Where do you shoot a deer?
- Thread starter Macchina
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W.E.G.
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I can never get one to stand broadside to me.
I just line up so that the bullet ends up in the heart from whatever angle I take the shot. I use a 30-06 for deer hunting. Never had an '06 bullet fail to exit.
If you have a good rest, you can usually avoid gut shots. That wastes a lot of meat. I don't shoot at running deer ever anymore. That just wastes ammunition.
I just line up so that the bullet ends up in the heart from whatever angle I take the shot. I use a 30-06 for deer hunting. Never had an '06 bullet fail to exit.
If you have a good rest, you can usually avoid gut shots. That wastes a lot of meat. I don't shoot at running deer ever anymore. That just wastes ammunition.
mike724
Member
In the woods, as a rule.
Chest cavity for lungs and heart. Seems to stop the most reliably. I know folks that make good neck shots, but I don't see the big advantage. If you hit the spine everything is good, but you can wound a deer so that it gets a good run on you before it drops. I imagine everyone sees a lethal shot in their mind before they pull the trigger, but why do they not connect? I think it is lack of knowledge of their gun, excitement, and taking poor shots as in too far or on running animals. My dad, better hunter than I, took a turkey at 320 yards with his .30-06, same gun he uses for deer. That was very unusual for him since the last three deer I remember him taking were under 30 yards, the last one at less than 10. Pick good shots.
Bartkowski
Member
I would generally shoot for the lungs and heart, but have no problem taking a neck shot.
Harve Curry
Member
The heart lungs, I always hold on the back edge of the front leg, 4 to 6 inches up from the bottom, works for me.
PotatoJudge
Member
Bartkowski
Member
It's good that someone voted for the last option.
Wildfire
Member
Here is my take.
Hey There ;
While I am by no means some highly paid video deer hunter, I have taken many.
I have hunted for more the 35 years now and for the last 20 have used .50 cal. Muzzleloaders. I am also an extreme accuracy nut. I do not use magnum loads. I now use the 250 or 300 grain Barns MZ all copper bullet. I want total expansion. Regardless if the round exits or not. Since I started using the 250 gr. at 1550 fps. I have not had an exit hole on a deer yet. The 300s do.
But. Even though I voted for the front shoulder, I normally shoot for the spine.
90% of my shots hit the spine and drop the deer in it's tracks. If I shoot lower and take a shoulder shot. The deer almost always will run atleast some.
I live and hunt in lower SW Michigan. We have many fences that are usually property lines. With over 750 to 800,000 deer hunters here, we must be very sure or loose a deer . Neighbors are nice till hunting lines are crossed.
We also many times hunt very close to those lines and must make sure that the deer does not take another step. If the deer were to run even 30 yards after being shot , we may not be able to go get it.
This may not be a big deal to some but is for many. The spine shot will drop deer in their tracks. We get the chance to do a lot of shooting . One farmer hates deer. He wants them all gone. He has now shut off his land to all but my son and I. We kill deer. We then , give the meat to those who need it.
There are some years we may shoot 6 to 8 deer each. All Very legal here.
The farmers have a lot of crop damage, and I now have seen this and know just how bad it can be.
The point is we get the chance to test , Bullets , guns , etc. We have learned what really works. Rifles are not an option here at all.
The farmer accross the street from him , has asked us to take coyotees off his land. They have become a problem.
We have even taken head shots , even at 100 yards. They just fall down. No bad meat there. We have taken new hunters at times. But most have a hard time killing deer. But then again most have killed their first deer with us and that makes us feel good about taking them.
Our rifles are Encores. They are very accurate and spine or head shots even at 100 yards are not hard to do if from a Bi-pod or other good rest.
Both rifle shoot around 1/2" at 100.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Hey There ;
While I am by no means some highly paid video deer hunter, I have taken many.
I have hunted for more the 35 years now and for the last 20 have used .50 cal. Muzzleloaders. I am also an extreme accuracy nut. I do not use magnum loads. I now use the 250 or 300 grain Barns MZ all copper bullet. I want total expansion. Regardless if the round exits or not. Since I started using the 250 gr. at 1550 fps. I have not had an exit hole on a deer yet. The 300s do.
But. Even though I voted for the front shoulder, I normally shoot for the spine.
90% of my shots hit the spine and drop the deer in it's tracks. If I shoot lower and take a shoulder shot. The deer almost always will run atleast some.
I live and hunt in lower SW Michigan. We have many fences that are usually property lines. With over 750 to 800,000 deer hunters here, we must be very sure or loose a deer . Neighbors are nice till hunting lines are crossed.
We also many times hunt very close to those lines and must make sure that the deer does not take another step. If the deer were to run even 30 yards after being shot , we may not be able to go get it.
This may not be a big deal to some but is for many. The spine shot will drop deer in their tracks. We get the chance to do a lot of shooting . One farmer hates deer. He wants them all gone. He has now shut off his land to all but my son and I. We kill deer. We then , give the meat to those who need it.
There are some years we may shoot 6 to 8 deer each. All Very legal here.
The farmers have a lot of crop damage, and I now have seen this and know just how bad it can be.
The point is we get the chance to test , Bullets , guns , etc. We have learned what really works. Rifles are not an option here at all.
The farmer accross the street from him , has asked us to take coyotees off his land. They have become a problem.
We have even taken head shots , even at 100 yards. They just fall down. No bad meat there. We have taken new hunters at times. But most have a hard time killing deer. But then again most have killed their first deer with us and that makes us feel good about taking them.
Our rifles are Encores. They are very accurate and spine or head shots even at 100 yards are not hard to do if from a Bi-pod or other good rest.
Both rifle shoot around 1/2" at 100.
Just my 2 cents worth.
iv'e killed two deer in my life, one with a bow the other with my car.memphisjim
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not a hunter here but i heard a head or spine shot causes the deer to release some enzyme that will spoil the meat
any truth to that?
any truth to that?
koja48
member
Boiler room . . . heart/lungs every time. If I can't acquire that target, I don't take the shot. I reserve smaller target focus for the range . . . if I'm off a tad, the paper doesn't suffer needlessly & I don't have a target tracking job on my hands, but to each his/her own.
06
Member
Heart/lungs for me and they usually don't go over ten/twenty feet. If they do not present a horizontal view I go through the shoulder. I use the original "silver tips" in 150 grain and have been happy with them for over 25 years. Many rds fully fragment/a few mushroom nicely/and occasionally they exit yielding large exit wounds. A friends hunt club near Cheraw, SC only allow head/neck shots. Although I am an accuracy shooter I don't take chances on wounding a deer. They have feelings just like we do and to wound one is not an option. We process our own kills and like venison better than beef. Up close and personal with a shotgun/buckshot I do head shots. Several of my stands are in "channels" and offer close range shots. My rifle still goes with me.
Blackfork
Member
Deer with Military rifles
Depends on the circumstances. I've made a lot of headshots with scoped rifles and open sights up close. Used to hunt in a high tree stand where I rattled deer in and shot them from overhead between the shoulders. The last few years I have shifted to shoulder shots with vintage military arms. The last two years I shot deer with M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, P17 Eddystone, !903A3, Swede M38, Jap T44, K98, Krag, Argentine 1891 Carbine, Argentine 1909 Carbine, K31. Some head shots if I was close but mostly behind the shoulder. Some deer down in place and some run about 60-100 yards. Haven't lost any.
It all depends on the circumstances. Shoot about 6-10 deer a season shooting doetags at a friends ranch.
Depends on the circumstances. I've made a lot of headshots with scoped rifles and open sights up close. Used to hunt in a high tree stand where I rattled deer in and shot them from overhead between the shoulders. The last few years I have shifted to shoulder shots with vintage military arms. The last two years I shot deer with M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, P17 Eddystone, !903A3, Swede M38, Jap T44, K98, Krag, Argentine 1891 Carbine, Argentine 1909 Carbine, K31. Some head shots if I was close but mostly behind the shoulder. Some deer down in place and some run about 60-100 yards. Haven't lost any.
It all depends on the circumstances. Shoot about 6-10 deer a season shooting doetags at a friends ranch.
Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
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Depends:
Bow: Heart/Lungs
Gun, less than 75 yards, neck.
Gun, more than 75 yards, heart/lungs
Neck is too small of a target to take a chance past 75 to 100 yards.
Bow: Heart/Lungs
Gun, less than 75 yards, neck.
Gun, more than 75 yards, heart/lungs
Neck is too small of a target to take a chance past 75 to 100 yards.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
memphisjim, I don't know of any "true facts" real-world reports about the enzyme thing, but I'm dubious. So, I don't worry about it.
IMO, 100 yards is a gimme shot, so I go for the neck. On out beyond 150 or 200 yards, I'll more likely go for the heart/lung hit.
IMO, 100 yards is a gimme shot, so I go for the neck. On out beyond 150 or 200 yards, I'll more likely go for the heart/lung hit.
stevelyn
Member
As close to the pickup truck as possible.
K3
Member
It usually works out that I shoot mine across a canyon and can't get to them with the vehicle. Makes for a workout hauling it back. :banghead:
Oh, where on the deer....
Heart/Lungs usually. Occasionally I'll go for the neck, and in where I go in Mississippi, we have a biggest doe contest. Head shot is an extra 10lbs. Winner gets the pot - usually around $400.
Deer Hunter
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- Dec 26, 2005
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In East Texas somehwere.
But in all honesty, I shoot for right behind the shoulder.
But in all honesty, I shoot for right behind the shoulder.
JPolito830
Member
Heart and the lungs is where I aim. Im just happy I hit the damn thing in all honesty haha. jk
HunterGirl
Member
Heart and lungs every time. If I don't have a broadside still shot - I don't take the shot.
I took a couple foolish shots when I was younger and lucked out. Not anymore. It has to be damn near perfect or I won't even bother.
that being said - I've gotten four dear in each of my last three years of hunting.
I took a couple foolish shots when I was younger and lucked out. Not anymore. It has to be damn near perfect or I won't even bother.
that being said - I've gotten four dear in each of my last three years of hunting.
Master of Arms
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According to the shot. If its close enough, I shoot the head. If it`s not, I try to hit it right behind the top of the front shoulder. A lung shot will do the job but the headshot will mean less travel time. lolol
MCgunner
Member
Break the shoulder with an appropriate caliber and they're not going anywhere. You might lose a little stew meat, big deal.
At 100yds. most likely lung-heart,behind shoulder. Less than 100 if it's a doe or buck I'm not going to shoulder mount I'll go for a high neck shot. Guaranteed instant kill if hit right, broken neck and all those arteries & veins going to the brain are toast. makes the cleaning job more pleasent when you don't have a blood filled body cavity.
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