Shot placement on elk

[80Rooster]

I speak with people regularly about rifle and bullet selection for taking elk. One of the bigger things that I think people over look is shot placement which in my opinion is more critical then cartridge selection.
Those familiar with elk hunting understand how big and tough a bull elk is and can be tough to bring down. Another thing to understand is that a good percentage of time elk will not leave a blood trail on a cavity shot without an exit wound (which can be tough to achieve).
This is just an opinion and something to consider!
When I choose to take an elk I always try to hit the animal square in the front shoulder that is facing me reason being is that it allows me to reach vitals but also helps to break down the front end of the animal. More often then not a bull will not drop in his tracks on impact, with the front shoulder broke I have found it generally gives me an opportunity for a quick follow up in the more traditional behind the shoulder area that I use frequently as a insurance shot on elk.

 

[HARPERC]

I remember reading Jack O'Connor admonish shoulder shots as "most hunter's don't know where it is", my question has always been if you don't know where it is how do you miss it on purpose?

Especially in LRH a slightly off wind call may be present on any shot.

It takes more bullet than most "realize" to "reliably" break the big bones of larger game.

The variables of caliber, bullet weight, construction, and terminal velocity can be sorted out, but, are at least as important as the choice of placement, and addressed prior to shooting game whatever you consider ideal shot placement.

 

[trueblue]

I am not sure if others do this, but when I have taken a shot at an elk, I will "play the wind"
In other words, say I have a left to right wind of 5 mph. I know what my wind hold should be, say 1.5 MOA at 700 yards. Which basically is about 10.5"
If the elk is facing left, I will hold on the shoulder. If I got the wind call wrong, and there is no wind, I will still take the elk with a shoulder shot. If my wind call is correct, my bullet placement will drift to the right, and give me an impact in the boiler room just behind the shoulder.
Just something to keep in mind. Do what you can to put the odds in your favor.

 

[80Rooster]

I agree with the points both of you have made here.
The things you are describing I apply to what I call margin for error.

My expierience with people that don't have the opportunity to hunt elk every year is that they are used to taking game that is considerable smaller like deer.
A shot that is placed poorly on elk generally turns into a lose lose situation.
I prefer larger caliber rifles (.30 cal +) and bullet weights of 180 gr and up. I'm not going to tell you can't shoot elk with a 130 gr bullet out of a .270 because I know you can it just decreases your margin of error substantially.

It is just my opinion that if your point of aim is square on the shoulder it increases your margin of error. An elk can absorb a tremendous amount of energy.

To elaborate on my shot placement theory. I have over 20 years of elk hunting expierience and my rifle and shot placement theories have been evolving for some time. I started hunting elk with a 25-06 and have since moved to a .338 Norma Improved as my preferred rifle. I feel the .338 with a quality bullet in the weight range of 250-300 gr gives me a larger margin for error when hunting elk at any distance.

 

[bigngreen]

More elk are lost and wounded because guys target the shoulder on elk, the only bullet I will deliberate target a bull to hit it in the shoulder is a 300 gr 338 or larger, I've seen way to many 30 cals fail on elk shoulders. Many guys who target the shoulder do not know how many shots they thought was a clean miss was just a broken shoulder, it's by far the most common wound we see when elk come down. A three wheeled elk can go a lot farther than you can, I will only take a shoulder shot when desperate and have a buddy ready to hit them too, I finished to many elk to count that where shot in the shoulder. The only elk I've lost were shoulder shot! I changed my shot placement to behind the shoulder, have not shot an elk twice with that shot placement, we get massive blood trails for the few feet they can make it, not the spotty drops of a shoulder wound. I also don't like blowing that much meat!

 

[HARPERC]

.......I prefer larger caliber rifles (.30 cal +) and bullet weights of 180 gr and up......have since moved to a .338 Norma Improved as my preferred rifle. I feel the .338 with a quality bullet in the weight range of 250-300 gr gives me a larger margin for error when hunting elk at any distance..........

The 180 Nosler Partition has been reported to be the solution to breaking through moose shoulders, the time I saw it tried it didn't. Not as many elk kills, but the failed shoulder shot showed up early, and made an impression.

Experiences differ, but one doesn't hear much dissent regarding the ability of the .338's with "good" 250-300 grain bullets to break elk shoulders.

 

[Laelkhunter]

If the Elk is perfectly broadside, you might anchor the Elk by shooting through both shoulders, but you will lose a lot of meat too. I prefer a shot through the ribs (lungs/heart) when he is standing broadside. If he is quartering away, I try to aim so that the bullet will go through the lungs, and hit the off shoulder. This will result in a fatal lung hit, plus hit the off shoulder(hopefully), and anchor him there. Most importantly, when I fire the first round, if he is still standing, I keep shooting until he is down. A mortally wounded Elk can go a long ways.

 

[RevJim]

I like to hold really tight into the shoulder, if not right on it. I've only taken 3 cow elk, but lots of elk size Plains Game. On the Plains game, I only used Barnes 250/200X in a 35 Whelan AI, the 180XBT in 300 winmags, 210 XBT in 338 win and 340W, and the old 270 Failsafe in the 375. On the elk , my first was with a 30-06/180 Light Mag load, then a 375/300 sierra and last one was with the 338 win/185XLC. I like to break them down, preferably taking out at least one shoulder and the heart. But, sometimes the 'wind don't blow, the sun don't shine and the grass don't grow"...then I shoot all the wiggle out of them! Happy Thanksgiving guys!

 

[Catahoula]

I have killed several elk with a 25-06 using 100 grain partitions. You are over thinking this. Work up an accurate load & go hunting.
P.S. I also have a B&C bison killed in the Henry Mountains in Utah in 1992 with the same load.

Thanks, Kirk

 

[wyowinchester]

I've been using my 6.5 creedmore for the past few years. Before that I used a .280 rem. Long time ago it was 30.06 with 165gr. Bt. When faced with a broad side shot, the crosshairs always go behind the shoulder. There has been an exit hole and at the least, Two lungs have bee damaged. They don't go very far at all when they can't breath. Meat damage is minimal, ususally two ribs.
I like the meat. Accuracy with your rifle is the key. Shoot more often

 

[aebhunter]

Lots of factors at play when considering shot placement. Caliber,bullet type, distance, wind, etc. I live in an area where I have been fortunate to take and witness quite a few elk harvests, probably over 30 in the last 5-6 years. I've seen elk shot in the shoulder run away, and I've seen elk shot behind the shoulder run amazingly long distances. I've also seen them drop in their tracks with the same shot placements. I think the safe bet is probably behind the shoulder through both lungs. That being said, my default with my elk setup (especially on bulls) is the "point" of the shoulder into the vitals. For me personally, that shot placement has been proven to have the most efficacy on ranges of 600 yards and less.

 

[ChewMT]

My preferred shot is a shoulder shot. With that being said I tend to consider my load, range, and terrain. It's be my experience that with a solid shoulder shot there tends to be less tracking involved.

This year for example I shot my bull at 167 yards with a 300 win pushing 180 accubonds at 3150fps. At that range I was confodent in the shot and the terrain he was in would have alloyed a follow up shot if needed. Fortunately it wasn't needed and the bull only went a few steps. The shot destroyed the front shoulder and took out most of the organs.

With all that being said, this is a long range forum so at 600+ yards I wouldn't be aiming at a shoulder unless I was launching a 338 with some serious authority.

 

[upacreek]

I have been hunting elk since 1989 and have not been skunked very often. Hunting with family I have been around 60 or more dead elk. We have been hunting the same area for 24 years. I cannot understand why anyone would shoot a shoulder. Once the diaphragm is ruptured a bull is mortally wounded. I would venture a guess the folks who have had poor results with 'behind the shoulder' shots have been shooting bonded bullets that just pencil a small hole through an animal. I have seen several good shots not perform well due to lack of damage. The elk runs away, long tracking through bad places and the elk slowly bleed out.
Its my opinion that a good frangible bullet behind the shoulder will bore a large hole through several organs and the elk goes down in short order.
Planning to expend 50-80% of a bullets energy on a bone instead of major organ damage seems like a poor plan. Bullets that exit an animal just waste energy on the dirt behind the animal. Delivering bullet energy to destroy soft tissue causing internal bleeding and loss of air way seems better planned.
If you are worried about an elk getting away, shoot a frangible bullet. If you are worried about hitting the right place, don't shoot.
I have a rule of thumb. If I can't hit a milk jug I won't shoot past that distance at game. Every season I see how far out I can hit a milk jug first shot. It keeps me honest and real. Try it some time. It shortens every ones distance I do this with. My game goes down and I don't track them. But I know my limitations.
This year I took a bull at 630 yrds. It dropped but due to more wind than expected didn't die immediately. While I was moving closer for a follow up shot some idiot spotted my bull and proceeded to shoot 13 times at my bull while it was bedded down mortally wounded. I closed the distance to 400 yrs and dropped him with a neck shot. My bullets were the only wounds in the bull.

 

[cohunter14]

I have been hunting elk since 1989 and have not been skunked very often. Hunting with family I have been around 60 or more dead elk. We have been hunting the same area for 24 years. I cannot understand why anyone would shoot a shoulder. Once the diaphragm is ruptured a bull is mortally wounded. I would venture a guess the folks who have had poor results with 'behind the shoulder' shots have been shooting bonded bullets that just pencil a small hole through an animal. I have seen several good shots not perform well due to lack of damage. The elk runs away, long tracking through bad places and the elk slowly bleed out.
Its my opinion that a good frangible bullet behind the shoulder will bore a large hole through several organs and the elk goes down in short order.
Planning to expend 50-80% of a bullets energy on a bone instead of major organ damage seems like a poor plan. Bullets that exit an animal just waste energy on the dirt behind the animal. Delivering bullet energy to destroy soft tissue causing internal bleeding and loss of air way seems better planned.
If you are worried about an elk getting away, shoot a frangible bullet. If you are worried about hitting the right place, don't shoot.
I have a rule of thumb. If I can't hit a milk jug I won't shoot past that distance at game. Every season I see how far out I can hit a milk jug first shot. It keeps me honest and real. Try it some time. It shortens every ones distance I do this with. My game goes down and I don't track them. But I know my limitations.
This year I took a bull at 630 yrds. It dropped but due to more wind than expected didn't die immediately. While I was moving closer for a follow up shot some idiot spotted my bull and proceeded to shoot 13 times at my bull while it was bedded down mortally wounded. I closed the distance to 400 yrs and dropped him with a neck shot. My bullets were the only wounds in the bull.

Great post! I have to agree with everything here in my experience.