Real-life kill zone analysis and question

pharmseller · Post by **pharmseller** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 1:11 am

After butchering my mulie buck I took a tape measure to the chest cavity to determine a real kill zone. I measured the distance from the bottom of the spine to just inside the brisket, even with the point of the shoulder. I then measured from the point of the shoulder rearward to the diaphragm.
Keeping in mind that lungs aren't square, I determined a conservative kill zone figure of 8" x 11". So if a guy can hit a regular piece of paper reliably at hunting distances he should be in good shape.
How does this fit with others' experience?

Quinn

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 1:24 am

I use a 8" paper plate as a minimum myself finding round targets easier to mentally grasp as a target keeping things a little tighter though a 8 x 11 should work fine if that's what you're used to. Your maximum range should be whatever distance you can consistant place ALL shots into a 8" paper plate.

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 6:01 am

I guess if every deer presented a nice broadside shot an 8X11 paper would work. In my experience thats not the case & I find myself trying to thread a bullet thru trees & brush at an uncooperative walking quatering away target in the woods. Good thing is most all my deer were taken under 100 yards, many under 50. I like the 8" plate thing better.

86er · Post by **86er** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 6:15 am

I think you are right on for an animal between 150-200 pounds, but I refer to your "kill zone" as the "vital zone" (6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of other).

I think the 8"X11" should be the boundaries to start within during shooting practice. However, the goal should be to keep shots in something like 4"X6"

I think of it like this:

While you can and may kill it with a hit in the vital zone, your "hit zone" - the place where you can consistently keep a bullet at any given range you will shoot- should be half the size of the vital zone.

Clearly the smaller the animal the more capable you need to be before pulling the trigger.

A 70 pound blackbuck antelope has a 6" high X 8" wide vital zone broadside. An unbelievable number of customers MISS these animals shooting offhand, at 100 yards or less. I have never had a customer completely MISS a bison at 100 yards or less. What I do notice is that I may say to hit the point of the shoulder and the shot will be a few inches behind or above the shoulder. The larger vital area was favorable for a shot that was pulled a few inches because the bisons vital zone is so big.

There are some circumstances where I would take, or urge a capable customer to take a shot other than broadside. This is when the vital zone just became much smaller than it was broadside.

You are certainly headed in the right direction. Just the fact that you have the interest and took the time to measure your mulies vital zones demonstrates you are serious about being the best field shot you can be.

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 7:13 am

Eight inch paper plate is my standard.

Don McDowell · Post by **Don McDowell** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:23 am

The premise is pretty good, but preferably the shots would fall with in a 4inchish group close to the center of that sheet of paper.
I've seen antelope take rear lung hits and go a loooooong ways before laying down for the last time.

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:55 am

I have never hunted large game before, and I like the info.

Keep it up guys.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:11 am

I like the idea of using a 8inch paper plate, I've been using the bottom of a paper cup, "never hit it" but thats what I use!!

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 10:53 am

I like Ganjiro's 8" plate for an overall vital area and 86er's smaller target zone. I think that's an obtainable minimum standard for most shootable critters.

Kind of like ScottT's challenge isn't it. Shooting a paper plate from field positions at 100 yds.?

canonsix · Post by **canonsix** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 11:36 am

Like Ji, I have been using the 8 inch kill zone.Even with my scoped 7mm08 i set my sights, that I am never lower than 8inches for a max point blank range. Doug

gcs · Post by **gcs** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 2:45 pm

Interesting how so many of us choose paper plates for a target, been using them over 30 years also.

Simple, cheap, and available everywhere.

Sometimes when sighting in a scoped gun, I'll make a "cross" with black electric tape to line the crosshairs up with.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 3:35 pm

I ain't sure what size, but I always thought my paper plates were 9". What I use most often unless I happen to be a regular range, then I use an B-27 target (if they allow 'em).

pharmseller · Post by **pharmseller** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:21 pm

One of the reasons for my analysis is for my nephew, who recently turned 16. He has yet to shoot a deer but he realy wants to. Several times at the range his groups would be all over the place. When I would talk to him about the mechanics of his shooting he described his anxiety over his self-imposed requirement of hitting the bullseye. This anxiety translated into inconsistency and poor form. I always called it "over-aiming," where stress over marksmanship in a young shooter resulted in poor shooting. Now, I'm not talking about 4" groups being okay, but I was able to communicate to him that the kill zone on a deer-sized animal was fairly sizable (used the 8" pie plate example). Once he realized that he could miss "a little bit" and still kill cleanly he relaxed dramatically and tightened his groups 'way up. I bought one of those deer posters and mounted it on a piece of plywood. He shot at it from the prone position at 200 yards and hit the kill zone 12 of 14 times (the other 2 were called misses). He's off in Wyoming on a deer hunt and his confidence soared sky-high.
As much as I like the paper plate idea I think I prefer the 8x11 better. The vitals are more of a rectangle than a square, but in reality we're not talking about that much difference. If you can't make it with a paper plate you're not going to make it with a sheet of paper, either.

Quinn

Don McDowell · Post by **Don McDowell** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:32 pm

One thing I like to do for beginning hunters is make a sort of lifesized deer/antelope sillouette from cardboard mount it on stakes , and set at 200ish yds. It helps in that it gets them to quit trying to hit a "bullseye" and try and aim for a kill zone.
A tip of the ol hat to you for your efforts with your nephew. Creating responsible folks to carryon our hunting heritage is very commendable IMHO.

cas · Post by **cas** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:06 pm

I've done this with a number of new hunters... take your paper plate out in the woods and shoot at it for many different angles. When all those samplings and branches join in the fun, hitting it anywhere is hard enough.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:56 pm

Your kill zone is adequate for any deer, if he caliber is correct, and distance is the same or smaller than the practice range.
I try to keep my shots under 2" at 100 yds., as often my shots are a bit farther, and if the group opens up, I'm still good. I do a fair amount of range work, but also head to the woods to shoot casually in a more realistic setting. I shoot at various targets, and then range them to see if my "guesstimate" of the yardage i close to reality. I find I inevitably judge distances farther than they really are by around 10% or so.