Importance of Shot Placement vs Power

[SOLANCO]

Know and understand the anatomy of your large game animal. You can not place a killing shot if you do not know where it belongs.

 

[Okie Hog]

This current long-range shooting fad is totally disgusting and unethical to me. That is not hunting. It is sniping.


Methinks so too.

IMO: The mark of a hunter is crawling up close and putting a round ball in the critters ear. Works for me:

 

[waksupi]

Yes, the long range snipers are slob hunters. They shoot, and if something drops, they are happy. If not, they are too lazy to go see if there is blood way over there, if they can even find that particular spot.
I've shot thousand yard matches for over 40 years. The more I shot, the more I learned. I haven't shot at any animal over 200 yards for decades. Wind is fickle, and an animal can take a step as you launch a bullet. Bragging rights come from how close you got, not how far you shot.

 

[mikesto44]

This has been interesting to read the comments. Solanco gets it. Its all about shot placement and your abilities. When I started hunting I was told the bigger the caliber the better. Because a 30/06 kills them deader than a 30/30 or simular B.S. Dead is dead period. Right bullet or prb or razor sharp broad head in the right spot does the job. Also headshots always kill or spine shots. Nope not always and you end up with the animal suffering. Use the weapon that you are most capable with and don't take risky shots.
The animal your hunting deserves it..Rant over...

 

[Sniperdoc]

My Max-Range formula depends not only on the weapon I use, but also species of prey, lighting, wind, etc.
I enjoy keeping my skills honed by making head shots on barn mice with an air rifle, usually less than 20 feet. When hunting whitetail deer, my max range on a perfect day, and deer standing still (usually eating) is 200 yards, regardless of the weapon. Those are usually when I'm hunting over a soybean field. Most of my hunting is done at less than 50 yards.
The only time I've ever shot a deer further than 200 yards was when a friend called me to say that he had made a hip shot and couldn't get close to it. It took about half an hour to get to him, and it was getting close to dark. The deer was in a bean field, at least 100 yards from any cover, and we were on the other end of the field.
I used my rangefinder to calculate the distance, adjusted the scope, got down with the bipod, and dropped the deer at a bit over 640 yards.
I would never recommend trying to shoot an animal from such a distance unless you have to either do it or leave the animal to suffer.

 

[Sam squanch]

It seems a few “ hunters” are influenced by the videos of long range sniper hits in the Middle East a few years back. Now, I DO practice at very long range, but that kind of practice is NOT for hunting, it’s in case society breaks down.

 

[Sniperdoc]

It seems a few “ hunters” are influenced by the videos of long range sniper hits in the Middle East a few years back. Now, I DO practice at very long range, but that kind of practice is NOT for hunting, it’s in case society breaks down.

Most people don't have the time to spend on the range to develop the skills, not to mention the money for the thousands of rounds that it takes to get that good, and definitely don't spend the time that they do have shooting in all kinds of weather. Shooting in the cold rain while you are laying in mud isn't for everyone
Uncle Sam paid for my training, otherwise I couldn't have done it.

 

[LME]

There has been lots of talk about killing deer etc with 32, 36, 40, 45 - 72 Cal roundballs etc. Yes all will kill if shot was taken from a decent distance and hit in the vitals. Blood Trails will always vary regardless of caliber or charge. As a guy who processes over 1000 deer a year I see all kinds of hits. From shoulder blown to pieces to spine hits, gut shots, butt hits and everything in between. A larger caliber should NEVER be an excuse to make up for poor shot placement. I recently watched a video of a guy who shot a deer at 100 yards using a .50 cal BMG round if unfamiliar its a huge round designed to take out light armor and vehicles as well as people initial intended for military use going 3000fps with 700 grain bullet creating 14,000 ft/lbs of energy. The guy hit the deer in front of the shoulder and the deer ran off with little blood and was seen with hole in it later that day as well as next few days alive. The next day he hit a deer in chest at same distance and the exit hole was so big they couldn't show it on video. Bottom line is use the most accurate caliber you have that is adequate/legal/humane to hunt deer. Guns are tools - in mechanics you always want to use the right tool for the job. The same thing applies here. Now: I will be the first person to admit I challenge myself while hunting using a recurve this year, while leaving a $2500 new wheel bow at home, also using flintlock only this year while leaving modern CF's with high dollar scope/thermals in the safe. But I practiced all off season and ongoing throughout the season with recurve - I can hit ethically out to 40 yards with it but have limited my shot to only 20 yards in the woods on game. Same thing with flintlock I can hit well out to and past 150 yards with the 54 rifle but again I limit my shots in woods on game to 75 yards. Basically, I always use the rule take your max range you're good at on paper then divide it by 2 on game and that's my max distance. I don't make any exceptions to the self-imposed limitations. There's too many variables that happen in the woods, game moves, leaves/brush, limited light, unknow distance, etc., all come into play. In the processing shop each year we cut the top off a 2- liter bottle and label it for the year and its called the "death cup". We pull everything from deer broadheads, 22lr bullets, bird shot, buck shot, heck I've pulled out headlight pieces to broken off antler tips all nonlethal hits. Of course we pull out a mess of lethal hits too.

One more thing people come in getting upset if they did not get a pass through with gun. To me this is better as the deer literally soaked up 100 percent of energy the bullet delivered vs blowing through the deer and only part of energy being delivered to the deer the rest is expended on wherever the bullet/ball hits after. Sure pass throughs lead to better blood trails but its give and take. Anyways I been thinking about making this post for a few weeks and finally spoke my mind. Thanks for listening.

I use to hunt with a longbow. I had a lot of modern rifles that had taken plenty of deer and other animals as well as muzzle loaders. This all took place when I was a younger man. when I was in my fifties I hunted with a bow. I loved to see an arrow leave the bow and head toward a spot on a animal where I wanted it to go. I had made up my mind I was going to take a buck. I thought I couldn't make a mistake but I was wrong. Once I was hunting a trail that I knew a lot of does used as I had watched them on numerous occasions pass this way.It was during the rut and I knew a buck would eventually start following the does. I was right! A huge buck with antlers that would make any hunter proud to have came down the trail. I was behind some militrary camouflage I had draped in front of my position. I was siting on a folding wooden chair. I let the buck walk past me so I could slip the arrow just in front of his ham to take out the diaphragm and major organs for a quick kill.It was a give me due to the buck being only ten feet away. As he passed by I stood up pulled the bow back an let the arrow loose! The bottom limb of my bow struck the chairnwith a crack that would wake up the dead ! That buck took off like a streak of light! My arrow was never found but I know it hit low ,possibly hitting one of his legs.I was one sick puppy as that was the nicest deer I had ever seen and I blew it! I do know for a fact that the most important part for making a clean kill is shot placement regardless of whether it is a bow or a rifle!

 

[smoothshooter]

Loved reading your post. Dad and I USED to process hundreds of deer and found all the same things you do/did. We had a girt on the wall that was just lined with bullets, broad heads, wire, plastic and even sabots, from those very close range shots. I was also amazed how many were hit by cars. I don't miss that commitment every fall. One thing we never found? That "perfect hit" that didn't kill the deer the first time it was shot. I hear that too often. "I hit it perfectly and cant find it". No, no you didn't or we'd have a dead deer on the ground.

Great post Too Tall

What is a “girt”?

 

[tdoyka]

i killed a whole pile of deer with my modern rifles and revolvers, specialty pistols, inlines, flintlocks, compound bow and crossbow. when i was 25ish yo, i shot my longest deer at 375+/-yards. most deer are 100 yards and under. 30 - 40 yards is the distance for most of them. i use cast boolits for my rifles, revolvers and SP and i will only go 150 yards for deer. inline is 100 yards and flintlock is around 60ish yards.

i had a stroke about 12 years ago and my right arm/leg are about 20% good. i don't still hunt anymore. heck, my ground blind with chair is 60 some yards off the trail that i use my Polaris Ranger for.

i gave up archery season about 4 or 5 years, i was about to use a recurve bow, but i had the stroke. i love to hunt flintlock and i have been doing this since i was 14yo with my dad (RIP). In PA, it used to a PRB and that was it. then a maxi ball and a RB. i believe it was time that the the inlines came out and then the sabots. PGC started an early muzzleloader doe season too. i used a Wolf inline and powerbelts and either .44 or .45 cal sabots. today it is an TC Encore 50 cal with .429" 250gr SWC penta HP or 280g WFN and sabots. flintlock season i had 4 or 5 Lymans and Traditions but i finally settled on a CVA Hawken in 50 cal. i had a heck of a time getting the shot off (shhhhhhh....boom instead of sh..boom). i did the maxi ball thing on all of them, but a PRB is best. my CVA hates maxi balls, i did 70 - 100gr of Goex FFg and the closest i got was 4" at 50 yards (bench, 3 shots). the PRB (.010" patch) with 70gr Goex FFg cloverleafs at 50 yards (3 shots, bench). if i do it offhand with a tripod i will go 1 1/2 - 3" at 50 yards.

i shoot the deer behind the shoulder, about a 1/3 of the way up. they either die right there or run about 20 - 30 yards and then fall over. i have had one run about 60 - 70 yards, but the blood trail a blind man can see it. i have done the shoulders and you destroy a lot of meat. i always had a pass thru, never found a ball , bullet/boolit on the opposite side of the deer. i did shoot the deer in the head, but it isn't for me.

 

[ETipp]

CNS Shots, aka Shoulder Shots are fine, if the deer presents the shot to the hunter. They do tend to crumple where they are standing. Double lung shots are also successful, but may require a short walk.

LD

Once again, you are spot on with your statement, LD.

As of the last two years I now shoot for a somewhat higher shoulder shot. So far, the last 3 deer (two being large) collapsed on the spot. All three let out a somewhat loud "Auggaaaa" as they hit the ground. The second one this year hit the ground, let out the "Auggaaa" sound, then a bunch of steam shot straight up into the air from the RB hole, like out of an old steam train. The deer died almost instantly.

IMO, as it is now, unless that's the only shot I have, I will not be aiming for behind the front shoulders again. The damaged meat in the shoulder area is a moot point on most deer.

I am convinced.