High shoulder shots

[megasupermagnum]

Was trying for a double lung shot.....

Dead on at 50yds ended up hitting high at 20y. Plus I proly pulled it high a bit. High shoulder shot. Busted thru spine and both shoulder blades. Took the top off one lung. Pass thru. Dropped in its tracks. Barely twitched.

Unloaded one over the chrono, 1685fps.

Attachment 253858

I'm sure you are well aware, but had you been trying for the shoulder shot instead, you would have cleanly missed at best. Nice work.

That's really what it comes down to though. Lungs are huge, offering the shooter plenty of forgiveness. Is the 20-40 yard run really a problem worth risking a shot on an apple size target? Sure, once in a blue moon you get a fast one that can make it 100 yards, maybe a bit more. Over the years I'm finding the tracking is pretty easy. Maybe not having to drag them the 40 yards back out of the swamp would be nice, but it's not that hard either. Hitting a moving apple size target at anything beyond bow range is hard.

[John McCorkle]

Hey hey congrats on the deer!!

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[brewer12345]

I like he double lung the best as it is the most forgiving. Things don't always go as planned in the field, so the most certain shot where I end up with a clean kill and a bunch of venison is what I go for.

[mattd]

Since the original question was would a round ball have the same effect on high shoulder shots, i'll answer YES!

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[John McCorkle]

Since the original question was would a round ball have the same effect on high shoulder shots, i'll answer YES!

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Wow...that's amazing. I'm guessing the deer didn't go far....

Now question is, did you loose alot to bloodshot meat or did the lower velocity help save some

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[mattd]

I would say the lower velocity saved a lot of meat.

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[John McCorkle]

I would say the lower velocity saved a lot of meat.

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Yeah that's not bad at all. What load of powder and what rifle you using? Great shot by the way

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[mattd]

50cal cabelas cap lock. 80g 3F goex. .495 ball out of the lee mold.

[nagantguy]

The high shoulder shot works well- can be tricky in all but the best shooters in he best circumstances; the double lung shot is always the safest archery or gun- these aren’t sage words of wisdom so much as everyone’s general findings-
If a deer absolutely needs to be put down- the neck shot is as effective as the head shot in my humble opinion- used to hunt on the edge of a metro park- any deer that made the 100 or so yards were lost to me- the neck in front of the shoulder is not such a small target- and seems to shock the CNS- plus break the neck, and or the shoulder and or esophagus and large arteries, for the truly bold and skilled the white patch on the high neck is also a bang flop zone- but as stated above the double lung shot is the highest percentage shot. The double lunger usually ends in a 30-40 yard dash- but as stated above there are outliers and if you find yourself in a 100-200 yard track and subsequent drag- it’s just an outlier. And think while
Dragging in a thorny black muck swamp filled with holes and deadfalls- the field research you are contributing to.

[John McCorkle]

The high shoulder shot works well- can be tricky in all but the best shooters in he best circumstances; the double lung shot is always the safest archery or gun- these aren’t sage words of wisdom so much as everyone’s general findings-
If a deer absolutely needs to be put down- the neck shot is as effective as the head shot in my humble opinion- used to hunt on the edge of a metro park- any deer that made the 100 or so yards were lost to me- the neck in front of the shoulder is not such a small target- and seems to shock the CNS- plus break the neck, and or the shoulder and or esophagus and large arteries, for the truly bold and skilled the white patch on the high neck is also a bang flop zone- but as stated above the double lung shot is the highest percentage shot. The double lunger usually ends in a 30-40 yard dash- but as stated above there are outliers and if you find yourself in a 100-200 yard track and subsequent drag- it’s just an outlier. And think while
Dragging in a thorny black muck swamp filled with holes and deadfalls- the field research you are contributing to.

Someone else suggested that neck shot to me also. I may give that a try. It's certainly not smaller than the high shoulder zone...just forward of the shoulder where the neck meets the body the spine is quite wide, I am imagining an enlongated baseball in size or so.

It's all circumstantial though...if I am shooting from a rest in my blind, I can be picky and still sure I am dropping that round exactly where I want it. I'm also only shooting 50 yards max...it's not difficult to hit a precise spot in that circumstances...but if the deer is moving briskly or if I'm not able to get that benchrest type shot off I'd go with a more certain shot even if it means more tracking on my part

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[Good Cheer]

The "hunting accuracy" of firearms seriously comes into play when the animal isn't standing broadside to you.
That's when bigger is better.

[nagantguy]

Someone else suggested that neck shot to me also. I may give that a try. It's certainly not smaller than the high shoulder zone...just forward of the shoulder where the neck meets the body the spine is quite wide, I am imagining an enlongated baseball in size or so.

It's all circumstantial though...if I am shooting from a rest in my blind, I can be picky and still sure I am dropping that round exactly where I want it. I'm also only shooting 50 yards max...it's not difficult to hit a precise spot in that circumstances...but if the deer is moving briskly or if I'm not able to get that benchrest type shot off I'd go with a more certain shot even if it means more tracking on my part

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Yes- it’s not a hard shot and always DRT - think of the area about the size of a two liter bottle, inside 75 yards no worries at all- and inside that 2 liter area is spine large bone major arteries front of lungs and front of heart wind pipe ect.

[Shawlerbrook]

After 45+ years of bow hunting, I have been programmed into heart/lung shots no matter what weapon I am behind. Nothing on earth will survive more than a minute or two with it done properly.

[barnabus]

I know lots of people like the high shoulder shot, but the one I tried this year wasn't to my satisfaction. Used a Ranch Dog 270 cast from ACWW at 1800 fps. Punched a neat hole in the top of the shoulder blade and skidded over the top of the spine, breaking the "fins" on the vertebrae. Took the deer off its feet, but it got up and limped away. Requiring a follow up shot. They might run a bit from a double lunger/heart shot, but I've never seen one get up from it after going down. Sample of one, I know.

my experience also.knocked the deer down right there but no blood trail after getting up.Lucky I found it but it required a follow up shot.

[Savvy Jack]

I made a high shoulder hit back in 2017. Hit broadside at about 65 yards. Hit shoulder and turned 90 degrees traveling down the backstrap and stopping in the hind quarter...obliterating everything in it's path. This was a 240gr Hornady lead SWC HP with 25gr of Reloader 7 out of a 44-40 at 1,350fps. This is 44 magnum revolver performance out of a Marlin 1894CB.

For deer photos.....

https://sites.google.com/view/44winc...ting/2017-hunt

The deer never took a step, dropped straight down. Blood puddle evident of the heart still pumping but unconscious after only about 60 seconds or so, dead after just a few minutes.

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[megasupermagnum]

my experience also.knocked the deer down right there but no blood trail after getting up.Lucky I found it but it required a follow up shot.

That's the danger. You missed the fist size shoulder joint. If you miss that, who knows what might happen.

[Loudenboomer]

Hi shoulder shots work well most of the time. The problem for me has been if you slip one in between the lungs and spine. I'm a fan of the double lung shot. They take the standard 5 hops and then it's venison.

[mattd]

There’s been a lot of proof (not evidence) posted on the web recently that there is no void between lungs and spine. Lungs completely fill the cavity. Not that it would matter w a rifle anyway.

In my case I center punched the shoulder blade. At that location it blew thru the fat part of the spine. Centered vertically on it as well. If you pull off the shot properly then I can’t imagine the deer going anywhere.

[John McCorkle]

There’s been a lot of proof (not evidence) posted on the web recently that there is no void between lungs and spine. Lungs completely fill the cavity. Not that it would matter w a rifle anyway.

In my case I center punched the shoulder blade. At that location it blew thru the fat part of the spine. Centered vertically on it as well. If you pull off the shot properly then I can’t imagine the deer going anywhere.

They don't, you take out CNS, gearbox (both shoulders) and both lungs with one shot. I took 3 last year like this and all 3 were lights out from the CNS shock and bled out by the next 15-30sec. Theybwere dead before they knew what hit them.

I think the variables start to stack and keeping this shot in the tool box as a good one to go for is appropriate as long as it's not your only tool. I get to use it alot because I hunt close and have a fantastically accurate rifle.

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[Loudenboomer]

Lungs nicked up high take along while to fill up and spine bone that's just ticked is only a temporary knock down. Both have happed to me when placing the shot too high. Just my 2 cents.