| Shot Placement On Deer | | | | is risky though and not to be recommended) but the |
| - With the exception of giraffe, the ideal shot | | | | heart is the place you need to shoot for. Shot |
| placement areas on all plains game species are similar | | | | Placement On Deer |
| and I'll deal with the exceptions at the bottom of this | | | | - If the animal is facing you with it's head down, you |
| article. | | | | may be able to take a spine shot where the top of |
| - With all shot placement to the heart and engine | | | | the neck leaves the body. If he's looking at you, use |
| room area, it's a good idea not to use external | | | | the 'glass case' rule and factor in the 'right angle rule' |
| features of the body as reference points because so | | | | and you'll hit the heart. Alternatively, imagine where |
| often, the animal will be at an obtuse angle to you. | | | | the spine is and take a low frontal neck shot. (Note |
| Always try to imagine the external surfaces of the | | | | however, that a lot of PHs might frown on this |
| animal to be a glass case enclosing the vital areas, | | | | unless you've already proved to him that you're a |
| and if you can imagine exactly where those vital | | | | really good shot) |
| areas are and hit them, you won't go far wrong. | | | | - Although I don't recommend a head shot for a |
| - For the purposes of this article, we need to start | | | | variety of reasons, not least, the fact that you'll do a |
| with our target animal at set angle to us and when in | | | | lot of damage to the trophy. If you do need to |
| the field, one has to apply the overriding 'glass case' | | | | know where the brain is, just draw a line between |
| rule if the animal is at a different angle to those | | | | the eye and the base of the opposite ear and then |
| discussed here. | | | | do the same on the other eye and ear and where |
| - With the animal standing at right angles to you, | | | | those two lines cross, you'll find the brain. Always |
| divide the animal in half (horizontally) and in half again | | | | remember that the angle of the head is a factor in |
| and then imagine a perpendicular line up the back of | | | | this but it doesn't take much working out. |
| the foreleg and where the perpendicular line and the | | | | - If the animal is standing directly away from you, |
| lowermost horizontal line cross, you'll find the top of | | | | the Texas heart shot is a very effective shot indeed. |
| the heart. If you shoot slightly back or slightly high, | | | | Aim for the root of the tail where it leaves the body |
| you might miss the heart but you'll find the lungs. | | | | and if you get it right, the animal will just collapse. |
| Shoot slightly low and you'll hit the centre of the | | | | Admittedly, this shot is considered beyond the pale |
| heart, If you're slightly in front of the heart, you may | | | | with a lot of British and European hunters, but it is |
| well still find the lungs, (any shot in front of the heart | | | | extremely effective. |