Frontal shot on whitetails

[Beendare]

IMO, its like any other decision on shot selection.
Yes, I have done it once;
Windy day with leaves blowing to hide the sound of my bow going off
Buck distracted focusing on the bedded doe decoy I had there
70# compound with a 440g arrow and strong 3 blade cut on contact head that will blow through any critter in NA
Close shot- he was only 22y +/-

I think the key factor on a frontal is deer reaction.If there is enough distraction to where the deer wont react to your bow going off is key. It doesn’t take much to turn a great shot on the release to a bad shot. Elk are so much slower. I’m 5 for 5 on elk frontals All under 25y coming to the call or a decoy.

If there is enough distraction to where the deer wont react to your bow going off is key.

 

[KHNC]

The frontal kill zone on a whitetail is only about 4". Add to that, deer almost always move some at the shot. 6" accuracy at 20 yards is nowhere near good enough to pull off that shot. If you can consistently hit a 2" circle at 20 yards, under pressure, and the deer is calm at the shot, it is still marginal. Any one of those variables is off, it should never be attempted imo.

Here is some good reading on string jump and how far deer can move before the arrow get's there.
"At 300 fps, the deer might drop its vital chest 4 to 5 inches before the arrow arrives. With a slow arrow traveling 200 fps, a 20-yard deer in full string-jump mode could potentially drop its chest over 14 inches, or drop a more likely 10 or 12 inches and then begin lunging in an unpredictable direction."

The Shocking Science About String Jumping

Animal reaction time, arrow speed, and shot distance can be combined to predict how likely you are to bag a critter that hears your bow.

www.chuckadamsarchery.com

Agreed 100% . Its not the shot to take on a whitetail, unless you dont like to recover your deer very often.

 

[LostArra]

I'm sure it's a deadly shot on a whitetail but our deer are so wired especially this time of year unless it's under 10 yards your frontal shot might end up a rectal shot.

 

[Erussell01]

I’ve had a lot of success with it but it’s a very risky shot. Usually if you get where you need to be it works well but if not it can lead to a catastrophic failure.

My son shot a good 9 point this year end of October quartering to. Angle was good. Arrow buried to the fletchings and stuck in what appeared to be the offside shoulder. Searched for 3 days and even had a dog on it. Deer was gone for 21 days before he came back. We finally killed him last weekend with a rifle. Moral of the story is it works when it works but when it doesn’t there’s no half way. We probably won’t take that shot again View attachment 639901


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Did you get a good chance to do a post mortem look at where the arrow really went? That's an interesting case study and a happy ending since you got him, plus now we can all learn from your situation

 

[Erussell01]

to each his own, take the shot if you comfortable with it.

for me, I don't consider frontal shots an option. Margine for error on is simply to high when compared to broadside (slightly quartering) shots.

I would agree, greater margin for error for sure, and I'd always prefer a broadside

 

[Erussell01]

I've had great success with frontal to quartering to angles from the ground. But I won't take a frontal shot from a tree. I've never taken a frontal shot from a tree, but have been on 3 tracks over the past few seasons for friends who took it and we never find the deer- even lost one with a tracking dog.

I think from the ground is better for frontal, but this doe took the arrow on a very short trip and I can see why. Breaking her down the arrow followed her trachea, cut her carotid and then entered the cavity through the thoracic opening and did major damage to her heart and lungs. I'd be curious to take it from the ground in comparison.

 

[Erussell01]

Good point, I failed to mention that I was on the ground earlier. I will add, she caught me moving and was coming closer and down wind to investigate. I drew when she went behind a small cedar, she stepped out and I shot as soon as she looked away.

Love when they catch you and come closer. Not many get to make that mistake and live to tell the tale of it haha

 

[Erussell01]

Have done it on elk, antelope and mule deer. Whitetail are too high strung for that shot imo. Chances of them jumping the string are high so the chance the arrow ends up a few inches off target are also high.

I don't know how, but I have never had a deer jump the string on me here in MN.
Actually I don't even shoot for them to duck because I've just not had that experience.

I almost lost a buck that I drew on and he saw me pulling back so I aimed low thinking he'd duck and I barely, barely clipped his heart on the bottom.

I think if the deer where I hunted were more jumpy I'd really reconsider that frontal in case they spin, but I just haven't seen it luckily

 

[Erussell01]

The frontal kill zone on a whitetail is only about 4". Add to that, deer almost always move some at the shot. 6" accuracy at 20 yards is nowhere near good enough to pull off that shot. If you can consistently hit a 2" circle at 20 yards, under pressure, and the deer is calm at the shot, it is still marginal. Any one of those variables is off, it should never be attempted imo.

Here is some good reading on string jump and how far deer can move before the arrow get's there.
"At 300 fps, the deer might drop its vital chest 4 to 5 inches before the arrow arrives. With a slow arrow traveling 200 fps, a 20-yard deer in full string-jump mode could potentially drop its chest over 14 inches, or drop a more likely 10 or 12 inches and then begin lunging in an unpredictable direction."

The Shocking Science About String Jumping

Animal reaction time, arrow speed, and shot distance can be combined to predict how likely you are to bag a critter that hears your bow.

www.chuckadamsarchery.com

I agree with you. If a guy can't hit 6 inches at 20, he should consider spending more time on the range and less time shooting at animals until he gets it figured out.

 

[Erussell01]

I took a hard quartering to shot on my buck this year. The shot was 12 yards and I was in a stand 3 sticks up. I shot for the crease where the neck meets the right shoulder, the arrow buried to the fletching, broadhead exited just behind the rib cage, low belly. One lung for sure and maybe part of the other. Buck only went 60 yards and bedded up, but took 15 min to expire. Zero blood with high entrance and some guts plugging exit. After seeing how close I was to the ball joint, I’d come further toward the neck at that angle. At 12 yards, I’d take the shot again.


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I've taken a similar shot and I'd do it again also. My brother is deathly afraid of quartering to and will shoot behind the shoulder, which to me on a quartering shot is more scary than splitting the shoulder. I'd rather have my arrow up front of that shoulder and exit behind the shoulder rather than exiting in the guts. What was your arrow set up on this shot?

 

[Erussell01]

I took a frontal shot on a whitetail years ago.

I was on the ground and the deer was 5 yards away and had no clue I was there.

It was very effective, but I wouldn't take that shot unless I was very close, and I was on the ground.

Would you take it if the deer was elevated? I passed this shot last year with a deer on a ridge at eye level, and I've often thought about that pass. It was just a touch too far for me to be comfortable so I let down

 

[Erussell01]

I'm sure it's a deadly shot on a whitetail but our deer are so wired especially this time of year unless it's under 10 yards your frontal shot might end up a rectal shot.

If you dont mind, Where are you at?

 

[MallardSX2]

Would you take it if the deer was elevated? I passed this shot last year with a deer on a ridge at eye level, and I've often thought about that pass. It was just a touch too far for me to be comfortable so I let down

If a deer was slightly above me that would be even better than being at eye level IMO.

They got to be close.
They got to be completely facing you.
AND
You better not go left or right of center move than 2-3" each way.

Honestly, it's not a great shot to take unless the circumstances are 100% perfect, and you are 100% confident.

 

[doc holiday13]

I don't know how, but I have never had a deer jump the string on me here in MN.
Actually I don't even shoot for them to duck because I've just not had that experience.

I almost lost a buck that I drew on and he saw me pulling back so I aimed low thinking he'd duck and I barely, barely clipped his heart on the bottom.

I think if the deer where I hunted were more jumpy I'd really reconsider that frontal in case they spin, but I just haven't seen it luckily

This is exactly my experience. My best guess is that N.VA deer are so occupied with all the activity they ignore out of place sounds. I've had friends claim "jump the string" but I generally chalk it up to the deer being on high alert and knew there was a human in the area.

I've taken 2 frontals from a stand and never from the ground. YMMV. For the record I'd do on the ground too

 

[Erussell01]

If a deer was slightly above me that would be even better than being at eye level IMO.

They got to be close.
They got to be completely facing you.
AND
You better not go left or right of center move than 2-3" each way.

Honestly, it's not a great shot to take unless the circumstances are 100% perfect, and you are 100% confident.

At the end of the day- I don't think we should ever take a shot we aren't 100% confident in.

2 years ago I shot my farthest deer ever with a bow. Of the deer I have shot in my life only a handful have been farther than 20. This buck gave me a shot at a very far distance and I took it with no fear or anxiety at all.
My average shot that year was almost exactly 40 yards which was nuts because I'd never killed a deer further than 30 and all of a sudden all of my shot opportunities were that distance.

This year I passed a deer that was much less than half the distance of that buck because it wasn't the same situation and my confidence wasn't there.

Every shot counts and I won't ever take one without knowing I'm going to make it.

 

[Erussell01]

This is exactly my experience. My best guess is that N.VA deer are so occupied with all the activity they ignore out of place sounds. I've had friends claim "jump the string" but I generally chalk it up to the deer being on high alert and knew there was a human in the area.

I've taken 2 frontals from a stand and never from the ground. YMMV. For the record I'd do on the ground too

Maybe I should be more thankful my deer haven't been jumping because that might really change things

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

ETA: I apologize. Just realized this was the archery forum. No way I would take a frontal shot on a deer with a bow.

 

[LostArra]

If you dont mind, Where are you at?

Oklahoma
Our deer are just a hair less jumpy than Texas deer.

 

[Randle]

Whitetail move to fast for this shot , I would pass

 

[LostArra]

I've done it many times both from an elevated positions and on the ground. Broadside is better, but I take the shot I have. It helps to use enough gun, so you have some margin for error.

I killed a button buck on black Friday this year at measured 160 yards from a tree stand with my 300 Wby shooting a 180 gr Nosler Accubond at about 315. The rifle was suppressed. The deer was standing in switchgrass taller than he was, and it was a tough shot.

I shot him the brisket, and he dropped like a rock. Took my son and I 45 minutes to find him in the tall grass. The bullet hit the rear hip joint and made a gnarly exit wound, but the deer is in the freezer.

Obviously I thought the button buck was a doe.

Mike I don't think the discussion here (Archery Forum) involves a rifle or bullets but a 300 Wby should be a safe bet