"Anchoring" Shots

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Oct 28, 2020
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Long story short, I'm curious about the idea of shooting for the shoulder rather than the heart and lungs. Seems like I've seen articles on this every once in a while and there are some folks out there that advocate it. The most recent article I saw that discusses "anchoring shots" specifically advocates for shooting the scapula (shoulder blade) because not only will breaking the shoulder make the animal less mobile but the scapula is close enough to the spine that it could damage the central nervous system. There's also a good chance that the lungs will incur some damage whether from the bullet itself or bone fragments or hydrostatic shock.

Honestly I'm a bit skeptical but last week I had an episode that is making me a little more open to the idea. I shot a doe at last light, definitely hit one lung and I'm pretty sure I hit both, but the deer ran straight into some thick brush leaving a weak blood trail that stopped entirely after only 30 yards or so. Spent hours looking, never found her.

So, with that said, anyone here subscribe to the "anchoring shot" technique? Thoughts on it?
 

slingerHB

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I am a very big fan of high shoulder shots. It may ruin a little meat depending on bullet type or what you actually hit. I favor it though because it usually leads to no tracking and a quick ethical kill.

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Ron.C

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Unless you are concerned that your deer may bolt into unrecoverable terrain " like a mountain goats tend to do " I'd still aim for the vitals (heart/lung shots).

This is a big target with a large margin for error and the least amount of meat damage. Yes, sometimes we still mess that up but don't think that a shoulder shots are any more reliable.

There's no guarantee the animal will drop in it's tracks with a shoulder hit "they can be messed up as well".
 
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Laramie

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Long story short, I'm curious about the idea of shooting for the shoulder rather than the heart and lungs. Seems like I've seen articles on this every once in a while and there are some folks out there that advocate it. The most recent article I saw that discusses "anchoring shots" specifically advocates for shooting the scapula (shoulder blade) because not only will breaking the shoulder make the animal less mobile but the scapula is close enough to the spine that it could damage the central nervous system. There's also a good chance that the lungs will incur some damage whether from the bullet itself or bone fragments or hydrostatic shock.

Honestly I'm a bit skeptical but last week I had an episode that is making me a little more open to the idea. I shot a doe at last light, definitely hit one lung and I'm pretty sure I hit both, but the deer ran straight into some thick brush leaving a weak blood trail that stopped entirely after only 30 yards or so. Spent hours looking, never found her.

So, with that said, anyone here subscribe to the "anchoring shot" technique? Thoughts on it?
What caliber are you shooting? What bullet? How far was the doe?
 

cured_ham

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I shot a doe this weekend with my bow. 120ish lbs. Shattered both shoulders. Went down on impact and crawled 15ish yards and died. Super easy
 
OP
M
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What caliber are you shooting? What bullet? How far was the doe?


200 yards (nearest tree was ranged at 212), broadside/slightly quartering away. Shot with a 6.5 Creedmoor 130 gr. Barnes TSX. Here's a pic of the largest spot of blood I found, within 10 yards of where the deer was standing when shot. I'm pretty sure my shot was a little bit high, maybe halfway or even two-thirds of the way up the body. Perhaps that explains the poor blood trail, at least in part?
 

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OP
M
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I am a very big fan of high shoulder shots. It may ruin a little meat depending on bullet type or what you actually hit. I favor it though because it usually leads to no tracking and a quick ethical kill.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk


I would be willing to accept some meat damage if it increased the chances of a quick, ethical kill significantly. I suppose a more specific question that Ron C. more or less answered is "how reliable are shoulder shots in putting an animal down quickly with minimal movement from the site of the shot?"
 

Rich M

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You need an adequate gun to faithfully execute the high shoulder shot.

A 243 will not drop a 300# muley at 220 yards - BTDT. he didn't and couldn't run and the 2nd shot dropped him. The high shoulder shot punched a hole in the scapula and didn't penetrate much further. Kinda disappointing cause my 3006 would have ended it all right there.

You gotta be careful with them copper bullets - they need more energy to expand and a shoulder blade will help this. You might not have had the velocity to expand it at 200 yards. A cup & core bullet will kill, a partition or acubond will give you the best of both worlds.

I'm coming down off 42 seasons of 3006 and into 243 and 350 Legend. Kinda crazy tracking deer, but it happens with lesser bullets and calibers. I was raised with shoulder shot and it works great but only if you have enough weight and energy doing the work when it hits.
 

slingerHB

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I have shot a lot of animals with a high shoulder shot. I know a lot of people don't like the eldx bullet, but a high shoulder shot with that bullet shedding half it's weight is devistating on deer and elk sized game

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I use this technique often. Works great when hunting near properties that do not allow access. Using this shot placement I have not had 1 make it more than 2 steps.
 
Joined
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Wisconsin
For me it depends on the situation. I like to anchor a deer if concerned about property lines or perhaps terrain they could tumble into. But if in an open area where I can watch them attempt an escape after the shot (if they run much), I'll aim for just behind the shoulder.
 
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A guy I hunt with shot his bull 3x with an anchoring shot with a 147eld from a 6.5 prc, bull kept trying to get up, which he couldn't but long story short the bull was still alive 25 minutes later until it was dispatched PB with a lung shot. I personally think anchoring shots are a waste of meat and an unethical place to put a bullet while there is a whole boiler room of life supporting vitals sitting BEHIND the shoulder. The private property/animal on cliff makes sense and may call for this type of shot, other than that I dont think it should be used.
I understand we dont all hunt for meat, but we should do our best not to obliterate it.
 
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A high shoulder shot on a whitetail is absolutely devastating and I wound actually say the margin of error is pretty large with a rifle. If you hit back a little bit your double lungs, down heart, front neck and spinal column. The key would be not to aim too high, I would suggest aiming straight up from the leg about 2/3 up the body. Or center mass if your less confident.

Bullet selection for your cartridge should be considered. If shooting a fast round and a light for caliber bullet such as an sst or ballistic tip you could have issues. I would recommend heavier for caliber bullets if shooting cup and core, or using accubond, partition, grandslam, etc or a copper bullet. As someone else mentioned the copper bullets shine when driven to high velocities, in non magnum rounds this may mean using a lighter bullet.
 
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I am color blind and new that as a young kid. My goal is to put them down right where they are, so I don’t have to track them. My go to is a .30-06 shooting a 165 gr Hornady SST. A shot in the shoulder or just slightly back will put them down. I don’t worry about the minimal meat loss out of a front shoulder. Not much up there anyway.

My boys kill them DRT with a .243 95 gr SST. Works like magic.
 

Beendare

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I guided a guy last fall that shot a 275 pound mule deer at 120 yards with that Tikka 6.5 Creedmoor, I think it was 127 grain or so bullet, good high shoulder shot......and the buck just stood there like it was nuthin.


....
 

ChrisAU

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Yep, situation dependent. Hunting down in the swamp on our property, or when I'm on a couple tiny places we have access to, high shoulder. I actually say in my head "anchors away" as I go through my firing sequence to remind myself to do it, because everywhere else I shoot for vitals.
 

slingerHB

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Yep, situation dependent. Hunting down in the swamp on our property, or when I'm on a couple tiny places we have access to, high shoulder. I actually say in my head "anchors away" as I go through my firing sequence to remind myself to do it, because everywhere else I shoot for vitals.
Nothing like trying to track a buck thru a nasty swamp area,cause that's where they live and head for the nastiest stuff when they are hit. That's where a high shoulder anchor makes sense.

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OP
M
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I guided a guy last fall that shot a 275 pound mule deer at 120 yards with that Tikka 6.5 Creedmoor, I think it was 127 grain or so bullet, good high shoulder shot......and the buck just stood there like it was nuthin.


....
What was the end result?
 
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