Big game longrange kills

[midwesthunter]

I have a question about longrange kills on big game sized animals. What causes these animals to drop in there tracks at these long distances? Is it the shot placement? Or is it that the bullet is hitting them with a lower KE and the bullet expends all of its energy into the animal and none is wasted? Just watched new show Long range pursuits and shot a elk at 900+ yards with a 7mm and was dead in its tracks, but you see some closer shots and animal runs off before expiring.

 

[angus-5024]

i think that it has alot more to do with shot placement than a lower velocity. In LR hunting most guys go for a high shoulder shot over the traditional heart/lung, and for good reason.
With LR hunting getting your bullet to open up is a little tougher than at close range, so we tend to aim at something hard (bone). The best spot to shoot then is the high shoulder, giving good room for error and an almost garanteed fast put down.
with Heart/Lung shots, there gonna die. its just a matter of how long they run (if they do). bonus with heart lung is no meat damage.
Now there are way more experienced opinions out there, but thats what I figure.

 

[dust]

Some I read, take that for what you paid for it, is that at long range, then animal doesn't worry about you, or your threat to them, so they are more relaxed, and when relaxed, they are less likely to have adrenaline in the blood, and ready to run. Again, take it for what you paid for it.

 

[Don Ward]

I've watched alot of VLDs hit animals over the years. After seeing a trend in instant drops from higher shoulder shots, we started to intentionally go for that placement when possible. I believe its a combination of getting some skeletal shock, spinal cord shock, and the general shock of of the VLD dumping all its energy in the animal. They create a big wound channel and the fragments of jacket cause a lot of hemorrhaging so its common for the animal to be dead in a few seconds before they recover from the initial shock.

I've seen it with no major bone being hit as well, but less common.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

Because of the high shoulder shot. I don't use it because it ruins to much good meat.