range.

[waoutdoorsman]

Animals can go a LONG wyas on a broken shoulder mayb not deer but elk can for sure

Its amazing the will power of some animals to get the heck outa dodge. I have personally seen a mulie bound up and over a ridge on three legs (one broken shoulder) just as fast as if it had four.

[Intruder]

Animals can go a LONG wyas on a broken shoulder mayb not deer but elk can for sure

Not speaking for Goldtip but my take on shooting for a shoulder is not to merely to break it but to break it in addition to a heart/lung shot.  I haven't seen a more reliable way to anchor an animal than that to breakdown a shoulder and take out their lungs and or heart... assuming the angles are right.  Spine or head shot but I don't consider that a viable high % option.

Quality bullet is a must.  Something that breaks apart may not penetrate adequately to get to the vitals.

[GoldTip]

Well certainly they can go a long ways on three legs, no doubt about that. But if your shooting an appropriate weapon for said animal with appropriate bullets, you generally break both shoulders and smash through the hearts and lungs as well, anchoring said animal at the spot of the shot, resulting in no need for blood trailing.  I would submit that most bullets which would come apart on the shoulder of an elk will also start to fragment on his rib bones resulting in a possible single lung hit as well, which would easily result in an animal going a very long ways and probably not being recovered.

My father as an outfitter always recommended the middle shoulder shot and his reasons were threefold.  First if you hit where your aiming, it will result in little to no blood trail to follow, because animal generally goes down directly with no working front shoulders.  If you hit a little back of the shoudler you have just hit the heart lung space directly resulting in a dead animal in short trail.  If you hit a little forward with a rifle then you have just found the dip in the spine and paralyzed the animal, thereby no need to look any further, the animal is right where you shot it.

Conversely, if you aim for the heart and lungs and misjudge the angle or shoot just a little back you have got a liver/maybe gutshot animal which will go a very long ways.  Believe me I am not suggesting a shoulder shot on deer/elk/bear with a 243 or even a 270 loaded with ballistic tips.  But there aint a black bear/elk around who wont have two smashed shoulders and torn up lungs from a shoulder shot with 30-06 shooting 180gr good old core lokts, believe me, I've seen it just a couple times.

[CP]

No doubt that an 180gr Core LOKT from a 30-06 will break both shoulders but it is going to leave a BIG mess and ruin a lot meat.  A couple of inches further back does the job with a lot less waste.   

[GoldTip]

True enough, the shoulder shot does result in more damaged meat.  But an animal that can't run off on his two broken front shoulders is an animal that is never lost either.

[RubblesPH]

The animal doesn't seem to change the shot distance.  If I believe that I can make the shot with good placement and I'm shooting a load that will have great penetration on that animal, I take the shot.   

On a bear, I like the quartering towards or away shot and shooting through at least one shoulder.  This typically guarantee's a double lung and breaks down a shoulder.  Sometimes, depending on the angle, it takes the heart out also.  The last bear I shot (300 win mag, 180gr) went through the shoulder and exited behind the last rib.  Minimal meat loss, a broken shoulder and double lunged at 311 yards. 

It's worked well for me in the past so I'm reluctant to change.   

[Abolt338]

I don't limit myself by animal as far as the range.  Bears and deer and elk all die quite quickly with a well placed shot.  I limit the range based upon whether or not I feel I can make the shot, not on what type animal it is.  Bears, deer or elk, I shoot'em through the shoulders with a rifle.

Me three...

Most of my bears are within 30 yards.  But last year's bear came on opening day, across a tight draw, level shot, no wind, broad side at 275 yards ranged.  One shot with a .338WM 210gr Nosler Partition and she was done for.

It all depends on the situation.

RW

[MountainWalk]

i generally try to refrain from taking a shoulder shot on bear. dont know why. just personal exp. i guess. that said, with a good bullet, i'll try for the shoulder shot every time i can on elk. lung shots if possible on deer..

i dont like things getting too close. seems like their radar goes into overdrive and its too easy to get busted.. i'll shoot at elk and deer farther than a bear. again, just from personal exp. besides, its quite thrilling to get closer to bears.

[Bofire]

If I feel comfortable with the shot, if I can get a good hold and angle. I take it. What I aim at depends on the "comfort". For animals of that size, I shoot a 300 win mag. If I am 'just hunting" I may have any number of calibers. Once again considering that, if I am comfy, I take the shot.
Carl

[cohoho]

Always have shot bears within the 100 yards range as I do with 90% of anything that I have shot with rifle..  Do not like to take the chances....  There are the exceptions for sure like sheep and antelope, but most others have been able to close the gap to my safety zone.  Seen too many "good shot" folks lose animals by taking the beyond boundary shots and wound and utimately lose the animals they are after.  Again, not to start the war of who can shoot at what distance and thump their chest the most, I personally think the long shots are not effective in the field by 90% of shooters/hunters, most of the time, too big of a gun for them to shoot comfortably and by going smaller and a little more acurrate for them gun, puts the brakes on their internal pride......... yea there are those that can anywhere, anytime, but they are exceptions for certain... 

[Intruder]

cohoho.... There is a lot of good advice in your post. Although I tend to take the position of defending long shots, your take on things is pretty much spot on. 

[boneaddict]

Longest shot I have taken on a game animal was with a bear.  Eventhough Michelle hasn't taken any of these animals, I follow her rules.  I don't take the shot unless I am comfortable.  I was comfortable with it and there was no way to get closer.  It could have went bad but it didn't.  FOr that particualr kill, the part about getting closer was less important than the rest of the hunt was for me.   That being said, predators can take alot of abuse and still live, and it takes alot to get them down at times.  More so than any other animal, the first shot counts with a bear.  Make it a good one.

I had the perfect rest.  My breathing was under control, light wa in my favor, and I had the shot.  I put the crosshairs right between his ears at the top of his head and sent that 180 grain handload flying.  It smucked him square int eh whitespot on his chest and he died within 30 feet.  More blood than I have seen out of any animal.

[Gobble]

I passed up a shot on a mulie on a High Buck hunt that haunts me to this day even though I know I did the right thing. It was a evening hunt and this huge (I'm guessing 30+") 5 x 5 buck was standing on a hillside across from us, I'm guessing it was 500 + yrds. I practice very long shots and felt that we could have taken it but the hillside was across one other point an I wasn't sure exacly how to get there from where we were at, plus it was getting dark and I didn't want to take a chance on losing the animal.

[MountainWalk]

i have a few long range oppurtunities that i passed up that still i give myself grief. they were on elk. most likely, i could have taken them without a problem, i suppose. but like in a previous post, it was getting close to dark. i figured i would have another day. wish i would have.

[bankwalker]

Animals can go a LONG wyas on a broken shoulder mayb not deer but elk can for sure

Its amazing the will power of some animals to get the heck outa dodge. I have personally seen a mulie bound up and over a ridge on three legs (one broken shoulder) just as fast as if it had four.

my buddie shot a doe once with his bow. you could hear the shoulder snap. we watch the doe roll down a hill and get up and run for about 800yds across a farmers field and it was like nothing happened at all.