Best place for a kill shot (Whitetail)

Best place for a kill shot? I prefer the woods but the edge of a cornfield is good too.

As close to the truck as possible.

The heart-lung shot is the best, surest kill area. On a broadside shot, Low, behind the front leg is the best. The first guy that says in the neck, just ignore anything he says from now on, as he doesn't know what he is talking about.

Not too low in the brisket behind the shoulder on a broadside deer, but I agree with Bustemclays to go for a lung shot and not take chancey head or neck shots. I've heard of too many deer getting away with blown off jaws or nasty neck wounds that were'nt immediately fatal. I always shoot deer, elk or antelope in the lungs.

Get an anatotomical chart of a deer and study where the heart/lunds are. Whitetails are no different from mulies or blacktails with where their lunds are. Yeh, duh! Right?

:wink:

Cougar said:

I've heard of too many deer getting away with blown off jaws or nasty neck wounds that were'nt immediately fatal.

Click to expand...

Hmmmm, I thought Slugs were 100% lethal? Producing the cleanest most humane kill possible. Or at least that is the impression some here give you.

:shock: :wink: :shock:

Well the heart,lung,liver triangle is where I put my pin. Since I bow hunt it might be a bit different for me.

I do have a couple of relatives that take neck shots like a religion. Course they have only been shooting deer for 50+ years. Each man has different abilibies with a gun, these guys dont miss...

MSCOTT hit the nail on the head! That is the best place I have ever heard of. It is also reccomended that it be uphill from the truck. (even if only a few feet) :roll:

Wait until they are going away from you and shoot them up their butthole!!!! Just kidding the heart/lung shot is always fatal. I have shot deer in their back leg/hip and killed them before though. (I admit it was a bad shot but it got him!!!)

I should've specified I've only been aware of a few deer and one elk this happened to, but out of dozens and dozens of BG killed, and even hundreds, I still would shoot only for the lungs. If you pierce the heart, thats a bonus.

My friend who mained the cow elk managed to kill it, with his very last shot! Which is a good lessen to carry a few extra reserve rounds than one might normally. My friend only had 5-6 rounds that day and was in deep snow on horseback. This was his first elk, but has since learned A LOT!! I never shoot for any target on the animal except the crease behind the shoulder. Only animal I've ever lost was on an antelope with a .220 Swift, and a hurried shot.

Neckshot first,lung shot second. I've NEVER had a deer take so much as a step after a well placed neck shot, just make sure both you and the gun are up to the task. If you can make CONSISTANT 1.5" groupings, a neck shot is very deadly.Aim for the base of the neck, not halfway up!!!

Any shot that penetrates the heart/lungs. Following up an animal with a broken jaw is nearly an excercise in futility and requires a lot of luck and good living to do. As mentioned, the neck shot is instantly fatal IF the animal is at a reasonable range, the shooter is familiar enough to know and visualize where the spinal chord is, and is able to absolutely hit a target that is an inch and a half thick at that range- honestly, how many people really qualify? Far and away the best shot is the heart and lungs- big easy to hit target and very fatal.

Amen, UglyDog.

acording to the texas hunter education course witch i did not need but took anyway the vital kill area is a small area around the bottom of the shoulder blade where the heart lung and liver is these acording to them are known as the vital organs that deer need to survive if hit they die i am new at this so i dont know but they get paid to educate new hunters so i would guess there right

I still have to agree with MSCOTT, that the best place to shoot a whitetail or any big game animule, is as close to the truck as possible, if not in the truck! :lol:

Neck shot .... ok now don't listen to me any more.

My opinion is a well placed neck shot that severs the spinal cord or artery will drop an animal within 2 feet of where you shot it. The target size is only 2 in high and it curves and moves. This means you have to be exact and confident. I only take that shot when I'm 99% sure I'll make it. Other wise I go for the heart lung combo which is always fatal but you may have to track for a while. For me it's about 50/50 with the neck shot prefered.

Here is some interesting info from the Remington.com site on the vital areas.

http://www.remington.com/magazine/previ ... re2hit.htm

I have shot deer in the neck, and it drops them like a stone - but they have to be close, and they have to be still - that target is too small to try on a deer thats moving at all. Through the heart/lungs, they will usually go no more than 25 yards before they drop. Gut shot is a different story....