Many factors contribute to ethical bow kills, including arrow weight, broadhead design, draw weight, and draw length. But perhaps the most important is shot placement.

In a perfect world, the deer you’ve got your sights set on is standing broadside at close range. You’ve got a large target and the vitals are completely exposed. Unfortunately, there are far more advanced shot-placement scenarios bowhunters face.

Instead of practicing the flat-footed, 20-yard broadside shot over and over again, try simulating these advanced shot placement scenarios with your SpyderWeb Target: 

Steep-Angled Shots

Steep angles created by close shots from treestands require careful shot placement. These situations can make aiming for the center of the lungs difficult. As the angle steepens, the exit hole gets lower in the chest cavity. At very steep angles, aiming at the center of the chest can cause your arrow to exit before striking both lungs.

When you’re shooting straight down, it’s very easy to get just one lung, and more likely the deer will get away. Wait for the deer to walk far enough from the tree to reduce the angle, which ensures a double-lung hit.

A Shot to the Heart

Aiming for both lungs is the go-to shot placement for bowhunters. However, some situations make heart shots a better choice. A deer standing 30 yards away can drop roughly 15 inches by the time an arrow arrives. If you aim at the center of the chest and the deer drops, you might miss or wound it. If you aim at the bottom of the heart in that situation, you’re much more likely to make a lethal shot.

The older the deer and the more hunting pressure, the more likely it will jump the string. So, if your area has lots of hunting pressure and you know deer typically react that way, aim a little low. However, to never aim so low you could wound the animal if it doesn’t jump the string.

Moving Target

If an animal is walking by, come to full draw, aim, and make a soft grunting sound to stop it. The noise usually makes the animal pause. The alternative is to take a walking shot, but only if it’s close.

If a deer is under 20 yards and walking slowly, it’s a great shot because they typically won’t jump the string if they’re walking. It takes an arrow a long time to go 20 yards. When talking a walking shot, you must lead the animal a bit. If a deer is at 15 yards and walking slowly, lead a few inches ahead of where you’d normally aim.

Run through these scenarios while practicing shot placement with your SpyderWeb Target!

Preparing to bag the big buck and devoting time to practicing shot placement will give you a profound sense of confidence in your ability to get the job done when that trophy buck does show up. Check out our products see which target is right for your shooting needs!