Shot placement with .223

Joined
May 22, 2023
Messages
335
I had an extreme case of this happen 3 years ago. I hit a fallow doe at about 500m from memory with a 156gr Berger from a 6.5PRC. The animal dropped instantly. We had to navigate some terrain to approach the animal, so it was >15min until we walked up on it. As I approached it, it jumped to its feet and I could see a 2-3in exit wound high on the off side as it disappeared in the scrub. I searched the area where it dropped and found a 1in diameter shard of bone in a small pool of blood. They're tenacious creatures.
Sounds like it could be a good idea with high shoulder shoot to hit it again in if possible.
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
9,711
I watched one flights worth of outdoor programming a few years back and on 2 or 3 consecutive whitetail programs they appeared to try to get a dramatic high shoulder shot for the camera in wide open food plots and eff'd it up. Embarrassing and shameful. Clowns could have aimed for center of vitals and maybe had to track deer to the edge of a foodplot..
 

rharbaugh

WKR
Joined
Apr 26, 2021
Messages
465
Location
E. Iowa
@Formidilosus would you mind repeating this exercise with hard quartering to / away and frontal shots? maybe even facing away?
If you actually want the fastest incapacitation, then you must disrupt the CNS. So yes, the “high shoulder” shot will do it. When I want something to go no where after the shot, I put the bullet where the neck meets the body, slightly above center, or the forward portion of the chest. Both offer extremely high rates of instant drops, but due offer some room around the edges for slight misses/ which the high shoulder does not.
 

Bama67

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 28, 2017
Messages
152
Location
Sandpoint ID
I've never shot an elk, but I have killed tons of whitetail and I have never lost a deer that I shot behind the shoulder where I was taught as a kid.
Usually gets the heart, both lungs, or both. And doesn't ruin any meat.
 
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