# Bow Shot Placement (Courtesy of ACK)



## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

*This is too good to not be made a sticky.....I don't know why I didn't make it one last year!!! THANKS AGAIN ACK*

Really you can shoot a turkey from just about any angle and kill it, but certain shot angles are going to be higher percentage than others. Of course you can always take a head shot, but unless you are using a Guillotine this will be a tough shot unless the bird is standing absolutely still. A broadside bird will give you the easiest target to aim at, and let me tell you why.

The best shot placement on a broadside bird is right at the top of the bronze patch of feathers that are on the wing. First, this shot will take out the hips on the bird. This shot will pretty much anchor the bird and, without being able to run, he cannot push off to get up into the air...a good thing. Second, this shot will also get the vitals, which actually sit back farther in a bird than a lot of people think.










A shot taken while the bird is facing or walking away is also a fairly high percentage shot. An arrow placed right where the lighter wing feathers meet the darker feathers on his back will put the bird down quick...basically a spine shot. This shot also gives you a little more room for error, because if you hit high you will get the neck or head, and if you hit low you will get vitals.










Shooting a bird head on can be a little tougher, but if you can get the penetration with your equipment just visualize where the vitals are sitting. A shot placed close to where the beard comes out will often times be a little high for getting vitals, but you may get the spine with this shot. If you aim at the base of the waddles, or neck, he will go down pretty quickly.










Here is a skeletal picture of a turkey to visualize where things are inside the bird...












So to sum all of this up, to get the vitals on a bird just aim halfway up and slightly behind where the leg meets the body, this is where you'll see the bronze patch of feathers, whether the bird is stutting or not. Head shots are a quick kill, but obviously a lot tougher than a body shot. The good thing about a head shot is that either you hit 'em hard or miss 'em clean. I would discourage people from aiming for the wing butt, which many hunters do, simply for the fact that the bird can still run like crazy and you really are not getting any kind of vital organs with that shot.

Hopefully these pics will help everyone chasing them with a bow this year...good luck!


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## Tooth517 (Mar 2, 2007)

I am tipping my arrows with the 125gr. Guillotines this spring. Should I aim for the base of the neck or aim for the middle of neck while it is extended? What is recommended for these broadheads?


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

Aim for the middle of the neck.....this will allow you to hit either a few inches high or low and still have the broadhead work the way it is supposed to.


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

Just a few more scenarios for the bow hunters this spring. Notice that most of these birds are either broadside or quartering away.....these will be higher percentage body shots (than a bird facing you or quartered to you) because the arrow can break hips and enter the vitals better from these angles.


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## FISH (Jul 14, 2002)

on a tom in full strut, fanned out, facing away from you. i was told to aim for where the tail feathers all join. aka texas heart shot. is this true?


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

FISH said:


> on a tom in full strut, fanned out, facing away from you. i was told to aim for where the tail feathers all join. aka texas heart shot. is this true?


Yes...that is true. Also, if you are not in a blind it is the best time to draw, when the bird is in full strut facing away from you.


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

Thanks again Ack excellent stuff!!!!


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## deathfromabove (Mar 2, 2005)

Thanks...I have the Matrix set up near the roost and the spitfires are ready for lift off........good luck>>>>>--------------------->


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

No problem guys.....good luck this spring! :coolgleam


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## spectr17 (Jun 6, 2002)

Here's a cleaned up pic of the skeleton pic posted above that I created years ago.










Here's some from NBE


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

I will try to get some pics back up on this thread soon for all of you who have fall permits.


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