First time out

[ian45662]

Tomorrow I am going deer hunting for the first time and I wanted to ask you guys about shot placement. I will be using a 45 cal round ball. How important is it to make a shot through the heart? Can a shot through a or both lungs be as good. I plan on keeping my shots inside of 70 yards or so.

 

[rabjr]

Personally, I hate heart shots. My experience, they run like hell and cover quite a distance before a blood trail. Usually when you do find blood, the deer isn't far behind. I'd rather take his air away, double lung em, they can't breath, in my experience, they don't go half the distance a heart shot animal does.

 

[ian45662]

Well thats good to know I thought a heart shot would be better but thats why I asked. I guess lungs would be easier to hit also

 

[longcruise]

If you can put the ball directly across the top of the heart you will get both lungs and a whole lot of arterial plumbing at the same time. I concur on double lungs being better than a heart only shot.

 

[rabjr]

I'm sure you'll get different answers to this question. Just saying in my experience, I've had some bad experiences concerning heart shot deer. Now if your in a tree stand shooting downward it may not be so bad, catching one lung and having a blood trail almost from the start. But from the ground, I'd rather double lung them. Think about this, whenever you got hit in the stomach and was unable to breath, catch your breath, what was the only thing you wanted to do?

 

[410-er]

Lungs,I like to eat the heart!

 

[Kentuckywindage]

either the heart or lungs will do. I shot one deer in the heart and it only went 5 yards. Penetration is key so keep that lil ball away from heavy bone.

 

[roundball]

I hunt pretty thick hardwoods, the heart shot is always my first choice to get them down quick, and every one I've ever heart shot has dropped within sight of me in the woods. I believe a lot of people think they're making heart shots but very often they're really getting lung shots.
Stay very low right behind the elbow...the heart is down low...for all practical purposes basically resting on the inside of the sternum.

Even when squirrel hunting with a little throttled back squirrel load of 40grns 3F in a .45cal, heart shot a Doe then another time a 5 pointer at 20 yards, they sprinted 25-30 yards and piled up.

 

[bucktales]

You'll see that you'll get as many answers as posters on this one. :haha:
Me, I always like shoulder shots if given the opportunity.
It knocks out their front wheel drive as well as vitals. Works for me.

 

[rabjr]

I believe a lot of people think they're making heart shots but very often they're really getting lung shots.

Not this one. We eat the heart but not when theres a hole in it. And I do know when theres a hole in it.

 

[ian45662]

How can you tell if there is a hole in it> :blah:

 

[rabjr]

How can you tell if there is a hole in it> :blah:

When you get your knife out and gut the thing.

 

[Snow on the Roof]

You'll see that you'll get as many answers as posters on this one. :haha:
Me, I always like shoulder shots if given the opportunity.
It knocks out their front wheel drive as well as vitals. Works for me.

Taking out the wheels is always a good idea IF you have the gun to do it. With a little .45 roundball double lungs is by far your best shot. Do so broadside or a slight 1/4 away angle. Do not take a shot 1/4 towards or straight on, to much bone to break to get to the vitals.

John

 

[bucktales]

Correct.
My .54s do it well. :v

 

[rabjr]

You'll see that you'll get as many answers as posters on this one. :haha:
Me, I always like shoulder shots if given the opportunity.
It knocks out their front wheel drive as well as vitals. Works for me.

I believed in this and preached it back when I used any of my percussions with a conical. It is nice to watch them go right down and putting 4 to 6 animals in the freezer every year the meat lost in the shoulders was no problem. But since I started with flintlocks shooting roundball I've moved my sights over a tad and go for the lungs now.

 

[ian45662]

I think I will be going for the lungs then of maybe just above the heart to sever some major arteries and a double lung I think is what I will be gunning for.

 

[texcl]

Lungs are the way to go, it also gives you a little more lee way when it comes to shot placement, I shredded a deer's heart this year and that sucker ran 70 yards with no blood trail in really thick brush, I almost lost her, I decided in the evening to come back with my two sons to look for her and one of my boys found her. looked like the blood trail started about 10 feet from where she fell, I couldn't beleive she made it that far, I've made similar shots where the deer just dropped dead and I have no idea what makes the difference.

 

[hanshi]

I've been using the .45 on deer for years, now and never needed more than one shot and never one run very far. I try for the lung shot, too. If you can visualize a basketball inside the deer's chest, anywhere on that ball will make meat. But I would shoot for the center of that ball. Depending on the angle of the shot, you may have to place the shot where you wouldn't think you would. Just remember the deer is 3 dimensional and you want the ball to pass through the center of the basketball.

 

[Shane Carter]

No matter what I'm shooting with it's aimed at the lungs, can't go far with no air.

 

[KyFlintlock]

I'd vote double lung. I shot a big doe at 30 yards with a .50 flinter and she whirled and ran like I missed. I finally found a puff of hair and found her 125 yards out or so, bedded down with her feet tucked up under her. WHen I gutted her it was right through her heart, I would have never believed it.

Good luck
Wess