I was over visiting my parents the other day when I scrounged up a copy of "Bowhunting Second Edition" by Chuck Adams (1981). I was paging through it reminicsicing the days when compounds were knew and most guys including me carried old recurves and longbows, when I came upon the section that illustrates where to aim at deer from different angles.

They showed a sketch of a deer facing directly away with the target dot centered on the ham. The caption next to it read something like, "Deer can be easily taken...despite their orientation." While I don't recall the exact phrase, I do remember the words "easily taken" being used. While I understand how quickly a femoral artery shot will take down a deer, I was wondering if any of you guys would consider such a shot. If so, what range would you have to be at to feel comfortable with such a shot?

It would seem to me that if this shot were endorsed by such a successful bowhunter, and if the shooter was at a reasonable range (less than 15 yards), more shots of this kind would be taken.

Thoughts?

Fritz

I would not make that shot. I would go for a quarting away or broadside shot.

If i was forced to take a facing away shot I would not shoot for the ham.

I would shoot between the two hams[:-]

no, not that i know it's a high risk shot....but i did take my hog this way, i was aiming for the back of the lung , but i was off about an inch and it ended up going through the rear ham out the lung....thank God she went down 65 yards away...i wont do it on a deer for sure and i doubt i'll ever take another pig that way....even though i was confindent in my shot and thought it was an ethical shot, i learned it wasnt the best choice, but the only one i had, i have practiced many hours shooting from any and every angle i could think of, but now that i know, nope, no more...she was 17 yards away...,

Never, Never take that shot. I dont care how close. One, there is too much margin for error, and two, even if your shot was perfect, thats alot of material (meat, intestine, stomach contents, diaphram, etc.) to go through. And if it is a good sized deer, with a full stomach, It would be like shooting thru a small ball of wet hay.
If you cant get a broad side or SLIGHTLY quartering away shot, pass on it.
You owe it to the animal to make a clean ethical shot.

Takes shots that meet your OWN ethics.

Rack,

I have done that twice before with my 06. Both times with resounding results. It may stir some controversy but if you are a good enough shot to run one up the bung hole (with a gun), it will kill them quickly. I would like to say that I shot a Rem. 700 bolt action that is glass bedded and free floated with a timony trigger when I was gun hunting and I shot a few hundred rounds a year through it. At that point in time, I was a little better shot than your average Joe

Heh.Heh....Heh.Heh, you said bung hole. Heh.Heh...Heh

Too each his own, but all that equates to me is a BIG MESS (bladder, intestine, stomach contents all over everything - yum) and that's if you make a good shot and get the deer.

I know I would never take a shot like that (i have a hard enough time with the broadside/quartering away shots )

Me and some guys were watching some old time videos and they shot one hard angled away. Put the arrow about an inch low and right of the hole, and it poked out thru just behind the left front leg. Blood pouring out as the deer trotted off. Yea it may work, but I just can't get past taking an archery shot on an animal like that. I've done it with guns and its just messy.