Rifle Aim Point for Dropping a Deer

[Chance Love]

You gotta be careful with the "high shoulder" shots. A little too high and you'll spinal shock them, then get to watch them jump up and run off. I prefer just about where the neck and shoulder meet. DRT. Look at that pic Antlercollector posted. I'd go just a touch lower than those crosshairs.

Now, when I'm guiding someone (kids or adults) I tell them to shoot right in the center of the shoulder. Sometimes they drop, sometimes they don't. But if you take out the front wheels they won't go far.

[Double C]

Bullet selection every bit if not more important than placement, those that have bad luck with a shoulder shot used a poor bullet choice imo.

This website is run by a professional hunter and is great for both shot placement and bullet selection by caliber.

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/Effective+Game+Killing.html

[AntlerCollector]

Bullet selection every bit if not more important than placement

I agree the right bullet for the job is very important. It’s not more important than placement though.

[Briar Friar]

Why mess up a shoulder ?

Disable locomotion.

My deer shoulder meat always seems to go to burger or chili chunks anyhow. Its just an effective preprocessing shot.

Last season my boy shoulder shot three deer with 75 gn .223 and all three dropped like a ton of bricks. Only one required a follow up.

[Drycreek3189]

I’m too old to go tracking deer and dragging them out of the woods. I hit the off switch !

[Gumbo Man]

I’m too old to go tracking deer and dragging them out of the woods. I hit the off switch !

I live in Dons camp. With a rifle this is always a DRT shot. But don’t be surprised if it requires a walk up dispatch shot. After 5 minutes I will approach and finish if they haven’t expired.

[Playa]

High shoulder is true but I don't like it unless you're a tac driver. There's a void with not much anything if you go to far one direction.
Saw a guy hit an axis doe with a 7mag, she dropped from the shock, got up and made off in a dazed fashion about a 40 seconds later. But yes it was a bad shot.
I like the quarter shot, hit top of heart and lungs, hopefully nab the backside shoulder on the way out.

If you can’t put a bullet in the high shoulder from 200 yards, you probably shouldn’t be hunting deer anyway….

[SwampBuck]

To answer the question, that high shoulder is lights out. Has to
Do with the central nervous system being between the scapula (shoulder blades)

It’s two fold, hit that CNS and blows the running gear out. For a big deer, or deer in nasty brush. It’s the way to go. And with a properly matched bullet to rifle for your normal ranges it tears up surprisingly little meat. But
Something super high speed or frangible is asking for a grenade and would likely be better off shooting behind the shoulder.

As for margins of Error. Every shot placement has that. Head neck you could miss or blow off a jaw, behind the shoulder if you go too far back, gut shot. They all have their pros or cons, it Really boils down to the shooter.

[MUZZYSLINGR]

I’m too old to go tracking deer and dragging them out of the woods. I hit the off switch !

Right between the eyes, or in the ear?


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[sasqy]

Shoulder neck intersection !

[Dale Moser]

If you can’t put a bullet in the high shoulder from 200 yards, you probably shouldn’t be hunting deer anyway….

Exactly, it’s literally, the biggest part of the deer.

Remington core lokts, green and yellow box….don’t overthink this.


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[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Ear

[Mudbug]

I'm for right behind the ear Unless I'm going to mount it Then I will take a lower neck shot

[Mudbug]

Or if they're looking right at you Shoot for the top of the white patch between their legs

[HOOKNBULLET2]

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This is what works for me.