"I don't own a .300 WSM because I mostly hunt elk, and they're not enough for elk."

[silicosys4]

I don't consider any headshot or spinal cord shot to be ethical, especially a spinal cord shot. They are too small of targets. I've seen too many deer with their jaws blown off. Just because you hit where you were aiming doesn't make it good shot placement. A severed spinal cord will not kill any animal where they're standing, but will make the animal a suffer significantly before you can get to it to actually kill the poor thing. It's no different than having to put down one that was hit by a car and broke it's back. Been there, done that.

I've also seen too many deer with their bottom jaws blown off or part of their snout missing. They end up starving to death. If you're within 50 yards, the animal isn't moving and there's no wind, maybe a head shot. But if you're that close, poke it through both lungs and probably the heart. If it does run, it won't run far. Just be sure to use a bullet that won't explode once it hits a bone.

The only deer that my dad shot, he shot it in the head. Why? Because no one taught him any better. BTW. If you did hit "dead center head" with a 30-06 on an elk, most of the head would be gone. Doesn't sound too "dead center" to me.

Heart & lungs. That way you're shooting something the size of a basketball (at least) instead of shooting at a softball attached to a garden hose and hoping for something.

Matt

And you are welcome to your opinion as to what constitutes ethical behavior on the part of a hunter, and what shots you personally feel comfortable making.

But I personally am not buying any of that. I really liked "headshots past 50 yards aren't ethical because I personally can't be sure of hitting them past 50 yards" But what gave me a great chuckle was the part where its ok to hit a marginal lung shot, and chase the animal as its drowning in its own blood for however long, but its unethical to hit the spine, drop it where its standing, ensure that you won't lose the animal because It doesn't start leaving a blood trail until its body cavity fills up to the bullet hole....
By this point I am starting to feel that you have little or no actual experience in the matter, but love to argue, so I'm done here.

If you want to call me a liar, we can kindly take this to PM so as to not muddy up this thread, and I'll tell you what I think of someone who comes into a discussion without adding any personal experience of their own, dismissing others' personal experience, and calling them dishonest.

 

[Art Eatman]

Long ago in the way-back-when, my father told me that if you shoot Bambi in the white spot, he doesn't go anywhere. Not knowing any better, I've tagged maybe three dozen bucks from that shot. They just fold up their little legs and quit. Granted, most of those were "gimmes" in the 50-yard to 150-yard range.

But that's just me. I figure that folks shouldn't take any shot they don't like.

 

[silicosys4]

deleted

 

[Art Eatman]

If you can hit prairie dogs at 300 yards, why would a deer's or elk's neck be a difficult target?

I dunno. I just try to stay away from woulda/coulda/shoulda booger-hunting.

 

[morcey2]

The problem isn't that the neck is too small of a target. The problem is that the neck isn't the actual target. There are too many ways to have a bullet pass through an animal's neck that won't necessarily kill it, let along drop it right there. The head is a little better, but still a little small for me.

Am I saying that I'm not confident enough in my own skills to not hit a 3" circle @ 200 yards? No. But why try to hit a 3" circle when you can hit an 8"x11" area at the same distance? (On elk, it's a little larger than that, but you get the point.) Even dead on or quartering, the heart/lung area is larger than the head.

I will _not_ go for a spine shot, ever. I don't care if it's the bull-of-a-lifetime and I have a 416 Weatherby Guided Magnum that guarantees that the bullet will follow the spinal cord all the way to the medula oblongata thereby guaranteeing a DRT elk. Ain't gonna happen.

You may have shot more deer or elk than I have, but I have never had to finish one off that was severely wounded and suffering. Except when someone else had already did the damage, either with a gun or a vehicle. Usually a vehicle.

Matt

 

[silicosys4]

Am I saying that I'm not confident enough in my own skills to not hit a 3" circle @ 200 yards? No. But why try to hit a 3" circle when you can hit an 8"x11" area at the same distance? (On elk, it's a little larger than that, but you get the point.) Even dead on or quartering, the heart/lung area is larger than the head.



Matt

Picture a herd of elk. Then picture a trophy bull at the back of it, with his head and neck above the backs of the grazing cows, but none of his body exposed.
These are the kinds of shots that actually present themselves, not theoretical perfect broadside shots that give you ample opportunity for your heart/lung shot that may or may not bring the animal down any quicker or more ethically than your taboo spine shot.

 

[Cryogaijin]

I've seen that many times, only with Caribou. I merely circle, wait, and only go for that "theoretical perfect broadside." A CNS hit is all well and good, but I know the heart and lungs target area for the game I hunt MUCH better than the CNS areas.

 

[silicosys4]

repost, dang ipad

 

[silicosys4]

I've seen that many times, only with Caribou. I merely circle, wait, and only go for that "theoretical perfect broadside." A CNS hit is all well and good, but I know the heart and lungs target area for the game I hunt MUCH better than the CNS areas.

Now i'm a little jealous, lol. Caribou hunting in open country would be a lot of fun and challenging in different ways i would think, different than hunting in the scrub and cuts for one of the Quinault elk herds, but thats for another thread

 

[silicosys4]

this is a very typical cover for a bull here. As you can see, if you see him in here He needs to be anchored quickly, before he makes cover. A hit high on the heart/lungs will not bleed very well until the body cavity fills with blood to the hole, and that country is hard to track light blood trails in. There are 10 hunters in that square mile besides you, so and bowhunters and muzzleloaders have already had a crack at them for the last month, so he is jumpy as hell and you are one lucky hunter to have seen him, let alone have this shot opportunity. He is 2 steps from disappearing into cover that you cannot follow him on foot through, unless you are walking through the trail he pushed in, and you certainly are not going to sneak up on him very easily.

Note: neither this nor the following picture is mine or of me.

 

[silicosys4]

Here is a very typical shot opportunity for this area. As you can see you have very limited opportunity, and you will not be able to follow or circle around him very easily.

 

[Art Eatman]

Looks like we've wandered well away from the opening post's subject...