The bull stops here... Shot placement

[robinhoodish]

So I've been hunting big game most of my life. Probably 50/50 split between rifle and archery. I'm very aware of shot angles, anatomy and what to expect when I put this bullet or that broadhead in an animal. So here's my situation. I have some elk coming in right behind the house usually about 60 yards from the kitchen window a few of them have really bad hoof rot and are having serious problems getting around some have very noticeable atrophy from favoring certain legs. I'm thinking about doing one of them and myself a favor and putting one in the freezer. I have neighboring properties on 3 sides so anchoring the animal where it stands would be ideal. If I was using a rifle I wouldn't think twice and go for the neck or hi shoulder shot but with the lower velocity of a muzzle loader and my inexperience with the platform/ projectiles I'm curious if that's a viable option. If anyone has any recommendations on .50 projectiles powder charges shot placement I would be very thankful. I'm not recoil sensitive and if I need to talk to the neighbors I can I just don't think many people know they hang out back there and would like to keep it that way if possible. Thank you for any thoughts or advice in advance

[npaull]

If you can put a shot - with ANY weapon - right at the vertex of the "V" made by the scapula and the humerus (assuming broadside or slightly quartered away) your projectile will go over the top of the heart, transecting the pulmonary artery AND the aorta. This is the most immediately fatal injury which can be produced in a vertebrate short of decapitation.

[Dark2Dark]

If you can put a shot - with ANY weapon - right at the vertex of the "V" made by the scapula and the humerus (assuming broadside or slightly quartered away) your projectile will go over the top of the heart, transecting the pulmonary artery AND the aorta. This is the most immediately fatal injury which can be produced in a vertebrate short of decapitation.

Can’t they still move though? Or does this drop them in their tracks? I’m sure not too far with total system failure like that.

With a Muzzleloader at 60 yards and a kitchen counter as a rest with bags I’m probably shooting it where the base of the skull meets the neck.

With a ML bullet I have seen both shoulder shot and neck shot elk do some getting around. Not too mention hitting one in the shoulder is going to impact how much meat makes it to your freezer.

In my experience it will knock them down but they sometimes get back up.

Can you use a .300 blackout with suppressor, optic and subsonic ammo?