I was just reading the thread on the kill zone on 3-d targets . One member mentioned how far a deer will go when hit in the heart.

I've hit at least ten in the heart and not one has traveled more then 70 yards . Flat out run and they crash.

How far do you think a deer will travel with a hole in it's heart?

Charlie P,
Your question is a huge varible. Depending on the situation ie. spooked deer, people in the area, cars stopping to look, gun fire in the area, etc., etc.....all or any of these things could "push" a deer a little further than any of us would like. An adrenaline pumped deer is capable of covering a lot of ground, despite the best of heart or lung shots.

I've always went for the lung shot. It's a larger target and if the deer can't get oxygen to its' vital systems there's less likelyhood of it traveling much distance.

Once the hemoraging starts, the oxygenated blood that is currently in the deer's system begins leaving that arterial system and will never return....no matter whether there's a heart or lung shot. Even so, adrenaline is a chemical reaction within the deers' system and happens within seconds of a panic situation. That existing adrenaline can allow the deer to travel/ function for up to 2 minutes and that's a lot of travel time for a deer.

A bilateral numothorax (pass-through on both lungs) has a long history of dropping deer inside 2 minutes....with a sharp broadhead. Gun shots are another story.

To answer your question....I'd say inside the 100 yard mark would be a normal for a heart shot deer.

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

bowhunter, I shoot for lungs , just happen to take out hearts too.

Never had a car stop to look, that's a new one.


Just so you know I've been hunting for about 25 years killed close to 100 deer.

Adrenaline or not - I'd likely drop right on the spot and cry a little bit.

I'd say inside 100 yds would be pretty accurate. I shot an 8pt in 2002 thru the heart that made it 40 yds but that was after he ran right into a tree or he probably would have made it a bit further.

i try to shoot deer in the lungs, they have always gone down quick for me, but i shot a bear this year in the heart and he just roled a couple times and he was down for the count

I was the member and I like bowhunters answer.I agree that most likely less than 100 yards but if the adrenaline is pumping it could be much more.100 yards in thick cover can seem like a whole lot more.


Lung shots tend to go down quicker and take less time.The last 2 I shot through the lungs were down within 20 yards.Calm deer shot through the lungs will be recovered quickly.


In no way was I trying to say a heart shot was a bad shot,but in general,a double lunger will be quicker.

this one ran nearly 200 yds and if it hadnt been in the snow I would never have found it. I prefer a double lung shot anytime.

The two I shot through the heart also took out both lungs, one went down within sight of the tree. and the other just out of sight. Niether one went over 40 yards..

The first deer I killed was a big mature doe that I simply pulverized her heart with a 12 ga slug. She jumped straight up in the air,did a 360, landed on her butt jumped up and ran about 70 yards before she went down. It is amazing what they can do even with their heart blown apart.