Best deer point of aim. Where do you aim?

[stownsend]

I was just thinking about asking the same question...
For me a lot of it depends on distance. I shoot a 300 win mag and have had a lot of problems with bullets not expanding at closer distances. For anything over 100 yards I aim for the heart/lung area. If its less than 100 yards I typically aim for the sholders. It might do more meat damage, but drops them quick. Both the deer I shot this year were less than 50 yards. The buck went in the sholder and exited in the neck, he only went about 10 yards and fell over dead. My second deer I shot through both sholders and it dropped like a sack of potatoes.
I think if you are aiming at the sholders you should better be using a quality bullet that will hold together after passing through all that bone. I was very impressed by the performance of the Winchester XP3 this year.

 

[rwdwrt]

Heart and Lung Area

I was taught to aim for the Heart & Lung Area. This year using Hornady 165 SST's I have shot a large White Tail Doe at 151 yards, bullet entered pulverising the heart, dropped her in her tracks, bullet never exited. But can you believe she still made an attempt to raise her head. Bullet appeared to hit ribs on the way in and disentergrated before exiting. Also shot a large Axis deer (250 lbs+) at abt 90 yards, using again the hornady 165 SST, bullet entered messing up top of heart and some lung area, bullet passed all they way through exiting the other side, small bits of tissue and blood on ground, but deer walked 10 yards turned around and walked back across opening another 15 yards into the edge of the brush and collapsed and died. Very minal meat damage if any on both deer. First try with this bullet, first deer killed with my own hand loads.

 

[K3]

I prefer the Texas Heart Shot myself.



Seriously though, just behind the front shoulder.

 

[dan20703]

Take the scapula shot to drop a deer in its tracks. Large area to hit and a well documented success rate.

http://www.scilowcountry.org/cedar_knoll_deer_study.htm

Study conducted by Charles Ruth of the SCDNR at the Cedar Knoll Hunt club in the SC LoCountry

SHOT PLACMENT
Researchers used the following categories for bullet placement: neck, spine, shoulder, heart, lungs, and abdomen.
The results? Listed in this order is location of shot, number of hits in that area and distance traveled after the shot:
Neck 25-1 yard
Spine 27-1 yard
Shoulder 170-3 yards
Heart 14-39 yards
Lungs 152-50 yards
Abdomen 58-69yards
Ruth recommends shooting a deer in the shoulder (IN the shoulder), this strikes the scapula which damages the brachial plexus which is part of the central nervous system which will render the deer into a coma from which it never awakens.
The shoulder shot also leaves room for error; high shot hits the spine, low shot the heart and a rearward gets the lungs.

 

[K.L.O.sako]

it depends. but more often than not i go for the off-side shoulder. it's a good rule of thumb that seems to put vitals in the bullets path un less the deer is straight on to you. i've NEVER lost a deer hit this way. you'll lose some meat this way but it plants them. and in thick cover thats what you need.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

I have always aimed towards the high shoulder blade point of the forward center of mass. Or just up from the front leg.

 

[target1911]

I have watched many hunting shows. I like to study where the hit is and compare it to how far the deer runs. 98% of the time...when one drops in its tracks...the shot was high behind the shoulder...I am guessing disrupting the spinal cord.
I shot a nice buck a couple of years ago with my 30-30. Hit both lungs heart. He still ran 40yds then hit the dirt dead. He didnt leave one drop of blood to follow but his chest cavity was full of blood. I also no longer use Rem Core-locked in my 30-30. I didnt expand much at all.
30yd shot

Last year I shot a doe. Hit her in the neck and she didnt move another muscle. I now ether hit high behind the shoulder or in the neck. I hate tracking.

 

[MM007]

Head and neck if relatively close and the shot is present but the heart/lungs tend to be where more shots are placed. I really like neck shots, little wasted meat and the head is still in tact for a mount.

My easy hunting grounds have changed into less easy so these days my shots are a bit further way=heart & lungs.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I too quit using the core loc in the .30-30 when I tried w/w 150 h/p. They work better for me. I usually go for the heart/lung area, although a neck shot works very well. Under ideal conditions and if the rack isn't "mountable" a head shot, even with small caliber rounds works like a charm. Now getting that perfect shot isn't always possible.

 

[birdbustr]

I shot a 80# doe Monday at 175 yds with my 7mm-08. The bullet was 120gr Barnes TSX @ 3070fps. She ran 40-50 yards when I shot. Upon exam the heart was cut almost in two vertically and the lower 2 inches completely detached from the rest of the heart. I usually aim for the heart/lungs, but that was with a 30-06. I'm going to try the neck and/or high shoulder next year.

 

[CSA 357]

I mostly aim center of the shoulder, its hard for him to run off with both shoulders broke, i have taken alot of meat deer with head shots, no loss of meat and the cleaning job is not as messy, i have my 270 win scope set for 200 yards just for the head shot, but on a good buck it right in the shoulder, thats with a rifle, buck shot, or hand gun, good luck csa

 

[scout26]

Since I'm shooting slugs out of a shotgun, I aim for the boiler room. This year I took mine at 80+ yards and hit him well back but in the spinal cord. He didn't go anywhere but I had to finish him with a neck shot. Fortunately didn't hit the backstraps or the tenderloins.

I also helped another hunter drag out his doe. His shot was just below the back of the head that went thru the spinal cord. She was DRT other then falling forward.

 

[Legionnaire]

Heart, but I try to avoid the shoulder. I prefer a quartering shot to the heart, whether quartering toward or away.

 

[Reyn]

Ive only killed 2. A 7pt last year at 30yds with a 300mag. He ran about 35yds and dropped. Tuesday i shot a 5pt at 50yds with a 30-06. It dropped like a rock and was kickin its front legs on its side for about 10seconds. On both i was aiming right behind the shoulder. The 5pt Tuesday was hit way back farther than i liked. It was high and i believe it hit his spine and then took out the lung. Ive always been told to aim right behind the shoulder.

 

[Kevin108]

What is the minimum round you should use to hunt a deer with?

 

[target1911]

That question will bring many opinions.
IMPO
It depends on distance of shot and size of deer. I know many ppl that use 222 and 223 in south TX. Most of the deer in that area are small. I personally wouldnt use anything smaller than a 243. I dont want to wound a deer. I know a 243 can and will get the job done. It is big enough to kill but not overkill and mess up all of the meat.

 

[mustanger98]

What is the minimum round you should use to hunt a deer with?

I agree with target1911 that...

That question will bring many opinions.
IMPO
It depends on distance of shot and size of deer.

Here's my opinion. I'm a big fan of the .30-30, but obviously, if you're shooting farther than 300yds, you need to go with something with a bit more speed, flatter trajectory, and more energy transfer. I also like .243Winchester (.308Win. case necked down to 6mm) and from my rifle with iron sights set as they are, I believe it's good to 300yds, but you have to know the holdover to 400yds. I also like .30-06... so you can count my opinion as .30-30, .30-06, and .243Winchester.

I recall reading in "Hell, I Was There" where Elmer Keith told about the seminar he attended where they introduced the 6mmRemington. He said for the size of the Texas deer they shot with the 6mm at the distances they shot them, the .30-30 would've done the same job and more efficiently. And Mr. Keith was no fan of .30-30 because it didn't do the job well enough in his experience in Montana and Idaho.

 

[Picknlittle]

I learned something from the Deer & Deer Hu8nting show on the Outdoor Channel a few days ago.

The area containing the heart and lungs in under pressure. When either or both lungs is punctured, this is 100% fatal. An exit wound helps speed tings up, but the deer will die given time.

This is why it's so important to sit tight, regardless of how well the animal is hit.
The riskier shot is the quartering away shot intended to hit the heart. If the heart is missed, only one lung is punctured and if not allowed to die before approaching, you could actually find this deer, not yards , but miles away from where you hit it.

 

[NASCAR_MAN]

Speed, and it's buddy named "Fragmentation", kills. I've seen deer drop instantly from a .222 all the way to a 30-06 (soft core and plastic-tipped). My only dissapointments have been a slow-moving 30-30 and 12 Gauge Buck Shot.

And...if you want a place to shoot, then don't aim at any place you marked out. Like the "Old Timers". aim half-way up the body using the front leg as a reference. This way - if you hit right them you hit a cartoidor or neck. If upwards them a shoulder blade or spine. If left, then a lung. If down, then the heart, lung or leg bone. Anyways...you stop the Deer.

Turn the impact zone to jelly, and enough nerve, skelatal, circulatory and respiratory system damage will be done to bring the deer down.

Forget "Penetration" - this is Deer. Not Elk, Polar Bear, Eland or Water Buffalo.

NASCAR

BTW...I believe deer hit well should go down in thier tracks....not 35-70 yards later.

 

[target1911]

you could actually find this deer, not yards , but miles away from where you hit it.

I dont like tracking. That is why I choose to hit where I hit and use a caliber capable of making a CLEAN KILL and to do that I believe you must hit the central nervous system.
I watched a friend kill a buck last year. He hit a forward of the sweet spot. Actually went through both front legs. Used a 30-30 win HP. It literally exploded the chest...as in it was no longer there. Took out the heart and most of both lungs. That deer still ran 75yds and only stoped when it ran into a fence. YES that buck was DWR.....(dead while running) and left onehelluva blood trail.

The area containing the heart and lungs is under pressure.

I watched that too. If you remember....they did say that you may very well still have to track it for some distance. I want DRT.

My only dissapointments have been a slow-moving 30-30

What is wrong with it???? The 30-30 has taken more deer in this country than all other calibers combined. Yes it is slow, but still VERY effective. It even makes a darn good hog round. I will admit that I dont use "Core-Lokt" due to lack of expantion. Thats why I use the Win HP.

 

[scaryFORDman]

Dropped 1st deer yesterday

She only wanted to show me her front, so I got her in the lower throat. Got a clean jugular hit and she dropped like a rock.

 

[NASCAR_MAN]

I shoot them right where the black dot is. The "red area" marks the locations of critical circulatory, pulmanory, skeletal and nervous systems.

 

[Rat-30]

I use a .308 and aim for the neck. I have shot deer at 68, 55 and 35 yards with this aim point and a rifle that will make the shot. All three of these deer rolled to the opposite side like a hammer hit them, and expired right there. The buck rolled over and impaled his antlers in the soil, preventing complete roll, and expired on his back.

The Doe that I have shot with heart/lung shots have all ran 40 - 75 yards, causing much grief in the thick underbrush I have to track them in.

Because of my typical engagement distance and tracking environment, I will aim for the neck.

If the distance increases, the low heart/lung shot would be 2nd priority for me.

Best regards,

John

.

 

[jaholder1971]

I usually aim 2-3" behind the point where the front leg meets the shoulder.

Used to use 150 softpoints in my .308, but had to track them 50-125 yards every time. My 180 ballistic tips put them DRT.

This year I've added 7X57 to my deer arsenal. It's zeroed with factory 140 gr. Remington corelockt's.

 

[Newt]

I've killed several with heart/lung shots, 1 with a head shot, and 2 with a neck shot. The head shot buck didn't get up out of his bed. Both neck shot bucks, dropped in their tracks. The rest were heart/lung shots, and I had to track all but 2 of them. I picked neck because that's my first choice. If I don't have that option, I'll go to a secondary or even tertiary POA.