Texas Heart Shot

[soundwaves]

had to take a shot yesterday at a walking away game from 320 meters. never tried this shot before but found out that its a huge game killer shot because the shock wave destroys every single vital organ. the shot l took was 25 degreese high angle so the exit woond was just behined the head. one bad thing about the shot is: the meet kinda gets spoilt because the bullet goes throuh the stomac
anyone else take these shots ?

 

[maninthemaze]

Watched my brother take this shot at an antelope with horrible results. His first and second shots went over its back. Third shot hit him in the lower jaw. Absolutely horrible. The wind was blowing 30 mph and we later found his scope mount was loose. Anyways, fourth shot was a Texas heart shot, just trying to put him out of his misery. It simply added to it. It blew is stomach, liver and some intestines out the bottom. He was still walking around, probably confused from the impact of the bullet to his lower jaw. He bedded down, we started walking closer, he would get up and move, we would hide in the tall grass. We got to about 50 yards and my brother put the final shot into him and ended his suffering. We felt pretty bad for the misery that the animal went through. My brother was really upset by it all. Either way, to answer your question, NO I will never ever take a Texas heart shot.

 

[soundwaves]

hmmm. you could have woonded the animal from any sort a angle. l have shot animals that have 3 legs..!! the bullet lands low on a perfect side shot and hits the leg and the animal lives 3 legged. l normaly wait for a good shooting position. the first time l tried this Texas heart shot was yesterday and the result was dead before it hit the ground. but at 320 meters the 7mm rem mag has more than anough energy to go straight throuh one end and out the other on deer sized game. but bad for the meet l guess. if you think of it you have more of a chance of woonding an animal from a side shot than the Texas heart shot as is you miss the vital area you will hit the stomac or back legs ? shots are taken when you feel that you are gonna defenatly gona conect. if l m seconding that l might conect or not l never pull the trigger. l only shoot when l get that feeling that lm gona hit what lm aiming at. but offcourse things can go wrong.! but my shot was angled up so l didnt aim for its back side but just infront of the balls because l could see under the animals belly. and it exited out from the top of the neck breaking spine aswell as going through stomac, liver, lungs. not that l will wait for a good Texas heart shot position after this but l just found it intresting that the shot is deadly as long as your rifle has the power to pull it off clean

 

[HARPERC]

....not that l will wait for a good Texas heart shot position after this....... but l just found it intresting that the shot is deadly as long as your rifle has the power to pull it off clean.............

Some places in the world this may be your most frequent offering. I've made the shot, and didn't take the shot due to the variables involved.

Consistently having good results with it requires more bullet than other types of shots.

 

[J E Custom]

The one thing I don't get, is where the name "Texas Heart Shot" come from.

I am from Texas, and I don't know anyone that uses that Point of aim to make a shot given any other choice.

It is devastating to the animal but a very poor choice in shot placement for a hunter. On some non game animals it could be used for management if you don't intend to harvest the meat.

Everyone has a choice, and if this was the only chance of harvesting a true trophy I would probably
take the shot. I have passed up many shots in the past that would be marginal for no other reason except for the possibility of massive meat damage.

I don't consider this type of shot un ethical because of its ability to dispatch the game fast, I just prefer not to use it unless I have to. (Rarely do you "have" to make any shot).

Everyone has there preferred shot, so this is just another choice for the hunter to make In my opinion. It does require pin point accuracy in my opinion to prevent meat spoilage. So with that in mind most decide not to use it after the few times they try it.

No criticism intended, Just glad you got your animal.

J E CUSTOM

 

[soundwaves]

I don't consider this type of shot un ethical because of its ability to dispatch the game fast, I just prefer not to use it unless I have to. (Rarely do you "have" to make any shot).



J E CUSTOM

+1 good answer in my opinion

 

[86alaskan]

have seen it work but would not take the shot, period. I can't say I've even been so strapped to kill something that I'd take that kind of chance. The only time I've seen it work was with a 7mm-08 and the bullet struck solid pelvis at about 50yds. Bullet didn't go any farther but the shock from that impact killed on the spot. I'd rather let them walk than risk horribly wounding an animal I don't necessarily HAVE to kill.

 

[the444shooter]

That is definitely a "emergency" shot if I'm trying to anchor an already-wounded animal, OR if it's a once in a lifetime trophy AND I have a bullet that I am confident will reach the vitals (Barnes or other deep-penetrating bullet.) Even then, I'd have second thoughts about pulling the trigger--I would be very grieved with myself if I botched the shot and it got away to have a slow death.

Your example of the 7mm Rem Mag having "enough energy" to fully penetrate is only partially correct. The 7mm Rem Mag AND a proper bullet has enough energy, but the bullet construction is the more important part of that shot equation. I wouldn't be able to take that shot in good conscience with a ballistic tip, berger, or other frangible ammunition. Even a bonded bullet like the scirocco or accubond might pancake enough to prevent it from penetrating fully, especially if you hit the pelvis or ham of a large animal.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

After seeing this done once, and seeing how terrible of a mess it makes gutting the animal - IM OUT!

 

[JJMoody]

I prefer to eat clean meat and take every opportunity to keep it that way. Exploding guts and everything else you're told "for the love of -----, don't puncture that!!!", while gutting an animal, I really would avoid intentionally doing so.

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

My dad did it on a pronghorn with a 300WM and 208gr AMAX with good results. Found the bullet perfectly mushroomed in the front part of the chest cavity...however it was the only shot he had. It did ruin some meat.



I myself have never purposely taken that shot. I did it on an aoudad that my buddy had shot that we were trailing with my 458 Socom but I was just trying to get rounds in it. I put one in the ribs which turned him the one right through the hip anchoring it. Found the round between the lungs and diaphragm.

 

[MudRunner2005]

The "Texas Heart Shot" is where you are in an elevated position and you shoot a game animal facing away from you, through the anus, which, because of the angle, the bullet does not hit any bones and travels downwards through the soft guts and the vitals cavity, then through the heart, and out the sternum. That is where the term comes from...Incase some do not know what it is. It works. My cousin has made that shot before on a doe, but it makes a **** mess. I avoid it like the plague. I've always waited to shoot them as close to broadside as possible.

 

[Rick Richard]

Nope, I am against it. Way too easy to wound an animal.

 

[CA48]

I have used this shot on a few big hogs 250lbs plus from 200-300 yards, but they were facing me and I was angled up shooting down. Abseloutly devestaing and they were dead before they hit the ground. But then again I was using a 300 gr .338 Berger at 2785fps. The only reason I like that shot with big pigs is because it anchors them but I only use it when it's the only shot given. It's not uncommon for me to see 300+ pounds pigs and I like to put it right on their shoulder knuckle, this is with a 300 Berger though, big pigs are tough and don't go down easy with lesser cartridges. When using smaller cartridges on big pigs I like head shots.