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Ethical shot placement
Posted by Michael Strahan on Mar 02 2006
You guys have me outnumbered this time! I'll try to clarify, but if I say too much more it will just be redundant.
I recognize that this is personal preference in some cases, and I agree with some of what has been said. Chignik, I would refine your point to say that the one thing that instills confidence in shot placement more than rounds fired at the range would be rounds fired at game in field conditions. I know you agree with that, and I understood your point. There's no substitute for actual hunting. One year a client brought me a few targets he'd shot at the range. Next to the bullet holes he had the yardage and load written; I thought it was Matthew Quigley applying for a job or something. Kinda embarassing. Then when we got him in front of an animal he completely fell apart on me. That was even more embarassing. I don't tell you this to humiliate my client, but simply to point out that shooting a target and shooting an animal are very different things.
To answer AkHunter45, I guess I'd admit that I'm concerned that someone will read me saying go for the neck shot, then blow that shot and blame me for giving them bad advice. I've seen worse, let me tell you. If a hunter misses an animal or fails to see it, or any of several other things happen that result in him not getting game, it's been my experience that the guide usually gets blamed. Been there, got the tee shirt, not going back there again!
I can tell you guys that each of you is responsible for what he or she does in the field (and you are, as you know), but people come here for advice. If they take that advice and mess up because they didn't follow it precisely, well... who gets blamed? More importantly, what about the wounded animal (I care more about that than taking the blame, by the way) I used to recommend the spine shot on moose; you know, aim eight or ten inches below the top of the shoulder hump and let fly (broadside). I've made this shot many times, and it has always gotten me instant results in the form of a one-shot kill. But there are places where a bullet can pass through the spinal processes (those bony projections off the top of the vertebrae) and someone could miss that shot. So I don't recommend it anymore. I may shoot a moose there in the future, but I'm not going to suggest it to someone else. ESPECIALLY a client.
Anyway, I'm just taking a conservative approach here. Oh yeah, and I take strong exception to the idea that a person "has" to take this shot under any conditions besides survival. What's wrong with letting the animal go in hopes of a better opportunity? As I said, it's a judgment call; you make yours, I'll make mine! No disrespect intended to anyone for choices you might make that are different from mine.
-Mike
Previous: Recommendations vs Private Practices Michael Strahan Mar 01 2006
Next: Beauty in the "Best" --- .375 H&H Brian Richardson Mar 01 2006
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