So after reading many threads about which calibers ruin meat and having to throw away bloodshot meat I got to wondering.... How many people actually shoot animals in the shoulder? I've only ever lung/heart or head shot as to not damage meat and I've yet to have to track any animals be them deer, elk, moose or bear. So how many guys are ruining meat....I mean shoulder shooting and why?
Lung, shoulder or head?
- Thread starter sookie_69
- Start date
DiabeticKripple
CGN Regular
- Location
- Red Deer, Alberta
Some guys like to hit the shoulders because an animal can't go very far if they are both broken.
It depends really. Normally, I like a clean shot through the ribs, taking both lungs out on the way and missing the legs entirely. Not that it always works out that way, but that's the goal anyways.
There is something to be said about trying to immobilize a moose on the edge of a swamp or something similar though. I would want to shoot something bigger than my 270 for those kinds of shots though, something carrying more weight....
There is something to be said about trying to immobilize a moose on the edge of a swamp or something similar though. I would want to shoot something bigger than my 270 for those kinds of shots though, something carrying more weight....
madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
With snow on the ground and on crown or public land- lungs. On private land with the possibility the animal can get off of the private land to land you can't go on- shoulders.
Darryl
Darryl
The snow is the only reason i found it so fast. Haha
Everything depends on the situation ...
A friend that only hunts deer takes a lot of spine shots through the neck killing the Central nervous system. It's a smaller animal and I suppose a decent calculation can be made to estimate where the spine is. That's not so easy to find on the neck of large northern moose. We always took heart/lung shots.
As for the shoulder, if you can line up a shoulder shot, you'd likely have a good shot at the heart/lungs, so why not take that?
A friend that only hunts deer takes a lot of spine shots through the neck killing the Central nervous system. It's a smaller animal and I suppose a decent calculation can be made to estimate where the spine is. That's not so easy to find on the neck of large northern moose. We always took heart/lung shots.
As for the shoulder, if you can line up a shoulder shot, you'd likely have a good shot at the heart/lungs, so why not take that?
I shot a mulie clean through the lungs last season.. some how the bugger managed to run really far. It took me half an hour to locate it.
What cartridge and bullet were you using? How far was the deer from you when you took the shot?
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Head shots are low percentage. #### it up and you cripple the animal and condemn it to a slow painful death unless you are so lucky that you cleanly miss.
Shoulders damage too much meat and they can still run. Trade off isn't worth it for me. I'm looking to put meat in the freezer...shoulder isn't the way to go.
Lungs...well, I would prefer to make that shot with a frangible bullet like a Ballistic Tip. Honestly, I prefer tighter behind the shoulder and catching the heart. You just have to be careful that the rear leg isn't back or you might as well have shot it through the shoulder.
Shoulders damage too much meat and they can still run. Trade off isn't worth it for me. I'm looking to put meat in the freezer...shoulder isn't the way to go.
Lungs...well, I would prefer to make that shot with a frangible bullet like a Ballistic Tip. Honestly, I prefer tighter behind the shoulder and catching the heart. You just have to be careful that the rear leg isn't back or you might as well have shot it through the shoulder.
