Elk shoulders, what your shooting through!

[bigngreen]

I used to post a lot of cutting and bullet performance pictures but haven't in the last couple year so I though I should.
These are the shoulders out of a 3.5 year old bull (left) and a 3.5 year old cow (right), I threw a bill down for reference.

This is what's under fur, hide and a couple inches of muscle and a lot of tendon and connective tissue. You then have another 1-2 inches of light weight meat and a densely packed set of ribs before getting to the soft center of an elk.

The knuckle joint is stout, I've hit cows dead center of it at normal ranges and had just bone crumbles that complete absorbed massive hits and bullets don't make it past the shoulder.

I've seen more than one bull completely stop a broadhead with the shoulder blade, I've cut a lot of elk and pulled broad heads out of the blade, its not as brittle as it looks and can flex and move.

 

[Len Backus]

Thanks much, very helpful.

 

[nmbarta]

This is what they look like with a 175 eld-x with an impact velocity of about 3100, bullet didn't exit but the base held up, cant rember the weight but think it was about 75 grains still, found it under the off side hide.....messy This was a 5-6 year old bull

 

[Salmonchaser]

Dang!

 

[Elkeater]

I've butchered my share of elk and I'm always amazed at how big they are. Hence the reason accubonds have been my go to for years. These days Hammer bullets get the go ahead.

Thanks a bunch for the photos!

 

[Jonoton]

Granted I have a sample size of 1 for shots and kills on elk, and for that one I took a double lung shot that worked very well in terms of damage to the lungs and blood expelled from the exit wound...

I have to ask, why is the shoulder shot popular on elk? It seems like it has more negatives than positives, as your informative post illustrates:
Negatives:
- meat damage
- tough bones to destroy in order to immobilize
- tough structure to get through in order to get to and destroy vitals
Positives:
+ not going far if you do destroy a front leg
+ ?

 

[Bob Wright]

I try not to aim for the near side shoulder, but rather aim for the off side shoulder if quartering away. Otherwise, broadside at 90°, right behind the centerline of the front leg by 4-5 inches with enough bullet weight to punch through. Elk are tough...

 

[HARPERC]

............I used to post a lot of cutting and bullet performance pictures but haven't in the last couple year so I though I should.........

I've missed these posts!

 

[ShtrRdy]

Thanks for taking this picture and posting it.

 

[del2les]

Just one of the reasons I have drifted toward the Scirocco II's in my 300RUMs over the past few years, but I still like the AB's and the 210ABLR.

 

[bigngreen]

If you shoot enough bullets into elk shoulders and recover 100% of them you'll find the make of bullet does not matter as much as the weight and momentum, a brand is not going to give you an advantage IMO, I've seen to many elk shoulders busted up with no penetration into the chest when shooting Barnes, Accubonds, Partitions. Finding 100% of the elk you shoot at not just the ones you think you hit shows a different story than a lot think.
By far and away the most common non lethal wound on an elk is a shoulder shot.

 

[bigngreen]

Granted I have a sample size of 1 for shots and kills on elk, and for that one I took a double lung shot that worked very well in terms of damage to the lungs and blood expelled from the exit wound...

I have to ask, why is the shoulder shot popular on elk? It seems like it has more negatives than positives, as your informative post illustrates:
Negatives:
- meat damage
- tough bones to destroy in order to immobilize
- tough structure to get through in order to get to and destroy vitals
Positives:
+ not going far if you do destroy a front leg
+ ?

I think it's the idea they can knock them down or that their so tough you have to break them down which can be true especially if your shooting them in the shoulder.
If hit a shoulder your loosing meat right of the bat regardless of bullet, the average is 8 lbs a bullet hole from weighting a lot of elk, take out both shoulders you lost 16 lbs, hit one bad and your loosing 30 lbs.
I've shot them in the shoulder just because they were about to go some where bad or they were wounded and I wanted them stopped ASAP. I will shoot one to test a bullet so I know and I'm willing to see some loss to gain knowledge BUT over all just not a shot that's worth it. Your literally taking the path of most resistance!!

 

[HARPERC]

.....I've shot them in the shoulder just because they were about to go some where bad or they were wounded and I wanted them stopped ASAP.....

I think it used to be to make sure recovery didn't get worse after the shot. Some carry over into the present scene, but I think the drama, and cleaner look of the kill works better for TV.

 

[bigngreen]

I think it used to be to make sure recovery didn't get worse after the shot. Some carry over into the present scene, but I think the drama, and cleaner look of the kill works better for TV.

I think the idea it's a perfect looking kill drives a lot of it unfortunately it's just not always that clean!!
I've watched guys center punch an elk on an open pivot field at 85 yards thumbing their butts, AFTER me telling them I'll beat them with their own rifle if they shoot one in the shoulder. Elk derangement syndrome is very, very real!!