I'm one of them who need to "aim better". Previously I've hit lungs and hearts on every deer I ever shot. But on the big buck in Illinois I don't know what happened. I gut shot him. I was absolutely sick about it. I can make that shot in my sleep under practice conditions. Maybe I had a touch of buck fever. But either way I really wished I made a better shot. I felt bad that my deer had tosuffer for a day and a half before dying. It's a beautiful buck but the poor shot does really bother me. I think I tourqued the grip in the heat of the moment and that caused me to miss about 10 inches right at 35 yards. I agree you did the right thing to shoot that deer.