[abowhunterlj]

I watch a lot of hunting shows...almost all the time actually...and spend every evening reading AT and there is a lot of conversation about the "perfect" bow shot being a quartering away shot. I have been very fortunate in my bow hunting and have usually managed to take a deer during bow seasons. Most of my shots are pass throughs. A well-placed quartering away shot enters behind the shoulder (hopefully) and exits usually through the other shoulder, either directly or a bit in front. How is the hole that is left any different depending on which side the arrow enters? Isn't a pass through quartering away shot the same as a pass through quartering to shot? Why is one good and one bad?

 

[Skeptic]

a quartering to shot you have less margine for error because of the shoulder and such that your arrow can lodge in and end up in an injured animal. If placed right it is just as deadly but for average joe bowhunter the quartering away shot gives more margin for error IMO.

 

[Cornfed]

As mentioned, the quartering towards shot offers a tremendous potential of wounding the animal. The margin of error is just to small with the possibility of striking the shoulder and heavy bone which would seriously impeed pentration making a blood trail all but nonexistent. They shouldn't be attempted and without fail the majority of deer I know of guys loosing were lost due to this shot angle.

 

[minnow]

In a quartering away shot the "ideal" shot placement would be towards the back of the rib cage, not directly behind the shoulder. This would leave room for a left/right margin of error without hitting the shoulder bone. In a quartering towards shot you would need to shoot through the shoulder bones in order to put your arrow through the chest cavity. This is a very iffy proposition at best as the upper shoulder bones are tough to penetrate with most set ups. I've had the misfortune of hitting the scapula of a deer at just 15 yards out of a 65lb bow and seeing the deer run off with only about 2 or 3 inches of penetration. Not a very pretty sight and an even worse feeling in my stomach. There may be some bow set ups and a very few broadheads that can penetrate the shoulder bones on a regular basis but most bowhunters agree it is a low percentage shot that is not worth taking.

 

[slinger09]

You are assuming you will pass through. If you hit the shoulder bone just right it will not. Quartering away shot the vitals have been taken out before it reaches the opposite shoulder. Lung hit deer with one of his running gears taken out equals short tracking job. Deer with broadhead stuck in shoulder bone equals a deer with a real bad limp until someone finishes him off. Before you answer back with KE let me tell you this I shoot a 413 grain arrow at 279 fps and have failed to bust the shoulder bone. Luckily the neighbor finished him during rifle season.