if a deer or hog is facing you and you have a clear shot at the front of their chest- is it a good target for vitals or is the vital region too small

Good question Ramsey, I would like to see the responses. I have done it with a rifle but not a bow. Not only a small target area but maybe the sternum would wreck havoc with the shot?

It's an excellent shot. I shoot grim reapers and would smoke them.

If you can shoot well, it's a kill shot.

I would hesitate to do it with a bow though

I would never attempt a head on shot or a quatering toward shot with a bow. There are way to many things to go wrong with those types of shots. I only take broadside and quartering away with the bow.

The question was are what are the chances of hitting something vital, and to that I'd say pretty dang good. In the chest cavity you have almost exclusively heart, lung, and liver. Like previously mentioned, the reason all those goodies are stored up there is because they have good protection (hence strong areas like the sternum and lots of ribs). I haven't made this shot before, but I did do a head shot with a bow on a hog recently, and it dropped instantly, plus no wasted meat with a head shot!

I've done the chest shot with a crossbow. Very quick kill.

I personally would not take a shot with a bow at an animal coming directly at me. I have tracked too many deer and not recovered them for other hunters that have attempted this shot.

The margin of error is smaller than you would think. It is difficult to get both lungs at this angle. You are basically attempting to hit the heart, catch one lung or cut an artery. The blood trail is typically weaker compared to a broadside shot.

With a bow, I only take broadside shots or quartered away shots and would never aim at the head.

ill shoot a hog no matter what way its facing...i always aim right inside the sholder instead of dead middle of the sturnem... deer not so much

Hi All,
There is just no way to condone that shot with a bow. It is always a bad shot. In a climate where our sport is under constant scrutiny we must adhere to the most ethical of standards. Even without the scrutiny we owe it to the fellow living beings that we only take high percentage killing shots. A frontal shot with a bow is a poor choice. I am also concerned that some feel less responsible for an ethical kill because something is considered a vermin. While it may be desirable to rid the ecosystem of them we as sportsman have a responsability to take any animal as cleanly and humanely as possible.The sooner we all come to this realization the sooner we take a major weapon out of the hands of the anti hunting and anti weapon organizations.At the same time making our sport look like the reasonable and wholesome birthright it indeed is.

thank-Jerry

thanks for the information . i will practice broadside and quartering away.

I've shot them right between the shoulders; leaves a heck of a mess field dressing one.

- this is a great point. Not that I suggest doing head shots, because it is a very advanced and difficult shot to execute(small target area). At any rate. I've never missed an intentional head shot, and the animal has always dropped and died on impact. In general, I think we can all agree that if we were talking most humane and ethical shot, one that delivers a lethal blow and quick death fits that description. In fact I would say this is more ethical than any vital shot you could make (deer running an average of 100 yds after vital shot, that's not quick).

However, in most applications head shot is either not possible or ill advised based on difficulty and risk of flat out missing potentially a trophy animal.

I say lets all hug a tree and vote democrat.

Think what y'all want I'm gona keep on shootin... If it's a pig I'm gona do all I can to kill it... I'll let y'all hug it when it's dead

Yes being an ethical bowhunter makes me a tree hugging democrat. I knew I should have had your momma injest that one.

Easy killer. I didn't call you a democrat or a tree huger. But you did... As far as moms go lets get off of them because I just got off of yours!

Hahah reading this from top to bottom it takes a twist there at the end

I would say 99% of the time I am 30 feet up (give or take) in a tree and a head on shot I don’t think would work with that angle but I have always waited for that shot I am looking for even if that means praying to high heavens he comes back


Now if I am on the ground, that does change things, I feel I would almost be worried about going through everything into its guts, in theory, it seems like a shot that you are guaranteed to hit something vital and that’s always good but I still am not sure if it’s your best option

A deer or any animal can still run a long ways on 1 lung

Tough crowd.

From the ground on a hog yes.....deer maybe. . Elk under 15 yards all day long

Thanks Bobo

I think a hog carries his head too low to try to take a shot like that with a bow. The whitetail deer has its head up higher and I think it could be done.

Either way, I dont feel I have the skill to take that shot, but I have seen shots like that taken on fallow and have been very successful with a bow kill.

just because I feel like evidence should be provided to make a case in somewhat unconventional shots...a shot I took a few months ago, a little low and to the left I do admit, but dropped in its tracks...

here is something might help
[video:youtube]v=IbgdGTXt9is[/video] v=IbgdGTXt9is