The Frontal Shot!

[ckleeves]

Im not to sure about that shot placement on the bottom bull photo. I think I would hug behind the shoulder real tight. I have shot a few animals at about that same QT angle and it's worked fine.

 

[goodgrouper]

The middle photo above looks right, as long as the animal is relaxed and close range. The other two, no way! I would take a frontal shot but the conditions must be perfect, relaxed animal, relaxed shooter, ideal angle, and very close, likely much less than 20. I don't think this shot is for novices either. With experience comes composure in the face of a big bull elk. The very first arrow my youngest brother fired at an elk was a frontal shot. I was twenty yards behind him down a steep hill and couldn't see the bull but watched my brother hold at full draw for an eternity it seemed. Probably two minutes waiting for a broadside shot. By the time he decided to take the frontal shot he was surely fatigued and the bull was getting nervous, his shot went a few inches left, glanced off the leg bone, and went to the right ending up half buried in the chest at a 45 degree angle. We never found a drop of blood. Hunted for him several times in the two weeks before rifle season. We got a call from a friend that said the UPS guy shot a big bull with his rifle opening day, went to his house and sure enough he handed my brother the front half of his arrow, along with a serious tongue lashing from an anti-bow-hunter. The bull scored 347.

 

[cnelk]

I have taken the frontal shot on elk with great success.
I will continue to do so when the opportunity arises.

 

[littlebuf]

this thread is a endless source of entertainment...

 

[Danielboone]

I would definitely take a frontal shot under 20 yds, as long as he was completely facing me. I have taken a number of deer this way with outstanding results. My arrow would most likely exit out of his hind as I have a ton of extra KE. It's not just the one lung, but all of the other tissue/organ damage behind the lung that will occur. Lat year, I killed a very large bodies whitetail walking back from my stand. I turned the corner and he was just standing there at about 25 yds looking at me with some does around him. I quickly nocked an arrow and hit him at the base of the neck. The arrow exited out his ass and he only went about 50 yards. That was also with an expandable Spitfire. I don't use them on elk though.

 

[ridgefire]

15 yard severly quartering to me downhill shot. 20 yard recovery.

 

[bobhunts]

I passed on a frontal shot this past season because the bull winded me. If he had stepped up further I would have ..but no need to waste a shot when the organs are not in the sight picture or just kill a bull you will not find. There was a post on BS regarding this by someone regarding the pics of where to shoot. Very informative. That was a few years ago and I believe by someone on here. Bob.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

This thread has been in the back of my mind for quite a while and even though I initially said I would take the shot, I am no longer sure. So many things that could go wrong...

 

[Backpack Hunter]

What are some of the objections to taking the top photo and bottom photo shots?
Unless there is some zoom from the camera going on, both photos appear to show very close animals. Granted the deer is not staring at you like the elk is, but I don't see much going wrong at what appears to be ten yards or so. Bones should not be a problem as both are pretty well defined in their respective poses.

 

[Racethesunset]

All things being equal, does a frontal shot usually result in the animal having a heightened or more effective evasive response to the bow letting loose?

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Can't say I have noticed a difference in reaction to the bow letting loose, most of mine have reacted after the arrow penetrates. I have had a couple animals show no reaction after a broadside shot.

 

[littlebuf]

I shot a cow last year with a muzzle loader broad side and it charged me. theres no "typical" response from a shot animal if you ask me, no matter the angle

 

[Coyote Commander]

All things being equal, does a frontal shot usually result in the animal having a heightened or more effective evasive response to the bow letting loose?

The only difference I could see would be if the animal is alert, poised for flight, and knows "something is there".

With a broadside shot, the typical movement in this situation is down (to load the legs) and possibly some side movement on the front end of the animal. With a frontal shot, theres going to be that same downward movement, and most likely side movement (turning away from danger), and that side movement is what will screw ya with the frontal shot.

 

[Coyote Commander]

What are some of the objections to taking the top photo and bottom photo shots?
.

At least on the bottom photo of the severely quartering to elk, you have zero wiggle room in windage. Shag it a bit left, and you got serious bone, hang it right and you got nothing. And even on a perfect hit, youll be lucky to clip the front of the far lung.

Not a high percentage shot at all.

 

[Racethesunset]

The only difference I could see would be if the animal is alert, poised for flight, and knows "something is there".

With a broadside shot, the typical movement in this situation is down (to load the legs) and possibly some side movement on the front end of the animal. With a frontal shot, theres going to be that same downward movement, and most likely side movement (turning away from danger), and that side movement is what will screw ya with the frontal shot.

Ah, thanks yote!

 

[jmez]

Agree with Coyote on bottom elk. On the deer, if you shoot it where the white spot is you are going to spine the deer. You are shooting directly into the cervical vertebrae.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I understand what you are saying about missing right and left, but man I just don't see how a person could miss at that distance. You have the lungs, the jugular, several main arteries. Maybe it's just me, but at that perceived distance I'm seeing a guaranteed kill. Maybe my perception of the distance is wrong.

 

[Coyote Commander]

I understand what you are saying about missing right and left, but man I just don't see how a person could miss at that distance. You have the lungs, the jugular, several main arteries. Maybe it's just me, but at that perceived distance I'm seeing a guaranteed kill. Maybe my perception of the distance is wrong.

I dont believe anything is "guaranteed" in the field. Nerves, animal reaction, just to many things that can happen.

I believe in murphy's law in the field.

 

[realunlucky]

I missed a granteed shot before and if you haven't good for you but nothing is a done deal until they are riding in the back of the truck

 

[wapitibob]

Several years ago I shot a bull in almost this exact position. He came out of the timber at about 15 yards, walked up and stopped 9 steps from me. I was already at full draw and just set the pin on the "X" and waited for him to turn broadside. The shot broke before he moved and when it did, I started counting. He was on the ground before I got to "one thousand two". Not a shot I had planned to take, and I never thought about going in front of the leg but he died faster than any other Elk I have shot. Spitfire mech went thru the arteries coming off the top of the heart.