Six Tips for Improved Shot Placement on Game

If you’ve hunted a long time, I’m sure you’ve seen some strange things. My own list of odd occurrences seems endless. I’ve seen an arrow pass square through the center of a coon’s chest with it collapsing immediately. Then, not 20 minutes later, that same raccoon leapt to his feet and scampered away, never to be seen again.

On another occasion I witnessed a fellow shoot an elk that collapsed on the spot. Upon close inspection, there wasn’t a bullet hole to be found anywhere on the elk–not even the head.

Then there was the time I saw an arrow pass clean through the body of a Canada goose. As though nothing had happened the goose flew off into the horizon and just kept on flying.

Then there’s whitetails. I’ve seen countless trophy-class deer suck up bullets like they were shot with a pellet gun. The moral of these tales is that perfect shot placement is imperative, but that despite best efforts, sometimes our well-placed shots can turn into a rodeo. On the flip side, I’ve taken lots of game instantly.

I share these unique shooting tales not to sensationalize, but to illustrate that shot placement can make all the difference in the world. Even still, seldom are two chest shots the same. Some animals just react differently, particularly those shot with an arrow.

Tracking wounded game can be easy or it can be hard. How fast a deer or other game animal expires is dependent upon several things, but the two most important are shot placement and the bullet or broadhead we’re using (along with the firepower behind it).

We all have our bad habits. Sometimes they have to do with our lack of skill with the gun or bow we use, and others can be traced to a lack of understanding about the anatomy of the game we’re after. As hunters we have an ethical obligation to do our best to put game down quickly. We know that human error is inevitable and that hunting has an infinite combination of variables that can affect shot placement. Recognizing this, it’s up to us to maximize our accuracy and minimize the variables, including human error. Hunting is an imperfect activity. No two shots are the same.

Despite our best efforts, a myriad of factors dictate whether an animal goes down quickly or requires a labor-intensive tracking job. From target zones on the animal to maintaining equipment and executing the shot, several factors affect how fast an animal dies. Following are a few tips for better shot placement.

Target Vital Organs Only

Many experienced hunters will argue that neck or even head shots are most lethal. While they can certainly bring game down quickly, I disagree. Although there are unique circumstances when I might agree with a neck shot, for the most part I discourage these low percentage shots. These are both small targets and the odds of making a poor shot are simply too high, putting the animal at an unnecessary risk. Biology is biology, and you can’t change the laws of nature. Know that if you take out the heart, lungs, major arteries, or liver, your chances of retrieving the game increase exponentially. A double lung shot is almost always best.

Consider the Position of the Animal

A double lung shot will almost always result in a quick kill. This is usually best accomplished by shooting the animal from a broadside or quartering away position. Elk and moose can be an exception but a double-lung hit is certainly most ideal. Head on, quartering toward, the proverbial Texas heart shot, or most other positions are discouraged. Now before you get your hackles up, I will concede that game can be killed efficiently at these other angles, but with these the odds of a perfect hit go down exponentially.

Know the Anatomy of the Game You Are Hunting As far as shot placement is concerned, this is one of the most important considerations. The anatomy of different game species is variable. Yes, they all have vital organs and each can die quickly if hit properly, but God didn’t make them all the same. For instance, the vitals in a bear are different from those of a deer. Likewise, the shoulder bone of a moose or elk is much heavier than that of a deer.

Wait until the Animal is Stationary

Recognizing the right time to shoot comes with experience. Plenty of us have taken game while it was walking or on a full-out run. In most instances, running shots aren’t necessary. It’s good practice to wait until game is stopped and in a relaxed demeanor. In a lot of situations, game like deer will recognize that something isn’t right. With ears perked upright, they’ll stand erect and stomp their feet. For a tree stand bow hunter, this is a particularly precarious situation. As a rule, keep your sights trained on the kill zone until the animal is stopped and ideally focused on something other than you, e.g. feeding.

Maintain Your Equipment

No matter how skilled you are as an archer or rifleman, you can only be as good as your equipment. You can aim for perfect shot placement, but if your equipment isn’t up to snuff, it’ll take a miracle to hit your mark. Bows and guns should always be sighted in before hunting. Likewise, bows and guns should be kept clean, with all parts gone over to ensure that everything is in working order, e.g., limb bolts, arrow rests, actions, barrels, etc.

Practice

Making the perfect shot when the opportunity presents itself. That’s what it’s all about. The most common variables causing a bad shot are lack of familiarity with equipment and encounter itself. The only way we can improve our skill in the off- season is by practicing. This involves several things. Familiarity with your bow or gun can make or break your shooting ability when the pressure of shooting at a live game animal presents itself. Few other forms of practice compare to shooting a .22 rimfire rifle. Most of us cut their teeth shooting gophers or plinking tin cans with a rimfire. The nice thing about varmints with a . 22 is that they offer plenty of shooting and ammunition is cheap. By repeating the process of aiming and shooting at variable distances, we have the opportunity to modify and correct for obvious errors. A .22 has virtually no recoil and therefore eliminates one variable that can affect accuracy with larger calibers.

Finally, one of the most beneficial things we can do is practice shooting under simulated field conditions. This may be done by shooting silhouettes or 3D targets in the off-season. Likewise, new video shooting units like the DART System allow shooters to practice realistic field shooting scenarios on a video screen. The system scores them based on proximity to the kill zone.

Take Your Time

Poor shot placement (inaccuracy) can often be traced to overconfidence and is the result of a rushed shot. It’s important to remember that all shooting sports demand precision. In turn, concentration is paramount. Confidence founded in familiarity with your equipment and proven ability to place a shot is important, but there’s a fine line between overconfidence and touching off at the right instant

As you prepare to take your shot, control your breathing. Breathing involves inhaling and exhaling, which in turn moves your body. This makes it almost impossible to get a precise lock on your target. Hold your breath momentarily to steady for the shot.

Whenever possible use a shooting rest to stabilize your gun. Whether it’s a bench rest or a daypack, tree branch, log, or rock, always take advantage of a rest. By bracing for the shot, the shooter effectively minimizes the unavoidable aspect of human error. Using a bench rest is particularly important when sighting in. By doing so, you effectively eliminate most of the human error and thereby determine the accuracy of your equipment.