The Shoulder Shot

[huntemup]

Everyone can use the extra target practice, but how tight of groupings are you expecting someone to fire? By my 4 examples, I was within 6" of the kill zone. During field conditions, amount of time to shoot, angle of shot, and windage, Id say thats pretty good. There arent too many places you can shoot a deer that wont kill them.

Unbelieveable. You shot the leg off a deer at 30 yards while trying a high shoulder shot and claim to ONLY have missed the kill zone by 6". You missed your point of aim by well over a foot! At 30 yards! Thats some serious accuracy problem if you ask me. Another was hit in the neck!

Perhaps the most disturbing thing I have ever read on any website is your last sentence. "There arent too many places you can shoot a deer that wont kill them."

This after losing half of the last 4 deer you shot at. I guess you might be right, they are likely dead now. Too bad you'll never know. How sad to think people with this mentality are allowed to buy a hunting license and randomly wound game. I cant even express my sincere disgust.

To answer your question, if you cant group 2 or 3 inches at 100 yards consistently, you might want to give up on practicing on live targets until you can.

 

[dedgeez]

Everyone can use the extra target practice, but how tight of groupings are you expecting someone to fire? By my 4 examples, I was within 6" of the kill zone. During field conditions, amount of time to shoot, angle of shot, and windage, Id say thats pretty good. There arent too many places you can shoot a deer that wont kill them.

WTF? And you wonder where the anti in your other post gets his ammo. This is irresponsible to post and misinforming to a whole lot of people that may read this forum. It is your duty as a hunter to practice and make ethical kills. I would say that 2 out of 4 is a terrible average and you really need to spend more time at the range it you think 6" is close! What a Joke!

 

[nannyslayer]

Keep after it Greg, and always make sure your gun is on, even during mid season.

If anyone here says that they have not wounded a deer, they either,

1) Are super human and I would seriously like to meet you.

2) Are lying

3) Does not hunt, or hasn't hunted very long.

Everyone makes bad shots, and we all learn from mistakes. Not sure why you have such a bullseye on your chest from everyone.

 

[DannyBoy]

I wounded one deer with a gun when I was 15 and have left two bleeding in the woods with no recovery (though one was swallowed by a river) with my bow. I've clean missed a fair share as well. It's unfortunate it's happened to you twice this year, Greg but it sounds like you did the right thing and gave every effort to recover them. Not too sure why you have a bullseye on you either, honesty isn't a bad thing imo. We're all only human.

Maybe just try to get the "doe fever" under control when you're shooting! haha. Oh, and shoot anything BUT Powerbelts :way: Keep at it!

 

[dedgeez]

My friends say im too honest, to my own fault sometimes. And im starting to understand what they mean. I should just keep my mouth shut cause it seems like I just get jumped on.

If you want to hate on some deer hunter, go hate on the ones throwing bullets around like they were shooting traps. Im not that kind of hunter. I try to make sure every shot is an ethical kill shot.

I agree that almost every hunter has wounded a deer at some point and I commend you for being able to admit to it, BUT you have a terrible way of expressing things and I just think maybe you should put a little more thought into some of your posts. Sorry to jump on ya, but don't put posts up like " there aren't very many places you can shoot a deer and not kill it", that just makes you sound ignorant. And shooting traps? What the hell is that? If you are referring to the sport of TRAP shooting than maybe this would make some sort of sense, but this is what you always get jumped for, because you're misinformed and this leads to you misinforming possible readers. This makes you no better than that idiot on the site you posted yesterday. Don't make people think that 6" is CLOSE ENOUGH, aim small, miss small! Take pride in what you do, whether it's shooting at the range or hunting. BTW thanks for changing your avatar, it's a good start!

 

[huntemup]

I do practice and make ethical kills. But what I was trying to point out is that within a 6" circle of the scapula is all a kill shot.

You were trying a scapula shot on the deer you lost and you say that anything within a 6" circle of that is a kill shot. So, by your own admission you missed your point of aim by over 6" at short range since you could not recover those deer. To me, that is no test of the scapula shot. That is just plain poor decision making and poor shooting.

 

[huntemup]

Just dont miss by 6" right!:drink2:

You just dont get it. In fact, a 6" miss on the head shot would actually be better than a 4" miss in most cases. At least there would be a higher likelyhood of a clean miss. Are you trying to prove your ineptness?

 

[Greekhawk]

Thanks for the Post Blake great Info

 

[kodiak416]

I disagree with the Head shot. I think its just a reason for people to try and look cool in front of their buddies. And to say you do it to not waste meat? How much meat do you waste shooting a deer in the lungs? A pound? Maybe two if you you are eating the lungs. If you truly feel that you need to "drop a deer in its tracks" because you might loose it when it comes time to track it. I have to question your hunting skills. Also if you try and justify shooting a deer in the head so it doesent go far i would just have to call you LAZY. Just my Opinion..................

 

[risto2351]

I disagree with the Head shot. I think its just a reason for people to try and look cool in front of their buddies. And to say you do it to not waste meat? How much meat do you waste shooting a deer in the lungs? A pound? Maybe two if you you are eating the lungs. If you truly feel that you need to "drop a deer in its tracks" because you might loose it when it comes time to track it. I have to question your hunting skills. Also if you try and justify shooting a deer in the head so it doesent go far i would just have to call you LAZY. Just my Opinion..................

Kodiak,
Pretty strong opinion for not knowing somebody and the situations.

Calling somebody lazy and just trying to be cool while questioning their hunting skills?

Just because you may not do something why criticize those that do something different?

 

[risto2351]

So, if you aim for the head and miss your mark by three or four inches it is always going to be a clean miss? Not possible. You may have cleanly missed a deer before, but my point is simply that the head shot is a recipe for disaster with a much smaller margin for error. To each his own, but my kids will never know that the head shot is an option.

Huntemup,
I do not miss by four inches.
My gun is sighted in at 100 yards with a 1" grouping.
Shooting at a slight angle (20 yards to my left) down I have about a 2" target to hit.
If I connect great deer down. If not deer keeps walking.

Please read my prior posts it is not I repeat is not my preferred shot.
Only tried just this once. I have been doing this for a long time just like you and yes I might try it again depending on the situation. It is not as cut and dry with me as it sounds like it is to you. So be it I can live with it.

I was not taught this option either and will not teach my kids but depending on the situation when we are not around they might try it I do not know.
We can only do our best to teach them and they will form their own opinion.
Good luck.

 

[Jdubs]

How many have tried this shot using your bow? I don't think penetration would be great, but you don't need much to get into the chest cavity.

 

[huntemup]

I have about a 2" target to hit.
If I connect great deer down. If not deer keeps walking.

Really, a 2 inch target and it is either a hit or clean miss. Dont think so.

By the way, what part of a deer is most likely to move at the wrong time? The head maybe? Just sayin.

If you like the head shot, fine. But dont continue with the erroneous thinking that it is either a kill or clean miss. That just is not the case. No shot offers that perfect scenario. Especially a 2" target at something that is likely to move.

I am done with this topic and will stick to my beliefs that it is an unethical choice. Again, you will never find a hunter education class that teaches any differently either.

 

[risto2351]

Really, a 2 inch target and it is either a hit or clean miss. Dont think so.

By the way, what part of a deer is most likely to move at the wrong time? The head maybe? Just sayin.

If you like the head shot, fine. But dont continue with the erroneous thinking that it is either a kill or clean miss. That just is not the case. No shot offers that perfect scenario. Especially a 2" target at something that is likely to move.

I am done with this topic and will stick to my beliefs that it is an unethical choice. Again, you will never find a hunter education class that teaches any differently either.

Just read what you want it looks like.

Yes I will keep thinking what I do and will continue to do so.

I am glad you will stick to your beliefs. Takes more of a man to stick to
what he believes in than just follow.

As far as hunter education I agree with you.
But I also had a hunter education class (been to four now) tell me
each time that it was illegal to spotlight. So everything they teach you
is not gospel.

I will agree to disagree. Good luck to you.

 

[huntemup]

How many have tried this shot using your bow? I don't think penetration would be great, but you don't need much to get into the chest cavity.

Not sure what a head shot and the chest cavity have to do with this?

It would be my hope that noone is dumb enough to try the head shot with a bow. But, I am often surprised at what others think to be a great idea.

 

[DannyBoy]

Huntemup, this thread was started to explain the high SHOULDER SHOT, remember? But then people started arguing...

JDubs, I know people that swear by straight down shots, between the shoulder blades but I have personally been on a tracking mission where an arrow tipped with a fixed 3-blade entered the high shoulder. It was not good. Inferior penetration resulted in a deer that was not recovered. I think part of the reason it's so good with a gun is the shock created by an expanding bullet. Not the same with an arrow. I would tend to think that an expandable would do even worse... Could be wrong, though.

 

[risto2351]

Huntemup, this thread was started to explain the high SHOULDER SHOT, remember? But then people started arguing...

JDubs, I know people that swear by straight down shots, between the shoulder blades but I have personally been on a tracking mission where an arrow tipped with a fixed 3-blade entered the high shoulder. It was not good. Inferior penetration resulted in a deer that was not recovered. I think part of the reason it's so good with a gun is the shock created by an expanding bullet. Not the same with an arrow. I would tend to think that an expandable would do even worse... Could be wrong, though.

DannyBoy,
Don't see where difference of opinion is arguing.
When the name calling starts then I agree. Heated discussions are also good. Everyone is different and their are a million ways to looks at things.

As far as the difference when using a gun versus a bow I agree with you totally. No argumment here. :drink1:

 

[huntemup]

Huntemup, this thread was started to explain the high SHOULDER SHOT, remember? But then people started arguing...

JDubs, I know people that swear by straight down shots, between the shoulder blades but I have personally been on a tracking mission where an arrow tipped with a fixed 3-blade entered the high shoulder. It was not good. Inferior penetration resulted in a deer that was not recovered. I think part of the reason it's so good with a gun is the shock created by an expanding bullet. Not the same with an arrow. I would tend to think that an expandable would do even worse... Could be wrong, though.

Not sure what a straight down shot or bowhunting has to do with the high shoulder shot with a gun. Maybe you just violated your own thread police rule? Arent you glad I didnt use huge bold type. lol

 

[huntemup]

DannyBoy,
Don't see where difference of opinion is arguing.
When the name calling starts then I agree. Heated discussions are also good. Everyone is different and their are a million ways to looks at things.

As far as the difference when using a gun versus a bow I agree with you totally. No argumment here. :drink1:

Risto! You big jerk! What the heck are you doing agreeing with me on something!? Now our heated debate is dead in the water, like a headshot.

 

[DannyBoy]

Not sure what a straight down shot or bowhunting has to do with the high shoulder shot with a gun. Maybe you just violated your own thread police rule? Arent you glad I didnt use huge bold type. lol

Awww man, you got me! Moving on... AHHHHHH, BOLD TYPE :moon:

The guy asked a legit question, I answered to the best of my ability. I think this thread is "sticky" for a reason but now most of it has nothing to do with a shoulder shot, from any weapon. Now a guy has to dig through all these comments just to find a few posts explaining first hand experience/knowledge on the shot.