Shot selection

[dennyhawk]

When hunting with a p.r.b., how many of you go for the shoulder, shot vs. the heart lung area? And at what distances are you taking these shots?

Thx,
Dennyhawk

 

[Bill Hall]

I always hope for a good lung shot. It's a big area and once the lungs are seriously damaged, it's just a matter of time, usually less than 15 seconds on a good hit.

One time I hit a big cow elk in her shoulder, and she just walked off real slowly into the thick woods as I was reloading. I finally tracked her down and finished her off. When I butchered her up, I found the shoulder bones and upper leg bone were shattered into many small shards. I have no idea how she could walk with that much damage, but she did, so no more shoulder shots for me.

I've never shot at anything over 70 yards or so. Just they way things have worked out so far in the type of country I hunt and my stalking methods. Bill

 

[paulvallandigham]

It really depends on the size of the ball you are using, and the game you are shooting. Beer have very thin, soft bones, and even a .45 cal. RB will shatter them, and still penetrate to the lungs.

If you are hunting Elk, Moose, Mule Deer, And Caribou, or any Bear or Wild Boar, you need a lot more MASS, and preferably a bullet, to break the bones, and still penetrate well. The bones in these game animals are much more massive, and strong to break, compared to the Whitetail deer.

Whenever you are shooting a RB, understand its limitations as well as its assets. RBs expand rapidly in soft flesh, as well as when they hit solid bone. They are usually larger in diameter than most "deer rifle Cartridges" used in modern guns, so that the hole going into the deer is much larger than most "Deer Cartridge bullets" can expand to after striking the deer. But, a RB doesn't have a great Ballistics Coefficient, which means that it loses velocity very quickly.

If you want Shock to work for you, the RB has to be at least .58 caliber, or larger. Otherwise, a .54 BULLET will stop just about any of the larger game animals with authority.

A .50 caliber bullet will work well with the deer family game, but would not be my choice for hunting bear or wild boar. Bullets, even cast from soft lead, rarely expand unless they strike bone in these animals.

I would have the same comment about using a bullet of lesser caliber- fine for deer and for deer family game, but not something one would choose to shoot bears or wild boar. Now, where its legal, there are people who shoot deer in the head with .32 cal. bullet guns, and any bullet to the brain will result in instant death.

 

[shootemup]

Definitely heart/lung area for me. I am very careful about shot selection and will pass if I can't get the shot I want.

As far as distance is concerned, my shots are nearly always within fifty yards. Since I sometimes use a smaller caliber rifle, I don't want shots farther than that.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I try to get it into both lungs with the least bone at the impact site. Below and behind the shoulder-blade if broadside. Same as with an arrow. Lungs, not bone. Sometimes I miss and hit the heart. Then no stuffed roasted heart for supper.

 

[Little Wattsy]

When hunting with a p.r.b., how many of you go for the shoulder, shot vs. the heart lung area? And at what distances are you taking these shots?

Thx,
Dennyhawk

heart lung area.... Broken bones dont necessairily kill.. I wouldnt intentially shoot through a 1" sapling to get to the kill zone either. I shoot a .54 and honestly dont sweat a deers shoulder bone but I want a golfball sized hole through both lungs. :wink:

 

[biliff]

A wise man once said to treat the PRB like extended range archery hunting.

Look for a double lung shot, avoid bone. Yeah, a large caliber vs a deer shoulder bone shouldn't be a problem. As caliber goes down or game size/toughness goes up you need to get pickier.

 

[rabjr]

I always try for a double lung shot.

 

[Snow on the Roof]

Perhaps its all those years bowhunting that influences me but a lung shot will almost always be my first choice. Back in the 1980's I shot a medium size 6 pt at 25 yards broadside. Using a .530 roundball pushed by 110 grains of FF that big ball hit the buck in the right shoulder breaking the joint. The ball then bounced around the thorax hiting the sternum then exited below the left shoulder breaking the leg. That buck pushed himself with his back legs 50+ yards where I found him alive and requiring a final shot in the neck to finish him. Though the 230 grain RB performed admirably not one vital organ had been hit. Amazingly both lungs and the heart where functioning and showed no evidence of a bullet wound. Since then I try to avoid shoulder shots.

Snow

 

[Dave K]

On a guided c-fire hunt, the guide warned everyone NOT to take a shoulder shot. I realize this is his opinion, but it was his camp/his rules and I agree with him. He says he has tracked WAY to many broken shoulder shots and they can sometimes just never go down. You want to make a guide hot, lose game in the area he has to hunt. A boiler room shot will always but them down, if it is truly a boiler room shot.

 

[dennyhawk]

thanks guys!

Dennyhawk

 

[roundball]

Whenever possible I try for a heart shot, and if its not offered, then my POA is an eyelash higher for a double lung shot.

Depending on the angle, a shoulder shot is OK as long as you get through the lungs behind it.

BUT.....I'm thinking you may be referring to a shoulder shot in the context of centerfire rifles which often kill by shock effect to the spinal column via a shoulder shot, if not directly taking out the spine itself.

That's not the case with a PRB...it kills by blood loss like a broadhead.

 

[Jason Lewis]

Beer have very thin, soft bones, and even a .45 cal. RB will shatter them, and still penetrate to the lungs.

Hey that's alcohol abuse! shame on you! :nono:

 

[Jason Lewis]

don't shoot through trees either, couple of years ago i was using my whitworth with a 550grn bullet. it was twilight, i couldn't see the pole sized tree in front of the doe i was shooting at. the gun roared, then i see a 3 inch tree falling and the doe running off.

 

[August West]

Lungs always, I don't like shooting through my food, not enough meat on our little deers ribs to worry with. They usually run off but lay down and die within 50 yds or so. Chris

 

[August West]

Lungs, not bone. Sometimes I miss and hit the heart. Then no stuffed roasted heart for supper.

I hear you, I am pretty careful with my angles, I like the liver and usually eat it first. Chris