With a high power rifle anything within three inches or so of the wound channel will be jello anyhow.

i always aim for the offside armpit... gives best chance of getting both lungs, which gives you the cleanest kill...

I tend to aim just below center mass. but in my opinion. you cant beat a high lung shot. I think deer can run alot futher while bleeding out (heart/lower lung) shot than they can if they can't breath with a high lung shot. They start bleeding pretty quick and you can usually hear them fall over.

With all due respect, Im puzzled by your theory. Why would a deer be able to breath any less, when double lunged high, as opposed to being double lunged low? As the deer breaths in air, its also sucking in blood regardless of where the hole is. Not to mention the fact that a high hit most certainly leaves less blood on the ground, a deer can get lost pretty easily in thick brush ,even if it doesnt go far, not sure how thats a good thing.:confused2:

Defiantly always aim for the heart.

deerandbearhog, like I said it is just my opinion. I am not a anatomy expert but what I have experienced. with a high lung shot, the lungs fill up with blood preventing it from breathing where as a lower body shot the deer will bleed sooner but have run further. Will they die in the same amount of time, sure. mabey. But a deer can cover alot of ground just waiting to bleed out. But if they can't breath, I think they can't travel as far. Just my opinion, nothing else.

Here's what I mean. If this was the angle of shot I was taking, I would aim at the black dot. If I'm a little forward, I hit the top of the heart/arteries. If I aim at the heart and I'm a little forward, I hit the shoulder or leg bone, whatever you want to call it.

I can absolutly respect your right to you opion and I would surely not blame you for doing what you believe works best see, heres what I would specifically disagree with though is, a heart shot, is also a double lung shot, at most angles, as vital diagrams will show, what I dont understand is why one would feel lungs would fill up w/ blood faster if hit higher, as oppose to lower? OK lets just assume that a heart shot deer, is dying because its "bleeding out", and a lung shot deer is dying because its suffocating, if it takes the same amount of time for both to die, as you believe ,wouldnt they both be able to cover the same amount of distance before dying? Either way ,the point is moot, if you hit the lungs and heart ,or just the lungs alone, the deer will die of suffocation. period. again I absolutely respect that, Im just giving a counter argument as to why I disagree:cool:

Attachment 10338Actually, if you look at where I drew the line to demonstrate, how the pocket, that most hunters aim for ,right behind the shoulder, runs up the deers side ,you will see if you aim midway up the body, you are probably aiming where I drew in light blue, therefore a slightly foward hit, for the same distance, will just as likely hit bone, as aiming slightly lower, maybe even more so, since the scapula is bigger than the leg bone.

Just for reference. This is a deer I shot in 07'. I was aiming low for the heart and it hit slightly higher, since it was only a 10yd shot and my bow is sighted for 20yds. The broadhead broke the scapula and took out the heart and both lungs.Attachment 10339

Great point counter point guys ,I'm geting a real lesson here with all the visuals and clear explanations as to why each of you make the choices you make.