"Solid Shots" Part 3

For a deer hunter, hunting season is the very best time of the year. We anxiously count off the months until we finally have the opportunity to pursue the game we love.

Texas Hunter Products want your hunting experiences to be the best they can possibly be, and this means getting you properly prepared to hunt.

In Part 2 of this series, we looked at the Quartering Away shot. Now, we’ll look at how to place your shot for another time the deer is quartering.

The Front Quarter Shot

The Front Quarter Shot is also a pretty common hunting angle encountered in the field. The problem with this shot is the common misperception of where the vitals really are at this angle. It is not unusual for a hunter to try and place their shot behind the shoulder, with the shot hitting too far back and into the intestines.

This is a very positive angle for the gunhunter. There is a lot of vital exposure from the neck all the way down to the chest area. For a prime kill-zone shot, aim between the front shoulders toward the front of the lead shoulder, a little ways up from the breastbone. Put your bullet here, and your animal will go down for good. Just make sure to keep your shot well to the inside of the outside shoulder, otherwise you will potentially wound your animal.

For the bowhunter this shot can be a little tricky. If you are bowhunting, do not take this shot if the animal is moving forward - wait for the animal to come to a complete stop before attempting this shot. The shoulder bone (scapula) and leg bone (humerus) is at play here, and when walking the shoulder and leg bones move forward and back and can get in the way of what would otherwise be a clean hit to the vital area. Make sure to take your shot well inside of both front contours of the shoulder. This will put a broadhead directly into the heart area with plenty of lung and arteries being cut as the arrow passes through the chest cavity. 

We continue the series with Part 4 in which we look at where to shoot when your target is right in front of you.

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Special thanks to Shur Kill Targets for article content.