Bob J]

One year I shot a 150 class 10-point facing away from me at around 30 yards. However, the slug entered in the top of the back and kind of bounced around the front half. He dropped like a sack of potatoes. Later realized he took a direct hit to the spine. Obviously, I prefer high percentage shots.

 

[Sexcrazedbuck]

Bodeen & Firedog, before I attended this guys seminar I would be in total aggreence with you. But after viewing the pic.s of the 200+ brown bears this guy has guided hunters into, its very hard not to believe him. Also, when he is instructing his clients to take this rearend shot there is no intent on salvaging any of the meat.

Liv4rut, I should have noted that as one of this guides main concerns when getting ready for a possible shot he looks at the field of fire (the amount ofarea in which will allow further shots). He never allows for just one shot, there must be room for at least 2 follow up shots or none at all. Rule of thumb with dangerous game is once you have squeezed the trigger once dont stop no matter what.