RE: How far on a heart shot?
I would say the typical response I've seen from the heart shots I've had is....they take off on a flat out run, and crash in mid stride anywhere from 40-100 yds. This is with a bow or a gun.
However, last season I saw something that I would never have believed if I hadn't been there.
My buddy shoots at this doe with his muzzleloader. He calls me on the radio and says that if he didn't get this one, he's giving up hunting (missed one earlier in the day). 45yds away slightly quartering, wide open. There was snow on the ground. I told him to stay put, I'd be over in a bit. As I'm working my way over, he calls on the radio and says he's got good blood. I told him to wait for me. 5 minutes later he calls again...says he can't believe how much blood, and that the deer has already run about 150yds. He's confused. I tell him to stay put AGAIN. I finally get to where he had shot the deer...yes plenty of blood. The trail was easy to follow, of course the snow makes it look like there is more...but there was plenty. I call to him on the radio...he says he's gone another 100yds, still good blood, and he just saw her run over the hill 50 yds away. I told him to STOP!!!!
After about 5 minutes or so, I get up to where he is. We discuss the shot, and wonder where he could have hit her that she would bleed that much, but not be down. She did not lay down anywhere in the first 250 yds we'd followed either. When he saw her, it had been almost 15 minutes from the time of the shot. There was only about 1/2 hr of light left, so we decided with the amount of blood...no way she could make it much farther and we would push her until she gave out. We walk about 50 yds and look over the hill expecting her to be right there. NO DEER! ??? I couldn't believe it. On we follow another 100 yds and find her piled up. 400 yds she ran. We look at her and he says, oh I hit her in the shoulder, no wonder. So he field dresses her, and I go through the pile looking at what was hit. Right in the lower part of the heart...a hole all the way through. I stuck my pinky finger through it. We were totally blown away. He shoots round a patch and round ball which usually don't expand much. But it went through the heart and she still ran 400 yds and was alive at least 15 minutes. ??? To this day, deer never stop amazing me. Always expect the unexpected, and never say never.