What shot would you take?

Having been presented with a similar situation this past season, let me lay it out. 250 yds, cow moose and her brother came out in the wrong place. She got a 165 gn through the boiler room (perfect heart shot but didn't know it then) and neither did she, she swapped ends and headed for the wood line. NO WAY WAS SHE GETTING IN THE WOODS! Had a 290yd shot just at the tree line. Put one through her right shoulder (came to rest in the left shoulder). She came up pawing the air and laid down at the edge of the clearing. Then, amazingly, her damn brother got her up! She stood swaying, but not inclined to move. Had no shot at all, just like #7 in the pic. Left my blind and started running across the clearing toward them. He moved off when I got to 200yds or so, but not far. When I got about 150yds away, she took a step into the woods and stood there with her head down. Still no shot! Took a knee and yelled at her, she turned and looked back at me over her left shoulder! Just like #8 in the OP, only there were two poplars in the way and she was looking between them at me. I threaded a round between them and right between her eyes. And that after running over 100yds across a snow covered clearing.

That being said, I would Confidently take shots 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 all head shots. With the head up like that, 5 is obviously already moving. My first shot is 4.
 
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The original post does not say "you have to shoot right away" so I would wait. and see if a a little raghorn 3X3 would show up that would be better eating than those grandfather bulls. Number 5 would be my shot if I had to take one right away.
 
I also think three and five are the best shots of whats available. It would depend on whether the group was starting to look "spooky" . If I thought they were pretty calm I would wait for 3 or 5 to get better.
 
What Gatehouse said.

Everything but #1 is fair game with a medium magnum and a good bullet at 125 yards; but waiting would be best in this situation.

Kind of surprised at guy's who would not shoot at any of these in real life.

You must either have lots of game to pick from where you come from, or go home empty handed lots.

I've been many, many, moose hunts where in a full week of hunting you get one chance, for less than 30 seconds on a bull, with no better presentation than anything in that pic. You guys really pass that stuff up?
 
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It looks like 2, 4, 8 are the same Elk.
Clearly the Elk are using some sort of advanced hologram device to fool predators. ;)

Kidding aside if I still had my Benelli Argo in 300 Win I'd consider #5.

Other then that I'd wait for a better opportunity to present itself.
 
5 looks like he is ready to run , nose is in the air sniffing .

3 looks good , and that is more than likely the shot i'd take ( into the lungs ) , but all the tracks are coming from the left , my guess is if they run that is the direction they will intially go .

and if that happened 3 could end up similar to 4 , an nice shot up th poop shute

2 could easily become a viable target assuming they go as a group to the left .
 
At 125 yds there isn't an elk there that I would even hesitate to shoot. To say there isn't an ethical shot there, is pure BS. My 340 or 300 Wby would anchor any one of those critters, except maybe the straight on ass to one, him I'd probably wait for a better angle. If one uses the appropriate cartridge and bullet, all of the shots offered are easily doable with the one exception. All this hoopla about waiting for the perfect broadside shot is garbage, just because the animal doesn't present itself perfectly doesn't mean it is unethical to take the shot. It means you had better be able to put the shot EXACTLY where you should and there will be no issues what-so-ever. Most of these shots pictured don't leave any room for error, but then there should be no error at 125 yds with a rest. Especially with all the guys on here whose favorite hunting rifles all shoot 1/4" groups at 100 yds.........so that's what, 1/3" at 125. I also wouldn't want to be using Berger bullets, but that's just me.
 
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