Whitetail POI...... What’s your intended Target?

[TrialbyFireFormed]

150 yards...you know what that looks like). The thing just froze right there, staggered very drunkenly maybe 10 steps, piled up. Lifted its head twice then it was over. To this day I have never seen a heartshot deer freeze and go down like that. Later learned that in boxing a left hook to the liver (midway down right side of torso) can incapacitate a person more brutally than a punch to the face sometimes. Was actually a good visual lesson to refrain from excessive drinking - the liver is no less essential than the heart or lungs, don't hurt it! I would never intentionally make the liver my target, but it's good to know how effective that is. And when field dressing the way that thing had truly, completely bled out was just crazy to me.

had a very unfortunate unintended poi, also as a learning teenager. Shooting way further than I had any business shooting at that time and skill level in my life, to this day I will never even think about screwing around with headshots after what happened. They are unreliable and needlessly cruel if botched - if you can guarantee you'll never be more than 1 inch off intended impact spot I suppose go for it (but also I don't believe you ). Blew the creature's lower jaw right off. Tracked it over a quarter mile, the blood trail was tremendous at least. Finished the job, it was still standing when I shot it again, in the chest, humanely dropping it. Wasn't pretty. Felt like the biggest ***hole on earth for quite a while. Learned my lesson, only needed to learn that one once. No attempted headshots. To my mind they are foolish, arrogant, and horrific if botched.

I know what u mean about liver.
I missed the heart and hit the liver, deer looked around, turned and walked 5 yards into the bush. I was confused by the reaction and honestly thought I missed it completely.. didn't make any sense at all. It behaved like I didn't even touch it, and it didn't make any sense to me.
I went to have a look and try to make sense of the situation and it was lying stiff 10 yards inside the bush.
That was an eye opener and I always think of that morning every time someone says they completely missed and deer walked or trotted off like nothing touched it.

Everyone needs to Always look, Always, and I don't mean look where the deer was standing and don't just look 5 or 10 yards.

I've shot lots of deer that didn't bleed for 30 yards even though it's vitals were smoked.
No blood no hair no nothing at shot site.

30 yards in and all a sudden it's everywhere.

I wonder if deer tense up their muscles hold the wounds closed ?
On a through and through with a good performing bullet, something has to explain it.

 

[nicholasjohn]

the deer liver on young deer is also very tasty, cut thin , breaded and fried. Quite mild.

Yes, I've been wise to the sweetness of the young deers' livers for a long time. The old ones that have been filtering blood for several years are often strong tasting, and I leave them on the gut pile for the foxes. But whenever somebody pops a youngster, I make it a point to take that one home for the pan. They're sweet & tasty, especially when fried in a really hot pan and still rare in the middle. I prefer that to tenderloin, if I had to choose between the two. Another thing I learned fairly recently is this : when you roll the liver slices in flour, try rice flour. It doesn't ever get doughy, and also doesn't clump like wheat flour. I've been using that ever since I learned that I have a wheat allergy, and I like it a lot better.

I have found that when browning stew meat in the fry pan, the rice flour works better for that, too. We typically cut the quadriceps muscles into chunks for venison stew. That's the big muscle from the front of the hind quarter - the one that looks like a football. It's about the only muscle on a deer that isn't already too tender to stew all day in the crock pot.

 

[Betarider]

Well, people used to have slaves and sell their children to buy food, so I don't think you can apply today's ethics to the actions of someone a century ago. Attempts to do so are unfair and unrealistic.

Ever been to West Virginia??third world countries can't believe we exist inside the United States. And that's today's news

 

[freddiej]

of all the deer I have shot in my lifetime. the one shot that anchors them to the ground is a high neck shot. I am 1 to 2" in back of the jaw and 1-2" blow the jaw line. OR any center punched high neck shot normally plants them on the ground without taking even a step. head shots work well for me too. shoulder and "vitals" shot normally I am tracking a long distance.. this is from the 7MM R/M of other people I am hunting with. 120 grain to 154 grain 7MM projos from all companies except for burger. Berger has been a bit better than anything else I have seen except for Barnes. Bergers normally just detonate upon impact if you have a shot less than 275 yards. lesson learned slow down the Bergers and they make for much better closer in slugs. speed them up for longer shots. Barnes are never disappointing so far in my life. even the newer TSX and TTSX's. I will take a well placed shot over most any brand of bullet.. but I found that Berger and Barnes normally do the best of all.

 

[TrialbyFireFormed]

I grew up hunting them,probably like many.Shot alot with my bow,lung yes.Horn hunter mostly,hit them hard,mostly with the 340wby.Gave up them up about 17 years ago.

Hi sp6x6
Bow hunting is a good test and great skill to have. I've never shot a 340Wby, but I imagine it's got a decent amount of jam.
How many deer did u take with it, what effect did it have at close range ( 25 yards) and mid range (150y) ?
I know bullet selection is key and you may not remember what bullet was generally used, but I thought I'd ask you anyway.

Lastly, why did you stop hunting 17 years ago ?

 

[TrialbyFireFormed]

I bow hunt as well as firearm. Bow hunting I've had a few sleepless nights due to bad shot. I have lost a few deer. Kills me inside. I think deer are a beautiful animal and taste dam good.

Bow hunting is amazing and a lot harder to be successful given the effect broadheads have on a deer compared to a properly selected bullet. It's been quite a few seasons since Ive Bow hunted deer, and broadhead tech has come a long way in the last 10 years, but technological improvements aside, arrows kill by blood letting alone.
There's no hydro static shock effect so shot placement is even more crucial with archery. (Shot placement is crucial in both disciplines, but archery even more so)
Missed shots can drive a person crazy,
Lost deer not only drive a person crazy, but cause many sleepless nights and it's something that you never ever forget.
It's a traumatic experience but hopefully one that comes with a lesson or two that leaves you a wiser and less likely to do the same thing twice.
Gotta look for the positives in a vastly negative experience or else it haunts dreams

 

[TrialbyFireFormed]

Been hunting 25 years,
Have seen a lot from hair pickers to those who unfortunately break the shot soon as they see brown.

I myself am a heart shooter.
Some hunters aim for lungs, shoulders, or neck.

What's your intended POI and why?
Ie: do you try to preserve as much meat as possible? Are you Rack hunting and don't care about meat damage ?

Thought I'd add to this thread.

What weapon system is everyone running?
There's a whole bunch of great reply's but Id love to know what everyone is running and what distance has resulted in the best bullet performance.
Thx and ttys !

 

[sp6x6]

ID shot deer trailing does in timber,DROPPED.them in there tracks. Another coming to me frontal 20 yrd same thing.I quite hunting them and got the MULEY bug.Heh 225 part out of 340 is a hammer

 

[TrialbyFireFormed]

Boiler room. End of story.

Hi Peddler
What area is the "boiler room" ?

 

[TrialbyFireFormed]

Straight up the leg, middle of the body. Biggest room for error and always drop right there butt first.

How many have you shot that way and they all dropped ?
When they dropped, how many dropped dead and how many just dropped?

 

[TrialbyFireFormed]

"I love big racks"

LOL,
Who doesn't

 

[vancewalker007]

On Coues bucks, the only whitetail I currently hunt, we primarily use Bergers and aim for a high forward shoulder shot on broadside shots. This has never failed to DRT em. When angles get involved then different decisions are in order. Angle away I aim for the pocket like an archery would. Angling towards the gun I'd put it middle body point of the on side shoulder. Straight due on to the gun I'm putting is center body near the bottom of the white spot. Coues bucks are usually DRT, never had one run more than about 20 yards from a Berger. But the classic behind the shoulder will always work. With tough bullets they tend to travel some after a lung shot. I like them to drop.

 

[wv270wsm]

Ever been to West Virginia??third world countries can't believe we exist inside the United States. And that's today's news

Easy pal. Not all of us are from wrong turn

 

[StumpGrinder]

of all the deer I have shot in my lifetime. the one shot that anchors them to the ground is a high neck shot. I am 1 to 2" in back of the jaw and 1-2" blow the jaw line. OR any center punched high neck shot normally plants them on the ground without taking even a step. head shots work well for me too. shoulder and "vitals" shot normally I am tracking a long distance.. this is from the 7MM R/M of other people I am hunting with. 120 grain to 154 grain 7MM projos from all companies except for burger. Berger has been a bit better than anything else I have seen except for Barnes. Bergers normally just detonate upon impact if you have a shot less than 275 yards. lesson learned slow down the Bergers and they make for much better closer in slugs. speed them up for longer shots. Barnes are never disappointing so far in my life. even the newer TSX and TTSX's. I will take a well placed shot over most any brand of bullet.. but I found that Berger and Barnes normally do the best of all.

I have never used Bergers but I also love Barnes, any caliber. I also use them in my muzzleloader.