Broadside, where do you aim?

The post by Jmbuckhunter called "shot placement" got me thinking today. Here is a picture of a broadside buck. I have placed three colored dots to aid in our discussion. In Jmbuckhunters thread about deer anatomy he says, "The best shot is a little more forward than a lot of people think. Most think the shoulder bade is farther back than it really is".

I have been aiming at the black dot in the deer picture for years. But here is my problem. Sometimes in the heat of the moment I see slightly quartering forward deer as being broadside. When I shoot and hit the black dot or slightly back, the exit wound is less than optimal as it strikes liver/guts. It is a lethal shot, yet the tracking involved can be tricky and the length of the death run increases, both bad things.

I am very hesitant to shoot at the blue dot in the picture for fear of hitting the shoulder blade, but I am sure shooting there would be beneficial to slightly quartering towards deer as it would improve the amount of good vitals hit (heart/lungs) and less of the less than optimal vitals hit (liver/guts). Also, if I could be assured of good penetration(that is my concern), it would be devastating on broadside deer.

So where do you aim? Be honest and give your reasoning. Give me some confidence to shoot at the blue dot!

 

Black dot, every time for me.

 

Between the black/blue for me. I trace right up the backside of the front leg and squeeze off about 1/3 up the body.

 

Between the black and blue and a bit lower. (slow bow)

 

I aim more for where the black dot is. I don't like aiming too far forward and risk hitting the shoulder, and I feel a lot more comfortable in my chances of getting a double-lung shot than I do in center-punching the heart. I'm fairly confident in my shooting ability, but I just feel I have a better chance for success and less chance of error if I go for the double-lung shot.

 

Thanks for the responses so far guys/gals. When I aim at the black dot on slightly quartering away deer I am getting great results and very quick kills. On broadside deer, maybe I need to move forward a couple of inches, but not quite to the blue dot.

 

I've come to realize that I need to be aiming more forward as well. With the KE I push and a fixed blade BH, I have little to fear IMO. I have been aiming more in the red and like was said earlier, the SB is more forward than people think. I am gonna be more blueish in the furture.

 

Good point.

 

I will take ANYONE OF THOSE on that deer.

But I will usually aim at the black dot,usually slightly higher from stand.I basically shoot at a center 10 ring of a 3-d target.

 

Black dot for me. Can't go wrong if you hit him there

 

Draw a line across the top of the dots & place another one centered between the black & blue & that would be my aiming point. But I don't shoot very many deer from a level. From a tree my aiming is much higher than those dots.

 

With a fixed blade and a bow shooting average speed, does one have much to fear if they shoot closer to that blue dot?

 

Black dot

Dave

 

If I get that shot, I typically aim at the black dot. If the deer is alert probably a tad lower. I don't think you have much to fear aiming closer to the blue dot, but for me personally its almost like live target panic. I try to stay behind the shoulder completely - I guess its a mental thing. I have shot through the shoulder before on a doe (though I was not aiming there)...she was dead pretty quick.

 

Black dot, however i found out on my buck that if you're a little back, and he's quartering to slightly, the exit can be a serious issue. I think in the future i will putting the pin a litt closer to the blue and a tad higher.

 

Blue Dot !!

You may think that the blue dot covers the shoulder bone, and, you would be WRONG !!

Using "little" words- the shoulder bone of a deer travels anteriorly almost immediately after the leg meets the thoracic cavity.

So, the blue dot is a perfect choice for a heart shoy/low lung, with less risk of hitting too far back.

I see these posts on a few sites and too many hunters obviously do not truely understand the anatomy of a whitetail deer...skeletal, muscular or circulatory/organ...

Here is a little diagram of the anatomy of a whitetail

White: Shoulder bones
Blue: Respiratory
Red: Cardiac

I did not include any real detail of oxygenated blood or venous return pathways, but, you will see that the blue dot(slightly lower), is IDEAL for a heart shot and no shoulder bones will be hit.

 

Unfortunately in years past....its been the red dot for me. Not because I chose to but because my uncontrollable brain told my finger to release the arrow once it crosses that point. I know its going to be different this year because I've majorly improved my target panic. I'll aim between blue and black. You'll see! :D

 

That is what I am saying MGH--I sometimes mistake very slightly quartering to deer as broadside...and when I think I hit sweet by aiming at that black dot, in reality it is single lung/liver most of the time. I am trying to eliminate that from the equation. That is why I made this post. Great answers all, it is good for a refresher course, even in this area.

 

VA, I think this is exactly what happened to me on a doe last Saturday. Good post.

 

It is exactly what happened to the last two does that I have shot.