Should you try to break bone and go for a shoulder shot or should you go for a shot behind the shoulder.

Flip: There are plenty of folks here that have more experience than I do but I will jump in...I think it depends on the animal you are shooting and the gun you are shooting. I come from the school of thought that thinks a lung shot (both lungs) is the quickest, deadliest, and most reliable shot there is for any animal...however, some animals are extremely tough, and they may require some bone breaking to make them stop moving. Of the African antelop I have shot, the gemsbuck and kudu left me with the impression that they are extremely tough animals when they choose to be...after shooting a kudu in the lungs (behind the shoulder) last year, the bugger ran a ways into that thick head-high thorn/succulent chaparral they have in the E.Cape and my PH immediately admonished me for not shooting the beast on the point of the shoulder to break bones. I was shooting my .378 Wby and that kudu was as dead as a doornail just inside the bush. But the bugger did not drop dead at the shot and at first blush, neither the PH or myself was happy to see the beast disappear into the bush. Similarly, when shooting moose, I shoot for the lungs. Moose are not always tough to knock down right away but boy they can be...so some prefer to break those huge shoulder bones to make the beast stop or slow down. As many have talked about here, including Saeed, Ray and several other with lots of African experience,the gun you shoot and the bullet you shoot can affect your ability to place a bullet where you want it to go. A properly constructed .375cal bullet shot with plenty of energy from a good rifle (.375/404, .375H&H, .378Wby) should be able to reach vital areas from any angle..so that if presented with odd-angled shots you can still break big bones and tear up the heart and lungs with the same shot. And you must know where the bones and lungs are on the animals you shoot. Sometimes breaking bones is required, but if you shoot any thing in the lungs, it will be dead in short order.

There are no guarnatees of immediate stops or prevention from running cause you break bones.

The most consistent kill will be taking out both lungs and or the heart. The animal may run 1/4 or a 1/2 mile but it will die

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MED

The sole purpose of a rifle is to please its owner

I will agree that the heart/lung shot is the highest percentage shot of any and is least likely to result in wounding the animal. For the sake of any noble beast one might be hunting and one's wallet, I think this should be the first shot on pretty much anything. If you are confident that this shot has been placed well, and you have the chance, then you can try to break bone.
That said, there might be circumstances in which a ridiculously large specimin of something only presents a head shot, "texas heart" shot, or the front part of its body is obscured leaving only a spine shot. If this is the case, you have proper bullets and are confident in your shooting then take the shot (more preferably two or three). If the animal isn't world class, however, I would wait for a better shot opportunity.

JMHO,

JohnTheGreek

I am a proponent of the heart / lung shot also. Some animals will by their structure allow for a shoulder bone break / lung shot to be taken. The broken bone(s) do not necessarily mean they will go down though. The broken bones may slow them down a bit though.

In my experience there is no quicker & surer kill than the brain shot! The problem with the brain shot is that the head moves alot and for that reason it can be difficult to hit the brain. There is nothing in the head besides the brain that is vital. On cape buffalo and bison my preferred shot is the head on brain. This drops them RIGHT NOW! If you are shooting a big enough gun even if you miss the brain they are typically stunned and/or knocked down long enough to allow reloading and reacquisition of the target for a second aimed shot.

As with all things Mr. Murphy can always show up at the least opportune times and cause difficulties.

Todd E

IMHO: You put your shot as close as you possibly can to the best presented/available spot that will result in the most vital organ damage that will put the critter down as quickly and humanely as possible. Best done by utilizing any available rest if possible, a sufficient caliber, and a well constructed bullet. Over penetration is better than under penetration, (but then, that's a whole 'nother thread!)

That "spot" can constantly change as the animal moves, angles increase and decrease, etc. There are several things in the "boiler room" and drivetrain of a critter that are vital, including heart, lungs, artery groups, brain and spine. Try to render at least two of the above completely out of order.

Much can be learned from studying the book "The Perfect Shot". Also pay attention during field dressing of the critters and post-mortem wound channel investigation.

Flip,

As an introduction to shot placement I like to teach shooters to divide the forelegs with the vertical crosswire, and put the horizontal crosswire one-third of the way up the chest. This should put the bullet into the socker ball sized volume in the chest that counts.

As the target angle changes the admonition to divide the forelegs automatically shows you where to aim.

If the anaimal looks "far" you can hold half-way up the body.

jim dodd

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"if you are to busy to
hunt, you are too busy."

It depends on the animal and one way is not applicable to all animals...

Cats have heart and lungs further back than some other species, by the same token Gemsbok, Buffalo and Zebra have the heart forward and protected by nature with the heavy shoulder bone..You must know your anatomy. Buffalo have ribs that are overlapping and so fourth.

The shot through the shoulder will certainly slow things down to some degree and secondary bone splinters are very devastating to the animal...

If both shoulders are broken then the animal is usually down and out, but only if both are truly broken in half. A lunged Buffalo can be a source to deal with and I have seen lunged buffalo last up to several days. A lung shot buffalo is not a good option, even a heart shot bull can make many tracks and since you shoot them at 40 yds they can get to you and have plent of time to do damage to you, so always follow up on your first shot...

Deer and antelope can be shot behind the shoulder and expire quickly...

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

A great resource is a book called THE PERFECT SHOT (about $65) from Safari Press. Another is the shot placement guide from African Hunter magazine.

As a GENERAL rule, most African antelope's vitals are positioned more forward than most N. American game. On a broadside shot, the POI is usually through the shoulder, solving two problems at once. However, this necessitates using a well constructed bullet with a high sectional density.

Flip,

Having shot a number of animals, in varying sizes, and from different angles. I always try to get the bullet into the chest cavity.

If I get the chance, and the distance is not too great, and a neck-head-spine shot presents itself, I take it.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

I agree with Ray. Suitably armed, any opportunity to break down a dangerous animal at close quarters should be the preferred shot.

/

Alf

You always make my day

Thanks

Flip

I admit having no experience with African game, although I'd be surprised to hear they're constructed differently inside than other big game. Until recently, I didn't like lungs/heart shots, after which most animals are still able to run for a distance. Hence, I always took shoulder shots, aiming to break both shoulder blades and hoping to get the spinal column in between, as an added bonus. Of course, I often got cursed by game wardens who didn't appreciate the wasted venison (true, sometimes the shattered backbone opened my victim's back). However, instant stops/kills I got !
Recently, I read that instead of taking the classical heart shot that still allows the heart to pump blood to the brain for a few seconds (= translated in many meters of flight), it was better to aim a little higher and more forward, at the heart top / aorta, hereby instantly cutting off blood supply to the brain. I tried and shot 2 deer like that and they indeed dropped on the spot and no meat was wasted. I know 2 shots do not make a law yet, but it's worth experiencing further. It goes without saying that one should posses an accurate rifle and a reasonable knowledge of his quarry's anatomy.

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Andr�

Andre,
You are absolutely correct a high heart shot that seperates the major veins and arterys is the best "shoulder shot" one can make and brings about the quickest death. this is the shot I prefer on Buffalo and all dangerous game. An added bonus is that it leaves room for error.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

I'm with Saeed in liking neck shots but, as he says, only if you're close enough! My last safari was freaky. One warthog through the head, one through the neck and a buff through the neck from the front. I can't imagine that ever happening again, but I sure got some quick kills .

Sarge