"Anchoring" Shots

[MallardSX2]

With a rifle I always aim for the shoulder.

 

[sram9102]

Back edge of the leg. I like bone in shoulder roast too much to blow holes in them. This doe went about 50'.

 

[30338]

The EOL do seem softer in my experience than the standard VLD versions. My impact speeds tend to be less though as well.

 

[Yardvark]

Lot of thoughts on this thread. Me, I have used shoulder shot effectively with an 06 when waiting for WT to come off the ridge right before quitting time. I wouldn't do it in mid day vs a good lung shot. Really liked seeing the deer go down quick without a whole lot of tracking. of course Dad cussed a lot at me every time when we were cutting them up. He still makes me bone out necks and ribs for grind (at 86!)

Probably would have rethought strategy if I was shooting lower than a .270.

only time I regretted the strategy was when I had a buck shot through shoulders plow into not just one but two trees and break off both antlers 30 years ago. Had enough left to make it legal. A bit disappointing at when your 21 to shoot a six and end up with a spike on one side. Still tasted good.

 

[Canny]

High shoulder shots for me. I really like shooting a highly volatile round such as Berger or Nosler BT as they dump more energy into the body cavity. The high shoulder often results in a severed spine plus several the dorsal aorta which leads to a very fast death right on the spot. You know you hit them in the sweet spot when their rear end drops out from underneath. But do not confuse this shot with a spine shot.


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[wind gypsy]

Watched whitetail television for the first time in forever a few weeks back. A couple shows in a row it seemed they were all going for this shot and a dramatic flop but 3 of 4 missed the mark. Left a bad taste in my mouth. I get it for certain circumstances but in these circumstances they had no reason to do it on deer standing in the middle of a 10 acre food plot. Couldn't help but thinking about how piss poor it was to go for this shot when there's no reason for it only to miss the mark inside 100 yards with a solid rest. Embarrassing.

 

[Sportsdad80]

I aim just behind the shoulder.. but that’s just me


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[cuttiebrownbow]

I aim just behind the shoulder.. but that’s just me


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Same. My goal is to kill quickly with the least amount of meat destroyed and I have never had one get out of sight.

I did anchoring shots for the first 20 or so deer I killed as a kid and now it’s behind the shoulder in most circumstances or a neck shot.


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[Hardly_Hangin]

Im also a proponent of high shoulder shots for WT bucks to anchor them. i will neck shoot a doe to anchor and since there isnt much neck meat on a doe you still get the shoulders. Although blood trailing is a necessary woodsman skill to hone, IMO it creates unnecessary room for opportunities to not recover a deer, no matter how dead. Especially if hunting mountainous terrain where a heart shot death sprint could result in a long arduous packout in steep laurel ridden hell-hole drainages.

Does your shot placement change with bears? I recently shot my first black bear high shoulder with 165gr barns tsx federal premium. Research would indicate that bears die quickly with well placed vital area shots, but are notoriously difficult to blood trail due to fat and hair. They can also curl up into hard to find balls of fur and tuck into inconspicuous holes, making it even harder to recover a dead animal. This shot effectively immobilized the 250lb sow by shattering both shoulders, and the bullets performed well by my estimation. However it did not flip the "off switch" and i had to humblingly dispatch, unpleasantly hearing the death moan from about 5ft.

Do bears have the same off switch? Is there a better shot placement location to "anchor" and mitigate risk of non-recovery?

 

[Davyalabama]

I shoot a 300 win mag with 180 gr ballistic tips, nothing over 400 yards. The high shoulder is always what I’m after. I learned what that shot could do a long time ago, back in the 80’s shooting a friend’s 7 mag. Yeah, it pulverizes that shoulder. Make sure you know where your rifle hits at various ranges. Always, always, aim at a particular hair, not the whole shoulder.

 

[doc holiday13]

Lower 2/3 of the neck always works like a charm for me. Less meat damage that way too

 

[Muleface]

+1 that high shoulder shots usually result in bang/flop. I would advise a new hunter to do that; my mentor did and I got well into and excited about hunting before I had any disappointment associated with difficult or failed tracking due to mortal hits on deer that ran.

 

[Long Cut]

No.

I’ve taken 6 bucks over the last 3 seasons and the average distance they’ve ran was something like 33 yards.
All shot with 6.5 CM, 5 with 140 Nosler BT’s, 1 Hornady ELD. Aiming just above the elbow, where the Heart & Lungs should meet.

I’ve tracked deer shot “high shoulder” and typically we haven’t found much for blood. It’s a “feast or famine” shot placement in my opinion.

Your experiences may vary.

 

[MN_kurka]

No.

I’ve taken 6 bucks over the last 3 seasons and the average distance they’ve ran was something like 33 yards.
All shot with 6.5 CM, 5 with 140 Nosler BT’s, 1 Hornady ELD. Aiming just above the elbow, where the Heart & Lungs should meet.

I’ve tracked deer shot “high shoulder” and typically we haven’t found much for blood. It’s a “feast or famine” shot placement in my opinion.

Your experiences may vary.

Shot a blacktail on a sharp quartering away shot this year with 143gr eldx from 6.5cm and hardly got any blood. Shot was a little high and forward. Obliterated the near side shoulder but blood was almost non existent. Found the point of impact and a handful of drops before losing the trail in 15 yards. Deer didn't go far and was able to find and finish but it did shake my confidence in the 6.5 and reinforced what I already thought about it as an elk round.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Shot a blacktail on a sharp quartering away shot this year with 143gr eldx from 6.5cm and hardly got any blood. Shot was a little high and forward. Obliterated the near side shoulder but blood was almost non existent. Found the point of impact and a handful of drops before losing the trail in 15 yards. Deer didn't go far and was able to find and finish but it did shake my confidence in the 6.5 and reinforced what I already thought about it as an elk round.

You should have used a 223 and 77 gr TMKs.

Don’t believe me? Check out 619 pages (as of 12/2/25) of blood and gore here:

P

Thread '.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.'

Jun 3, 2019

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET.

---

“Bullets matter more than headstamps.”

“Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”.

I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened.

The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223 is where I ended up after many discussions and objective data regarding bullet performance and numerous pics of field results.

Now for the delivery system. Accurate. Repeatable. Reliable. Reasonable weight to afford steady shot placement and the ability to spot my own impacts...

• PNWGATOR
• Replies: 12,370
• Forum: Firearms

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• 
• 

 

[MN_kurka]

You should have used a 223 and 77 gr TMKs.

Don’t believe me? Check out 619 pages (as of 12/2/25) of blood and gore here:

P

Thread '.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.'

Jun 3, 2019

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET.

---

“Bullets matter more than headstamps.”

“Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”.

I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened.

The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223 is where I ended up after many discussions and objective data regarding bullet performance and numerous pics of field results.

Now for the delivery system. Accurate. Repeatable. Reliable. Reasonable weight to afford steady shot placement and the ability to spot my own impacts...

• PNWGATOR
• Replies: 12,370
• Forum: Firearms

• 
• 
• 

I'm intrigued. Currently looking to add to the collection for a more elk capable gun. Any suggestions there? I walk lots of timber, backpack some, and all shots should be under 400 yards. Want to be able to jump shoot if needed as my most typical elk shot has been and will be tracking elk in fresh snow. Suggestions?

 

[satchamo]

This thread

 

[BAKPAKR]

I'm intrigued. Currently looking to add to the collection for a more elk capable gun. Any suggestions there? I walk lots of timber, backpack some, and all shots should be under 400 yards. Want to be able to jump shoot if needed as my most typical elk shot has been and will be tracking elk in fresh snow. Suggestions?

I was just kidding about the 223. My elk hunting has mostly been in timber, too, with the longest shot being around 150 yards. If I really wanted to get an elk, I would want a bullet/cartridge combination that I would be confident in reaching the vitals with if the shot opportunity was anything other than at a broadside elk. Based on a handful of deer my daughter and I have shot with a 223/77 gr TMK, I (and I stress “I”) don’t have that confidence in that combination.

Although I don’t have one (yet), I think a 338-06 would be about perfect for your kind of hunting (and mine), if hunting unsuppressed* and if you can handle the recoil.

* the typical 338 suppressor would be too big/heavy for me for a woods rifle