Preferred shot on deer family game

[kamloopshunter]

I was always taught to go for a lung/heart shot. Recently I have been reading a lot about high shoulder shots being ideal in certain circumstances. Which shot do you prefer on deer/moose/elk?

[IronNoggin]

Completely depends on the range, aspect of animal, whether it's moving or not, and utensil of choice in my hands...

Far to wide to generalize without knowing at least some of that.

Cheers,
Nog

[Xenomorph]

^totally agree. I've done head, neck shots and boiler room. All depending on familiarity with the weapon of choice and how good the user behind this accurate weapon is.

[KodiakHntr]

Personally, I shoot for bones. And vitals either on the way to bones, or vitals behind bones. All the good stuff is between the front legs, and it tends to shorten tracking distances.
Thats rifles of course. Archery tackle, I try for offside bones.

[Spy]

As a bow hunter heart and lung. With a rifle I can pick what shot suites the circumstances, especially under 100yards. Heart and lung shots are are always deadly ;-)

[two-feet]

Heart lung, waiting for broadside or quartering away.

[takla1]

Lung,sure kill and they don't travel far

takla

[WWBC]

My thoughts would be lung unless there was a need to "anchor" the anamal then high shoulder it think. Only double lunged em so far

[kamloopshunter]

The poll is not meant to be dogmatic bit to spark conversation.

Ok interesting perspectives. I don't hesitate shooting them in other areas, just prefer lung shot, regardless of the distance or caliber of the rifle I'm shooting. I'm not stuck on it just my first choice. When is a lung/shot not as preferable as others? Hoping to hear people's experience in what works for them. Any head shot guys out there?

[Norwestalta]

Any place but the ass or guts. Moose I'll generally head shoot, deer depending on buck or doe but if it is a decent buck I'll lung shoot. Elk is thru the shoulders. I really like to anchor them buggers because they tend to go.

[wideopenthrottle]

i guess i woud say if it is broadside or slight quartering for sure heart/lungs...if not, neck is the next target...head is last choice if that is all that is availlable.....we thoroughly wash out all gut cavity area and will not hesitate to remove quarters to wash out blood shot..very little meat ever wasted so no hesitation to put one through the middle (boiler room) or the shoulder if necessary....

[Red_Mist]

Always depends on circumstances but tend to aim high shoulder. Your always going to hit the lungs that way plus break bone. If you miss high you will spine them, miss back hit the liver, miss low hit the heart and miss forward hit the neck. We all try to kill cleanly, I just find aiming high shoulder mitigates a bad outcome being slightly off with shot placement.

[kamloopshunter]

Nog you are right. I left this question a little vague. I should have specified rifle and maybe terrain.

[Keta1969]

I voted neck as I primarily hunt blacktails and over 90% of my kills have been neck shots and all but 2 were bang flop. For moose or elk it would be heart lung.

[two-feet]

I used to aim for the head or base of skull when it was a close shot, because my grandpa said it was the best. But as I got older I realized that he was a great marksman, and I am not. So the best ethical shot for me is lungs, and patiently waiting for a broadside or quartering away shot is the challenge.

[Drillbit]

Center mass, keep shooting until they fall or I can't see them.


If I had the chance of shooting something not running and standing broadside (the perfect world), I'd go for the front shoulder.

[ACB]

If you take out both lungs they don't go far, but if the angle is a little wrong you can take out a shoulder as well, and do some meat damage but you don't have to go looking for quarry. Now black bears, if the bush is thick and you don't want to go into that bush looking for a wounded bear, if you can take out the neck, they don't go far.

[Weatherby Fan]

Completely depends on the range, aspect of animal, whether it's moving or not, and utensil of choice in my hands...

Far to wide to generalize without knowing at least some of that.

Cheers,
Nog


I agree with Nog on this......

Every situation will dictate the shot placement, I have shot a deer in the neck facing me at 15 yards as no other option was available,
ultimately heart-lung but if close enough we do neck or head shots to save on meat damage.

[cootersnake]

All depends on the situation, but I never shoot head shots. In the perfect world head shots would be great but the main reason I don't like them is that if you are off target even a little you could end up inadvertently damaging the mouth/face/jaw causing a slow painful death for said animal the can't eat. I would rather see a animal run off to hunt it another day than risk it. Thats just my opinion.

[moosinaround]

I shoot for the biggest target over 100yards. Closer than that, I like hump or spine shots. Drops ungulates in their tracks. Not normally much meat damage! Shot many deer and moose with this shot! Dropped a couple elk with head shots, a few moose with neck shots, quite a few moose with heart and lung shots. Dropped a couple with liver shots, just a bit to far back. most of the kills with 300 win mag. Moosin

[Rotorwash]

depends on the circumstances but all things ideal I prefer to shoot for the neck/spine. just back from the ear. If its at all questionable I take a heart/lung shot.

[finngun]

Missing is texas heart shot,,;-) after that gutless method is a must..:-P

[ryanhuntslots]

Measuring meat quality, the best meat is from a bled animal, best way to bleed an animal is a lung shot. They pump it all out for you.

[hunter1947]

I have always like taking the deer behind the shoulders a lung shooter..

[.264winmag]

Nog you are right. I left this question a little vague. I should have specified rifle and maybe terrain.

I disagree, you're either a boiler room guy or neck shooter imo. Of course we're going to take the best shot 'offered' at the time. For instance, there's old Louie staring straight at you through the timber at 50 yds and all you can see is head neck and to bottom of brisket. Lots of guys would poke him in the neck, not me I'm putting in smack dab middle of brisket cause I'm a boiler room guy. If I clip a wing I still have all that delicious neck meat left.
You want absolute, high shoulder can't be beat. No contest...

[Dannybuoy]

I disagree, you're either a boiler room guy or neck shooter imo. Of course we're going to take the best shot 'offered' at the time. For instance, there's old Louie staring straight at you through the timber at 50 yds and all you can see is head neck and to bottom of brisket. Lots of guys would poke him in the neck, not me I'm putting in smack dab middle of brisket cause I'm a boiler room guy. If I clip a wing I still have all that delicious neck meat left.
You want absolute, high shoulder can't be beat. No contest...

We as meat hunters first, always say if you hit the shoulder you made a bad shot . I think you will be hard pressed to find an old timer to agree with a shoulder shot on deer , moose or elk . Otherwise I agree with your quote "you're either a boiler room guy or neck shooter "
If you "clip a wing" ... you may be in for a long day trying to chase down/recover your game .
Personally I take the neck shot under 100 yds on deer (which is 90%) and never had one take a step yet and behind the shoulder on moose .

[.264winmag]

We as meat hunters first, always say if you hit the shoulder you made a bad shot . I think you will be hard pressed to find an old timer to agree with a shoulder shot on deer , moose or elk . Otherwise I agree with your quote "you're either a boiler room guy or neck shooter "
If you "clip a wing" ... you may be in for a long day trying to chase down/recover your game .
Personally I take the neck shot under 100 yds on deer (which is 90%) and never had one take a step yet and behind the shoulder on moose .

I am a meat hunter, and there's more meat saved from a high shoulder shot or clipping one wing (that I will add happens more often than not even when you think the quarry is squared up broadside) than an obliterated neck. I've weighed it out several times from deer to moose and elk. Graze a neck and miss the spine you can be in for a ride just as bad if not worse. I'm talking hitting the front brisket but one wing is damaged, its pretty common too...