Shoulder shot

[crowhunter1]

My buddy and I where talking I told him I used the high should shot on my deer this year and it went straight down,he said it takes to long for them to die,I thought it was quick,he thought that they suffered to much,any thoughts mine never took a step I sat in the tree about 45 minutes afterwards,she raised her head one time after the shot that was it.

 

[toytruck]

My 5 point this season was hit high above the right shoulder. He dropped on the spot, 60 or so yards, and was dead in minutes. It's a very ethical shot in my opinion!

 

[Bigterp]

One of my favorite shots w/a gun!! Shot a buck this weekend high shoulder down inside of 40 yds & dead in less than 2 minutes. The upside is really high recovery rate. That’s as important as the the animal suffering.

 

[Idaholewis]

A High shoulder shot puts em DOWN & OUT in a Hurry. I rarely use it though. I personally like to shoot ANY Big Game Animal that i plan to Eat just behind the front leg through the Lungs, I like to Eat the Shoulder Meat. I was able to get 68 pounds of Boned out Meat off my Typical Body size Whitetail Buck this year, Due to tucking the Bullet just behind the Front Leg, ZERO Meat Damage.

That said, a Lung Shot Deer can go farther than one might think, I have seen them make it near 100 Yards in a MAD Dash, Half that Distance is more the Norm. The ONLY time i prefer ANY type of Shoulder Shot is when i Want, or need the Animal to go STRAIGHT DOWN

 

[Renegadehunter]

@crowhunter1
I think your buddy must think of a through the shoulder shot as breaking both front legs and "anchoring" the deer, but isn't thinking about both lungs being behind that shoulder. I feel it is a very ethical shot if one doesn't hit too low and only break both front legs. I will take that shot if in country that I don't want it to run too far into a nasty spot to pack it back out of.

Through both lungs is my favorite shot to take with bow, BP, or rifle. I find a shoulder shot ruins a bit more meat for me than I care for. As long as both lungs are hit they just don't seem to make more than a 100 yards, and then only if they are running full out. I hold mid body about 2" behind the shoulder line. This is about center lungs and gives the most room for error, and plus with a bow if I pull the shot towards the shoulder it will just go in right over the top of it instead of smacking the scapula and possibly not penetrating enough.
ONE lung is a whole other deal though, they can go a LONG ways if you take a quartering shot and only get one lung. But that's not what we're talking about here.

It's amazing how far they can go after a shot sometimes. I shot a deer yesterday with a 7mm/08 Nosler Partition. The shot got both lungs plus the top half of the heart (I hit a little low from where I was aiming). He was completely calm and didn't know I was there when I shot him, and still with his heart blown up and both lungs collapsed he ran 100 yards before going down.

 

[45-70]

if done right it breaks the spine nothing to do with breaking down the legs

 

[Renegadehunter]

45-70, I don't think you're interpreting it the same way I did. Top of the shoulders is a bit below halfway up. A "high shoulder" shot is under the spine.
I've seen people misjudge the hold and shoot low, missing the entire body cavity but still breaking both front legs. Their vitals are fine but they can't go anywhere because they have no front legs to run on.

 

[chieffan]

I got mine a bit to far forward, lead her to much at 35 yds. Expandable hit a rib, angled up slightly and lodged in her spine. Dropped on the spot but had to dispose of her 45 min later. Front body cavity was full of blood and ran out when I removed the back part of the arrow. She had rolled over and broke if off inside her. 3" and the broadhead were intact inside. Recovered it when I butchered.

 

[45-70]

45-70, I don't think you're interpreting it the same way I did. Top of the shoulders is a bit below halfway up. A "high shoulder" shot is under the spine.
I've seen people misjudge the hold and shoot low, missing the entire body cavity but still breaking both front legs. Their vitals are fine but they can't go anywhere because they have no front legs to run on.

that is kind of what i meant, i shoot at long distance and always hold high shoulder,

 

[Confederate rifleman]

My 2nd doe Saturday, took a 300 grain 45 caliber XTP DEAD CENTER in her heart. Blew the organ to bitty pieces. She still ran about 50-60 yards.
The saying a " Dead run" exists for a good reason.

 

[Okie Hog]

A "high shoulder" shot is under the spine.

Same here. i prefer high shoulder or high behind the shoulder shots. Most of my deer are killed from tree stands or blinds overlooking trails, ponds or wheat fields at ranges <60 yards. When hit on or just below the spine the deer is DRT. Deer hit with the 250 grain SST fired from an inline using a heavy powder charge often have a bruise on the backstrap when hit below the spine. Round balls do a superior job, especially when fired from close range.

 

[shiner200gr]

I am 77 and disabled. My whole deer hunting life I shot everything midline behind the front shoulder, but now I can't afford to have them running around after the shot, so it's through the shoulders or don't shoot. A 250 gr. saboted bullet of good construction kills quickly and doesn't waste more than a pound or two of meat. When the smoke clears they are on the ground....a clean kill, no tracking or packing.

 

[deerlessbob]

I agree with S. I shot a doe with a high shoulder shot two days ago in a food plot that has a very thick and thorny gulley adjoining two sides. She never even kicked and the only strain this skinny old frame experienced was getting her in the back of my truck. On flat ground, I probably would have gone for a behind the shoulder shot.

 

[Idaholewis]

I agree with S. I shot a doe with a high shoulder shot two days ago in a food plot that has a very thick and thorny gulley adjoining two sides. She never even kicked and the only strain this skinny old frame experienced was getting her in the back of my truck. On flat ground, I probably would have gone for a behind the shoulder shot.

One of my favorite places to hunt Whitetail would be a perfect place to Utilize the High shoulder Shot, But i stil can’t make myself do it.

I am already looking Down in an Ole Logging Cut here, 99% of the Deer i see here Pop out on the Far Tree line, Which is Quite the Drag out as is. That Tree line is also a REALLY STEEP Bank line, it Drops straight down to a Creek bottom about 200 or more Feet. EVERY Deer i have killed here end up Down there

Here i am at the VERY Bottom with a Buck, This one actually got across the Creek, i had to Wade over and Drag him across, I usually shoot right before Dark (Typical Stand hunting Whitetail) By the time i get a Deer Dragged up out of this HELL Hole, then Across the Old Cut Bottom, and UP to my Truck, it’s WELL after Dark. A Head Lamp is part of my Gear

This is why i do it though, I like to Eat the Front Shoulders, It is REALLY DIFFICULT for me to make a Shoulder Shot, I was taught from a little Boy to Shoot just behind the Front leg, Through the Lungs. The Reason i am Hunting is to Eat the Meat from the Deer or Elk i harvest. There is a LOT of good Meat on the Front Shoulders, a Shoulder Shot usually destroys the Majority of it

 

[Saxtonyoung]

Never purposely took a shoulder shot but shot deer that were heavily angled away from me that took out the shoulder on opposite side. Yes meat definitely gets destroyed from the bullet and shattered bone.

 

[teambuffalooutdoors]

A High shoulder shot puts em DOWN & OUT in a Hurry. I rarely use it though. I personally like to shoot ANY Big Game Animal that i plan to Eat just behind the front leg through the Lungs, I like to Eat the Shoulder Meat. I was able to get 68 pounds of Boned out Meat off my Typical Body size Whitetail Buck this year, Due to tucking the Bullet just behind the Front Leg, ZERO Meat Damage.

That said, a Lung Shot Deer can go farther than one might think, I have seen them make it near 100 Yards in a MAD Dash, Half that Distance is more the Norm. The ONLY time i prefer ANY type of Shoulder Shot is when i Want, or need the Animal to go STRAIGHT DOWN

Got a shed buck like that. It’s like a freight train hitting a deer. I followed up with a moe Greene shot after to save as much meat as possible

 

[Renegadehunter]

My 2nd doe Saturday, took a 300 grain 45 caliber XTP DEAD CENTER in her heart. Blew the organ to bitty pieces. She still ran about 50-60 yards.
The saying a " Dead run" exists for a good reason.

It's amazing how far they go sometimes. I shot one this last Sunday, the bullet went through both lungs and blew up the top of the heart. It still ran about 100 yards.

 

[teambuffalooutdoors]

What ballistic did you use? It sounds like it didn’t expand - happens if you shoot too close with some ballistics. Not enough time to expand. I had trouble with the TC Shockwaves. I took the slight dip in accuracy for much better terminal performance with the Knight red hots (Barnes expanders). If you like shooting the boiler room, try the Knight Bloodline. I’ve heard it turns the insides into Jello!

 

[Renegadehunter]

I shot a buck a few years ago in the front shoulder with a 120 grain Fusion out of a 25/06. It was quartering to me slightly and light was fading so I went ahead and took the shoulder shot. It was chasing a doe and was quite a ways out, 450 yards. The doe paused which made the buck stop, I had to hurry before they started moving again.
The bullet made a heck of a whop! when it hit and he went down right away. He did get back up but only went about 10 yards before going back down for good. The bullet went through the near side shoulder, put a furrow across the back of the heart, and exited behind the far shoulder.
Even at that distance the whole near side shoulder was all but lost, tremendous amount of damage and blood shot.

 

[Okie Hog]

I had trouble with the TC Shockwaves

Me too, i used the 250 grain SST and the 250 grain Shockwave interchangeably for awhile, a rather short while. The soft nose of the SST gives good expansion, the hard nose of the Shockwave not so much.