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02-13-2011, 04:33 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 12,078
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Shot placement question
Shot placement is very important with large and potentially dangerous game.
Should the shot be in the shoulders to knock the animal down?
Shot the shot be in the heart lung area to shut down the animal's metabolic functions?
Both shot placement methods are considered acceptable.
Which one do you prefer, if at all?
BB416 and Huntinstuff, please do not think I am stealing an argument from you guys. You two brought up a very good question I thought should be shared with the rest of the forum.
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02-13-2011, 04:34 PM
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Shoulders.
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02-13-2011, 04:35 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Camrose
Posts: 45,187
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I almost always choose the heart/lung shot,although that often results in striking one shoulder.
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02-13-2011, 04:41 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Live tohunt,hunt to live
Posts: 1,175
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I prefer the 1/4 away heart lung far shoulder exit!! Every animal I have shot with this method never took 1 step towards me!
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02-16-2011, 11:54 AM
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 492
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1shotwade
I prefer the 1/4 away heart lung far shoulder exit!! Every animal I have shot with this method never took 1 step towards me!
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Absolutely the ideal situation! And just to clarify, the far shoulder meaning breaking the offside leg.
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02-16-2011, 12:25 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: wmu 222, member #197
Posts: 4,907
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this is hard to describe...
if an animal is standing broadside, chances are one of the front two legs will be positioned between the lead leg and the two rears. it can be the critters drivers side or passenger side leg, as long as its in the 'middle'.
put the vertical crosshair on the 'center' front leg find the center mass (and below) then trip.
this works at almost every angle and has a great chance of hitting something important and like 3D said it takes out the opposite shoudler and everything in the middle
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02-16-2011, 01:14 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Bonnyville
Posts: 285
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heart/lungs or head only.
no need to waste any meat with a shoulder shot, unless your not keeping the meat.
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Keep your stick on the ice.
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02-13-2011, 04:48 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Slave Lake
Posts: 5,639
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greylynx
Shot placement is very important with large and potentially dangerous game.
Should the shot be in the shoulders to knock the animal down?
Shot the shot be in the heart lung area to shut down the animal's metabolic functions?
Both shot placement methods are considered acceptable.
Which one do you prefer, if at all?
BB416 and Huntinstuff, please do not think I am stealing an argument from you guys. You two brought up a very good question I thought should be shared with the rest of the forum.
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I would never argue with Randy ...
All depends
Sometimes I want to anchor an animal and other times a lung shot is perfectly fine.For bears or dangerous game I try for shoulder...
High shoulder shots like TJ recommends do offer the best result for a killing shot as you can miss quite a bit in either direction and skill have a good result..
All depends on the hunter and situation and if the animal dies quickly then thats a perfect shot in my mind
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02-16-2011, 04:31 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Posts: 9,613
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Blasting the shoulders out is a great way to anchor an animal for sure. Good bullet.
I tend to shoot behind the shoulder because i know it works every time. Yes i might have to track the animal but i tend to take my time so to me, tracking is just part of it all
Mostly, my animal is dead within 100yds of where it was shot, but i dont pursue right away so really i just delay getting my animal
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Last edited by huntinstuff; 02-16-2011 at 04:52 PM.
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02-16-2011, 04:57 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central AB
Posts: 1,705
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shoulder usually
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02-16-2011, 11:05 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Copperhead Road, Morinville
Posts: 19,290
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Quote:
Originally Posted by huntinstuff
Blasting the shoulders out is a great way to anchor an animal for sure. Good bullet.
I tend to shoot behind the shoulder because i know it works every time. Yes i might have to track the animal but i tend to take my time so to me, tracking is just part of it all
Mostly, my animal is dead within 100yds of where it was shot, but i dont pursue right away so really i just delay getting my animal
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x2 If you aren't concerned about ruining meat then blast away at the shoulders and put a second round into it when it goes down. I almost always wait for a nice broadside shot and put a round behind the shoulder through both lungs. I don't mind tracking the animal because it's part of hunting IMHO. Besides, if they don't drop they usually run straight and not very far.
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02-19-2011, 10:34 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,917
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Quote:
Originally Posted by huntinstuff
Blasting the shoulders out is a great way to anchor an animal for sure. Good bullet.
I tend to shoot behind the shoulder because i know it works every time. Yes i might have to track the animal but i tend to take my time so to me, tracking is just part of it all
Mostly, my animal is dead within 100yds of where it was shot, but i dont pursue right away so really i just delay getting my animal
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What he said.
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02-19-2011, 04:15 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,087
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Quote:
Originally Posted by huntinstuff
Blasting the shoulders out is a great way to anchor an animal for sure. Good bullet.
I tend to shoot behind the shoulder because i know it works every time. Yes i might have to track the animal but i tend to take my time so to me, tracking is just part of it all
Mostly, my animal is dead within 100yds of where it was shot, but i dont pursue right away so really i just delay getting my animal
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My preference as well. They never go far without a heart and/or lungs. Also important to me, is the fact that very little, to no, meat is damaged.
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02-13-2011, 04:50 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 117
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Depends upon the situation. If you're stand hunting or baiting or what not to allow a broadside shot, then heart / lungs. IMO the only Nth American animals that classify as both large and dangerous are the big bears - Alaskan, polar or grizzly. Moose or Elk?? Sure they could rough you up but why would you break the front shoulders and lose the meat? If you're head hunting then shoulders.
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02-13-2011, 04:56 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: High River, AB
Posts: 10,788
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Texas heart shot....all the way!
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02-13-2011, 11:10 PM
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Gone Hunting
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,497
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gitrdun
Texas heart shot....all the way!
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X2, 1 in the chest running towards you, 2 in the ass running away.
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Chuck Norris can bump fire a bolt action
"A predators heart knows no remorse. It lives for the hunt, a natural force."
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02-16-2011, 10:39 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,888
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moosehunter3-0
X2, 1 in the chest running towards you, 2 in the ass running away.
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hahahahahaha! I got a good laugh outta that one....i'll have to try that placement next year!
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02-16-2011, 11:45 AM
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Gone Hunting
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: North of Peace River
Posts: 11,346
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I shoot them wherever the bullet strikes.
Truth is most hunters will tell you they can hit the eye of a sparrow at 1,000 yards, while the best they can do is hope to hit somewhere on the body at ranges under 200 yards.
I can hit the kill zone, Heart Lung area, 99% of the time at ranges under 200 yards. Since that is the easiest target to hit, that is what I aim for.
I avoid shots at longer ranges. I'm simply not that good.
I haven't been hunting all that long, only 47 years now. Besides, I don't own one of those super guns. I use old fashioned equipment, like 30-06 and 30-30.
Such guns are only capable of hitting a one inch target at 100 yards under the very best of circumstances. (Good steady rest, lots of time to aim, ext.) For each additional 100 yards the target doubles in size. Many, if not most, hunting guns are doing good to hit a 2 inch target at 100 yards. Do the math.
Factor in an offhand shot, much less a hurried off hand shot, and mathematics tells me that a 14 inch target is a poor bet past 200 yards, at least for the typical hunter.
Think about it. If you aim for the shoulder, what you are actually aiming for is the upper leg bone. You are trying to hit a two inch wide target you can't even see. Or you could try for the shoulder Blade. That's a much bigger target, it's also a fools target. It will knock an animal flat. But the animal WILL get up again and they WILL be twice as hard to stop when they do.
I have done it, unintentionally, and I have watched others do it far too many times to try that shot intentionally.
Now some would argue that they are not trying to hit the leg bone, only the leg mussel. No kidding! So why not dump out half of your powder first and then shoot for the heart?
Or you could try for the back bone. It's a bigger target. But it's also hidden, and a miss would most likely result in a fatally wounded animal that will go for a very long way.
Now if you are one of those remarkable folks that can hit the eye of a sparrow at 1,000 yards, by all means go for the shoulder shot. Better still shoot them in the ear. If you're that good, it's the shot for you.
That was the shot of choice for us when we butchered a cow or other domestic animal. Instant death every time, and no loss of meat.
If you are an average hunter, I would suggest that the heart/lung shot is a better choice for you.
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02-16-2011, 05:18 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: grew up in Alberta moved to SK, sure miss Alberta
Posts: 2,332
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moosehunter3-0
X2, 1 in the chest running towards you, 2 in the ass running away.
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Gotta agree its the only sportmans way of fair chase
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02-16-2011, 05:39 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Rimbey
Posts: 5,908
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Slightly quartering away, taking vitals and off shoulder. Or Broadside waiting for onside leg to step forward tucking bullet in close behind shoulder. I Dont like hitting lots of bone on entry unless I can be posative it will anchor the animal. An animal can go along ways with a smashed shoulder but there time is very limited with a hole in a vital organ.
The situation dictates my choice in shot, all situations are different. I shoot to kill immediately on any animal dangerous/large or not. I dont shoot worrying if im gunna waste a steak or not. I shoot for a clean humane kill.
SG
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02-15-2011, 06:02 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,709
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Quote:
Originally Posted by equanuck
Depends upon the situation. If you're stand hunting or baiting or what not to allow a broadside shot, then heart / lungs. IMO the only Nth American animals that classify as both large and dangerous are the big bears - Alaskan, polar or grizzly. Moose or Elk?? Sure they could rough you up but why would you break the front shoulders and lose the meat? If you're head hunting then shoulders.
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x2 any bear if I'm on the ground shoulders.elk or moose lungs/hart and I try not to get the off shoulder.
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02-15-2011, 09:06 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Red Deer
Posts: 2,680
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Lungs every time.If I was too close to a grizzly than high shoulder.Shot 20+ blacks all lungs never an issue.
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02-15-2011, 10:51 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Near Drayton valley
Posts: 515
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Last light shoulders,first light and day time heart/lungs if at all possible.
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02-15-2011, 12:26 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Southern Alberta
Posts: 3,662
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Everything in the shoulder , except antlerless , they get it in the head. I dont like haveing to chase anything.
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02-17-2011, 06:58 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In the Rockies
Posts: 2,940
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I've never hunted ''dangerous'' game either..that being grizzly or polar bears.
I would go with the shot that I know..... heart/lung behind shoulder.
I have no concern tracking a ''dead'' animal hundred yards or so...
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02-17-2011, 07:26 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 117
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountain Guy
I've never hunted ''dangerous'' game either..that being grizzly or polar bears.
I would go with the shot that I know..... heart/lung behind shoulder.
I have no concern tracking a ''dead'' animal hundred yards or so...
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That's the shots I go for. The OP was concerning dangerous game. The last black bear I shot was with my 22-250. 20yds, in the side of the head as he wouldn't leave the yard and that gun happened to be in my pick up.
When I reload I use Sierra Matchking bullets. High accuracy and those hollow points do massive shock damage and nothing I have shot with them has gone anywhere. I shot a white tail buck years back with my 300 Wby and hollow point. He fell over sideways without even kicking. Bone/bullet fragments went up and struck the spine taking out the heart at the same time.
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02-17-2011, 07:48 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Sturgeon County, Ab.
Posts: 3,132
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Shoulder or shoulders depending on shot angle. This pretty much shreds the lungs too.
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