Thebear_78
New member
Part of being a "good hunter" is making decisions about shot placement. When you make the decision to take a specific shot you have to factor in things that all add up to make that a successfull shot. Target size, angle, movement, bullet path, possible obstructions to bullet path, this is true even with the biggest most powefull calibers. Now take into effect that we are on the lower end of the power scale for animals of whitetails size. This makes every decision even more critical......
Head shot-
brain is vital but.....
very small target, very prone to fast movement, totally encased in bone making a glancing shot more likely. Overall percentage of successful shot = very small.
Heart/lung shot-
Heart, lungs, liver, and a plethora of vital arteries all vital.....
Largest possible target on any game animal, Lightly covered with small rib bones and muscle Overall percentage of succsess = Very good, best odds available.
Easy decision to me!
You have better odds shooting a deer square in the ham from a boradside veiw as you do a head shot. But I don't know anybody who advocates that shot.
Even if the deer is really close as many say they only take the head if the animal is close, why the heart lung shot is a slam dunk up close. Or if the animals is facing them or facing away, wait 2 min he will probably turn, and if it doesn't oh well thats part of hunting. If people want to impress themselves on how great a shot they are they can do that on paper.
Another thing is that I think people don't really understand the size or location of a deers brain. We are raised knowing that our brain takes up most of a humans head, so the assumption is that any shot to somethings head is likely to hit the brain. Human brains are much larger in relation to head size than whitetails, and all other animals for that matter. Go to a slaughter house and watch them saw a few animals heads in half lenghtwise and look at how small the brain cavity is and where its located in relation to the rest of the head. I learned long ago growing up on the farm how hard it is to actually hit an animal in the brain is. We used to to shoot a hog in the head before cutting it up. Its hard enough to do that even when your only a few feet away. You draw that imaginary line from the left ear to the right eye and the right ear to the left eye and shoot for the center of the X. If you don't hit it square you get an angry squealing hog.
IMHO there is simly no excuse for making a head shot at any big game animal while hunting.
Head shot-
brain is vital but.....
very small target, very prone to fast movement, totally encased in bone making a glancing shot more likely. Overall percentage of successful shot = very small.
Heart/lung shot-
Heart, lungs, liver, and a plethora of vital arteries all vital.....
Largest possible target on any game animal, Lightly covered with small rib bones and muscle Overall percentage of succsess = Very good, best odds available.
Easy decision to me!
You have better odds shooting a deer square in the ham from a boradside veiw as you do a head shot. But I don't know anybody who advocates that shot.
Even if the deer is really close as many say they only take the head if the animal is close, why the heart lung shot is a slam dunk up close. Or if the animals is facing them or facing away, wait 2 min he will probably turn, and if it doesn't oh well thats part of hunting. If people want to impress themselves on how great a shot they are they can do that on paper.
Another thing is that I think people don't really understand the size or location of a deers brain. We are raised knowing that our brain takes up most of a humans head, so the assumption is that any shot to somethings head is likely to hit the brain. Human brains are much larger in relation to head size than whitetails, and all other animals for that matter. Go to a slaughter house and watch them saw a few animals heads in half lenghtwise and look at how small the brain cavity is and where its located in relation to the rest of the head. I learned long ago growing up on the farm how hard it is to actually hit an animal in the brain is. We used to to shoot a hog in the head before cutting it up. Its hard enough to do that even when your only a few feet away. You draw that imaginary line from the left ear to the right eye and the right ear to the left eye and shoot for the center of the X. If you don't hit it square you get an angry squealing hog.
IMHO there is simly no excuse for making a head shot at any big game animal while hunting.
