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Old 04-03-2008 | 03:29 PM
  #17  
valor10
Typical Buck
 
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Default RE: Most lethal shot on a deer and why?

The quickest kill in my experience is the one that takes out the vessels at the top of the heart, not the heart itself.
Generally this is combined with a double lung hit but what puts the animal down so quickly is the complete removal of blood pressure and blood supply to the head/brain. The heart keeps beating butno oxygen rich bloodcan go to the head and the animal will black out incrediby fast.

A straight heart shot deer will generally run even further than a double lung because the blood pressure, blood loss happens at a comparatively slower rate than if you severe the high pressure vessels above the heart.
I actually even think ANY of the high pressure blood vessels might put a deer down quicker than a straight heart shot.....carotid, femoral etc.

That said a perfect solid double lung shot should rarely if EVER allow an animal to make it even 100 yards, and I think the distances vary between 30-40yds and close to a 100yds on average based soley on whether the animal had a full breath of air just prior to the arrow strike. This would keep the CO2 level down in the blood for a few seconds longer keeping the animal on it's feet a few seconds longer.........if the animal just let out a breath and you center punch the lungs I think the distance traveled will be much shorter.

Quickness of kill (animalexpiredfrom my experience)
1. Top/front of the heart/high pressure vessels combined with the front of thelungs obviously
2. Double lung / other high pressure arterial hit
3. Heart shot
4. Liver, lung
5. Liver
6. Liver Gut
7. Gut

One lung deer conceivably could survive the trauma so I din't rank it and since we're bowhunting, head shots are out and spine shots while requiring no tracking generally aren't an intended target.
Couldn't agree more.
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