Shoulder shooters?

[Guy Miner]

Hardpan, don't the lungs normally get hit pretty good with a shoulder shot? This has been the case on most of the deer I've clobbered with a shoulder shot - placed low on the shoulder. Higher on the shoulder, the spine is usually disrupted along with the shoulder.

Agree though, that lungs/heart are a prime target!

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Guy- Yes they do. Thats why I take them. Kinda hard for a bullet to miss the lungs when there right there between the shoulders...

 

[Powerstroke]

Remmy & Hardpan said it best....Absolutely 100% about bullet choice.

I've seen elk go miles with single broken shoulders / legs & fairly extensive internal damage. Once that bullet hits a fairly substantial amout of bone, none of us know where / what / how it is going to perform after that. ( Obviously stack your odds in your favor w/ premium bullets )

My experience is fairly limited to Mulies and Elk, but out to about 150yds or so, it's a neck shot ( they arn't going anywhere with that one )
Past that.... X-hairs are tucked tight behind the shoulder. Quartering away shots are also great as the opposite shoulder gives a great alignment point. If I can't get either one of those two shots, well I won't pull the trigger.... there are more out there.

A wounded elk on an adrenalen rush.........one will certianly need to ensure they have their comfy walking boots with them.
My experience with Mulies being hit, is they will go a short distance and lay down.

 

[hardpan]

Here are a couple of pics

You can see that a lot of shoulder bone is above the lungs, some in front. Unless you know that your bullet will break through that very large bone, and take out the heart or lungs, which is pretty hard to know, then I think that it is a bad shot to take. Most of the elk guides that I know agree with me... I have heard of moose guides state to shoot the shoulder 1st and then shoot the lungs so that the animal cannot run off, but that is a fairly rare exception. BTW, I have a few of those shoulder shots on film and you watch the elk run off on 3 legs. Makes for a very bad scene with a hunter that is paying you to guide and for your expertise. I have seen the elk problem with a 7mm WM, 30-06 and a .270. All did the same thing. Shot the elk, it ran off, and I tracked for a few hours. Recovery was a real problem...
Hardpan