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Shoulder shots?

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Walks with fire

54 Cal.
Joined
Dec 19, 2004
Messages
1,928
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Location
Meadville PA 16335
Does anyone here aim for the shoulder on whitetails with a .50 patched ball. I have never tried it yet but for some odd reason I have this desire to bust my next whitetail square in the shoulder to see if there is enough power to break the shoulder and put it down right away. For whatever reason I seem to be questioning myself if that would be a poor idea.

So; does anyone here do it on purpose? Has anyone made a hit there by mistake and if so how did it turn out. I have always aimed for the vital area behind the front shoulder. I did hit one in the spine one year and it was down and out right now. Keep in mind I am asking about a .490 patched ball; my load is 80 grains 2f Goex.
 
Never tried that shot,,but am glad you ask it :grin: might get some vital feedback.
 
Some of the threads mention shoulder shots. Forsyth swore by them for deer type game, but he also swore by a minimum of a 14 bore rifle....

If you think you will put the animal down better than a heart or lung shot, that's fine..., if you are just curious about bullet peformance..., then you are risking wounding the animal out of curiosity, no? Sure it might be a mortal, crippling wound, but not an incapacitating one if you miss a bit, or if you under estimate the range, etc.

If you want to check bullet performance, drop the deer with a standard shot. Then test the round placement on the shoulder of the deer carcass at a known distance, and see what happens.

LD
 
JMO, But I think its a risky shot. What if you miss just a bit forward or high and just cripple the deer? deer can go a long way on just 3 legs. In the behind the shoulder shot you have more room for error, i.e. the lungs if your a bit high and if your a bit forward you still have shot at getting major veins, and arteries. Also why ruin the shoulder meat? If you make a kill shot the meat will be blood shot and or have bits of shoulder bone all in the meat. Also for me its more humane to make a good heart or double lung shot than try to bust through the shoulders.
 
It was my prefered shot with a Winny 30-30 lever. Never had one take a step after a hit there with it. Never tried it with my flinters though. I think it just might break up a shoulder bone quite well but am reluctant to experiment for obvious reasons. Just after I posted this I read another post on here that did just that and recovered the ball as well. Expanded quite a bit and dropped it on the spot. Hope to get some more responses. I think it would be ok with a .54 on deer but question the .50
 
Ive broken bones in buffalo, elk and deer (granted with a .54) but I assure you that with a decent load it will break the deer down and dump it right there if you so desire.
 
Testing "oldnamvet's" .40cal x 200grn REAL last year, I took this one in a typical .30-30 shoulder location as it was the only clear shot I had...dropped in his tracks same as if he'd been hit with a 170grn .30-30.

It was 25grns heavier than a .50cal ball, but the frontal area was smaller at .400" vs. .490" for the .50cal ball. And at typical close woods shot distances, I don't know why it wouldn't work like a .30-30...but to be clear, I say that knowing the big game powder charges I use...can't speak to some of the low, closer to entry level target loads some prefer.

 
I guess the reason I ask is that there are times when there is no snow down and the woods is thick and the field are high grass. I would much prefer to put one down quick in certain PA conditions. I have had them run a bit from a behind the shoulder shot. I instinctivly shoot vitals and it would take a little time to override that and go for the shoulder. The little bit of meat damage isn't a concern; shoulders are burger for me. The old saying is eat right up to the bullet hole.
 
I remember that post. It didn't exit either if I recall correctly. I might do it with the .54 Deerstalker but still question a .50 ball. I really think it would be fine but there is nothing like peoples real life experiences to set a persons mind at ease a little bit. I like to harvest nice and clean with little left to chance. I just had to ask. Thanks for the post/pic. ; nice deer.
 
Walks with fire said:
I remember that post. It didn't exit either if I recall correctly.
Correct, took him on the left side at 35yds, and as you see no exit on the right.
 
I shot a very small buck (90 lbs.) in Florida last year with a jacketed pistol bullet in a sabot at high velocity (~1950 fps). It blew up on the shoulder and the deer hobbled toward me and stood for almost a minute. By then I had my Old Army revolver out and shot him in the lungs with a 255 gr. cast bullet. He fell 50 yards away from the pistol shot.
I will be sure and stay away from the shoulder from now on.

Rifle shot:



Pistol shot:

 
I have hit the shoulder on several deer not only with the 50 but also the 45 on accident and all deer were recovered quickly. Most hit the ground drt. I also lost several pounds of good meat because of it! As i grow older( not wiser) I shoot more for the neck at 25 yds or so. Can't walk good so I try to getter done quick!
 
Just to be clear, when people talk about a shoulder shot, its really a "high shoulder shot" that we're after. Just breaking a deer's shoulder isn't going to put it down DRT...has no vitals, etc.
The high shoulder shot placement is actually the point where the spinal column passes between the shoulders, with the spinal column being the ultimate target, right where it dips down out of sight behind the shoulder in this diagram and starts becoming the neck vertebrae...dropping a deer in its tracks.

 
I've only killed two large does with a .50. The second one was quartered towards me a little more than I thought. It blew right through the shoulder and on out the ribs on the other side. I basically cut that shoulder off and threw it away, all bloodshot and nasty. That was with 80gr ffg.

I am surprised at the number of doubters out there about the 50 cal. It seems like yesteryears .45. Another fine caliber I'm sure, although I don't have one.
 
I always aim for the heart/lung area even though in certain instances a neck shot, etc might have been better. In any event this ranch in Texas just sent me a dvd on their operation and they must have told everyone to take shoulder shots. Whoa!! You can see the impact about 1/3 down from the top and those deer just drop. On a muzzle loader, I'm not sure. I think the modern cartridge disrupts tissue beyond recovery so it kills from massive shock and tissue rupture. On the PRB, I think that the animal bleeds out more.
Like others, I await hearing from how well shoulder shots work. Please let us know range, load, etc. All the details, as I said, I've always taken a heart/lung shot and except the animal to run maybe 20- 30 yards.
 
Shoulder shots are as risky as head/neck shots and maybe more so. As roundball pointed out the target is actually the spine and it's a small target at that. I've seen a number of deer crippled by shoulder shots when the heart/lung area is much larger and lethal.

Yes, a .50 ball will bust up a deer shoulder. So what? It makes a mess and isn't at all necessary.
 
Roundballs photo shows clearly the area I am considering aiming for. It's the big flat bone at the top of the shoulder; it's very close to the spinal column. I don't know but I think it's called the scapula. This is the area I aimed at when I started hunting at age 12 and it worked real well for me, I don't recall the deer being busted up too badly but it's been many years ago.

I am only considering this placement for shots that I want minimal movement from the place of impact. The idea is to bust it down quick so it can't run at all. It's still a pretty big area to hit and the shots would be held to under 60 yards or so. Most so far have recommended against it.
 
Being a "meat hunter" primarily, I shoot for the least wasted amount of meat....on a deer or elk, that's behind the shoulder. Not only does this save meat, but it also guarntees a "short travel" after the shot. The lungs are a big target which is where I want my shot to go. A heart shot sometimes enables the deer or elk to travel some.....but easy to track w/ the generous blood trail......Fred
 
Shot a small 4 pt. once behind the shoulder line that broke thru the off shoulder due to angle of the shot with a .490 round ball and 90 grs. 2f. The ball was recovered under the hide being flat on the front and still round with the patch imprint on the back. Wasn't a straight on thru each shoulder shot but did break the off shoulder. Bottom line I would not have a problem shooting a deer thru thru the shoulders if I wanted to! Each his own. Dan.
 

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