X Marks the spot #5?

[cnelk]

The dreaded quartering to shot presentation...

[JJ Overkill]

here, maybe even a touch left of the X ( edited after further review). black x is my final answer, unfortunately we don't get do over out in the elk woods.

[WapitiTalk1]

Yikes.. I've killed deer at this angle hitting before and after that left leg but have always shied away from this shot on an elk. 20 yards or under at full draw and it's me or him? I would place my Shuttle T right here if the stars had aligned and this big galoot wanted to be taken out of the gene pool. IMO, a well placed arrow, just before that front left leg, would do the trick.

elk1.jpg (229.69 KiB) Viewed 8312 times

[easeup]

this position is the most common approach I usually get. Grrrrrr.

Not me. I will wait. I gotta wait for something to change. that is a one lung hit. it will probably kill him but I dont want to risk losing him to a long trail. the dot is likely to hit the front leg and may not get enough penetration.

I remember some previous threads about the quarter to shot over on AT. Lots of guys said it work for them.

[GetemDuck]

Phantom 16, i like your shot placement but i would lower it a few inches myself ... He wont go far
Jerinmn, i think your too far back, your getting one lung at best i think if you come in front of the leg closest to you , you will do more damage and have a dead elk

[JJ Overkill]

ill be honest, Im not seeing what you guys are aiming in front of the leg. all I can pick out is the off side lung, im not seeing a possible heart, or any other vitals. I relocated my shot placement. the way im seeing this is ill get the lung on this side, possibly the off side lung, liver, and cut the diaphragm. but I think the arrow will exit before the back off side leg so the diaphragm should be out of the equation.

[Glacier Country]

here, maybe even a touch left of the X ( edited after further review). black x is my final answer, unfortunately we don't get do over out in the elk woods.

Jerinmn, with a bull standing at this angle, you are way better off aiming for what we call the "Shirt Pocket." Picture the pocket on a t-shirt and put the arrow in that spot. In the dark neck hair between the shoulders. It is a shot that is taken at 20 yards or less in a pressured hunting situation...IMO .
If your arrow disappears he will probably not make it 60 yards.
Phantom 16 put the red dot right where I would aim.

[Da White Shoe]

here, maybe even a touch left of the X ( edited after further review). black x is my final answer, unfortunately we don't get do over out in the elk woods.

The black X would be the most deadly hit at this angle, IMO.
If a bull was quartering away at this exact same angle and your arrow exited where you have the black X.....
well, it would surely be a dead elk and a great blood trail.
So theoretically, the shot is just as lethal if the bull is quartering toward you.

There are a few variables here that would make me very nervous however.
There is heavy, arrow-stopping bone just left of the black X, for one... so, I would need to be confident I could hit a golf ball sized target.
The slightest error or miscue that sends your arrow to the left will most likely result in a lost elk.
You don't have that problem if the bull is quartered away.

Another factor that comes into play is... an elk that is facing you will nearly always react to the shot quicker than one facing away.
If he is at 25 or 30 yards and his legs drop out from under him when you shoot... you've got shoulder blade and a lost elk.
He needs to be close and everything needs to be perfect... 20 yards is a long shot for this angle.
I know me pretty well and I would wait for a better angle.

I really have no idea what the red dot would do to put this bull down.

[cnelk]

Im going to wait for the cow in the back to get clear...

Did you miss her?

[ElkNut1]

No real good shot there for myself as he stands, he will be shot though before he leaves. No matter the course he choose on coming or exiting an angle at some point will be available, if needed I would then stop him on a dime with a nervous grunt as long as he was not looking at me or in my direction.

ElKNut1

[twinkieman]

Sorry, not a shot I would take. While there are definitely shot placements that would kill this bull, I do not take quartering to shots. For me I will wait for a different angle, or not shoot at all. While no angle is fool proof, I want to take shots that will be definite kill shots. These magnificent animals deserve our best.

[cnelk]

The bull's right leg is back. If you shoot into the front at the spot noted above, your arrow will not travel far.
The outside shoulder shot is a guarantee 'one lung' and that means - uh oh...

With the slash timber on the ground, it looks as though he will move to the shooter's left, giving a much nicer shot presentation.

Good things happen on this one for those that wait....

[wawhitey]

i see quite a few guys on here who say they will take these less than ideal shots, and aim for small targets. so heres a question i think i already know the answer to. would any of you do this (have any of you done this) with traditional archery gear? im going out this year with a home made longbow and for me the answer is definitely not.

[Trophyhill]

I realize that lethal shots exist at almost any angle. And many with very small windows to shoot thru or small targets because of angles. Are these threads designed to help improve "accomplished under fire" hunters? Should beginning bow/elk hunters be taking shots where the target area is diminished in size because of angles?

[WapitiTalk1]

I really have no idea what the red dot would do to put this bull down.

It would most assuredly skewer a lung Shoe. That said, it would have to be situation perfect for me to take that particular shot on a bull (and to date, I never have). BH right in front of that left leg bone would pummel the right lung. I have always been a broadside, or, slightly quartering away bow hunter and have only taken two elk facing me. Honestly, neither went down as efficiently as a broadside shot but they were both recovered. Just saying, there are other lethal shots on elk besides the standard (not a bad thing) shots but they have to be the right shots in very, very good situations. RJ

[wideangle]

I'll pass on this angle. Any movement on my part at close range would be seen.

[POk3s]

Not a chance I'm taking this shot. I prefer to take shots that don't rely on "being lucky" to find them. I'm a fan of taking the first good shot I have. This is not a good shot IMO and one I don't think I would ever think about taking. If you happen to hit the "black x" then maybe you have a chance but not only do you have bone to the left you have bone to the left, below it, and above it. That is the "corner" of "the v" . If you're ok with taking shots that give you one lung well.....good luck to you.

[Da White Shoe]

I really have no idea what the red dot would do to put this bull down.

It would most assuredly skewer a lung Shoe. That said, it would have to be situation perfect for me to take that particular shot on a bull (and to date, I never have). BH right in front of that left leg bone would pummel the right lung. I have always been a broadside, or, slightly quartering away bow hunter and have only taken two elk facing me. Honestly, neither went down as efficiently as a broadside shot but they were both recovered. Just saying, there are other lethal shots on elk besides the standard (not a bad thing) shots but they have to be the right shots in very, very good situations. RJ

No disrespect meant, old buddy!
I have no experience with that kind of hit, but I would think that for it to work, the bull would have to be more straight on.
I just hate the thought of that kind of hit... not because I'm overly cautious or some super-duper ethical blow-hard, but because I've been on some very skimpy blood trails that went on forever. I just don't have that kind of ambition anymore.

I've heard that one lung on a deer really sucks!
One lung on an elk?
I don't even want to think about it!
God, they are tough... and they have gallons of blood to lose!

[Wapiti]

NOPE !! Been there and done that !! I took that shot years ago. I tucked the pin at 12 yards as tight as I dared to the scapula and let her fly !! I hit perfect and that bull never stopped !! I went back for 3 solid days looking and never found him. A week later I got on the ravens and other loud critters and found that elk !!! I used my tag on that bull as I felt sick to death and almost ruined my hunting career !!

NEVER NEVER again !! Don't do it please learn through me here as it is not worth it !! There was no blood trail and it was the thickest nasty bush on earth !! I am very seletive on my shots now and would rather take a front end or broadside and quartering away. Never again will I take that shot.

[Wapitibob]

I shot a bull a few years ago about 2" up from the black X, which is right in the center of the < formed by the upper leg bone and scapula. He was 9 steps away and was on the ground in less than 2 seconds. That shot severed the arteries that come off the heart. If you look closely at the picture you'll see the scapula and upper leg bone outlines. The mistake people make is to shoot behind the crease at that angle and hit liver.
I would want a little more "towards me" angle before I took the red dot shot but wouldn't hesitate if it was presented.

[POk3s]

wapitibob I agree. After reading that famous "bowsite" thread it changed where I aim. How many animals do you see hit too far forward. Hardly any. Tons of animals are hit too far back. I'm more terrified of hitting their stomach and having them slowly die than hitting a bone that they can probably live through.

[Trophyhill]

here, maybe even a touch left of the X ( edited after further review). black x is my final answer, unfortunately we don't get do over out in the elk woods.

I like the black x. even if you only get 1 lung I see a high probability of taking heart arteries that feed the lungs resulting in a quick recovery. another thing to consider is the bone structure of the ribs. they are thicker on the front side and can cause an arrow to deflect across and take out both lungs if you hit the front part of the rib on entry.

[>>>---WW---->]

No real good shot there for myself as he stands, he will be shot though before he leaves. No matter the course he choose on coming or exiting an angle at some point will be available, if needed I would then stop him on a dime with a nervous grunt as long as he was not looking at me or in my direction.

ElKNut1

Sorry Paul I have to disagree with the ( as long as he was not looking at me or in my direction) part. Any time you use that nervous bark you had better be ready to drop the string because he WILL be looking directly where that sound is coming from. Granted, they will slam on the brakes. But they will be looking as well.

[welka]

Patience is a virtue. Better to wait for a better shot. I have lost a one lung hit after a 1 mile track and only a spec of blood every 100 yards. Still see that dude in my sleep.

[pd]

Nice thread, guys. Very informative.

[Da White Shoe]

No real good shot there for myself as he stands, he will be shot though before he leaves. No matter the course he choose on coming or exiting an angle at some point will be available, if needed I would then stop him on a dime with a nervous grunt as long as he was not looking at me or in my direction.

ElKNut1

Sorry Paul I have to disagree with the ( as long as he was not looking at me or in my direction) part. Any time you use that nervous bark you had better be ready to drop the string because he WILL be looking directly where that sound is coming from. Granted, they will slam on the brakes. But they will be looking as well.

I could be wrong, but I think Paul meant that he would only do a nervous grunt if the bull wasn't looking at him at the time he made the call.
The object of the call would be to get the bull to stop and look.

[elkaholic]

Tough call on this one. If he was quartering to me more I would take the shot, but as it is I would pass and wait until a better opportunity presents itself.

[ElkNut1]

Da White Shoe is correct in my meaning! We've taken several dozen bulls with that sound at the right time. We do not use the nervous grunt if the bull is looking at us or in our direction while in bow range. This is more of a SURPRISE sound that asks an action from other elk, they will stop & turn before exiting if heading away. Hope this is clearer!

I too have taken a few bulls with the frontal shot, one was with a longbow at 14 yards. That bull in top photo is not a frontal shot it's a quartering to you shot, I would pass & wait for a better angle. He doesn't appear alarmed & ready to bolt, exercise patience & your shot will come!

I would venture a guess & say 80% of the time that's a wounded bull if the shot is taken, not everyone can do it.

ElkNut1

[cnelk]

Lets not exclude our friends who carry a rifle...

Boom!

[ARwarden259]

It suprises me that people think that a one lung hit is sufficient. Many animals have been lost, and many can even survive a one lung hit. I not only have hunting knowledge of this but I have had a hole put in one of mine by an ak47 and I am still here typing this and that has been 8 years ago I think I am going to make it.

[Bowhunter]

Bow I would wait. He should turn to his right as he follows the cows behind him. A broadside shot would then be presented. Gun....BOOOOOOM!!

[Wapitibob]

From my experience that's a solid dbl lung shot if you hit where cnelk put the cross hairs and likely the aorta as well. Certainly nothing wrong with waiting and I wouldn't fault anybody for it, but I'm putting my 30 pin at the btm of the verticle crosshair and relaxing my hand.

[lang]

no ? about it I'm waiting for a better angle.

[Z Barebow]

I am waiting. Bull is relaxed and situation looks like it is still evolving. I would be at full draw, but no arrow would be released,,,,,,, yet!