Anchoring game. Why high shoulder over neck shots?

[Laguna Freak]

Neck I high shoulder have similar terminal effect when properly implemented. Neck may result in less meat loss. I have only done each once. since backing down to the 6mm ARC I have had a bit more confidence in implementing either shot with the high shoulder being favored when in doubt. The neck shot was only utilized as that was all that was offered for a target along with the head on a doe.

Had my doubts on sufficent bullet expansion, on soft tissue - with a 108 grain Elite Hunter on a 254 yard shot. The brute of a whitetail was out cold at the shot. High shoulder was implemented to good effect. Still learning as I go.

Idk, or care, what the 270 v 375 ****in' match is about but I let angle and timing of shot opportunity determine shot placement. I'll usually wait a short time for a quartering away shot to present (putting it through the offside shoulder after lungs and /or liver), but broadside near front of the main pumps always works. My personal favorite shot is head on dead center between the shoulders at the bottom of the neck, adjusted according to up hill, down hill, or level shot. I only do head shots out to 200 yd +\-.

 

[flyguy1]

I guess I still don't get it. Shot truckloads of deer with my .300 WinMag 180gr Partitions or Barnes, behind the shoulder. Most just dropped, a few walked a few steps. Just lucky I guess.

 

[Turpentine21]

Not necessarily. The 162 A-Max bullet that I used was a very fragile bullet.

I also use the 168 Amax and the 123 and 147 eldm for shoulder shots doing depredation but this is generally with 110-115 pound does. For years all I used for larger bucks was 270 with 130 grain Corlokt. I now prefer the accubond for hunting heavier deer.

I've. tracked Deer shot with about any caliber or weapon imaginable. Even with big calibers behind the shoulder there is a chance they will run. A lot can happen and go wrong even when a shot is right. Fat or tissue can plug the wound giving you no trail. They can swim creeks or rivers or die in the water. Briars, gators, marsh, cross onto posted properties, etc. if I have a shot that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is going to anchor the animal I'm not leaving anything to chance. The high shoulder shot does that reliably.

 

[180ls1]

Not necessarily. The 162 A-Max bullet that I used was a very fragile bullet.

I also use the 168 Amax and the 123 and 147 eldm for shoulder shots doing depredation but this is generally with 110-115 pound does. For years all I used for larger bucks was 270 with 130 grain Corlokt. I now prefer the accubond for hunting heavier deer.

I've. tracked Deer shot with about any caliber or weapon imaginable. Even with big calibers behind the shoulder there is a chance they will run. A lot can happen and go wrong even when a shot is right. Fat or tissue can plug the wound giving you no trail. They can swim creeks or rivers or die in the water. Briars, gators, marsh, cross onto posted properties, etc. if I have a shot that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is going to anchor the animal I'm not leaving anything to chance. The high shoulder shot does that reliably.

How was the meat loss?

I will be sending 225 Match ammo into a muley in 2 weeks. I am a little worried about lots of frag and bloodshot meat. Then again that ammo is so overkill for deer I don't think ill risk losing it regardless of where I hit it. Generally speaking

 

[birddog 68]

Interesting. Some great input so far. How many of you guys are running monolithics for high shoulder? I assume explosive/match ammo would be bad news.

I've only used accubond and on a couple of occasion cor lokt for high shoulder shots. Nowadays I normally use the 140 grain ballistic tip at 7-08 velocities and shoot behind the shoulder. Anyone using ballistic tips for high shoulder shots?
I probably won't be doing it but interested in others results.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

At 7/08 velo I'd think you are ok with a BT.
The 7RM, STW, PRC, SS crew like me might oughta stay behind the crease at closer range though.
It might separate, but with a DRT who cares? I'm using 160 accubond at 2995, if we didn't have so many pigs I'd use a BT only. Good luck and let us know what you learn. The 140 BT Hunting was about .50 apiece last I looked. Not bad.

 

[darreljwick]

I hunt Whitetails on foot and most all of my shots are at moving animals....I hold on the shoulder so I break both of them-if possible. I shoot a .308 180 gr at 2750 fps and it anchors them.....then the work starts.

Also-the fact is that most hunters are not good shots at all so no matter what they claim to know, goes all for not. .....just my jaded factual opinion.

 

[436]

All here make good conversation over what works and what doesn't in each of their experiences and judgment, no one always having the same field experience as the other guy, so to speak, but... our last thought should be; God gave us these animals to "use... not abuse", this should be are main thought when we are making those shots. There are so many variables involved that no one can't really come up with the right answer, it's more of a rhetorical, conundrum question I'd think.
Just my 0.2 Cheers.

Oops... I hit the send key before I wanted it posted...

 

[birddog 68]

At 7/08 velo I'd think you are ok with a BT.
The 7RM, STW, PRC, SS crew like me might oughta stay behind the crease at closer range though.
It might separate, but with a DRT who cares? I'm using 160 accubond at 2995, if we didn't have so many pigs I'd use a BT only. Good luck and let us know what you learn. The 140 BT Hunting was about .50 apiece last I looked. Not bad.

Thanks Phil, I have used the 160 AB at 2955 from my 280 AI for the high shoulder shots on deer with great success but normally carry the 7-08 with BT.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

How was the meat loss?

I will be sending 225 Match ammo into a muley in 2 weeks. I am a little worried about lots of frag and bloodshot meat. Then again that ammo is so overkill for deer I don't think ill risk losing it regardless of where I hit it. Generally speaking

Shoulder shots destroy shoulder meat no matter what bullet you use. Even the monos will send high velocity bone frags everywhere. I kill most of my whitetails in NC. The deer are fairly light/small and there isn't much meat on a shoulder anyway. Most of the outfitters tell you to shoot for the shoulders because they don't want to track deer in the swamps or wherever because of the snakes or other hazards.

Nothing wrong with a double lung shot with a frangible bullet. Deer are usually dead in 30-40yds and most hunters don't save the ribs.

 

[436]

Save meat? Only one shot to take... the "Texas heart shot"
Cheer's

 

[Turpentine21]

How was the meat loss?

I will be sending 225 Match ammo into a muley in 2 weeks. I am a little worried about lots of frag and bloodshot meat. Then again that ammo is so overkill for deer I don't think ill risk losing it regardless of where I hit it. Generally speaking

You will have higher meat loss with the shoulder shot. With the Amax they frag but at 308 velocities they work and work well. We don't use much of the shoulder anyway. Our deer are smallish. The 225 will likely hold together better than you think though.

 

[Turpentine21]

I've only used accubond and on a couple of occasion cor lokt for high shoulder shots. Nowadays I normally use the 140 grain ballistic tip at 7-08 velocities and shoot behind the shoulder. Anyone using ballistic tips for high shoulder shots?
I probably won't be doing it but interested in others results.

At 7mm-08 velocities you should be fine. At 270 velocities and up close, stay with a tougher bullet. I used to download 270 130 ballistic tips to 2800. They would go through both shoulders or the bullet would be in the far side hide. Killed well without a whole lot of fragging.

 

[Calvin45]

How was the meat loss?

I will be sending 225 Match ammo into a muley in 2 weeks. I am a little worried about lots of frag and bloodshot meat. Then again that ammo is so overkill for deer I don't think ill risk losing it regardless of where I hit it. Generally speaking

225 eld m is a death ray on deer. I've taken 3 (I think) with it, a big buck, a small doe, near, far, doesn't matter. All three have exited. Two of the three didn't take one step.

This was out of my .300 win mag loaded to about 2760.