Neat resource book

[Dr.Rob]

Spent today reading a book on african game anatomy (have a buddy going next year) and the book was really cool. Showed photos of game with aiming points and anatomy drawings superimposed. Really cool stuff. also some of the coolest ballistic photos (failed bullets, elephant hearts etc)

THE PERFECT SHOT - Shot Placement for African Big Game
Robertson K. Doctari (271 pages)

Its expensive but see if you can get barnes and noble to order it just for a look see.

Makes me wonder if I've been choosing the "right' aiming points for deer elk antelope and bear. Also makes me wish I was going with my friends.

 

[UK2TX]

Hello Dr. Rob,

The National Bowhunters Education Foundation have some great shot placement guides for elk http://www.nbef.org/FEATURES1.CFM?featureid=14, deer and bear http://www.nbef.org/FEATURES1.CFM?featureid=15.

Regards,

UK2TX

 

[Dr.Rob]

Thanks thats exactly what I was looking for. turns out my aiming point was nearly perfect for deer/elk.. the point of reading the book was that many african game species have the heart/lungs further forward and that shooting through the shoulder (actually the triceps) into the 'lethal triangle' was more effective to anchor the game. African game is tough, so they want you to break BOTH shoulders and hit the lungs/heart! (use enough gun)

Ive always worried about ruining that shoulder roast when hitting that far forward, and I once lost an elk with a shoulder shot that was too high up (my bad) hitting the shoulder blade and not exiting. I switched to a heavier bullet after that, and remind myself never to get higher than 1/2 up the body.

 

[JasonReed]

We had a similar thing happen last year. A friend of mine was out from Vermont and shot a 4X4 (one of three bulls we saw moving across the plains in NW Colorado) with a 7mm Mag at 50 yards. He claims he hit exactly where he was aming, but when we asked where he was aiming, it was too high and too far back. Didn't break the shoulders, didn't hit the heart. Looking at that anatomy pic though, I can't believe he could have missed the lungs.

Anyway, he was aiming better than 2/3 up the body so he missed the heart by a mile. It left a sporadic blood trail so they tracked it for a long time before losing it. A real shame, as I'm sure that kind of hit has to be fatal eventually. He was just sick about it.

I couldn't help track because I was gutting the 5X5 I shot out of the same trio after they ran away from my friend. It was my first elk hunt, and I decided right then I was moving to Colorado. Eight weeks later my flight landed in DIA.