Hi,
The quality of responses to jorge's question made me curious as to your opinion on this.
How many of you will take a rear-end shot at an unwounded game animal?
I know that most common calibers with proper bullets can easily penetrate a smaller game animal stem to stern, but how many of you would shoot a gemsbok/kudu/waterbuck in this situation, especially if it was the only chance of bagging the trophy? (I know ethics shouldn't change on the last day of the hunt, but this is to pre-empt any "wait for it to turn" answers)
BTW I have only taken this shot once, and connected with the back of the neck...so have little experience in the field.
Also, if you would take the shot, would the aim-point be a)anus/root of tail b)hip to immobilise animal?

Boghossian,

Ever since I started using the Barnes X bullet, and lately our own Walterhog bullet, I have had no hesitation of using the Texas Heart Shot. Even on buffalo.

I have absolutely no problem with takeing the
"T-H" shot, on a standing animal, that has not been wounded. This, however depends on the rifle/Bullet/animal, that I'm useing to shoot with/at! The bullet must be able to get into the vitals, without question. I would never try to disable an unwounded animal by shooting to break a hip, but would shoot for the "DEAD CENTER" of the bulls eye, so to speak! If you shoot a little too high, the spine will be hit, and a little low the heart/lung area will be hit, with this center hold. A hip shot, may break the hip, and travel into the gut paunch, and an animal can travel a very long way with a broken hip, and gut shot!

On things like Buffalo, Ele, and the cats, that have been hit, and are leaving it is required, IMO!

[ 11-24-2003, 22:33: Message edited by: MacD37 ]

I passed on a Texas Heart shot on 27" mule deer on the last day of black powder hunt this September. He was standing looking straight away at 75 yards. Went home empty handed. I was shooting round balls and have profound confidence in the accuracy at that range. I just didn't have confidence I'd kill him.

Now If I'd been holding my 8 mag... I'd have dropped him where he stood..... and worked around the "hamburger" when I butchered him.

This shot can be amazingly effective, as demonstrated by Saeed. The key is (as always) to use the right gun. I've taken texas heart shots on:
gemsbok with a 375H+H
elk with 30.06
mule deer 30.06
mule deer .308
impala 30.06
probably others I can't remember right now.

All the above dropped cleanly, and completely immobilized the animal. I administered a finishing shot on the elk, simply to speed his demise, as he was clearly dying anyway.
I don't recommend this shot with light-for-species rifles, or non-premium bullets. I use Barnes X bullets in most applications, and Nosler partitions in others. These bullets insure you have a substantial portion of the bullet that will drive on home like a solid, and they get the job done.
My aiming point is the root of the tail, and in the event my shot is high, I will hit the back of the head.
Please don't mis-understand. This isn't my favorite shot, as it tends to spoil some of the best meat. I frequently utilize this shot when the animal is departing straight away from me, however. But this shot only becomes unethical if using the "wrong" caliber and ammo in the first place.

Bill

I attempted a "THS" on an already-wounded Gemsbok as he ran over the crest of a ridge. Having already put 2 200gr. A-Frames from my .300 WM into his shoulder I wasn't taking any chances. As ranm after him, I cleared some brush and he came into view- I threw the rifle up & took a snap shot at his rear end. He crested the hill and fell to the ground about 20 yards later. As I approached, a heart shot put an end to his suffering. A closer look showed that I had in fact made a "Texas Dick Shot".....my bullet ran the length of, and then exited the Gemsbok's male organ. All I could say was "ouch"! My friend demanded that I apologize to the animal, as "that's just not right". The PH got a good laugh and we continually talked about my "rear dick shot" for the remainder to the safari. Not pretty, but effective. I should have taken a picture.

If I'm using enough gun I will take this shot eveytime...It works for me and death is always in short order, after all it does more damage than any broadside shot...

I too have shot many buffalo with this shot, both wounded and unwounded..I use a solid for this, but a Barnes X or any monolithic will work..I would also use the Nosler 400 gr. 416 bullet without hesitation and have...

Elk in the black timber and blow downs require a raking shot most of the time, and a 338 with a 300 gr. Woodleigh will handle the job as will the 250 gr. Nosler....

We are talking premium bullet country for this going South shot IMO...

No problem with the THS, provided the rifle used is of adequate caliber/bullet combo is used. jorge

Never taken this shot on an unwounded aimal. I've seen it drop wounded deer instantly though. I'm mostly a meat hunter so I would avoid this shot unless I was pretty desperate.

I have no problem at all with this back door shot and have used it many times on elephant, buffalo, lion, hippo etc. It works like a charm as long as you do have enough gun or the right bullet. With my 470 I use softs and will work on any back door shot. 375 I probably would not try it unless I hard solids for the elephant, but buff and cats the soft will do wonders. On wounded animals, it is a way to stop the animal from gettig away. I do not think I would try it though on an unwounded lion. I have shot many buffalo and elephant though with the 470 as the primary shot and has worked every time.

I took this shot on a buffalo I didnt want to but was leaning on the trigger pretty bad waiting for him to clear some brush. He turned as he came out and I hit him in the backside. I was using a 458 win mag with 450 grain xbullets. He went about 70 yards downhill and stopped I finished him with a lungshot. I beat myself up pretty bad for taking that shot and consider it a bad call on my part and the low point of mt trip. I racked up the success to pure luck. Maybe I was Wrong?
Dean

I've only shot one animal in the rear. It was a blue wildebeest that was wounded and would not give any other shot. Dropped him like a ton of bricks so to speak.

Regardless, I was under the impression that the Texas Heart Shot was known in Africa as the Portuguese Head Shot?

Odie,
I heard "Portuguese Heart Shot" while over there.
Your version is better, and henceforth I shall prefer it: Portuguese Head Shot.

If I hadn't made a Portuguese Head Shot on my red lechwe in Botswana, I would have had to suffer the barefoot wading in the swamps and hopping in and out of the "mekoro" dugout canoe far longer than I did. A 300 grain X-Bullet from a .375 H&H worked wonders at 150 yards on the lion scarred posterior that had its tail bitten off.

It was fun for a while, but I prefer hunting on terra firma.

I had the rump of a big buck in my cross hairs two weeks ago, but I was carrying a 7X57 with 140 grain softs at just barely over 2500 fps. It was only 75 yards, but I hesitated, as he walked slowly into the obscuring brush.

WOW, it seems pretty unanimous!
I see that a straight for the "bulls eye" aimpoint is to be preferred, as a spine shot could go high and miss.
I still believe you must be precise to ensure the bullet doesn't exit from the gut and leave you with a wounded animal....but we're in the precision business when hunting anyway!

'tis said that those in RSA sometimes call it the "Freestate Heart Shot".

I've dropped both wounded Eland and Blue Wildebeest with the THS. I've also taken deer and elk with it. Most times I've used premium bullets, but the Wildebeest was dropped with a 300 Gr. Sierra GK. from my 375.

When I lived in Texas I heard it referred to as the Oklahoma brain shot.

I've tried it twice and never recovered either animal - Some blood for a while then it quit. Perhaps I'm not as precise a shot as others.

I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I had already shot the animal somewhere else first, if I was pretty certain the bullet would exit or if the animal was a varmint.

Otherwise,I would personally not want to try this as a first shot again.

I passed up the T-H on a good Elk waiting for a better shot that never happened! I had plenty of gun and I'm sure I could have made the shot but the Elk weren't spooked and I held back. I've kicked myself 1000 times for not shooting.

Hawkeye47

I know the shot works but cant bring myself to do it. The only way I would do it is to anchor an animal heading away from me that I have wounded. There isnt anything wrong with it, I just dont want to use it. I will wait or move for a better shot. If I cant do that I will pass.