Shot location on ELK

[BATTLEBORN]

What is your opinion on the best shot location on an Elk with a Rifle? I have friends who say "Brake the shoulder" Theory being they would hit the vitals while also making sure the Elk cannot go anywhere because of the broken shoulder. The other option of course is to shoot for the "Crease" right behind the shoulder shooting strictly for he Vitals. I understand this question is irrelevant if hunting with a bow.
What say you?

 

[Bulldawg]

In the crease for me, put a hole in the heart or lungs and they won't go very far. But the high shoulder is a great way to drop em down. One of my hunters last year shot a bull right behind the shoulder, he was likely going to go down in about 4.7 seconds, but he reloaded real quick and put one high shoulder and folded him. The only reason I really don't shoot for high shoulder is because of the meat that would be ruined.

 

[amassi]

I personally like the crease, I've watched bulls run a ways with broken shoulders so I tend not to put bullets there anymore and like said above, meat waste especially at close range

I see the high shoulder is popular with long range work, it normally results in dramatic flops with bergers or amax/ eld-m. Not my preference for a 1st shot, but with 1 in the boiler room if hes looking at heading further down a nasty dark blown down canyon a follow up to the high shoulder is cheap insurance

I've also watched quite a few guys treat elk like archery game and avoid big bone and go for that quartering away shot with good results. Dead elk

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[Laelkhunter]

I go for the crease behind the shoulder, but try to put the bullet through the opposite shoulder. The elk has to be standing broadside slightly quartering away to do this. This shot should take out some of the major plumbing and the off shoulder.

 

[LostArra]

. The only reason I really don't shoot for high shoulder is because of the meat that would be ruined.

+1
I lost some good meat last year exactly for this reason. I was not aiming for high shoulder but that's where I hit a cow. She tipped over immediately. Previous year's cow took it in the heart and reared up like the Lone Ranger's horse and fell over dead also. My goal is top of the heart.

 

[2five7]

I think a lot of people don't realize how far back a big Bulls lungs go behind the shoulder, on a broadside shot the kill zone on a Bull is huge, almost anywhere in the neck through about 8" behind the crease will get it done.

 

[5MilesBack]

The last rifle elk hunt I did was 15 years ago. I had a bull bugle and come in broadside to 25 yards below me in the thick timber. There was a blowdown that covered most of his vitals and the lower 2/3's of his body. I was standing there thinking I should have a bow in my hands at that range and decided to take a high shoulder shot to break down his shoulder and then hope for a quick follow-up vitals shot. So my 175gr Nosler Partition destroyed his left shoulder (along with the right shoulder on exit), but he ran right towards me just off to my left. I quickly cycled the bolt and shot him at ~8 yards quartering to me (from the hip).......again, left shoulder....exited right in front of the right rear ham. He turned and ran away from me so cycled again and hit him quartering away from about 15 yards, again destroying even more of the left shoulder on the bullet's exit. He kept running.

I couldn't find any blood on the ground, so I followed the sound. I found him standing behind some trees and the only thing visible through the branches etc, was what was left of his.........left shoulder. So I put another one through him and he finally tumbled down the slope. Needless to say, his left shoulder was mutilated beyond any recovery of meat. That was one tough bull. Been archery hunting ever since. They go down so much quicker and easier with a BH through the lungs, and no "blood shock" and wasted meat.

 

[Laelkhunter]

5miles, that certainly attests to the toughness of an Elk. The shoulder was lost, but at least you had the presence of mind to keep shooting until he was down. I have read where some hunters stand in shock and amazement after an Elk runs off never to be recovered after thinking he made a lethal shot.

 

[Ross]

Always the crease...take out lungs or heart and the elk is yours....don’t and it could be a longgggg day

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I have read where some hunters stand in shock and amazement after an Elk runs off never to be recovered after thinking he made a lethal shot.

Keep shooting till they stop wiggling.

 

[BATTLEBORN]

Sounds like everyone is shooting for the crease. For the record, this is the side im on as well. Seems the perfect shot would be hitting the crease and vitals with a exit wound throught the rear shoulder.

 

[theleo91386]

In the crease (preferably in between ribs) going in and out , only losing a little rib meat on both sides. If it needs to die where it stands I'll go for the point of the shoulders knowing I'm going to create some blood shot meat. Elk can go a long ways on 3 legs, especially down hill and especially if it's following other elk. Take out both lungs and they don't go far, and you don't lose meat.

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[Gatorgrizz27]

It also seems like the crease shot is the way to go to me. I’m shooting a muzzleloader this year which I’d assume means no blood shot meat due to the heavy bullet going under 2,000 FPS. I haven’t killed an animal with mine yet, but with .45 LC and .375 H&H loads, I’ve always heard you can “eat right up to the bullet hole”. Any feedback on this?

 

[Laelkhunter]

Sounds like everyone is shooting for the crease. For the record, this is the side im on as well. Seems the perfect shot would be hitting the crease and vitals with a exit wound throught the rear shoulder.

BATTLEBORN, when you say the rear shoulder, you mean ….??????????

 

[BATTLEBORN]

I mean the off side shoulder where you bullet would exit the animal, you would need a slight quartering away shot to make this happen.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Yes, that's the shot I was talking about also. It takes out some interior vitals, plus the off-side shoulder.

 

[Sled]

for close broadside archery shots i put the pin on the front leg right where it bends. no bone shots just heart. further away i shoot the crease or double lung. https://www.elk101.com/features/feature-anatomy/

 

[KSP277]

It also seems like the crease shot is the way to go to me. I’m shooting a muzzleloader this year which I’d assume means no blood shot meat due to the heavy bullet going under 2,000 FPS. I haven’t killed an animal with mine yet, but with .45 LC and .375 H&H loads, I’ve always heard you can “eat right up to the bullet hole”. Any feedback on this?

I’ve not shot an elk with a muzzleloader, but plenty of deer. Wherever there’s a hole you may as well draw a 12” circle around it and cut it out. Tons of damage. But they don’t take many steps after soaking one up.

 

[TauPhi111]

another vote for the crease. I've seen deer run with one broken front leg, so I'm sure an elk could too. The only way to drop any animal in it's tracks 100% of the time is to take out BOTH shoulders, which equals a whole lot of wasted meat, especially if you use a lead core bullet. I'm not willing to waste that much meat on something I work that hard for. Only time I'd take a shoulder shot is if an animal had a good chance of rolling down a mountain or falling off a cliff to anchor that animal where it stands. At that point, I'd rather lose some shoulder meat than the whole animal. I shoot monos for big game, and the amount of bloodshot meat is substantially less around the wound channel than with lead bullets, so if I did take a shoulder shot, there should be less waste.

 

[theleo91386]

Seems the perfect shot would be hitting the crease and vitals with a exit wound throught the rear shoulder.

You'll likely still ruin a ton of meat with that shot as well. If your trying to minimize meat loss, avoid a shot angle where the bullet travels through large muscle groups.