# How good of a shot are you?



## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I'm just curious as to how many of you can drop a deer "right where it stands". I was clicking around last night and stopped on MOOD and watched for a bit. I saw a young kid take TWO deer on opening day. The first one, was early in the day. He fired and hit it and as soon as he did, it looked like a little bit of a gut shot at first to me and it struggled but did attempt to make its way off. It didn't look like it was going to get too far but it was tough to tell. Later in the segment, the same kid took a bead on a buck. He pulled the trigger and that sucker literally dropped where it stood. It didn't move a foot!

I haven't hunted in years but did hunt quite a few years from when I was eligible until our little group kind of disbanded and I just stopped for other reasons. I only took one deer in that time. When I shot the first time, I couldn't tell for sure if I hit it. The thing flipped around and started running off and I racked off another shot and with the second shot, it dropped right there. It had only taken maybe three or for steps though. Upon retrieving the deer, I did find that I hit it both times. 

Watching that buck drop instantly last night, I just started wondering how many of you drop deer like that or how many end up tracking it. I would have to say that the vast majority of recoveries must require at least a little bit of tracking. I doubt that many deer literally drop in their tracks. I was pretty impressed with that kid's shot!

John


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## backstrap bill (Oct 10, 2004)

Put the state land heart shot on em. (High shoulder shot)


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## jackbob42 (Nov 12, 2003)

Not every time , but most times.
What's better though , is that my grandson can do it too.
Around us , if you let them get anywhere , you're probably gonns have to either fight for it or let the neighbors have it.


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## sbooy42 (Mar 6, 2007)

I just started taking the high shoulder shot a couple years ago and really prefer dropping them in their tracks..


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## anonymous7242016 (Aug 16, 2008)

jackbob42 said:


> Not every time , but most times.
> What's better though , is that my grandson can do it too.
> *Around us , if you let them get anywhere , you're probably gonns have to either fight for it or let the neighbors have it*.


 
Not if they run onto my place Bob, I will help you find it and drag it.

I dropped a doe in her tracks Wednesday night and it wasn't the best placed shot either. I guess sometimes you just get lucky.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

Hey John, hope your feeling better!

In my almost thirty years of firearm deer hunting I've taken a little over twice that many deer, at least half of those dropped on the spot, others I've had to track. Some only 10 yards, a couple around 50 or so and have been very fortunate never to have one get away.


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## jkaiser20 (Dec 12, 2009)

bucksnbows said:


> I dropped a doe in her tracks Wednesday night and it wasn't the best placed shot either. I guess sometimes you just get lucky.


This is my method. I have been way too lucky the last few years having them DIP (die in place), and in fact, I am little worried about the next time I have to track. Really, the last 6 deer have all dropped where they stood or I could see them fall.


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## hunting man (Mar 2, 2005)

It really depends on the shot placement. Most deer I shoot low right behind the front shoulder. They tend to run a bit but never far and always leave a big blood trail. If I have a good standing still shot I place it high in the front shoulder and they drop right away. The best shot, till you become good at it, is the chest shot. Lots of room for error and it will kill them everytime. Aim just below center and right behind the front leg. This is where I tell the rookie greenhorns to shoot a deer. Punch a hole in the chest and they die quickly plus leave a very good blood trail to follow if they do run.


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## bowhunter426 (Oct 20, 2010)

I consider myself and excellent shot as every time I have pulled the trigger I have recovered a deer. However, by the standard of a good shot being someone that drops a deer in its tracks, I must be terrible as only 1 deer has ever dropped in its tracks.


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## tgafish (Jan 19, 2001)

Only had 7 animals drop where they stood. 4 in the spine, 2 in the neck. The only one I hit in the boiler room that dropped was a doe with a ML. Every other animal I have hit in the vitals has run from 10 to 80 yards


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Practice, practice, practice. I consider myself a pretty darn good shot. My wife and kids are good well. My 10 yr old is exceptional, shoots as well or better than most grown men. But when you consider that we run through a minimum of 500 rounds a month all winter, and four to five times that in the warmer months it is not suprising that we can maintain a level of competency. The fact that the vast majority of those rounds are rimfire rifle/pistol and skeet and is irrelevant, good form is good form.
I have seen heart shot deer go 50 yards........ but good shooting is good shooting.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

Just as important as the ability to shoot accurately is to judge angles and determine what shot you want.

Broadside with good conditions, nothing to effect tracking, I take the double lung shot. I shoot a 50 cal and always get good blood and lose very little meat.

Falling snow, rain, close to the swamp, I always try to take one shoulder depending on the angle, or I may go with the base of the neck or high shoulder shot. If I need to drop a deer where it stands I can, but you lose some meat either from the shoulder or neck.


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## SNAREMAN (Dec 10, 2006)

Not hard to drop'em on the spot if you hit them in the head,neck,spine or both shoulders.Of those choices,I would never recomend the head or spine shots.Neck shot does not leave much room for error.Thru both shoulders will most times mess-up to much meat imo,but for most it's the shot I would recomend to those who for whatever reason want to drop'em right there.While I have taken 2-3 neck and 4-5 shoulder shots over the years,it was only because I felt I had to take them if I wanted any shot.Other than that,I shoot a bullet/slug just like I would an arrow.Put it thru the heart/lungs and they are dead,probley run a little (20-100yds)but should not be hard to find even for those with limited tracking skills.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

I've found that it is much easier to learn to shoot well than it is to see color. In dim light I have a real hard time seeing the color red. On a standing shot I'll take a high neck shot anytime it presents itself. I've never had one take a step. I'll shoot does in the head. If they are moving stopping them is the key. Moving shots are another thing all together; I would rather pass than take a shot that I'm not comfortable with.

Practice is the key to muscle memory so practice all you can. There is no excuse for not being able to place your bullet or arrow for that matter where you intend to.


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## Ken (Dec 6, 2000)

Luv2hunteup said:


> Practice is the key to muscle memory so practice all you can. There is no excuse for not being able to place your bullet or arrow for that matter where you intend to.




No excuse, but it happens every year to countless hunters. Go back in the threads since September and look at all the posts about tracking help needed, lost deer, or just plain missed deer.

And if that's not enough, go to any range on November 10-14 and watch all the guns come out that haven't been exposed to daylight since November of the previous year. Those are just the ones that do even go to the range first. Some change ammo, scopes, or whatever, and say "oh, it will be close enough". Yep, close enough to wound one.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

hunting man said:


> It really depends on the shot placement. Most deer I shoot low right behind the front shoulder. They tend to run a bit but never far and always leave a big blood trail. If I have a good standing still shot I place it high in the front shoulder and they drop right away. The best shot, till you become good at it, is the chest shot. Lots of room for error and it will kill them everytime. Aim just below center and right behind the front leg. This is where I tell the rookie greenhorns to shoot a deer. Punch a hole in the chest and they die quickly plus leave a very good blood trail to follow if they do run.


 save the fancy stuff for the range.


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## Raymond S. (Nov 12, 2005)

Double lunged a doe 11-14 with my bow and she ran about 75 yds, lotsa blood (rage broadheads.) Shot a buck and doe opening morning 11-15 dropped them both. First deer was high shoulder shot that actually landed forward of where I was aiming, resulting in a bottom neck shot. Second deer was head on and I shot center of chest high, dropped. Lastly took another doe towards the end of season at 75 yds again high shoulder shot and she too dropped. 

I really like that high shoulder shot because it gives room for error. Obviously the best shot for archery is the boiler room shot behind the shoulder but for gun I elect to go high shoulder if I can. 

Oh, to answer your original question of how good of a shot are you...I find that I'm a much better shot at the range than in the woods w/ all my gear on. I am guilty of not sighting in w/ all my gear on which can be a costly mistake. I found that for whatever reason I was shooting left on 2 of the 3 shots taken w/ my shotgun this season. I won't make that mistake again next year.


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

I've only ever dropped one deer right where they stood and it required a follow up arrow to finish her off. I always aim for a double lung shot which is the main reason.


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## KalamazooKid (Jun 20, 2005)

Too often it's the result of a bad shot (spine). Money is the double lung.

One finger at a time .....


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## bersh (Dec 9, 2003)

KalamazooKid said:


> Too often it's the result of a bad shot (spine). Money is the double lung.
> 
> One finger at a time .....


Maybe true of a lot of hunters that don't practice or sight in, or others that really get buck fever.

That being said, the high shoulder will drop them in their tracks 99 times out of 100.


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