While the guys with the 'big bores' tend to blow everything away, let us medium bore fellows improve our knowledge in respect of where African game's vital organs are located within the animal's body.

That is what it is all about, hunting knowledge and shot placement skills!

Click here and get yourself this "Pocket Field Guide".

The more you learn the better you will shoot.

link not working, try again.

It is the African Hunter "Shot Placement Pocket Field Guide". Maybe this version of the link (or rather one page earlier) may work... link

- mike

Thanks Mike!

When studying these pages you will see how many times hunters hit animals in the complete wrong area of the body.

There is some variation in African animals where the heart lungs lay..I have all that memorized over the years but a shot to the shoulder will alway work on any plainsgame animal...even on the cats if you don't go to far forward...To be safe on all African game hold tight behind the shoulder, just off the bone, and you won't go wrong...

Thanks Ray,

That is what I hope hunters will realise by using the illustrations in this little pocket guide and to learn exactly where the vitals are situated in the animal's body.

Then to go out and practice on paper animal targets until you've mastered those shot placement skils.

interesting thread...I am with Ray on this one

There are 2 pretty simple, "it ALWAYS works" formulas for taking game, if one has is using workable level of gun for the game. When one is hunting dangerous game, please use the legal level of gun.

1: draw a line between the front legs vertically, drawing a second line horizontally between 1/3 and 1/2 of the way up from the brisket through the shoulders. aim for this intersection inside the animal.

2: draw a line from left ear to right eye. draw a line from right ear to left eye. aim for this intersection inside the animal.


Good Hunting

jeffe.

<just to stir the pot>

I would have thought these two simple items wold have drawn fire for being "overly simple" and "universal" to use...


and, in fact, even work pretty well with big bores
jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
There is some variation in African animals where the heart lungs lay..I have all that memorized over the years but a shot to the shoulder will alway work on any plainsgame animal...even on the cats if you don't go to far forward...To be safe on all African game hold tight behind the shoulder, just off the bone, and you won't go wrong...

My thoughts exactly Ray. It isn't rocket science. PS - same hold is deadly on rabbits and squirrels

Jeffeosso & AAZWriter:

quote:

1: draw a line between the front legs vertically, drawing a second line horizontally between 1/3 and 1/2 of the way up from the brisket through the shoulders. aim for this intersection inside the animal.

2: draw a line from left ear to right eye. draw a line from right ear to left eye. aim for this intersection inside the animal.

Agree

quote:

"overly simple"

and very effective to use on 'four-legged animals' and animals where the ears are clearly visible!

But not so

quote:

"universal" to use...

on the OSTRICH!!!

Reasons: 1. Frontal shot - keep the horizontal line in the middle lowest 1/3 part from the 'brisket' (if one can say so) up.
2. A brain shot on that little head, continuously moving and an even smaller brain area of ± 3cm x 6cm, with no visible ears to draw imaginary lines from, is a clear stay away area.

Follow this link to where you should place your shot on an OSTRICH.

All the above in good spirit and only because the ostrich is the odd one out like many others perhaps.

Where do you shoot a crocodile?

Ostrich... Turkey, rhea, any other bird...



Same shot, just use a shotgun!!!

In fact, when the bottom fell out of the bird market in texas, 22's and head shots where a common way to get rid of these now released pests.

Crocs die from the same shots.. the body shot is a BAD idea, as she'll have a chance to row into the water, and you'd have some fun fetching the trophy.

Nice thing about croc (with no external ears) is they got a bump to shoot at.. in the correct place.


jeffe

I caught a mountain beaver trimming my photena hedge, and communicated my displeasure with a 12 ga.