W/T deer shot placement

I also have that site bookmarked on my home screen. I personally believe his article on Effective Game Killing is a must-read for any serious hunter. I've got three of his books and they're all incredible resources for the hunter/shooter.
What wouldn't do for the opportunity to actually go to New Zealand for one of the tutorial hunts. He puts things on simple terms, and makes it seem almost easy.

As far as anchoring a deer, involving a shoulder is the highest percentage for a short to no track shot. The energy transfer of bullet to bone as well as added bone shrapnel is an absolute stopper. Sure there's going to be some meat loss, but its really pretty minimal as compared to the amount of meat yield from the hams, straps and neck. In some country, a deer running 100 yrds is no big deal to recover, but there are other places that 100 yrds might as well be a mile.

Thank you Badger! The short to NO track shot is personally what I want.

Our group of hunters that just got back from South Africa shot 37 animals between 7 hunters. Team Hammer. There were 3 animals that required taking due to non lethal shots. There were 3 more that traveled under 50y. The rest were drt. From impala to giraffe.

The PH's that witnessed this were skeptics about our bullets at first, but at the end of the safari told us our bullets were the best they had ever seen. They will be using Hammer Bullets exclusively in their rifles from now on. They say more than 50% of clients these days use their rifles and they would prefer their clients are using Hammer Bullets. An endorsement that we did not expect.

Steve

I still like lung or shoulder shot..I have lost exactly one deer in 30 years of whitetail deer hunting. Tracking...sometimes...but usually not much.

RockyMtnMT said:

An embarrassment that we did not expect.

Steve

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Don't you mean endorsement?

therifleman556 said:

Don't you mean endorsement?

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Gotta love auto correct. Dang! I'll go edit it thanks. That's a bad one.

Steve

rodney7370 said:

Had my grandson switch to high shoulder shot. Got tire of tracking. Also starting to like it for my personal shots. Any pros or cons? Thanks rodney7370

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Last deer I shot was a small doe, 20ga slug double lung and heart, Ran 30yrds still moving fast. Second shot through the high shoulder, head over heals. Not much meat lost.

Big slug slow works ok for meat loss in the shoulder from my experience. The last doe I shouldered with a 30-06 I lost almost every bit of both shoulders. Not interested in that nonsense.

jmcmath said:

Big slug slow works ok for meat loss in the shoulder from my experience. The last doe I shouldered with a 30-06 I lost almost every bit of both shoulders. Not interested in that nonsense.

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To each his own. I'll lose some shoulder meat over losing a wounded deer.

teskids said:

Last deer I shot was a small doe, 20ga slug double lung and heart, Ran 30yrds still moving fast. Second shot through the high shoulder, head over heals. Not much meat lost.

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Glad to here you took second shot in shoulder because from what you're describing you could have lost the entire deer with the first shot!!

rodney7370 said:

To each his own. I'll lose some shoulder meat over losing a wounded deer.

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Sure, I'll shoot them in the lungs and have both

I'll edit to say of course if your animals is running off then sure put another in it. However, that deer was running while dead if it was heart and double lung. I've had more than a few animals with blown out hearts take a death run. If shtf get bullets in them. If I have a choice, it's always boiler room.

It's Rex from DownUnder
I Agree!
With any game hunting it's all about shot placement, for me you need to be a marksman before your a hunter.
Paper has no feelings and here ethics don't count. But when your hunting it's for me it's all about an ethical harvest. Accurate shot placement almost guarantees an instant or quick kill, makes for easier recovery on the hill and with a good neck shot less meat is damaged.
I mainly Hunt Sambar which are particularly tuff game, usually in rugged dense bush in Victoria's high country
My goto Sambar rifle is a Tikka in 300 Wm
A well placed sound from this has your animal on the ground QuickTime.
I reload and the best I could do was 1moa with the factory stock so I swapped it out for s rigid laminated stock, bedded the pillars first then the action and bottom metal producing a .6moa tack driver using the same reloads. It's topped with a Ziess HD5 on Leopold mounts.
(I've got to admit I used so much bedding compound the rifle almost went to sleep, for the same result I could have used less)
I've not hunted Whitetail but Sambar have thick chest and shoulder hide and for the best results I'm using 180 gr SSTs or TSX both are hard hitting but it's all about shot placement, where possible it's a neck shot or high shoulder shot- from any angle my target is the top of the heart!
For the best results do the hard yards on paper then go one better and bed the rifle, you'll be amazed at your new groups.
Respect your game - don't make it lame
Cheers from Australia

I've killed close too a hundred deer with both bow and rifles and I never shoot them in the meat!