Frontal shot on whitetails

[Erussell01]

Would you shoot a frontal shot on a whitetail?

I've successfully taken the shot 1 time
The deer was 18 yards facing me with the head turned to the deers left slightly. The arrow entered on the deers right side of the neck, followed the neck into the chest cavity and, hit the top of the heart and stuck in the back half of the brisket.

After taking the shot and not getting an exit in this case, I was shocked. However, the amount of blood on the ground at the impact site was absolutely astounding. The deer only went 40 yards and crashed in site. It was with a sevr, and the heart was cut darn near in half. No exit made me nervous but with that short of a track job it wasn't as if it ended up mattering. The blood trail was also really really good, so the exit didn't really matter.

I'm not sure I'd take it again. I feel the margin of error is small, but having successfully taken the shot I would have to be in the moment and see it at that time. On an alert deer I'd be too worried about the deer reacting.

Has anybody else done it?

Is this taboo shot one of those things we all want to try and just don't talk about?

Would you consider shooting front quartering and splitting the shoulder and the neck rather than a full frontal?

 

[Razorback4]

Ideally, it's not the shot I'd be looking for, but I've done it and had similar results. In my case the deer was uphill from me traveling towards me and it crashed within eyesight. I was trying to mark a rub on my phone and noticed a group of doe coming towards me, it happened quick. Honestly, I feel like it's situational. Many times you are able to wait for a broadside, sometimes you have to let them walk and occasionally you just feel confident with the opportunity that's presented.

 

[knale87]

I’ve never taken the shot before but I wouldn’t be opposed to taking the shot as long as the situation was right.

 

[Erussell01]

I hadn't ever taken it either and had skipped it a bunch. When I butchered that deer I couldn't believe the damage and I was shocked that everything major was right up front where you'd be shooting. My only concern was the margin for error with a left right impact, but it seems like you have a little more to hit than you'd think

 

[Bump79]

I've only taken it once on an elk. I'd be hesitant on whitetail unless I was on the ground sub 18 like the OP. Key with a frontal is minimizing movement so you need to be close. Elk don't react as hard as whitetail and the margin of error is higher. 25 yd and in still for me on elk for frontal.

 

[Jethro]

Would you consider shooting front quartering and splitting the shoulder and the neck rather than a full frontal?

Got to be close, got to know your anatomy angles, got to be able to stay calm with game in tight and looking at you.

I’ve done both those shots on whitetails. From the ground. FF was about 18 yards. Quarter to was 12 yards. Excellent, quick results.

 

[ChrisA]

I did for the first time on a doe a couple weeks ago. Was shooting Iron Will 125gr solids on an Easton Axis, total weight was 465 grains @ 270fps. Arrow went dead center into tracea, through right lung and out behind the shoulder. She went 70 yards and blood trial was very good.

I had zero second thoughts about the shot at 26 yards.

 

[Bump79]

Got to be close, got to know your anatomy angles, got to be able to stay calm with game in tight and looking at you.

I’ve done both those shots on whitetails. From the ground. FF was about 18 yards. Quarter to was 12 yards. Excellent, quick results.

I agree. You've got to be 100% on the shot - it can't be a let's see what happens. You've got to know anatomy and be 100% confident in your shot. Head needs to be up too, maybe obvious but idk.

 

[kipper09]

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


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[Ron.C]

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.

 

[deertrout]

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.

 

[ChrisA]

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.

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.

 

[Laramie]

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.

 

[doc holiday13]

i see no issue with it. It should be a 20yd and under shot though. To hunt in a local park program here in VA, we have to be able to hit 3 of 3 broadhead tipped arrows in a 6" circle at 20 yard and 2 of 3 at 30 yards. If you can meet that requirement you can make a frontal without issue

 

[fatlander]

They’re incredibly lethal provided you put the arrow where it’s supposed to be. If you’re not 100% confident, don’t take the shot. If you are, kill your deer.


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[Laramie]

i see no issue with it. It should be a 20yd and under shot though. To hunt in a local park program here in VA, we have to be able to hit 3 of 3 broadhead tipped arrows in a 6" circle at 20 yard and 2 of 3 at 30 yards. If you can meet that requirement you can make a frontal without issue

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

 

[beerbucksducks]

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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[doc holiday13]

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'm not a deer "jumping the string" denier... But I've never had a deer jump the string. Been shooting deer with arrows for a looooong time. Will my next archery attempt on a deer be a string jumper.. Probably. So my statement is based solely on my personal experience.

Within the last 10 deer I've killed, I shot a buck about mid neck and the arrow traveled about 15inches through its neck before entering the chest cavity and exiting through the stomach. *rut daniels voice * Didn't go 20

Also didn't hit the heart, might have clipped 1 lung, but definitely hit the liver. I said all that to say You just never know whats gonna happen. First deer I've ever shot was from an elevated stand and it was point blank range straight down.. Never found the deer but I know it was a chest shot

 

[MallardSX2]

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.

 

[jmez]

I have and will continue to take a frontal. 20 yards and in, I will send it.

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