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Shoulder shots with a bow

RUGER

RUGER

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Ok this will be kind of long to set up but I am curious as to other people's thoughts on it.

Friend at work got a new place to hunt in KY.
It is alot of bottom area with alot of water.

The guy that got him in on the land told him if you shoot a deer, especially a big buck, you need to blow through both shoulders so we can find him.

If they run off in all this water you won't ever find him.

Now...

I told him that I suppose with the new fast bows out there, like his, I guess it is possible to do that.
However, I would HIGHLY recommend NOT intentionally shooting towards the shoulders.
In the first place if it is not totally broadside you are probably not gonna break but one shoulder and then you won't get alot of blood more than likely and could very well miss the vitals enough that he would run like a mile.

Also, if you did punch through both I doubted you would get a pass thru and then very little blood.

I told him I would take my chances with a good double lung shot and even if you don't have alot of blood you can track deer in water by watching the mud.

Was I wrong in my advice?
 
Intentional shoulder shots are a big no-no IMO with archery equipment. There is a high probability of penetration problems like you said. I do everything I can to avoid shoulder shots and aim for the heart/lung shot. With a rifle different story....I wouldn't hesitate, even though that still isn't my first choice of shot selection.
 
TNDeerGuy said:
Intentional shoulder shots are a big no-no IMO with archery equipment. There is a high probability of penetration problems like you said. I do everything I can to avoid shoulder shots and aim for the heart/lung shot. With a rifle different story....I wouldn't hesitate, even though that still isn't my first choice of shot selection.
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x2
 
deerhunter10 said:
TNDeerGuy said:
Intentional shoulder shots are a big no-no IMO with archery equipment. There is a high probability of penetration problems like you said. I do everything I can to avoid shoulder shots and aim for the heart/lung shot. With a rifle different story....I wouldn't hesitate, even though that still isn't my first choice of shot selection.
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x2
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Yes ^
 
RUGER said:
It is my every time go to shot with a rifle, but this dude was talking strictly bow.
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I would say that the gentleman has either very little experience with archery equipment, or doesn't fully understand the mechanics of archery vs. the anatomy of a deer�either way it is not the best request/advice he could make.

I would just take out both lungs while aiming at the heart and tell him I must have "jerked" the shot as I was aiming dead on the shoulder. :whistle:
 
Be advised but there are "macho" types over on Archery Talk drawing heavy draw weights and heavy arrows getting 100 lbs KE. They claim they are intentionally taking shoulder shots. These guys are the epitome of douch baggery lol
 
Hey I like archerytalk. Im kidding I know what you mean. If you got time to aim at the shoulder, you got time to aim for a vital shot. Double Lung and you will be within a 100 yard search anyway. A good shot puts em down pretty quick. I would never take a shoulder shot over a double Lung or heart. I shoot an Insanity 28.5 draw at 70 lbs and would still choose lungs over shoulder. Thats like spending 30k bucks on a power stroke when you could buy a cummins, I guess I could settle for it, but I dont want to. LOL!!
 
RUGER said:
Ok this will be kind of long to set up but I am curious as to other people's thoughts on it.

Friend at work got a new place to hunt in KY.
It is alot of bottom area with alot of water.

The guy that got him in on the land told him if you shoot a deer, especially a big buck, you need to blow through both shoulders so we can find him.

If they run off in all this water you won't ever find him.

Now...

I told him that I suppose with the new fast bows out there, like his, I guess it is possible to do that.
However, I would HIGHLY recommend NOT intentionally shooting towards the shoulders.
In the first place if it is not totally broadside you are probably not gonna break but one shoulder and then you won't get alot of blood more than likely and could very well miss the vitals enough that he would run like a mile.

Also, if you did punch through both I doubted you would get a pass thru and then very little blood.

I told him I would take my chances with a good double lung shot and even if you don't have alot of blood you can track deer in water by watching the mud.

Was I wrong in my advice?
Click to expand...

No, you were not wrong.

I talk to so many archers each year who don't truly understand the anatomy of a deer. "Shoulders" are comprised mostly of ball sockets and scapula, and humerus. Both the ball socket and the humerus are VERY thick and tough to get through, even with a high powered rifle bullet.
And if you do choose to shoot a deer through these bones, you are pretty much guaranteed to lose that shoulder meat.

I would guess shooting through both humerus bones and or ball sockets on both shoulders, with an arrow, (I don't care how much KE) is near impossible.

Now, getting an arrow through both scapulas, also referre to as "shoulder" is VERY possible with arrow, even light poundage, low KE arrows. I have been successful at doing this many times.

But NOTHING beats the high percentage shot of an arrow through BOTH lungs. BEHIND the shoulder.
 
Good advise Ruger, as others have stated, a double lung shot will not be hard to track even in water; I dare say you will hear the splash!
 
A lot of people think the shoulder is not where it truly is. So a big part of the problem is in lack of familiarity with the anatomy of deer. Shoot for 3-4 inches above the center of the leg where it joins the body for top of heart/center of lungs on a perfectly broadside deer at the same level as the shooter.



 
I agree that one should not try to shoot thru both shoulders but lets not forget that the perfect buckmaster broadside shot is not always there leaving us with angled shots that at times end up going thru a shoulder, rib, or brisket. Speed is not what drives the arrow thru it simply gets it there. Arrow weight and energy is what drives it thru. Think of it this way, a 22-250 is faster than a 45-70 but a 45-70 will penetrate better. I say this because now and days it seems most are getting hung up simply on how fast you can get the arrow there. It don't do you no good to shoot 330fps if you can't get to and thru the vitals. If you find a good mix of speed, weight, and energy you don't have to wait on the buckmaster shot and can get a good pass thru even if you have to go thru a shoulder, rib, etc.
 
never a shoulder with any weapon for me, hate to lose meat with a rifle & too much bone for a arrow ,lost my first bow deer due to rain & the deer ducked & pulled back & I suspect it hit shoulder bone some as it wasn't a pass thru,even with my xbow & close I will pass if that's the only shot.I don't feed the yotes
 

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