# Where to shoot to put a deer down.



## Mako22

Where is the best place to shoot a deer to put it down right where it stands? Head, neck, spine, shoulder or behind the shoulder? Please no lectures on ethics or telling me to get better at blood trailing, I know all that already. I just want to know from you guys where to shoot if you want to put one down right there. Thanks


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## Old Coach

spine


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## racedude45

between the eyes


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## rebelyeler

i shot my first deer behind the shoulder with a 243 and it dropped him at about 75 yards with one shot


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## Jim Thompson

high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters


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## hawaiian

Head shot for meat one shot one kill


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## Hunter-Steve

What Jim said


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## Nicodemus

Another plus for the high shoulder shot.


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## j_seph

Jim is that your new red dot scope there


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## WOOD 270

High Shoulder


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## Gut_Pile

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



took the works right out of my mouth


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## 12gamag

neck shot-they will drop in their tracks...


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## robertyb

12gamag said:


> neck shot-they will drop in their tracks...



a little low and they will starve to death.   

Shoulder shot for DRT.


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## Jim Thompson

j_seph said:


> Jim is that your new red dot scope there




lol nope its hangunners, I stole the pic from him


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## mauser64

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



I vote for a little lower and to the right. Just in the crease behind the shoulder. Might not go right down but physically provides the greatest margin of error just in case.


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## germag

I found that the spot that Jim pointed out works very, very well for the reasons he stated. However, I did find also that you will destroy the shoulder on the off-side. So, what I've done now is to move the point of aim back a little so I'm just behind the shoulder and up a couple of inches. If you hit your mark, the shot will still get the lungs and it will shock the spinal cord and he'll drop right in his tracks 99% of the time. If he does run, he'll usually only go a few feet....and you destroy a minimal amount of meat. 


BUT....You really need to place that shot well. If you pull the shot and hit a little further back, you might get into the salad bar. Not a pleasant deer-cleaning experience.

If you are a good marksman and are confident with your shooting, you can't beat a head shot or a good neck shot. You have a fair amount of latitude on neck shots....not so much with head shots. The problem with head shooting them is that they tend to move their heads unexpectedly and quickly. You can cause some horrific wounds that are not immediately fatal and may not provide much of a blood trail, and the deer can run off, die a slow and agonizing death, and not be found. One of the guys in my club shot a doe and tried to head shoot her. He shot her lower jaw almost completely off and she got back up and ran. We would not have ever found her, but after we got through spending about 4 hours searching for her and were leaving the area on the 4-wheelers, she ran across the logging road in front of me and stopped out in the planted pines and I shot her again. If you attempt head shots, make sure that you are good enough with your rifle and confident enough in the shot to put the bullet through the brain. If you take a shot you're not sure about, it is an unethical shot, IMHO.


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## Mako22

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



Sounds like good advice to me, thanks. One of the places I am hunting this year is VERY thick on either side of the lane my stand is on. I would like to avoid trailing in the thick stuff if possible.


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## GA DAWG

If you put it were Jim shows.Want be no blood trailing..Neck and you want trail em either..


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## burkecountydeer

I aim for the shoulder area . They wont go far if they do go any where .


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## Lead Poison

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



Jim is absolutely right!  

For the record, I'm strongly against taking _any_ head shots and this includes shooting does!


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## catalpa

high shoulder works great, base of neck if you want to save a little meat


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## Six million dollar ham

High neck shot for spinal cord/major blood vessels.  The last 3 deer I killed were high neck....at just below the white spot.  They dropped and flopped a little. You either miss or essentially decapitate with a 30/06 150gr.  A little bleat tends to make 'em stop what they're doing and stick their head straight up for a perfect opportunity.







Head shots are easy to miss and  you could take their jaw off so I have learned to stay away from those.


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## Gadget

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters





Right on the money, and like others have said, DO NOT go for neck or head shots, margin of error is too small......I've seen wounded and lost deer from both.


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## whitworth

*Shoulder*

On the profile, straight up the front leg.  Not always as high as Jim Thompson's example. Found they usually drop on the spot. 

Neck shot, severing the spinal column will drop a deer instantaneously.  

Find that a lot of experts on meat damage, never butchered a deer.


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## tcward

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



Exactly.


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## poolman67

Shoot does in the neck of head (don't waste meat). Shoot buck in shoulder


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## germag

whitworth said:


> Find that a lot of experts on meat damage, never butchered a deer.



I didn't follow that.


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## PWalls

My preferred shot is the neck. Drops them right there. No loss of meat. But I only take that shot if they are perfectly calm and everything is just "right". If all is not right, then I put it in the "crease" at the backside of the front shoulder and then just track the deer if the shock doesn't drop them. I shoot deer for the meat. I do not lie to waste the front shoulders (they make good roasts for BBQ). I have taken a couple of head shots in my past. No negative results. But, everything was perfect. I do not plan on doing it anymore.


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## germag

I head and neck shoot does all the time. I've never missed one, I've never wounded one and I've never lost one (from a head or neck shot). I've had 3 on the ground at once...3 shots, 3 head-shot does. There are some folks, however, that have no business trying it....no doubt about that. I've seen what can happen when a marginal or poor marksman tries a shot that is outside of his capabilities. 

Like Pwalls, I hunt for meat. I don't like wasting meat if I don't have to. I butcher all of my own deer, and when I'm done with it, all that's left is a pile of bones. I even get all of the meat between the ribs.


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## Mako22

germag said:


> I head and neck shoot does all the time. I've never missed one, I've never wounded one and I've never lost one (from a head or neck shot). I've had 3 on the ground at once...3 shots, 3 head-shot does. There are some folks, however, that have no business trying it....no doubt about that. I've seen what can happen when a marginal or poor marksman tries a shot that is outside of his capabilities.
> 
> Like Pwalls, I hunt for meat. I don't like wasting meat if I don't have to. I butcher all of my own deer, and when I'm done with it, all that's left is a pile of bones. I even get all of the meat between the ribs.



What meat between the ribs?


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## chuckb7718

For the record, I'm a meat hunter. The mounts are bonuses!
I'm a pretty good shot and I used to head shoot does all the time, then it happened to me....I wounded one. At about 25 feet! She was absoloutely still and all I can figure is she moved her head at the last second. I found piles of blood, but I never found her. It was the most sickening hunting experience I've ever had and I will never forget it! I no longer attempt head shots.
Broadside, it goes in the crease. Facing straight on, right below the throat patch.


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## dawg2

Woodsman69 said:


> Where is the best place to shoot a deer to put it down right where it stands? Head, neck, spine, shoulder or behind the shoulder? Please no lectures on ethics or telling me to get better at blood trailing, I know all that already. I just want to know from you guys where to shoot if you want to put one down right there. Thanks



Middle / upper neck.  Never runs.  Have killed a lot with that shot and you just get up and get your deer, minimal meat loss.


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## hunter44a

agree with JT. works well with all popular deer rounds


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## capt stan

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



BINGO!!!!!

I'd also add that every big hog I have hit in the high shoulder area with a rifle or a slug has has the same effect......... down!


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## germag

Woodsman69 said:


> What meat between the ribs?




There's about 1 or 2 lbs of meat between the ribs. It's enough to make a pack of hamburger meat. It takes about 5 minutes of effort to get it if you know how. It seems a little excessive, I guess....but I just have this thing about wasting it. The old fellow that taught me how to process a deer all those years ago was a retired butcher and he didn't waste a scrap of meat. If he saw you throwing bones on the pile that still had meat on them, he'd grab the bones and get the meat you left off them. He never said anything, but the message was pretty clear.  

I even use the neck for soup stock if it's not too bloodshot from a neck shot.

I seen a lot of people that just pull the backstraps out and _maybe_ take the hams and throw the rest away. It makes me sick. Seems like an awful big coincidence that ALL of the deer carcasses I see dumped on the side of the road are done that way...it sort of tells you something about the kind of people that dump deer carcasses like that.  Probably poached the deer too.


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## germag

chuckb7718 said:


> For the record, I'm a meat hunter. The mounts are bonuses!
> I'm a pretty good shot and I used to head shoot does all the time, then it happened to me....I wounded one. At about 25 feet! She was absoloutely still and all I can figure is she moved her head at the last second. I found piles of blood, but I never found her. It was the most sickening hunting experience I've ever had and I will never forget it! I no longer attempt head shots.
> Broadside, it goes in the crease. Facing straight on, right below the throat patch.



A lost deer is a lost deer and a bad shot is a bad shot. You can loose a deer from a poorly placed shoulder shot just as well as from a poorly placed neck shot or head shot. If you miss, you just missed. There is no difference. So, when you loose one from a poorly placed shoulder shot are you going to say "I'll never try that broadside shoulder shot again."? 

In fact....thinking about it, there might be a _bigger_ chance for wounding a deer with a shoulder shot. The head is a small targer compared to the chest shot. If you miss the head, it is more likely to be a complete, clean miss. If you miss your mark on a chest shot, you will probably still hit the deer...somewhere. The big difference is probably just in _our_ head. It seems horrible for the deer to run off and die from having it's jaw shot off.....but it's really no different from running off and dying slowly from having been brisket-shot.

The only deer I've ever lost was from a shoulder shot. I've never lost a single one from a head or neck shot.


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## JBowers

Through the aortic arch


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## formula1

*Re:*

What Jim says will put them down, but as others have said, it can be messy on the far shoulder.

I prefer to put it a little farther back in the crease. Less meat damage and lots of blood if I have to track it.  I've taken an occasional head shot on does from directly above(last one was about 10 years ago).   They are deadly, but you better be sure conditions are perfect, IMHO.  The high percentage shots in the boiler room are what I prefer.


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## tyler1

What Jim said.  

I have a friend that uses a 222 or a 223 I am not sure and drops every deer he shoots in it tracks.    Not bad for such a small gun.


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## ultramag

exactly broadside and straight thru the shoulders


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## Hit-n-Miss

If you are a good enough shot. Nothing beats a neck shot. I have only had 1 very large buck not drop dead. He fell then stood back up after a minute. I just finished him off with another shot.(It was with a .222)


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## JasonTyree04

It all depends on how fast they're running and who's holding the light.    

Just kidding. I always go for the neck if under 100 yds. Anything over 100 I go high shoulder


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## Jim Thompson

mauser64 said:


> I vote for a little lower and to the right. Just in the crease behind the shoulder. Might not go right down but physically provides the greatest margin of error just in case.




thats where I hit if I am low and to the right a hair


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## NOYDB

balvarik said:


> Shoulder shot by the wife with her G20 10mm with me for size comparison.
> 
> Mike



Wow Mike, why is your wife shooting such little deer??????


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## dawg2

germag said:


> There's about 1 or 2 lbs of meat between the ribs. It's enough to make a pack of hamburger meat. It takes about 5 minutes of effort to get it if you know how. It seems a little excessive, I guess....but I just have this thing about wasting it. The old fellow that taught me how to process a deer all those years ago was a retired butcher and he didn't waste a scrap of meat. If he saw you throwing bones on the pile that still had meat on them, he'd grab the bones and get the meat you left off them. He never said anything, but the message was pretty clear.
> 
> I even use the neck for soup stock if it's not too bloodshot from a neck shot.
> 
> I seen a lot of people that just pull the backstraps out and _maybe_ take the hams and throw the rest away. It makes me sick. Seems like an awful big coincidence that ALL of the deer carcasses I see dumped on the side of the road are done that way...it sort of tells you something about the kind of people that dump deer carcasses like that.  Probably poached the deer too.




I cut all neck meat off all the wauy up to the head (cutting around where I shoot).  I take flanks off the ribs and grind it up.  I use both front shoulder(which is why I do not like shooting them there) and both hams, backstraps etc.  I waste very little, except when trimming it up for the grinder.  The trimmings get cooked in a big pan and fed to my dog.  Only thing left when I am done are bones and the forelegs.


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## Bravo2020

I support what Jim said.


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## scottyd917

i personally think that the shoulder is the best place to put them down, but i have a few buddies that wont shoot does anywhere but the white patch under their throat, or right between the eyes. i like the shoulder most of all, partly because most of the time you get a souvenier after you skin them.....


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## Workin2Hunt

Neck shot


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## CPiper

What Jim T. wrote.

Here is a very good read on this very subject ....
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/deer/articlegad.html


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## Slings and Arrows

Jim's the man!  Drop em where they stand!


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## Jim Thompson

CPiper said:


> What Jim T. wrote.
> 
> Here is a very good read on this very subject ....
> http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/deer/articlegad.html




from that article



> So what shot placement is the best. Neck shots worked well in this study, but they can be problematic because the target area is very small and there is a risk of wounding associated with the target. Potential problems include a shot to the esophagus or mandible. Also, spine shots can be ruled out as a recommenced shot because few shots are consciously directed at the spine. In other words, most spine shots result from shots that miss their mark high and incidentally hit the spine.
> Based on the data collected in this study we feel that the best shot placement for deer is the shot directed at the shoulder. Traveling an average of only 3 yards, deer shot in the shoulder traveled significantly less distance than deer shot in the heart, lungs, or abdomen. Also, with such a short distance of travel, deer shot squarely in the shoulder did not generally leave the hunter's sight. In this study, the broadside shoulder shot essentially gave results similar to what most hunters expect from a neck shot. Presumably the broadside shoulder shot works well because it strikes part of the heart and or lungs which itself is a mortal blow. However, a shot through the scapula damages the brachial plexus which the central nervous system thereby rendering the animal immobile. It knocks the animal out and it never regains consciousness. Also, the shoulder is a very large target offering room for error; a high shot hits the spine, a low shot the heart and a shot to the rear hits the lungs.


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## Jim Thompson

btw someone asked me in a pm if I take this shot with a bow?

nope, this is for guns only.  bow is always in the boiler room


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## Big Mike

Good thread. Thanks for the visual aids.


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## Sultan of Slime

dawg2 said:


> I cut all neck meat off all the wauy up to the head (cutting around where I shoot).  I take flanks off the ribs and grind it up.  I use both front shoulder(which is why I do not like shooting them there) and both hams, backstraps etc.  I waste very little, except when trimming it up for the grinder.  The trimmings get cooked in a big pan and fed to my dog.  Only thing left when I am done are bones and the forelegs.




 X2


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## Paymaster

If ya want it to drop immediately then high shoulder. But for me I punch the ribs. Blows out both lungs and ruins no meat. It will leave a blood trail a blind person can follow. I have no problem trailing a few yards to save the meat.


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## germag

dawg2 said:


> I cut all neck meat off all the wauy up to the head (cutting around where I shoot).  I take flanks off the ribs and grind it up.  I use both front shoulder(which is why I do not like shooting them there) and both hams, backstraps etc.  I waste very little, except when trimming it up for the grinder.  The trimmings get cooked in a big pan and fed to my dog.  Only thing left when I am done are bones and the forelegs.



Yep. That's pretty much the same way I do. I have a meat cooler that I can hang the quarters in for 3 or 4 days before I butcher them. It makes the meat a LOT easier to work with and the aging process works just like it does on beef.

If I was going to waste half the meat, I wouldn't kill the deer in the first place.


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## red tail

I'm with Jim.  High shouolder. 

It is where i have always been told to aim.  i have shoot them in the neck and they drop in their tracks.


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## Six million dollar ham

Jim Thompson said:


> from that article
> 
> _Neck shots worked well in this study, but they can be problematic because the target area is very small and there is a risk of wounding associated with the target. Potential problems include a shot to the esophagus or mandible._



There's no chance of a wound *if *you give them a bleat or short whistle while already aiming.  They pop straight up and present an easy target.  If the jaw is hit then the bullet still goes through the head or upper neck.  If the esophagus is hit, so is the spine and/or carotid arteries.  Otherwise the chance of wounding would be nicking the sliver of skin and a little tissue.  No gut shots and no leg shots this way.

I guess it's different for a profile neck  shot, but that's a bad decision to take such a shot anyhow.  It likely means the deer is walking or poking around if you don't make it freeze.


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## Mako22

Great replys on this thread, thanks fellas. I learned alot I did not know about shot placement.


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## shadow2

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



yep that will do it every time


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## Itchy Finger

I love neck shots! I'll keep waiting till I can get a good neck shot on him. Small room for error but, if you hit him just right he'll go down right there in his tracks! That's why I love them neck shots! Right behind the shoulder is my next best location. Sometimes they'll drop right there in their tracks or run a short distance. I WILL NOT take an unethical shot! If I do make a bad shot it is human error and not intentionally. If I can't get "My shot" I won't shoot! Simple as that! I've let many fine bucks go over the years because I couldn't get a good shot on him. Also, I've had second chances on them same deer and lucked up and harvested it.

We all will make a bad shot once in awhile but, we can better our odds if we'll just focus on the shot placement and not them "branches" growing out of the deer's head!

Another thing, I shoot a lot and know my equipment extremely well. I also know my own limitations as a shooter. Practice, practice, practice! We at least, owe that to the deer!


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## doublelungdriller

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



amen, and it works everytime.


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## Ricky

You want to hit the scapula,which is the triangular shaped shoulder bone.DRT


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## shoot2grill

Nobody mentioned it but in front of shoulder(base of neck)works really good for dropping the too.


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## BCondor77

I have always done the same as Paymaster.  Just behind the shoulder, aiming for a heart shot.  I have missed only once and hit the spine....scope was off (that's my story and I am sticking to it!).  

I really like the idea of the shoulder shot, but I really want the meat.  The heart shot is best for blood trail and definitely taking the deer out.  Sometimes it's a DRT, others it's 50-100 yards, but you find the deer.  Very little if no damage to the meat.


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## bross07

high shoulder.....


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## cav268

i agree with Jim. High shoulder. they never take a step..


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## Wide Earp

mauser64 said:


> I vote for a little lower and to the right. Just in the crease behind the shoulder. Might not go right down but physically provides the greatest margin of error just in case.



I agree with a little more right, towards the deer's rear, that way you don't mess up the meat at the top of the shoulder, I have put several 22-250 "smokin' holes" right there and they drop like a rag doll


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## TYHIGG

*Best Shot*

Where Is The Best Shot For A Bow? Or Is It The Same Place As A Gun?


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## bighonkinjeep

The best place to shoot a deer, And the best place to shoot em and drop em in their tracks are 2 different questions. I shoot em right behind the crease in the shoulder 1/3 of the way up.(straight through the heart) Taught my two boys to do the same. None of us have ever lost a deer and the front shoulders are usually intact. Many drop right where they stand. All of em drop.

Wanna turn em off like a switch? Right behind the ear.( what did you expect its a fact)


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## Jim Thompson

FREELY said:


> Where Is The Best Shot For A Bow? Or Is It The Same Place As A Gun?



just behind the crease in the shoulder when standing broadside.  when angling away then try to visualize aiming for the off shoulder.

most important thing with a bow in your hands is to deflate both lungs.


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## droptine20

that shoulder blade is where jim put his red dot,, so does that mean your bullet is intended to take out that bone or hit that bone,,plus take out other arteries?


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## Dead Eye Eddy

I hate to track deer.  I get too nervous when they run out of sight.  The high shoulder shot works well, but you usually lose at least one shoulder.  Over the last 15 years of so, I've shot most of my deer at the base of the neck about 2 inches in front of the shoulder.  You lose the neck roast, but unless it's quartering towards you, you save both shoulders.  In the last few years, I've found out how good the neck roast can be in a deer stew, so I've started saving as many of them as I can.  On my dad's deer, it's not a problem, because he shoots for the lungs.  I've now taken 3 does with head shots.  In each case, the conditions were perfect, and I don't regret my decision.  I would do it again.

So I guess you have to decide how much meat you're willing to waste to guarantee a deer that is DRT?

high shoulder = easiest shot, but most meat loss
base of neck = a little more difficult, but shoulders are saved
head = most difficult shot, chance of wounding loss, but no lost meat.


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## How2fish

I'm old and can't see blood very well,plus in 30 years of hunting I've killed 2 deer I couldn't recover..it means more to me to ensure the deer is dispatched as quickly as possible and I use big bullets and the high shoulder shot whenever I can..I hunt from the ground a lot and have never had one go 15 yards I think the angle from the ground increases the killing power of that shot. I've had both shoulders blown up before and other times very little damage to either...but not tracking or wounding one to me is worth the loss of a couple of pounds of meat.


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## timetohunt

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



OK would you use this same shot placement for both gun and bow or for bow do you shoot behind the shoulder?


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## Gadget

timetohunt said:


> OK would you use this same shot placement for both gun and bow or for bow do you shoot behind the shoulder?



No,Behind the shoulder


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## RipperIII

...All I know is, the only deer that I've shot was hit in the scapula area, he stood straight up on his hind legs and fell over backwards, kicked a little and flopped once...that was that. Plenty of blood to see had he moved off. I was aiming for the crease just behind the fore leg and shot about 1" high and 1" right on a 130 yd quartering away shot. the bullet entered the shoulder and left a nickle sized exit wound at the base of the neck on the off side, took out the carotid, lots of blood, little spoiled meat,...so for my money, the scapula will be my go to shot.
whoops, thsi should have been posted on the gun blog,....sorry


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## golffreak

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



Yep.


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## CPiper

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/deer/articlegad.html


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## Bruz

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



I either shoot there or forward about 5 inches on the point of the shoulder where it meets the neck depending on the circumstances. If I ever get the chance for a long shot then I will aim for vitals.

Robert


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## rastus270

Head Shot..........


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## drumbum77

Great Thread!!!  

My first deer I was hunting with my father.  He told me to aim for the shoulder and I hit very low and hit the heart.  The buck ran about 120 yards and stopped.  My dad took aim and place the second shot directly where Jim said.  The knees buckled and the deer was....DOWN!!! 

After seeing with my own eyes just how far a deer can run with his heart blown out...I always aim high shoulder.


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## Hammack

it really depends on my mood.  I have shot a ton of them in the neck, and have never had one take a step.  If I go the shoulder route I tend to shoot dead for the shoulder joint.  Most will not move and if they do it will not be out of sight with plenty of blood to follow.  If you want to see a deer run shoot behind the shoulder or low.  Then get ready to trail in most cases.


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## dawg2

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters



That wastes too much meat!

Neck shot and they go nowhere but down.


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## smitty8765

That high shoulder shot won't bloodshot the backstraps? That is the only reason I have never aimed there.


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## Apex Predator

I don't think many hunters know where the spine is.  It sure ain't above that little red dot!


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## How2fish

smitty8765 said:


> That high shoulder shot won't bloodshot the backstraps? That is the only reason I have never aimed there.



smitty never happened to any of the ones I've shot.


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## heavymetalhunter

Woodsman69 said:


> I just want to know from you guys where to shoot if you want to put one down right there. Thanks



put it right in the computer, preferably in that little hole in the side of the head that they hear stuff out of. works for me.


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## head shot

Shoot'em in the one that winks, not the one that stinks!


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## Pete Gray

Apex Predator said:


> I don't think many hunters know where the spine is.  It sure ain't above that little red dot!



That red dot is right on the spine as best I can tell...maybe under a hair.  The spine is right in that area, under the scapula, at the shoulder of a deer if you look at an overlay of a deer's anatomical layout.

I try to put it right there.  I agree with JT.


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## BornToHuntAndFish

Thanks for lots of good info & pics in this one.


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## shortround1

Nicodemus said:


> Another plus for the high shoulder shot.


what nic said!


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## ugadeer

Jim and others are right........the high shoulder shot is the correct answer, this is backed up by a long term study conducted in the 90's on cedar knoll hunt club in SC........over 500 deer were harvested, shot placement and distance traveled was measured......results were published in N. American Whitetail in the late 90's...........neck shots are risky business especially with calibers smaller than .30 and on bucks with larger necks as the "sweet spot" shrinks during the rut.........high shoulder shots are the ticket.


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## stuart smith

Neck shot!They ALWAYS drop for me.


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## pastorjdh

Hammack said:


> it really depends on my mood.  I have shot a ton of them in the neck, and have never had one take a step.  If I go the shoulder route I tend to shoot dead for the shoulder joint.  Most will not move and if they do it will not be out of sight with plenty of blood to follow.  If you want to see a deer run shoot behind the shoulder or low.  Then get ready to trail in most cases.



Exactly. I was told to shoot in the crease behind the shoulder. I shot one a few days ago perfectly in the crease and it was right in the heart area. I was at a slight angle so the exit wound came out through the ribs. It took off running like nothing happened and I could not find any blood but I know my gun and my skills and I knew I hit it. It took me hours to find the deer in the woods about 120 yards from where I shot it. I had to go back the next day to finally find it. Two weeks ago I shot one about three inches back from the crease and did not find her until 7 days later while looking for another. That is the third deer this year that has taken off running after being shot with a 30-06 150gr soft point bullet. For now on I am going for the neck or high shoulder. I don't think the lungs or crease behind the shoulder is a good shot unless it is in open country or you have a dog to hunt it down for you. Thanks to all on here.


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## BigCats

Gut shot


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## Chester Co. Deer Hunter

*Shoulder*

Jim Thompson is dead on.


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## pse hunter

I have not had one run off with a neck shot and I never miss  NOT


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## gabowbuck

high shoulder


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## Rich M

I wonder about deer going 100 yards after a 150 gr bullet tears thru them.  Tough critters!

My father taught me to take out a shoulder - only 1 if possible.  I have yet to track a deer I have hit this way with a rifle.

Yes, you lose 2 or 3 pounds of meat but the deer doesn't go anywhere.


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## georgia_home

i like jims placement, and i also like the spot down a little and just back a tad... have done both, and they work extremely well.

without the shoulders, its hard for them to run. anywhere.

down/back SLIGHTLY, heart lungs... works well for me to.

both shots allow for margin of error, and still a quick kill. if not perfect broadside, quartering away, low/back will come out through opposite leg. if quartering to, shoulder will usually do lung damage.

also, i dont know about the everyone else... since in usually hunt with shorter shots, and long range accuracy isn't as important... i try to hedge heavy on my loads... 243, i use 100gr, '06 i use 220.

does anyone else go a little beefier on the load when they can? just to maybe hit a little harder?


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## BigTgainesville

if the deer is close enough i prefer a neck or head shot( with in 80yrds) if they are out further i like a high shoulder shot.


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## DanBROWNING

bighonkinjeep said:


> The best place to shoot a deer, And the best place to shoot em and drop em in their tracks are 2 different questions. I shoot em right behind the crease in the shoulder 1/3 of the way up.(straight through the heart) Taught my two boys to do the same. None of us have ever lost a deer and the front shoulders are usually intact. Many drop right where they stand. All of em drop.
> 
> Wanna turn em off like a switch? Right behind the ear.( what did you expect its a fact)



x2. never lost a deer.


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## alvishere

Jim Thompson said:


> high shoulder shot.  IF you miss forward they drop, if you miss back you get both lungs, if you miss low they die quick, if you miss high you get spine...if you are on they drop like taters


winner winner chickin dinner!!


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## Mako22

I can't believe that y'all brought this old thread back up again.


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