Best Shot placement on big game

[Cold Trigger Finger]

. Even long range has variables to it. Take a seal in the water. The best shot is to pop the top off his head off just as he inhales a 300 yard shot is very long range when the seal is bobbing and the skiff is rising and falling in the waves. Shot timing is absolutely critical. The target is around 2"×4" . And high velocity is very important. Almost all seal hunters also hunt deer. Most of them use their seal rifles. So head or high neck shots are what they use. . The neck makes some of the best roasts on a ruminate and a boned out bull moose neck will make ALOT of burger or ground meat for sausage.
I've head shot plenty of deer in the head or neck. My caribou I shot straight on in the neck but that was because of the angle he was standing on. .
On a true broadside shot at deer I prefer just at the back of the shoulder but my favorite shot is at the upper side of the blade and under the spine. It always dumps the animal where it stood from spinal concussion and takes out the top of the lungs. As I use tough bullets I loose very little meat.
On bears I smash the shoulders. Usually I shoot for the offside shoulder depending on how it is standing.

 

[sambo3006]

Everyone is free to shoot the critter any where in the body they want but there is no argument as to which aiming point offers the most room for error on a broadside or quartering away shot, and that is the lungs. Head or neck shots with the animal either facing directly towards the hunter or directly away from the hunter offer a good (albeit small) target as well with little risk of maiming the critter. I am not, however, in favor of broadside shots to these areas due to the risk of hits to the jaw or esophagus as others have mentioned. Both hits will result in a slow painful death for the critter, most likely at the hands of a pack of coyotes.
The antelope buck I took three years ago had been shot across the throat either earlier that day or the day before. His esophagus had been severed by the bullet. I had no idea he had been shot until I walked up to him. I'm glad I was able to kill him cleanly rather than have him weaken from inability to eat or drink and then be eaten alive by coyotes.
High shoulder shots on broadside animals produce instant kills if placed well but don't offer as much leeway as the double lung if the rest is less than steady or the range uncertain. I have used the high shoulder shot to great effect a few times but it will mess up more meat than a double lung hit.
Just my two cents on this issue, take it for what it is worth.

 

[FEENIX]

Even though I've taken head and shoulder shots, majority of my shots are in the boiler area.

 

[FEENIX]

Everyone is free to shoot the critter any where in the body they want but there is no argument as to which aiming point offers the most room for error on a broadside or quartering away shot, and that is the lungs. Head or neck shots with the animal either facing directly towards the hunter or directly away from the hunter offer a good (albeit small) target as well with little risk of maiming the critter. I am not, however, in favor of broadside shots to these areas due to the risk of hits to the jaw or esophagus as others have mentioned. Both hits will result in a slow painful death for the critter, most likely at the hands of a pack of coyotes.
The antelope buck I took three years ago had been shot across the throat either earlier that day or the day before. His esophagus had been severed by the bullet. I had no idea he had been shot until I walked up to him. I'm glad I was able to kill him cleanly rather than have him weaken from inability to eat or drink and then be eaten alive by coyotes.
High shoulder shots on broadside animals produce instant kills if placed well but don't offer as much leeway as the double lung if the rest is less than steady or the range uncertain. I have used the high shoulder shot to great effect a few times but it will mess up more meat than a double lung hit.
Just my two cents on this issue, take it for what it is worth.

I know what you mean ... had similar experience 3 years ago >>> http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f85/putting-antelope-out-his-misery-78986/