What shots are most effective for big game

When taking a shot at a game animal, the goal of the hunter should be to deliver a well placed shot to the vital organs. Knowing the anatomy of your quarry will allow you to place the shot in the most vital spot. This insures a quick, clean kill, which minimizes the suffering of the animal and maximizes the chance of retrieving the downed animal. The angle that the animal is standing in relation to the hunter is the shot angle. If the animal does not present a good shot angle to the hunter, it’s best to wait for the shot angle to improve.

The Broadside Shot

The Broadside Shot presents the largest target area to strike the heart and lungs. For the novice hunter this is the best shot to take. It is just behind the shoulder bones. Properly placed, the bullet will strike the ribs and probably pass completely through the chest cavity.

To find the best shot placement, look at the front leg facing you, along a line on the back side of this leg, come up one third of the way into the body. This is the place you want your bullet or arrow to impact.

The broadside shot for turkey is the best for bowhunters. With a firearm, the head and neck are the best place to aim. Most of the meat on a turkey is in the breast. By aiming for the head with a rifle or grouping for the head and neck with a shotgun, you won’t damage the breast meat.

Quartering-Toward

Quartering-Toward is a shot angle from the front of the animal when their body is angled towards you. This angle still affords a shot to the vital area, however, there is a greater chance of hitting bones in the shoulder. Since the animal is facing you, it can easily detect any movements. Bowhunters should avoid taking this shot because of the added density of the shoulder bones that the arrow must penetrate. Also, many times the animal can see the arrow in flight.

Quartering-Away

Quartering-Away is a shot angle where the animal’s body is angled away from you. You still have a shot at the vital areas and should aim behind the shoulder. You must be confident of your accuracy with your firearm as misplacement of the shot can result in a “gut-shot,” a shot to the stomach and intestines. Not only does the animal suffer when gut-shot but it can still travel a great distance and there is a good chance you may lose it.

Head-On

Head-On means the animal is standing directly facing you. The vital organs can still be hit but there is a good chance the bullet will damage a good deal of meat. Depending on the velocity of the bullet, it could also pass through and hit the stomach, even continuing into one of the rear legs, ruining even more meat. Bowhunters should not take this shot.

Rear-End

Rear-End is exactly that, an angle directly behind the animal. No large vital area is presented. Never take this shot with firearm or bow. Wait for a better shot or pass.

The shot angle on both of these bucks is not good. You should wait for a better angle to the vital area.

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• This angle offers a good opportunity for a killing shot on antelope, white-tailed deer, mule deer, black-tailed deer, caribou, black bear, and other big game of similar size or smaller.
• The animal is usually looking away from the hunter.
• The aiming spot will be farther back than with the broadside shot. The exact spot varies depending on the degree to which the animal is quartering away. The opposite front leg is a good reference point for the aiming point.
• If the angle is too narrow, it may not be a good shot for larger game, such as elk and moose, because their massive stomachs and intestines will get in the way of a clean shot through the lungs or heart.

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• This angle offers a poor shot opportunity and should not be taken.
• Heavy shoulder bones shield the majority of vital organs from penetration.
• The animal is typically looking toward the hunter and will likely spot the hunter’s movements.

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• These angles offer very poor shot selection and should not be taken.
• Heavy bones in front and muscle mass and non-vital organs in back block penetration of the main vital areas.

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• This angle gives the best shot for the largest big game animals: elk, moose, caribou, buffalo, musk ox, grizzly bear, polar bear, and Kodiak bear.
  • The heavy hair and thick hide of these animals tend to absorb blood and close wounds. As a result, both an entry and an exit wound are necessary to cause sufficient blood loss for trailing and death.
  • Given the thickness of their chests, a broadside shot offers the shortest distance through the animal’s chest cavity.
• This is the best angle for a double-lung hit.
• For most big game, the aiming spot is straight up from the back side of the front leg, one-third of the way up from the bottom of the chest.
• To avoid hitting the shoulder blade, wait until the front leg is forward.
• For the best opportunity, wait until the animal looks the other way or is feeding.

Page 2

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• This angle offers a good opportunity for a killing shot on antelope, white-tailed deer, mule deer, black bear, and other big game of similar size or smaller.
• The animal is usually looking away from the hunter.
• The aiming spot will be farther back than with the broadside shot. The exact spot varies depending on the degree to which the animal is quartering away. The opposite front leg is a good reference point for the aiming point.
• If the angle is too narrow, it may not be a good shot for larger game, such as elk and moose, because their massive stomachs and intestines will get in the way of a clean shot through the lungs or heart.

Page 3

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• This angle offers a poor shot opportunity and should not be taken.
• Heavy shoulder bones shield the majority of vital organs from penetration.
• The animal is typically looking toward the hunter and will likely spot the hunter’s movements.

Page 4

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• These angles offer very poor shot selection and should not be taken.
• Heavy bones in front and muscle mass and non-vital organs in back block penetration of the main vital areas.