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Old 12-28-2005, 05:35 PM
  #6  
Paul L Mohr
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blissfield MI USA
Posts: 5,293
Default RE: best spot to shoot a deer

I hunt with bow, .50 cal inline ML and a 12 ga slug gun. I shoot them in the lungs. I go for the same shot placement with a gun as I do with a bow. They always run for me. Between 40 and one hundred yards with the average being around 60 yards.

I may try a high shoulder shot next year with my slug gun, I understand it does a better job of dropping them becuase it breaks the shoulder and shocks the spine. With a high powered rifle, vitals or shoulder should work really well. I am always weary of messing up meat which is why I take the lung shot.

I'm not a big fan of the neck shot, seems a bit risky to me but with a centerfire would probably be effective providing you didn't miss. What if you want to mount it though? I wouldn't want to shoot it in the neck then. In my opinion if you can hit the neck you can hit the vitals, why take the harder shot?

Shooting a deer in the neck with a bow is not very effective, has it been done, sure. I wouldn't suggest it though, it is a pretty risky shot. As far as shooting one in the head with a bow, unless you have seen it I think you are being fibbed to. That is a horrible shot to take with the bow and very high risk. There are so many things that could go wrong. And if you have a weak bow and less that perfect broad heads it may just stick in the head while the deer runs off. Arrows were not made to penitrate a skull. In my opinion the lungs are the only way to go with a bow. Broad side or quartering away. Where I aim depends on the angle of the deer and my height. Always aim for the exit hole, be aware of what the arrow will pass thru on the way thru the animal.

Get a good 3-D target and a diagram of a deers anotomy and practice taking different angled shots. Then look at the diagram compared to your target and see what you would have hit. The scoring rings on a 3-D target mean nothing for actual hunting in most cases.

Paul
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