I have been hunting since 1956 and your comment about my ethics bothers me.. I have seen many an animal that I shot, or someone else shot, in the heart that was able to run up to 200+yards. The last one was a big elk (375) that was shot from 15yds with a bow. The aluminum arrow went through the heart, bounced back out and the last 12" of arrow snapped off when it hit a lodgepole pine, snapped like a twig. That had to hurt, yet the elk ran 200+ yds. uphill before dying. I have known good hunters to aim behind the shoulder and end up hitting the shoulder and losing the animal- didn't find or missed completely- I don't know. I'm not saying my method is better or trying to be a wisea--. I 'm an excellant shot and I don't shoot unless I know the animal will be going down and I eat what I shoot. The ethics part bothers me as I look at myself as an ethical hunter, which some of you take exception to. I have never lost an animal that I spine shot, the animals did not suffer (paralyzes them). I can't say the same when I have shot a deer/elk in the heart and they ran off 100-200yds and neither can you. That to me borders on unethical and is why I switched to a spine shot versus behind the shoulder. I don't like to see the animal suffer. I never take long shots- over 80yds. I have enough confidence in my woodmanship to get within 75 yds of most elk. My advice to a newbie might not have been on the mark as I don't know how good a hunter or shot he is. I was just trying to help him get his elk and I hope he does.