Where to Shoot a Deer
BY Herschel Smith
1 week ago
This is an updated version of a prior article at OL.
I usually aim for a high shoulder shot. This article does a good job of differentiating between quartering-away shots, quartering-to shots, frontal shots, and especially the difference between bow shots and rifle shots.
On February 19, 2025 at 7:50 am, jrg said:
Nice descriptions – its always good to review the basics. Its been a long while since I read on this subject.
When I have the time, I aim for a high heart – mid lung shot. I’m a bit long in the tooth and I cannot afford a long trail leading to dead animal. South Texas thorny monte can be murder to drag out a carcass. I want a DRT as much as possible.
Great topic – Thanks for posting this content.
On February 19, 2025 at 12:35 pm, MN Steel said:
I usually shoot a deer in the back yard.
Been tough the last few years with my dirt at the intersection of three wolf packs.
Good news is my wife saw a mountain lion crossing the road 4 miles south.
On February 19, 2025 at 6:31 pm, X said:
Right on the shoulder is the spot. If you’re a little high you’ll break the scapula and the deer drops. If you shoot right through the heart or aorta the deer will run but will bleed out and die very quickly, within 100 yards and usually less than half that distance. I usually don’t worry about losing shoulder meat.
The main thing is to practice your shooting from whatever field position you are going to use while hunting and be absolutely certain you can call every shot. A lot of guys lately hunt in those elevated blinds with a bench rest and a bipod, and I guess that is fine if you have that, but I don’t so I have to practice a LOT of standing and kneeling shots using a shooting sling.
I am a big believer in using those cardboard deer targets to practice on, you will see it when you flinch or pull a gut shot or a low foreleg shot. Make sure you can keep them ALL within about a four inch circle on the deer’s shoulder with the rifle and the load and the position you will be using.
On February 19, 2025 at 8:10 pm, Ava said:
Assuming that the area of the shoulder that is aimed at for an optimal result is no larger than the head, would it not make sense to shoot at the head instead?
You (mostly) either hit or not (with the idea that it prevents a bad hit) and it keeps the meat intact.
On February 20, 2025 at 7:46 am, jrg said:
One piece of advice my Uncle gave me when I was a beginning deer hunter. ALWAYS TRY AND SEE WHERE YOUR BULLET HITS. I thought at the time it was to be sure the animal was hit, but later realized the advice was to follow through and focus exactly where you want the bullet to strike the target. When following through, hitting your target is easier to accomplish.
On February 20, 2025 at 8:04 am, David P. Ellis said:
I usually aim for just behind the shoulder, just below an imaginary horizontal line bisecting the upper and lower half of the deer. I had used the traditional shoulder hit early on in my deer hunting, but found it destroyed one, if not both shoulders. Since I process my own deer (and chickens, hogs, sheep, goats & cattle), I found this to be too great a waste of meat. This aiming point usually produces a double lung hit. No deer goes very far with both lungs collapsed. I prefer a standing broadside animal (don’t we all!), but a slightly quartering to me will work. If quartering away, it’s a bit more tricky since I have to aim further back so the bullet still exits behind the shoulder. My shots are normally under 150 yards, in semi-wooded areas, from a ground blind. This works for me. Maybe others would find it helpful.
On February 20, 2025 at 11:43 pm, Paul B said:
Shoulder shoots are good.