RE: shot placement
CID, how is a shoulder shot risky? high you spine it or miss it...sideways your in the vitals or in the neck, low and your in the vitals.
ive shot deer in many different places...
shoulder or neck or higher lung shot with a 30cal rifle will drop em dead...
low lung/heart shots they tend to go 15-50yds give or take...everyone ive shot lower in the heart area ran...
higher shots shock the spine and usually drop them in their tracks...but you gotta know where to put it...personally i dont like the shoulder shot because it does usually end up with a bigger exit and bone fragments all through the meat...
neck shots work but again, you gotta know where to put it and be able to put it there...
gotta know your own personal shooting and rifle, and know what you and the rifle can do.
general rule of thumb, aim center of the chest straight up from the back edge of the leg(when the leg is straight up and down) high you got spine or you miss...sideways you got tons of error to play off...a good 5" side to side easy and you got a dead deer...low you got heart or too low and you miss...