Thread: What is the most humane way to shoot a goat?

Apologies if this has been talked about before - I had a dig through the forums but couldn't find an answer.

I did some hunting over Xmas and found that when shooting goats in the chest some dropped pretty quickly where as others took a bit of a run or needed a second shot. I have previously only shot possums so wanted some advice on the most humane way to shoot goats?

What were you shooting them with?

What are you using ? What terrain are you hunting in , lots of questions before we can say how ..if you goat shooting with a.22 or with a 303 using military ammo ..are you shooting open sight , do you flinch with recoil ?

Right in the head is very effective

centrefire rifle...if wanting to put down in a hurry and arent confident with lower neck shot...aim to take out one or preferably BOTH shoulders...inside them shoulders is the lungs etc...picture a balloon between the legs..you want to pop it.....by taking out the shoulder bones you stop locomotive precess...ya cant drive anywhere with no front wheels..... goats are well known to scream if shot isnt spot on...its not pleasant so quick kill is desirable....
for maximum meat recovery the neck is preferrred,the hilar area (base of neck,through to both shoulders broadside on) is quick killing shot and gives more margin for error...plenty of diagrams on the net....too high still good shoulder shot...too far forward good neck shot...a LITTLE too far back,still in lungs/heart area.... if deer has a roughly 8-12" vital area here..goat has 4-6" .

Shooting with an air rifle...

haha nah just jokes - Shooting with a .223 in Marlborough Sounds scrub. Scope and suppressor so no flinching. All shots were within 50yards.

Originally Posted by Paz

Shooting with an air rifle...

haha nah just jokes - Shooting with a .223 in Marlborough Sounds scrub. Scope and suppressor so no flinching. All shots were within 50yards.

Can you tell us what ammo you are using?

so 223 and 50 yards.....should be no issues AT ALL unless your shot placement is too far back....as said before either neck/head if rested animal and steady shot....or just take out the front wheels...job done. literally hundreds of thousands of goats have been taken this way....dont use varmit amunition ,just about anything else will do fine.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

so 223 and 50 yards.....should be no issues AT ALL unless your shot placement is too far back....as said before either neck/head if rested animal and steady shot....or just take out the front wheels...job done. literally hundreds of thousands of goats have been taken this way....dont use varmit amunition ,just about anything else will do fine.

As MD said above and in previous post, hit them anywhere in this area and job done.Shot a bit over three thousand goats since May 2004 using these aiming points at ranges from end of barrel to a shade over 400 yards and only had the odd fu*k-up.Mostbush shooting and some plantation forest. 55 grain SP projectiles mostly. .223 perfect caliber for this caper, also goes alright on deer and pigs. just my 2 cents worth.

You need to hit bone. A frontal chest shot may not hit any bone, so even though the animal will be hit hard it can still run. If they are front aim a little higher and hit the base of the neck. Side on straight through the shoulder. Head shots are all good but not very humane if you get it wrong.

Okay thanks for the information - I previously looked for a diagram but couldn’t find anything.

Agree that placement at 50yrds should be no issue, I was more uncertain on exactly where to put the shot. It sounds like I have been aiming too low and far back (slightly behind the front leg).

Not that keen on headshots until I have more experience, it seems like a small margin of error for a pretty unpleasant experience for the animal.

Ammo I’m using is PMC Bronze Hunting 55gr soft point.

For most efficient shooting I was taught by the old man to aim for the hilar zone depending on distance.
This pic I dug up from the forums, it's from Red Deer in New Zealand by Roger Lentle and Frank Saxton (which is a bloody good read if you're interested in deer stalking).
From my experience with goats I would say the anatomy is pretty similar, just a smaller target.

Originally Posted by odds0und

For most efficient shooting I was taught by the old man to aim for the hilar zone depending on distance.
This pic I dug up from the forums, it's from Red Deer in New Zealand by Roger Lentle and Frank Saxton (which is a bloody good read if you're interested in deer stalking).
From my experience with goats I would say the anatomy is pretty similar, just a smaller target.


Attachment 162353

This is good advice from (medical Dr) Lentle.

He obviously understands risks of head shooting by ordinary people under ordinary circumstances. A muffed head shot is about as cruel as it can get.

When giving advice about ordinary field shooting the theoretical helicopter really does need to land. Hillar/shoulder shots are humane and result in quick deaths, and that's a fact. Far less risk of maiming. Neck shots ought to be left for the more experienced. And head shots - hardly ever unless under near ideal conditions and with appropriate experience and well sighted in rifle.

Perhaps the original poster is aiming a little low on the crease line and getting a heart rush, or the PMC bronze is a bit hard?

Originally Posted by Tahr

This is good advice from (medical Dr) Lentle.

He obviously understands risks of head shooting by ordinary people under ordinary circumstances. A muffed head shot is about as cruel as it can get.

When giving advice about ordinary field shooting the theoretical helicopter really does need to land. Hillar/shoulder shots are humane and result in quick deaths, and that's a fact. Far less risk of maiming. Neck shots ought to be left for the more experienced. And head shots - hardly ever unless under near ideal conditions and with appropriate experience and well sighted in rifle.

Perhaps the original poster is aiming a little low on the crease line and getting a heart rush, or the PMC bronze is a bit hard?

Not in anyway disagreeing Tahr, but I would like to add 'The base of the neck' as in neck crease as a very good shot placement point. It is really a Hilar and neck shot combined. Also regarding head shots, a very very experienced meat hunt told me to ALWAYS use the Ear Hole as the aim point for a side on head shot. To Quote " The ear hole gives an aiming point that even if it sometimes does not kill the animal instantly will always put it down. Trying to find the recommend line back from the eye our brains will tend to centralise the cross on the centre of the head resulting in a shot to the Jaw Hinge " In my own experience the ear hole is a great aim point for pigs

PS Best way to kill goats: 90gr 270 Sierra HP in the chest

behind front leg will result in runners...classic heart shot...great in story books ,not so flash in reality...it kills cleanly but takes time. will dig out diagramme for you.


https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kno...e+Killing.html



scroll on down to the photos etc.....