Great info.
One other thought on heart shots- I've noted some animals when hit in the top of the heart go straight down. Like you shoot them in the brain. Others will lunge around a bit, then go down. Also seen the "perfect shot" go ~400 yrds.
With a rifle shot, if you hit the heart muscle (myocardium) during the contraction phase of the heart beat (systole), the vascular tree (vessels running to the brain) are at max blood pressure. You smack the heart with a high energy projectile, that pressure wave has got to spike dramatically, and should in effect blow out the small vessels in the brain. I've never looked that close, but it could explain why sometimes they go down immediately. Something to consider any way. Anyone looked that close at the brain? Might be hard to see the tiny bleeds.
Had one buck I shot with a Montec through the humerus. Sounded like I shot a 2x4 board. The arrow went through the bone, into the heart. Buck jerked the close leg back, pulled the arrow out of the heart, then ran, effectively jamming the broad head back through the heart. Buck ran over 100 yrds with 3 "Y"shaped holes in the heart. Pretty cool, but I do not understand how he made it that far. Really doesn't make physiologic sense.
