Take this Shot? Hard Quartered Away

[Cfriend]

Hi Everyone,

As elk season is almost here I've been scrolling the internet for elk pictures and deciding whether I would take the shot and trying to practice "picking a spot." I made a bad decision in the heat of the moment last year, and I want to figure out all the angles and scenarios I can ahead of time to prevent that from happening again.

Anyway, I wanted to get your thoughts on this one (with a bow). Right now I would say no, but I am wondering: what if he is close enough that I am confident I can hit the red area. Obviously there are other things that can go wrong so it very well might be a bad choice regardless. Would a shot placed there be a good one or is that only going to get a single lung? I'm using a fixed blade, cut-on-contact head with about 480 gr. if that makes a difference.

 

[Ross]

Doable but that is a fine line with that steep angle, personally I would pass and give him time to either open it up or turn…..to look back….good luck

 

[Michael Rankin]

I think a quick cow call would get that bull to turn back towards you more if you didn’t want to take that shot. Especially if he was walking.

 

[Geewhiz]

That is a doable shot but with very little room for error. I killed a bull with that exact shot 2 years ago and he went 72 yards but had I been right or left 1 inch I fear it may not have ended well. Might have been just a hair to the left of your mark. I don’t think an arrow is going to make it through ribs at that angle, and too far to the left will end up through the ham and into the guts.

My opinion only.

 

[Billy Goat]

If I take that shot, it's at the blue dot, and inside 25 maybe 30. But the picture he is walking and his back leg is about to cover the shot. I'd rather a heart shot on that angle than risking a single lung hit. Also exit is likely out base of the neck, leaving a really good blood trail.



I'd want to feel really certain he isn't about to move if I'm taking that angle.

 

[Deadfall]

Risky

 

[11boo]

No dawg.

 

[Wheels]

Nope

 

[insanelupus]

No thanks. I'd rather try another opportunity at a bull then take a shot knowing the likelihood of a gut shot bull was high before the shot was fired.

 

[Wingshooter]

I would second getting to full draw and a soft cow call. Those iffy shots rarely work out for me and worse for the bull. A rifle I would take it no problem.

 

[EVD]

I took a similar shot last season at 12 yards. Aimed in front of the rear quarter and angled toward the far front shoulder. Bull dropped less than 30 yards away. So much depends on distance and how hard the quartering angle. I was at full draw and it looked and felt right in the moment.

 

[Indian Summer]

Your goal is to quit making bad decisions right?

What’s the hurry?

 

[MallardSX2]

Rifle, Yes.

Bow, NFW

 

[Wrench]

I'm with the goat on this one. There's too much muscle in the hind for a comfortable error. If he's showing signs of alarm it's a pass anyhow and if not, there's a chance he'll open a bit....but if not...I sure would want to be away from the ham and in the bottom half of the promised land.

 

[Dos Perros]

I zipped the ribs of a bull quartered less than that, he lived and was bugling that afternoon. I think in any of these quarter away situations you need to be sure you take out the diaphragm; I'd be pretty intentional to be rear of the last rib, but how good is your shooting?

 

[Cfriend]

Thanks everyone. I think for me it is going to be a pass regardless of range. While I am confident I could hit the spot at 30 in my backyard - it's obviously much different in the moment, and I don't have enough history shooting at animals to be entirely confident.

A couple of you have mentioned arrows not getting through the ribs when quartered away. Any thoughts at how much of an angle is too much for penetration?

What about this one? Any concern the arrow skids along the ribs here (aiming for far side leg)?

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk

 

[Luked]

With the little knoledge of elk i have but the amount of deer i have taken. I would not hesitate on that last picture.

 

[Btaylor]

Thanks everyone. I think for me it is going to be a pass regardless of range. While I am confident I could hit the spot at 30 in my backyard - it's obviously much different in the moment, and I don't have enough history shooting at animals to be entirely confident.

A couple of you have mentioned arrows not getting through the ribs when quartered away. Any thoughts at how much of an angle is too much for penetration?

What about this one? Any concern the arrow skids along the ribs here (aiming for far side leg)?

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk

Come straight up the left side of the far side leg until you are roughly mid body and put a sharp broadhead in there.

 

[MallardSX2]

Thanks everyone. I think for me it is going to be a pass regardless of range. While I am confident I could hit the spot at 30 in my backyard - it's obviously much different in the moment, and I don't have enough history shooting at animals to be entirely confident.

A couple of you have mentioned arrows not getting through the ribs when quartered away. Any thoughts at how much of an angle is too much for penetration?

What about this one? Any concern the arrow skids along the ribs here (aiming for far side leg)?

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk

With a bow, under 40 yards, YES.

 

[hobbes]

The first photo is too steep a quartered away shot for me to like it. I may be willing to take the shot really close, but even if I hit the dot, i need to penetrate a wet ball of straw before I get through the diaphragm.

The second example doesn't bother me and is likely the angle you'd have on the first with a single cow call.