Shot placement with 44 mag & 45 colt

[gunslinger20]

I have killed a truck load of deer with Rifles, shotguns and mz loaders but not with wheelguns. This year I am going to use my 44 in a SRH 9.5" W 4 power lupold or 45 colt 7.5" 2 power weaver. the 44 will be a 265 g wfn g/c muz vol.1346 fps. The 45 will be LBT 310 g wfn g/c muz vol. 1215 fps. boolits acww or wd ww. I have always shot deer behind the sholder with the other methods of kill but am unshure about wheelguns? (behind the sholder or in the shoulder for brakedown?)

[tek4260]

In the shoulder. I always have shot behind the shoulder with rifles and it is hard not to do it with a handgun, but the shoulder shot will "drop" them quicker. I say drop, though a revolver doesn't really drop them.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Shot placement is the same as with any other weapon you may have used. Yes, a "on the shoulder" shot will put them down disabled and you also may be ruining a bunch of meat plus a possible finishing shot. If you have used a muzzle loader with a behind the shoulder then the handgun is about the same velocity wise. The bullets you will be using will definately do the job if placed where they should go.Robert

[Matthew 25]

I used to think through the shoulders was best with a big slow bullet. But last year I put a 310 cast .44 through nothing but lung. He ran 50 yards and piled.

I just finished processing this year's deer last night and am reminded of how little meat there is in the front legs. I probably lost 1 pound from damaged/bloody meat, 45-70 through both triceps and the heart.

Aim for the front half.

[btroj]

I like the shot just behind the front leg. Where I hunt it isn't too tought to track a deer for 50 yards or so. Private land so nobody else is going to take my deer.

[Larry Gibson]

"On the shoulder" or "behind the shoulder" assumes the deer is standing broadside. I don't know about others but many, probably 50%+, of the deer I've shot weren't standing broadside when I had a shot. Many years ago after tracking lots of deer, some a long ways, shot with jacketed bullets and cast bullets "behind the shoulder" and having lost one deer I changed where i shoot them. Had an old timer tell me to envision a cantelope low between the legs laying against the brisket. That is the heart/lung vital area. Aime to put the bullet through that target (about 1/3 up the leg from the bottom of the brisket if the deer is broadside) and, if you do, the deer will not go far if at all. I have done that since then and have found most deer laying dead at or within eyesight of where they were shot. On all shots, except straight on or Texas heart shots, the shot will probably break one leg at least.

I especially favor this shot placement with handguns using any kind of bullet (hard cast WFN or SWC, cast HPs of soft malleable alloy or jacketed SP/HPs)/ With handgun or rifle cast bullets of 2000 fps or less impact velocity the additional meat damage is negligeable.

Larry Gibson

[btroj]

Larry is talking about the shot I always aim for. Take out lungs or the heart and they can't go very far. I base where I hold upon where I want the exit to be. The lungs and heart will be along the line between those points.

[gunslinger20]

Thanks guys Kudos to all.

[jblee10]

I put a muzzleloader maxi ball behind the shoulder. It went through without breaking a rib and the deer only ran 30 yards. Put a round ball into the neck and the deer only went one yard. I don't see why a 44 wouldn't kill just as well.

[runfiverun]

a 44 or 45 colt is very similar in power to a 50 cal round ball.
i always envision the exit and not the entrance, if i can get a boolit into the off shoulder.
i'll take that every time.
if shooting down on them then between the shoulders.
and if up then to the off shoulder.

[Lloyd Smale]

Im another that shoots behind the shoulder with a high velocity rifle but with cast in a handgun i shoot on the shoulder. It usually puts deer down a heck of alot faster and for the most part i shoot cast hunting loads at about 1100 fps and even a shoulder shoot doesnt ruin a heck of alot of meat.

[44man]

Im another that shoots behind the shoulder with a high velocity rifle but with cast in a handgun i shoot on the shoulder. It usually puts deer down a heck of alot faster and for the most part i shoot cast hunting loads at about 1100 fps and even a shoulder shoot doesnt ruin a heck of alot of meat.
Yes, perfect and you butcher to the hole! [smilie=s:
I shoot the .44 and up around 1300 to 1350 fps and behind the shoulder works fine even with hard cast but even a shoulder hit will not ruin meat.
The last few seasons I have hit deer towards the FRONT of the shoulders with arrows. Too much lead on moving deer but they went down a whole lot faster, maybe 20 yards at most.

[gunslinger20]

With a shoulder shot do you get enough blood for tracking in the woods when leaves are turning red brown? Does muscle plug the holes to the point of impeding blood for tracking?

[JudgeBAC]

Pretty good illustration at this website.

http://www.rubsnscrapes.com/Articles/deer_shot_placement_anatomy.php

[44man]

With a shoulder shot do you get enough blood for tracking in the woods when leaves are turning red brown? Does muscle plug the holes to the point of impeding blood for tracking?
Fat or guts will plug more.
Not much fat on rib cages and what is there is hard like tallow. Very little on shoulders.
Boolit size holes on entry and exit works fine if the insides of the animal is busted up.
You never need to blow a huge hole on either side.
If you think a .45 hole is better then a .44 hole if the .44 does more internal damage, you are thinking in thousands of an inch. You still need energy inside before boolit exit and the larger, heavier calibers and boolits always work better. If the .45 leaves little damage because it is slow, then the .44 is better. Take the .45 to the same velocity as the .44 and it is good too. Take the .475 to .44 velocities and it is BETTER.
To say the .475 hole is larger is wrong, it is because the boolit did more damage INSIDE and a .475 exit hole still allows little meat damage.
Energy is needed but must be applied where needed, not before or after.
Muzzle energy figures are the worst figures to use for killing power. Two different bullets at the same energy can either poke a hole or turn an animal to red mist. It always comes down to the bullet.

[Larry Gibson]

With a shoulder shot do you get enough blood for tracking in the woods when leaves are turning red brown? Does muscle plug the holes to the point of impeding blood for tracking?

If you put the bullet through the "cantelope" as i described regardless of the angle the bullet will hit the heart or the major blood arteries and veins running in and out of it. The bullet will also penetrate one or both (depends on the angle) of the densist part of the lung. That wound channel will cause the largest and quickest amoung of internal bleeding cause the chest cavity to fill up quick. With one or both bullet holes being low in the ches cavity (1/3 of the up) lots of blood will flow or blow out of the bullet hole(s). Given an appropriate bullet, especially one that expands also, there will be lots of blood trail to follow. However, you shouldn't have to follow very far if at all. Additionally, with that shot, even if the blood trail is hard to see or is washed away quickly in a heavy rain (seen that often in the PNW) or the bullet hole(s) get plugged the blod pressure will drop very quickly, the deer will drown in it's own blood and it will not go far at all, especiall if the shot breaks one or both of the front legs also.

Larry Gibson

[Char-Gar]

Just behind the shoulder, halfway up the side..just like usual.

[41 mag fan]

It doesn't matter where you place your shotas long as you aim for the vitals....heart/lungs, they will go down. They might run, but a solid hit they're as good as dead.
Killed alot of deer with the 44 mag and 41 mag. Quit slug hunting yrs ago, and use wheelguns and lead only.

[tacklebury]

I kind of liked the front quartering shot . Direct hit in the breastbone and the first thing that hit the ground was his antlers. Didn't move much, just twitched. ;)

[gunslinger20]

Pretty good illustration at this website.

http://www.rubsnscrapes.com/Articles/deer_shot_placement_anatomy.php
Very good link

[Markbo]

FWIW Larry Weishuhn - "Mr. Whitetail" shoots almost exclusively for the neck. Bang flop. I guess it depends on the distance how much you are shaking.:smile:

[Matthew 25]

Copy that on neck shot placement.
I think neck shots work great if the bullet goes through the middle, however I discourage the shot. It's easy to be a little high in the neck and get nothing but muscle or tops of vertebrae, it's easy to go low and put a hole through the trachea and or esophagus, ensuring an agonizing death over the next few days. Even a perfect neck shot destroys a good bit of meat, I like neck meat.
If you are shooting whitetail from a stand with a tack-driver, sure put the hole where you want it.
That's a nice link Gunslinger, thanks.

[gunslinger20]

Copy that on neck shot placement.
I think neck shots work great if the bullet goes through the middle, however I discourage the shot. It's easy to be a little high in the neck and get nothing but muscle or tops of vertebrae, it's easy to go low and put a hole through the trachea and or esophagus, ensuring an agonizing death over the next few days. Even a perfect neck shot destroys a good bit of meat, I like neck meat.
If you are shooting whitetail from a stand with a tack-driver, sure put the hole where you want it.
That's a nice link Gunslinger, thanks.

Cant take credit for the link as it was posted by JudgeBac

[Okie2]

I'm glad you guys brought up this discussion...I have been a bowhunter for 35 years and would've shot my 45 colt just like my bow if not for this post...because of the conversations & a review of the attached link (really nice)...I'll be punching the front leg low for heart & lungs. Well...fingers are crossed anyway. ps...new Ruger 45 colt flattop stainless & cast 255 grains @ 1000 fps...fun stuff, Maynard! Thanks again for all the good info! Scott