Preferred Shot Placement

[PaulT]

Hitting a point about 3" higher and about 3" to the right of point 3 will see any animal on the planet hit the deck so fast you will loose them from sight before recoil sets in.

This shot placement dictates % hunting for me and controls the success/failure of a hunt, everything revolving around me being able to see/shot place around the top of the scapula. I choose calibers and projectiles all around being able to make this shot placement successful.
In a dozen years as a professional buffalo hunting guide in Australia for clients who followed instruction and placed shots according to this instruction success was 100%.
In over 30 years as a recreational hunter this shot placement has only ever failed me twice when the chosen projectiles failed to penetrate the on-side shoulder.

The high shoulder shot needs to be learnt and mastered, it is a high % shot placement.

 

[Scrumbag]

Somewhere between 1,2 and 3.

 

[gillettehunter]

I believe Paul has it right. Last yr in africa my Kudu, Gemsbuck and Reedbuck all dropped in their tracks DRT with that high shoulder shot. 7mm with 160 gr AB's at about 3020 FPS. My PH was surprised at how effective it was. Bruce

 

[farmboy]

Animals don't run to good if you break both front shoulders and the nose is in the dirt. The bone from the near side shoulder makes great secondary projectiles. Central nervous system hits are immediately deadly. Heart shots are relatively quick as well but not like a cNS shot though. Animals all die differently. One memorable deer hunt I shot a mule deer through the front shoulders breaking both of them. The bone did a wonderful job of secondary projectiles. One lung destroyed one vertebrae broken out second lung with a long cut and the bottom half of the heart missing. The deer did not move but somehow in lived far longer than I would have expected! One of the other fellows I was with that day shot a mule deer as well. He shot low and made about a four inch cut on the bottom of one lung. His deer dropped and never moved. It always surprises me how different animals react to a shot.

 

[Rule 303]

I use to go for No1 but now prefer a point of shoulder shot to break both shoulders. High I hit the spin, low or behind, I hit lung, forward, I am working the bolt fast to get another shot in. What Paul says makes a lot of sense.

 

[G Skinner]

With a bow # 1 is my only option .
Glen

 

[Gert Odendaal]

In South Africa since we were young hunters trained by our fathers/family hunters the first thing you were taught is:
Shot placement: "Skiet hom op die knoppe" translated "Shoot it on the area where the left/right leg seems to end in the body ...it totally breaks both front legs and the shoulder blades....
It can be possible to get some meat damage,,but an animal can not run away without his two front legs ...

We were discourage to shoot head shots at all by our mentors..."Op die knoppe" was the only shot placement we were trained to execute ,,,...

The second principal rule they taught us: If you are not going to slaughter and eat it , you should not shoot or kill it..that included snakes as well.

Later years when completed our Army days and stricter rifle/ammo laws were enforced most of us who were in the Army turned to bowhunting . Bowhunting have been a major industries in the 1990-2010...

Principle shot placement recommendation/training of the young /new first time bow hunters: Shoot at the opposite leg 1/3 up the front leg.

Keep shooting distance short in the beginning and hunt the first few times out of a blind. This really ensured less wounded animals running around and died somewhere in the veld.

As we progresses with the bow shooting/hunting we kept to these principles.

Then fire arm licenses were easier to obtain from 2012 onwards, getting a Hunter status and Sport man status being easy again led to Bow Hunting in South Africa by locals falling to a an all time low..

The new trend by local hunters is doing both types of hunting...rifle and bow/cross bow .

Most schools conduct bow shooting events an promote it as a sport but the internet games scenario is having a large negative effect and the young people and kept them away from shooting /hunting club activities.

 

[Buffalo1]

For a bowshot- the triangle created by connecting 1-2-3 target dots.

 

[MarkB]

Rifle shots, couple inches above #1 for North American game, except bears, try and get a shoulder for them. For PG on #1, #2 or between. Hardest part is not reverting back to NA position when in Africa. Like the PH to remind me each time. Or wish I had more time in Africa for mind and muscle memory practice.

MB

 

[HUNTROMANIA]

From my experience with European ammunition and animals I would like to say that shot placement is about caliber, bullet and distance. Considering that most of the hunters are not travelling with their guns we need to have the following aspects in mind.
I will start with distance. Let’s say comfortable distance to place the shoot is about 100-150m. In this scenario you can place the bullet easily in any part of the animals body: heart, high shoulder, behind the leg, etc. Over this distance we need to go for a safe zone. That means the biggest vital body area. From my point of view is the lungs area, the bullet is penetrating the ribs, mostly we have an exit hole if is not angle and bullet stops on the stomach area.
Now let’s talk about calibers and ammunition. I have experience only with european bullets, Norma, Blaser, Gecco, brenneke, RWS. mostly soft point ammunition.
One of the most common caliber is 300 wm. Is well known in Europe and other countries. Yes, everyone is used with this caliber but not with the ammunition and here we go for a bad shot placement.
I would never recommend to “brake the bones” with an magnum caliber (6m, 7 mm, 300 wm, 338 magnum) on animals heavier than 100 kg and up to 150m. Why? In most of the cases because of the high speed bullet is changing dramatically the trajectory when is hitting an round bone like the ones from the front legs. We will not have a double shoulder penetration. Most of the bullets are going out on the same shoulder. We will have a “nice reaction” of animals, blood, and even broken bones. But not a dead animal. The penetration, all the bullets descriptions on the cartridge boxes is only when the speed is moderate. Let’s say around 220-250m for a magnum caliber.
If you are shooting an under 100kg animal yes, maybe the bullet will brake nicely the bone and you will have a nice shoot. But I’m not very confident with that.
Those are some of my conclusions after using the european ammunition on european games.

 

[Fulvio]

Preferred Shot Placement

We all have different style and preferences when it comes to shot placements. The choice of a certain shot placement may be based on whether trophy hunting, hunting for meat or culling but also animal hunted, positioning of animal, caliber or ammunition used, scope mounted or not, distances, clearance and various other factors...

I know hunters who prefer to shoot on the shoulder in order to break bones, some to aim more for the vitals just behind the shoulder and some who like the neck to drop the animal in their track... All these shot placements get the job done. What is your particular style or preferences when shooting an animal broadside?

Preferred Shot Placement

We all have different style and preferences when it comes to shot placements. The choice of a certain shot placement may be based on whether trophy hunting, hunting for meat or culling but also animal hunted, positioning of animal, caliber or ammunition used, scope mounted or not, distances, clearance and various other factors...

I know hunters who prefer to shoot on the shoulder in order to break bones, some to aim more for the vitals just behind the shoulder and some who like the neck to drop the animal in their track... All these shot placements get the job done. What is your particular style or preferences when shooting an animal broadside?

Positions 1 & 2 are very effective as the heart will be taken out but you have to know your rifle well as a low shot on any of those 2 positions can have drastic results. Position 3 is by far the safest as it is directed into the "boiler room", slightly high or low matters little as heart and lungs will be affected, Position n.4 is undoubtedly the sledgehammer as that would be the resulting effect as the neck will be broken and the animal drops instantly to the shot which has hit the CNS; you must however be precise in knowing the anatomy of the animal. Position n.5 is not recommended at all unless you are a qualified sniper and even so, you might just as well kiss this particular trophy goodbye.

 

[Justbryan]

I prefer to shoot between #1 and #2 on African game. I have had a few guides ask me to shoot in certain spots due to the location of animal on mountain or laying in bush. I have shot animals in the neck but I don't like to take that shot.

I shot an elk in the neck because of location. I shot a bear high on the front shoulder. I prefer not to take either of these shots, but the circumstances dictated the placement on both.

On my first trip to Africa, I made a few bad shots off sticks. The shots were hurried, and the cover was very thick. We recovered all the animals. On my second trip I shot much better. I shot a bush pig between the eyes from a blind. My guide was wanting me to wait but the pig was ready to bolt.

To me you listen to the PH unless you can't make the shot. I have said no on some very long shots in poor conditions.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Preferred Shot Placement

We all have different style and preferences when it comes to shot placements. The choice of a certain shot placement may be based on whether trophy hunting, hunting for meat or culling but also animal hunted, positioning of animal, caliber or ammunition used, scope mounted or not, distances, clearance and various other factors...

I know hunters who prefer to shoot on the shoulder in order to break bones, some to aim more for the vitals just behind the shoulder and some who like the neck to drop the animal in their track... All these shot placements get the job done. What is your particular style or preferences when shooting an animal broadside?

Gemsbok or other animals Broadside: I’ve used 1,2,3 &4! Depending on animal, shot presentation, caliber, and bullet type.

.243: I will shoot 1 or 3. PG
7MM REM MAG or 300 RUM both with Barnes bullets. I’ll shoot 2,1, and 3. Eland: 3 or 4.
.375 on Buff and Giraffe. 3 or 4. Other PG - 1 or 2.