A high shoulder shot is the highest oddsshot for instant death on a deer...IF...you're using a .30-06 or other high power centerfire rifle.

Theydeliver a ton and a half of energy and massivehydrostatic shock effect to the region around the impact of the projectile...so if the bullet itself doesn't take out the spine, the massive collateral shock effect will stun the spineenough to paralyze the deerenough to drop itand it'll suffocate before the stunned effect wears off.

Apatched round ball is not a projectile which delivers anywhere near that sort of massive energy and hyrostatic shock effect to a whole region, requiring a direct hit on the spine between the shoulders if a shoulder shot is take...and the spine is not very big...can almost think of a PRB like a long rangebroadhead...it pretty much has to hit stuff to do a lot of damage to it.

When I started using PRB'son shoulder shots,Idiscovered it would put them down, partially paralyzed butstrugglingto get up...andI'd have to shoot them a second time...so I quit using the shoulder shot and practiced enough so I can hit the heart every time...a direct shot to the heart is a certainty and they fall within sight.

A double lung shot is a high percentage shot also,but they can travel a longways depending on how good a double lung shot it is.

If you're very close, aprecise shotto the vertebratewhere the neck joins the bodywill drop them in their tracks...but a neck shot has risk too, it's sort of anall or nothing shot.

So for me, the heart shot is the best odds shot forcertain death and a short drag...you'll watch them fall from your stand.

My .02 cents...