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Is there a shot to take when the deer is faceing you stright on or at a slight angle, can a chest shot be effective?
is there a shot?
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I've seen two shots like that...quartering towards...on video that is
Michael W. layed the smack down on a buck like that in Texas and on the current Primetime another dude made that shot....
It's a quartering way shot I like to take in reverse :teeth:
On quartering away I don't aim to get the exit behind the opposite shoulder...I want to hit lung/heart area and to come out in front of the opposite shoulder.
I wouldn't shoot that shot you are mentioning unless it was darn close and the deer was un-alert..not saying it is totally a bad shot...
Of course, hunting on the ground now if I have that shot availabe at less than 10 yards I will probably just pass out :tongue:
Michael W. layed the smack down on a buck like that in Texas and on the current Primetime another dude made that shot....
It's a quartering way shot I like to take in reverse :teeth:
On quartering away I don't aim to get the exit behind the opposite shoulder...I want to hit lung/heart area and to come out in front of the opposite shoulder.
I wouldn't shoot that shot you are mentioning unless it was darn close and the deer was un-alert..not saying it is totally a bad shot...
Of course, hunting on the ground now if I have that shot availabe at less than 10 yards I will probably just pass out :tongue:
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Yes and No
Is there a shot? Yes, but it is a low percentage shot with a higher margin for error. I have taken one buck with a front-on shot with great results but I was much younger and less patient. I recovered the deer in about 10 steps but the results could have been much worse if all had not gone as planned.
As stated above, wait for the broadside or quartering away shot to presents itself and you will have a much higher percentage shot.
Good shooting,
John
Is there a shot? Yes, but it is a low percentage shot with a higher margin for error. I have taken one buck with a front-on shot with great results but I was much younger and less patient. I recovered the deer in about 10 steps but the results could have been much worse if all had not gone as planned.
As stated above, wait for the broadside or quartering away shot to presents itself and you will have a much higher percentage shot.
Good shooting,
John
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Not a good shot to take, can be done, and might kill the deer where you'll be able to find it, but its something that really shouldn't be tried becuase it is too low a percentage.
I shot my biggest buck while he was straight on facing me. The buck was walking through a field and I grunted at him and he turned and came my way. He was walking broadside to me and I drew, he then stopped and turned and faced right at me at about 25 yards. I was in a tree on the field edge and not really high(afraid of heights) I had to do some quick thinking. I knew he would see me let down and I thought that I could put the arrow where it needed to go. All my pins were lined up his front. I shot and the deer turned and ran low to the ground and I watched him fall over dead. I was aiming where his neck joined his chest and assumed that is where I hit him. When I went to him I found that I hit him right under the chin, cutting his wind pipe and the arrow lodged in his shoulder. The deer either head juked me or I used the wrong pins. The deer mount turned out great, but I still have nightmares thinking about how I would feel if I shot that deer in the face. I will never take a frontal shot again.
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Might as well post this link again...
http://www.whitetails.com/shot.html
Don't take head on shots or quarting TOWARDS shots with the bow.
http://www.whitetails.com/shot.html
Don't take head on shots or quarting TOWARDS shots with the bow.
It's not a real good idea! I shot a nice buck like that, It only ran 20 yrds, everything work out perfect though. It was really thick, the deer was walking on a tram rd had no idea I was there when it stepped in the open I shot it. Nicest Buck I've ever taken. I shot a doe the same way as well she dropped in her tracks. Both shots were within 10 yards. I would not recommend that shot. It could have been a bad deal if they would have seen me.
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I've lost 2 bucks with that shot, one being a nice 130" 10pt. I found him 2 days later when the crows showed him to me. He made it about 1.5miles. I really shot more out of self defense than anything, he came running down a trail at me on the ground. The other was a little 8pt, 100" that pretty much did the same thing. Damned near ran over me. I found him about .75 miles away, but lost his blood trail about 2/3's the way to him in the rain. I'd never, NEVER take that shot again. Both were 60+/# of KE, one a muzzy head, the other a thunderhead.
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Probably gonna get flamed but that is one of my favorite shots. I shoot heavy poundage and relatively heavy arrows with good tough cut on contact heads and have always gotten complete penetration from stem to stern with this set up. I do keep the shots at a reasonable distance and still try for the more traditional shots first but have no hesitation on teh slightly quartering to.
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Too much armor
IMO, there's just way too much bone covering the vitals unless you're shooting 80#+, especially if you're elevated. With quartering away, you at least have an opening to the vitals before it might hit bone on the far side.
I tried it once at 13yds and slightly elevated. One or two inches lower and I'm sure it'd hit the hip before it stopped. One good thing about a front on shot, if you manage to get it through, you're guaranteed a vital shot. Still, I'll never do it again, unless it's for self defense.
IMO, there's just way too much bone covering the vitals unless you're shooting 80#+, especially if you're elevated. With quartering away, you at least have an opening to the vitals before it might hit bone on the far side.
I tried it once at 13yds and slightly elevated. One or two inches lower and I'm sure it'd hit the hip before it stopped. One good thing about a front on shot, if you manage to get it through, you're guaranteed a vital shot. Still, I'll never do it again, unless it's for self defense.
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lechwe, I don't think penetration is necessarily the reason it is a bad shot.
I think it is hard to take out both lungs, the heart has a smaller cross section in that direction (i think) and even if you get complete penetration, the blood has a long way to travel to get out.
I shot one right in the center of the chest. It ran for a long time, and didn't leave much blood. I wouldn't do it again. I don't know what vitals I did and did not hit because I was younger and didn't think to look.
I think it is hard to take out both lungs, the heart has a smaller cross section in that direction (i think) and even if you get complete penetration, the blood has a long way to travel to get out.
I shot one right in the center of the chest. It ran for a long time, and didn't leave much blood. I wouldn't do it again. I don't know what vitals I did and did not hit because I was younger and didn't think to look.
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Straight on shots I have no problem with, but the slightly angle I would pass on. But, it comes down to the shooters' ability to go from "A to B" with the arrow.*red-ranger* said:
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Pass, pass, pass, I you have patience it would most like;y give you better.
I triedsuch a shot last fall. I still have nightmares. I am pretty good with a bow. And it was 15yds. on the ground. The deer saw me as I stood from around a bush and he froze facing me. I knew the next step was going to be large, fast and the other way. I thought easy, close go for it. WRONG choice.
Seemed good at the time but 100yd. blood stopped. I searched 2 days, no deer. After going back to the shot the first night we did eventually fing the arrow. Sticky white. Trace of blood on head, and 1 bent blade. Sticky white from front to back. Feathers sticky but no blood. So I figured glanced a shoulder? Brisket? Somewhere fatty or cartilage.
So end of story, shot not worth the nightmares, and guilt. It was an awesome experience till that moment.
I triedsuch a shot last fall. I still have nightmares. I am pretty good with a bow. And it was 15yds. on the ground. The deer saw me as I stood from around a bush and he froze facing me. I knew the next step was going to be large, fast and the other way. I thought easy, close go for it. WRONG choice.
Seemed good at the time but 100yd. blood stopped. I searched 2 days, no deer. After going back to the shot the first night we did eventually fing the arrow. Sticky white. Trace of blood on head, and 1 bent blade. Sticky white from front to back. Feathers sticky but no blood. So I figured glanced a shoulder? Brisket? Somewhere fatty or cartilage.
So end of story, shot not worth the nightmares, and guilt. It was an awesome experience till that moment.
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I would probably take a facing shot in gun season, probably wouldnt try in bow season. I'm sure everyone has seen the footage of Stan Potts plowing that giant 200 + inch buck in the neck. The reason he did it is because he probably practices that shot, he can hit the mark everytime, and he knew what he was capable of doing, that doesnt mean i agree with him shooting at that angle. It is definately not a high percentage shot, of course deer can be killed at that angle, but half of the time you are gonna put a bad shot on him and probably loose the deer. you have to get a lot of penetration to get the vitals and when you turn the deer towards the vital area you have to get smaller becuase instead of shooting at the side you are shooting at the front which makes the vitals much more narrow. Id say wait, 9 times outta 10 he will give you a better shot angle.
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Not a good Idea to take the shot.
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Quartering towards me, at say 20 yards or less and if I didn't think the deer was going to offer me a better shot, I'd take it. I am confident that I am going to put the arrow where it needs to go and I am confident that my set up is going through the shoulder if impacted. For the record, I am producing 70 lb. of KE and using a Slick Trick broadhead
Straight on shots, I'll never personally take one. Like someone said, there's a lot of bone in there to get through. If you get through, the deer's dead because there's nothing but vitals behind there, but if you don't get through, you've got a bad situation on your hands. This being said, I know guys who routinely take straight on shots, I don't condone it, but it works, and the theory makes total sense. If you aim at the base of the neck, you're going to cut the wind pipe and even if you'd don't get through the chest, you're going to hit an artery.
This being said, it does pose a question in my mind. I have seen a bunch of videos in which straight on shots were taken with guys shooting 60-65 lb. bows and using Muzzy's, Rocky Mt's and the like. I've seen it done to whitetails, mulies and a few other animals. On every shot the arrow zipped clean through. This being said, how tough is sternum and front of the rib cage on deer sized animals?
Straight on shots, I'll never personally take one. Like someone said, there's a lot of bone in there to get through. If you get through, the deer's dead because there's nothing but vitals behind there, but if you don't get through, you've got a bad situation on your hands. This being said, I know guys who routinely take straight on shots, I don't condone it, but it works, and the theory makes total sense. If you aim at the base of the neck, you're going to cut the wind pipe and even if you'd don't get through the chest, you're going to hit an artery.
This being said, it does pose a question in my mind. I have seen a bunch of videos in which straight on shots were taken with guys shooting 60-65 lb. bows and using Muzzy's, Rocky Mt's and the like. I've seen it done to whitetails, mulies and a few other animals. On every shot the arrow zipped clean through. This being said, how tough is sternum and front of the rib cage on deer sized animals?
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