High shoulder shot .50 cal

[Christophero]

My first RB kill was an unintentional high shoulder shot. I have accidentally double patched the ball and it took quite the effort to seat it on the powder charge that morning. When the large nanny doe walked out at 29 yards I took a quick shot and between the fast sight acquisition and the ultra tight patch the ball 50 ball passed through both shoulders in the thin of the scapula. She went down instantly and could not regain her feet, no matter how hard she tried. Obviously she did not die instantly. It took the coup de grac to complete the kill. Not what I had planned and don't expect to try that again.

 

[hanshi]

So far I've never had a deer hit with a round ball run 100 yards; normally it's either DRT or only a few yards. I've had a few of DRTs from neck hits but those were accidents. In one case I aimed for the H/L area and the deer went down and never kicked. Curiously, on examination, though the buck's left side was toward me, the entrance was in the RIGHT side of the neck, no exit! It was a very close shot, maybe 25 FEET. The only thing I could come up with was that just as the trigger broke he twitched his head around. Another was on a running buck that I must have lead a bit too much and hit the neck (DRT). A third Crossed a trail in front of me as I was walking back to the truck. It stopped and I dropped instantly to my knee - I never shoot offhand at deer without a tree, etc, available for a brace. If I can't find a support I always drop to my knee while shouldering the rifle. I had aimed at the H/L area but the ball hit the neck. Deer do twitch sometimes. There have also been a few fairly "light" blood trails but never (so far) any "NO" blood trails. Sometimes the trails have approached gruesome and were easy to follow. Most have dropped within hearing and the rest within sight. I can't always be sure I won't be shaking when I see one and don't want to take a chance on a tough shot.

 

[CapPopper]

If you can break both front shoulders they won't go anywhere at all and you usually end up shredding the major vessels located in that area..... Deer die quick they just do it on the ground in front of you...... Personally I don't feel I get much off the shoulders and even quartering away try to hit one of them cause it really slows them down ..... That's just my opinion but if I want a deer down where it stands I'll bust both front shoulders and not think twice about it.