High Shoulder Shot vs Behind the Shoulder Boiler Room Shot

[mcseal2]

I like to put an accubond through the lungs, they might run a little but they don't go far. I also like to use 140gr or heavier bullets at 3000fps+ to get plenty of penetration if I have to take a shoulder or angled shot. I shoot big midwestern bucks and I've never had an accubond fail to exit, even at angles I may not have shot with a more fragile bullet.

[300rum]

Lungs, Just one fist behind the soulder.
With 338 Edge, they died in 10-20yrds, and no meat loss.
If I aimed little high behind the soulder I have 60-70% to drop her on the spot (Spine Shot)
Another interesting shot is at the base of the neck and you have DIRT deer. - no mess.
Depends by distance, terrain, and other factors.

80-90% of my shots are behind the solder (lungs-heart shot.)

[cowboy]

[QUOTE=300rum;411666]
Depends by distance, terrain, and other factors.

I agree with the above statement whole heartedly. A lot depends on the caliber, bullet , animal, and terrain you are hunting in. There is a time and place for a shoulder shot as well as through the lungs. We hunt elk in the most steep god awful jungle that has ever been created. My choice is to drop them where they stand because I've seen way too many go 75 yards to where it really ain't pretty. If we are antelope hunting on the flat - go for the lungs - another 50 yards to the carcass means nothing. I see no reason that both methods can be used successfully at different times by the same person/rifle. I have taken a couple mountain goats myself and been in on a 1/2 dozen other hunts where DRT is the way to go. Ask my hunting partner about a 9-1/2" billy shot through the lungs that went over a ledge and ended up with both horns busted off - and it only took 3 hours to get to him.

[sniper762mm]

i learned by mistake. upon (missing) my aim behind the front shoulder, in the "boiler room", where i had always aimed, resulting in the deer sometimes running away, my shot struck high in the shoulder, dropping the deer instantly.

a hit broadside high in the shoulder not only instantly imobilizes it by breaking both shoulders, but the shock on the central nervous system due to the bullet s triking iin such close proximity to the spine paralyses it.

that became my point of aim from then on.

The situation and my mood dictates where I hit game. Could be the shoulder, neck, head or wherever I feel good about shooting at the time. When I'm asked for suggestions by others I always tell them to break one or both shoulders and nothing goes anywhere. This goes double for moose hunts where an animal going 30 yards after he's hit can mean another 2 hours or more work for me.

[winmag]

I always put my cross hairs on a critter the exact same way one would aim a bow IF the opportunity presents itself. I have no problemb taking shots into the off shoulder either. I have attempted the high shoulder shot with 50/50 results due to bullet placement. I do not like this shot. Placed correctly it floored a deer. I thought, ''cool, Ill try this on more critters''. Placed slightly incorectly (my fault) and you follow sparce sign from a bull elk for 3 days before someone else finally kills it. Ive never felt lower in my life! Ill take the ''sure thing'' shot into the vitals with some room for error 99 times out of 100, if given the opportunity, and ONLY take the high shoulder shot if Im absolutely positive I cannot screw it up in anny way. Guess I havent developed a knack for it. Just my 2 cents, based on my personal experience. Just as risky and impressive as a head shot IMO, when it works its awesome, but if you botch it your sick to yourself. I floored a nice Muley buck once with my muzzleloader off hand in the head. But it was the only place I could see to shoot. Sometimes a higher risk shot pays off. I didnt eat my tag that year.
Everybody has a knack for something. Some people can take neck shots regularly, and get drt kills. Some folks can take the high shoulder shot with the same results. I know when I personally shoot for the vitals, Ive never had to follow a critter very far, and some were drt kills, so thats my confidence shot that I look for. Im not the kind to pass up on a good kill shot, but if given the opportunity, Ill take the vitals as my first choice.

[wasgas]

I have shot elk in the head, the vitals, and also the shoulder not once has one expired instantly. The shoulder shots have a place and time if you have a need to drop something instantly but even then that is no gurantee and will drop and often needs follow up shots to the vitals before they will expire, shoulder shots are my least desireable.

Each deer or elk I have shot in the vitals has only taken one shot and never gone more than a few yards and expired rather quickly.
My son shot an elk in the leg and it dropped but I instantly used a followup shot to the head, that one still took some time to expire and the meat seemed extra gamey, we have taken two others from the same heard that tasted fine.

The only intant kills I have had on deer were to the neck when quartering towards me and the bullet shattered the spine and also fragmented into the lungs. Neither deer had an exit wound. Last year my son shot his first deer with an identical shot, it was an instant kill and there was no exit wound.

I prefer a bullet that expels it's energy into the target and has little if any pass thru. I truly believe this is the most ethical as the pass thrus I have had took the most time to die.

PS my only significant meat loss has been on shoulder shots