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Feb 7th, 2025
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 Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: stxranchman]
#4618690
10/01/13 04:28 AM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 955
Nate C.
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 955 |
I aim for the boiler room--more specifically the heart. Low and just behind the front leg when the leg is extended in front of them. I've had them drop in place; sometimes somersault and drop; and sometimes jump and run, but they never traveled never more than 40 yards at the most.
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: stxranchman]
#4618757
10/01/13 05:31 AM
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,466
Jkd106
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,466 |
Have used both, close usually heart, longer distances, i try to pin the shoulders.
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: stxranchman]
#4619051
10/01/13 01:10 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,793
ccoker
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,793 |
that's the spot..
if he was quartering towards me I would move the crosshairs down 3-4 inches and forward 3-4
I have also shot dead center of chest and it drops them but the bullet can get in the guts.. did that once
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: ccoker]
#4619100
10/01/13 01:22 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11,124
LandPirate
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11,124 |
A properly placed high shoulder shot puts the deer down in his tracks because it severs the spine. If the deer didn't go down immediately you missed the mark.
Mike
Buda, Tx
Hunt near Freer
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: bjones2571]
#4619177
10/01/13 01:47 PM
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 693
TX35
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 693 |
With a rifle. What say you? Also which do you value more in the trade-off: Bang/Flop with some meat loss vs. Less meat loss but chance at having to track the deer a ways.
Help me out, I'm a newb at deer hunting. It will also depend on angle of shot, but either one with a good bullet with an adequate caliber will suffice.
“I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." 
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: stxranchman]
#4619356
10/01/13 02:37 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,068
jdickey
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,068 |
When y'all are saying 'high shoulder', where exactly are y'all talking? Every deer I've ever shot has been heart/lung shots & they ALWAYS run a bit. Even lost one 2 years ago that was a 'perfect' boiler room shot. He ran the 40 yds to the thick woods & disappeared. After 4 of us searching for hours that night & the next morning we never found him. I've never shot a deer & it just drop.  BEST SHOT THERE IS! This season marks 60 years of deer hunting, and about 10 years ago, I changed over to the top of the shoulder shot, shooting my .270 with Hornady bullets, haven't tracked a deer since! Saw an explanation by Dr. Kroll about the effects of that shot, and that's when I changed my shot placement.
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: jdickey]
#4619390
10/01/13 02:48 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 9,952
LFD2037
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 9,952 |
I read last night from a pathologist(I think) that says lung shot is better than heart. When heart is shot it stops pumping so little blood trail. When lungs are shot the blood pressures drops instantly & heart pumps tons of blood to compensate so blood trail is obvious. Makes sense. I'm going to try yall's high shoulder shot for the first time this year. Maybe I won't have to track a deer for the first time ever. Last year I shot 2 bucks & 2 doe. 1 buck got shot higher & more forward then I intended(it appeared to be a high shoulder shot). He only took a couple steps but kicked for a couple minutes.
R.I.P. CPO Matt Mills-(DEVGRU)- You will NEVER be forgotten!
10-25-75 / 8-6-11 *K.I.A.*
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: stxranchman]
#4619429
10/01/13 02:59 PM
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 788
hermano W
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 788 |
If the deer is angled, which they most often are, I calculate to hit the far shoulder. LFD2037, what kind of rifle are you using? If you use a bullet heavy enough to penetrate a little bone, try a shot placement that clips a little of the spine, and they normally won't run.
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: jdickey]
#4619442
10/01/13 03:02 PM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,515
tlk
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,515 |
When y'all are saying 'high shoulder', where exactly are y'all talking? Every deer I've ever shot has been heart/lung shots & they ALWAYS run a bit. Even lost one 2 years ago that was a 'perfect' boiler room shot. He ran the 40 yds to the thick woods & disappeared. After 4 of us searching for hours that night & the next morning we never found him. I've never shot a deer & it just drop. BEST SHOT THERE IS! This season marks 60 years of deer hunting, and about 10 years ago, I changed over to the top of the shoulder shot, shooting my .270 with Hornady bullets, haven't tracked a deer since! Saw an explanation by Dr. Kroll about the effects of that shot, and that's when I changed my shot placement. I like this shot except maybe an inch or two lower and an inch or two centered more over the front leg - from my experience that does the trick
You can't fix stupid
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: hermano W]
#4619499
10/01/13 03:16 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 9,952
LFD2037
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 9,952 |
LFD2037, what kind of rifle are you using? Last year a 6.8mm(.277) w/110gr Accubonds. This year a .308 w/165gr Sierra Gamekings.
R.I.P. CPO Matt Mills-(DEVGRU)- You will NEVER be forgotten!
10-25-75 / 8-6-11 *K.I.A.*
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: LFD2037]
#4619726
10/01/13 04:09 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 191
Kingpin
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 191 |
I used to always go for the neck-shot but lost a deer six years ago and switched over to the high-shoulder. The deer I lost was on a good friend's ranch and I felt sick about it for years (still do). Still not sure what happened, deer went down hard, did not move for ten minutes, then crawled off. High shoulder is more room for error and puts the deer DOWN.
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: ccoker]
#4619887
10/01/13 04:57 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 970
Erich
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 970 |
all personal preference i suppose. a deer shot behind the front shoulder (boiler-room)at times will run a little, or sometimes they stay right there. this is where i shoot my deer almost always, i like it becuase it doesn't obliterate the shoulders, its a big target, and it gets the job done. i shoot a .270 with 150grn partition bullets, and/or a .223 with 60grn partition bullets. by deer generally run a short ways...but seldom make it more than 20yds, which means they seldom if ever even make it out of sight.....so tracking is not a big deal.
a deer shot through the shoulders with a good caliber rifle...will break both front shoulders and deer will generally drop right there. also a big target, also very effective, just more to clean up at the skinning pole. my wife shoots them there, nothign wrong with it.
my advice....if you're going to shoot deer regularly in either of these spots. take the time to get a good "bonded" bullet. these bullets will have much more controlled/reliable expansion.
taking either of these shots with an off the shelf soft point or ballistic tip type bullet will result in MUCH MUCH more of an exit wound and meat damage....
i swear by NOSLER PARTITION bullets. they shoot very accurately, they expand just enough, but not too much as to make an un-necessary mess out of my game. on my .270 the 150grn bullets will have a caliber size entry wound with an exit wound something like an inch and a half....plenty hole to bleed out of. with the .223 and the 60grn partitions....the bullet will pass all the way thru the animal (even thru both front shoulder blades). very effective, very easy to shoot.
Outdoorsman
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: Erich]
#4619910
10/01/13 05:02 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 970
Erich
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 970 |
i used to shoot deer in the head/neck, nothign wrong with this shot either. its just what i would call "lower percentage" meaning more margin for error. as i've hunted more, and become more involved with higher quality deer management it has become more important to me that the deer is collected with a high degree of certainty, than the glorious-ness of my shot.
the shoulder is a big target, with relatively a larger tolerance of error. you will pretty well always find your deer.
neck shots....if you don't break the neck-bone...you will have to shoot that deer again. and/or lose him.
especially looking at larger mature bucks....that neck is big and broad....you hare guessing at where that neck bone is. if all you do is clip a large section of neck meat, and not the bone...you'd better be re-loading and following up quickly. that deer will not bleed well, will not track well, and WILL get up.
Outdoorsman
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Re: Shot placement: Boiler room or High shoulder?
[Re: Erich]
#4620283
10/01/13 07:05 PM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,515
tlk
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,515 |
all personal preference i suppose. a deer shot behind the front shoulder (boiler-room)at times will run a little, or sometimes they stay right there. this is where i shoot my deer almost always, i like it becuase it doesn't obliterate the shoulders, its a big target, and it gets the job done. i shoot a .270 with 150grn partition bullets, and/or a .223 with 60grn partition bullets. by deer generally run a short ways...but seldom make it more than 20yds, which means they seldom if ever even make it out of sight.....so tracking is not a big deal.
a deer shot through the shoulders with a good caliber rifle...will break both front shoulders and deer will generally drop right there. also a big target, also very effective, just more to clean up at the skinning pole. my wife shoots them there, nothign wrong with it.
my advice....if you're going to shoot deer regularly in either of these spots. take the time to get a good "bonded" bullet. these bullets will have much more controlled/reliable expansion.
taking either of these shots with an off the shelf soft point or ballistic tip type bullet will result in MUCH MUCH more of an exit wound and meat damage....
i swear by NOSLER PARTITION bullets. they shoot very accurately, they expand just enough, but not too much as to make an un-necessary mess out of my game. on my .270 the 150grn bullets will have a caliber size entry wound with an exit wound something like an inch and a half....plenty hole to bleed out of. with the .223 and the 60grn partitions....the bullet will pass all the way thru the animal (even thru both front shoulder blades). very
effective, very easy to shoot. I like the Winchester XP3 (old fail safe) loads - 165-180 grain on large south texas deer - for my rifle they do the trick -
You can't fix stupid
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