I'd say the shoulder shot is a decent shot, its a pretty big area, too low you hit the lungs/heart, to high you hit the spine/neck. I shot a deer through the shoulder with a hollow point 295 powerbelt with 100 grains powders. It destroyed the shoulder, lungs and travled through the neck(d/t the angle) and stopped right under the skin. Considering that was with a muzzleloader, I'd say a shoulder shot would be ok and I don't know of anyone who has had a problem with it. It definatly drops them in there tracks, but double lung is ALWAYs a sure thing, so choose what your comfortable with, just note you will lose alot of shoulder meat on a shoulder shot and I know this because I butcher my own deer.