Close to CNS and heart.
Here the CNS- bullet is held up against the Heart- bullet.
– and which one is best will be evident in a clearly illustrated measurement.
Photo 1. – The CNS- bullet for roe deer in completely horizontal and close to completely perpendicular side shot, where the animal falls unconscious in the impact, and dies in the shortest possible time. – The black circle is my “hunting” bullet spread with a diameter of 4.2 cm at the 50 meter distance – and the purple circle with a diameter of 8.4 cm is my “hunting” bullet spread at the 100 meter distance.
The vertical dotted line is drawn slightly forward towards the animal’s front edge of the frontleg, as the animal is standing slightly obliquely towards me with its front body (- with a completely pure side shot this is: in line with the front ¼ of the trajectory).
Aiming point about 1/3 down (about an ear length) from the top edge of the animal. – To the right of the red line, a projectile should never hit.
When I was a very young rifle hunter, I remember that the “oldies” frowned on a lung bullet – and of course you had to provide a heart bullet.
There were two options, and since I wanted to be like the “oldies” I also shot with the “only right thing”: the heart bullet.
Out of carelessness, I would occasionally hit the deer’s lungs – and I didn’t really think there was a difference between a lung bullet and a heart hit – they ran the same distance after the shot, and only a jump apart. – But the “oldies” were of course right.
One day the rifle went off the trigger, and to my great surprise the buck fell as if struck by lightning. – I still remember that I heard a sound in the bang, like when two stones are smashed together.
Science says that you can’t hear this, but I heard it anyway – and I don’t remember ever forgetting anything or misremembering!
I immediately went over to the buck and saw that the bullet was sitting “creepily and scandalously” high, and I could already hear comments from Johannes, Kaj and also Christian in the distance.
I took the buck apart and saw that the bullet had passed right under the spine, in vertical alignment with the course. The vertebrae were completely wrong, so this was the cause. – Since then I have tried to aim for the same bullet placement, and every single time this has happened, the animal has fallen unconscious in the impact. – I have never had the slightest doubt about this CNS bullet placement.
Now I am one of the “oldies” – and still struggle with the heart and lung bullet, that is, with the question: can it be proven whether there is a better bullet placement on the game than the heart bullet and the lung bullet? – And for probably the last time, I will herewith illustrate as closely as possible on this subject:
What is actually best, the Heart- bullet or the CNS- bullet?
As a rule, when you have three choices – one of them will be the best.
I find in this article, as far as I can see, a clear winner: the CNS- bullet – best for both man and animal, and if someone can refute this, I would like to read about it.
To avoid me making postulates, and for this to be credible and verifiable for everyone, let me go into more detail – and as precisely as possible, since this seems necessary, judging by many. – We must be able to clarify this question, and this is my contribution to this.
With reference to the Netnatur debate editorial team: Netnatur.dk/hjortevildt-og-riffeljagt-boer-hjertekuglen-afskäfs, I hereby also allow myself to express great praise to Netnatur, for always pointing out current topics that are important to many and much – and this in a nice, real and neutral way.
As long as we hunters are allowed to hunt, we will have to debate, for example, “The best bullet placement” for the animals we shoot – and many other matters.
It can never be a shame to raise topics – and who can and should actually decide when anything is debated? – It would be a shame, stagnant and destructive for hunting if the debate on this stopped.
Much in hunting is based on emotions, sensations, our very different conditions during hunting and especially traditions – that’s how it is, and this is part of the hunter’s life. But since hunting simply cannot be done without for many reasons, this is something that concerns everyone – and this gives us some obligations, including us hunters.
Therefore, it can never be wrong to spend time and effort on “proving” that what we are doing is the right thing – or pointing out whether something could possibly be done better.
It is important to use all the knowledge from our universities’ reports etc., and all the studies that society has paid for – in the expectation that these services are well received and used to keep up with developments, which I don’t think we are bad at – but can get better at.
Attitude changes happen all the time in a society – and attitude changes are most often based on new knowledge, studies, inventions, development – and not to forget: debate.
We hunters are a broadly composed group of people with many different backgrounds, professions, views on life, opinions, attitudes and not least inherited traditions – but at least one of our declared goals (which is also the law) is quite clear, and is invariable – and is therefore always relevant and worthy of debate:
The executive order of the Hunting and Wildlife Management Act, Section 22, states that “no one may hunt in a way that exposes game to unnecessary suffering.”
Something similar can be seen in Section 25 of the Animal Welfare Act: “Anyone who wants to kill an animal must ensure that the animal is killed as quickly and as painlessly as possible” – which probably also applies when animals are shot.
And then we have our “Hunting Ethics Rules”, where I cannot find anything significant for and about the animal, and where something seems to be missing under the heading: “Consideration for the animal that is the subject of hunting”, namely this: “That huntable game that is shot must be killed as quickly as possible and in the most humane way that causes the animal the least possible suffering and anxiety”. – Where did this go?
“Do you aim correctly” when you, for example, choose to shoot roe deer at 200 meters – and what about the Heart Bullet and the deliberately released Lung Bullet? — None of these live up to the established ethical rules: that hunting is (most often) done in a way that does not expose the game to unnecessary suffering, as long flight distances are often seen in these hits.
In the following, a shot is defined as a shot that hits game, but not with a killing effect within a shorter time. – a shot animal that flees must be considered shot until it is found and dead. – An animal that is alive after a shot when it is found is shot. – A shot animal that is not found may be shot. – A shot animal, with the slightest sign of a hit (either blood, hair, stomach contents or bone fragments), which is not found or is found, is shot.
* Is the topic of this article really so simple: that if shot animals have longer escape distances than necessary – then the ethics of this can be improved, and should this be done?
* Or: Is there a shooting range on animals that is likely to give a shorter “Time from hit to unconsciousness” – than other shooting ranges? – And should this then be strived for?
* Or: Could it be, that the most ethical shot at game is the shot that ends in a fall?
– In all of this, it is important to know the anatomy of the animal, and there are differences in the anatomy of roe deer, fallow deer, red deer and elk. – Here, one should be especially aware that the location of the animal’s central nervous system, i.e. the location of the spine in particular, is slightly different in these mentioned deer species. – Here we look at roe deer:
The anatomy of the roe deer – and the effect of bullet hits shown:
Illustration 1. – The roe deer has different sizes, but can often have a back height of about 75 cm, of which the body height is then about 32 cm. – With 32 cm in body height and if the heart has a size of about 12 x 7 cm (see later Photos 2 and 6) – the anatomy of the roe deer in the body will look as shown here in this Illustration 1.
The yellow, thick dotted line is the central nervous system’s Medulla spinalis, which lies inside the vertebrae. – Within the two red dotted lines, a bullet hit will cause the animal to fall, unconscious.
The blue dotted line is the upper limit for an effective CNS hit.
The yellow oval shape is the heart’s most effective hit area, which keeps some distance from stray shots in the heart, and also keeps some distance from the liver/stomach behind the heart, the sternum under the heart, and thin lung lobes in front of the heart.
The CNS aiming point is the yellow dot, a good 1/3 down from the dorsal edge, and in vertical alignment with the front ¼ of the animal’s course – for a horizontal, clean side shot.
The yellow dotted line is the spinal cord (“Medulla spinalis”), and within (between) the red dotted lines (approx. 4.5 cm) is the central CNS area – and this area is the CNS hit area (- but avoid hitting the cervical vertebrae, not when shooting).
The dotted blue line is the absolute limit for a “tap shot”, see also later Photo 5.
Hits to the rear (left) of the red vertical line must always be avoided, because the lung lobes become thinner and thinner towards the rear and downwards of the animal, and because the liver/stomach region begins here. – And also next to the heart the lung lobes are thinner (to make room for this).
The effect of the hits shown:
The black dot is the aiming point of a pure heart bullet.
The blue dot is a double lung bullet in thick, effective lung parts.
The red dot is a single lung bullet in a thin lung lobe, and at the same time a liver/stomach bullet.
The purple dot is a “dead shot”, where the animal falls in the blast, probably stays on the spot and probably has to be killed.
The light blue dot is a “dead shot”, which the animal probably will not survive, and it can flee after the shot.
The green dot is an additional “dead shot”, which the animal can often survive, and it flees after the shot.
The white dot is a “dead shot”, where the animal falls unconscious in the blast and dies quickly (see later Photo 5).
* A “tap shot” is not just one thing that always gives the same result of the hit – but a distinction must be made between the different locations of the “tap shot”, as there are several different outcomes of a “tap shot”, which of course should always be avoided. – The reason why “tap shots” are so feared is probably that the animal is often not found during searches, and we therefore do not know what happens to these “tap shot” animals.
Lungs are marked in blue, the abdominal region in green – and the heart and some large arteries are marked in red. – The dark horizontal shaded area is partly the liver.
The right lung is smaller than the left lung, to make room for the liver on the right side of the animal.
In the middle of the animal, you can see that the stomach (the diaphragm) is almost completely adjacent to the heart (see also Photo 1 below, where this is evident). – This is not seen on other anatomy plates, where the lungs cover (lie on the outside) the liver/stomach region, and this can lead to misunderstandings of where the stomach/liver region actually begins.
The heart reaches all the way down to the bottom of the chest cavity, close to the breastbone (sternum), and at the level of the animal’s elbow – as can be seen in Photo 2 below:
Photo 2. – Source Schweisshunderegisteret (- shown here with the new purpose of looking closely at CNS hits and heart hits). – Here you can see that the abdominal region (diaphragm) adjoins the heart in the roe deer – in this roe deer split in the middle. – You can see that the heart almost rests on the breastbone (sternum).
The stomach region is located between the posteriorly directed lung lobes, which are located somewhat above the stomach region, furthest inward on the left side of the animal. – This is not seen here, nor is the liver visible, as it is located on the far right (here cut off) side of the animal.
The small yellow circle with a black border is the aiming point of the CNS bullet, on a deer, a good 1/3 down from the edge of the animal’s back, and in vertical alignment approximately with the anterior 4th part of the course. – That is, a little below the spinal cord, which is the white line through the animal, which lies inside the vertebrae and the cervical vertebrae. – Never hit to the left of the red vertical line.
It may be difficult to see, but the heart of this animal looks very large (enlarged), relatively – (at least from my experience), but the heart can be split and enlarged. – Incidentally, there is quite a big difference in the sizes of hearts (see later Photo 6).
CNS – central nervous system:
– and its goal fulfillment area, function, hit effect and “safety area”:
The 3 main goals of the CNS bullet are clear and simple:
1. Consideration for the animal, during hunting – cannot be greater.
2. Being able to reach the downed animal quickly and easily – cannot be faster.
3. Ethics cannot be observed better than with the CNS bullet.
As can be seen immediately in Illustration 1 above, the entire effective CNS- area is much larger than even the entire heart, and far larger than the heart’s most effective wood danger area marked by the yellow oval figure in Illustration 1. – However, the hit area should only be considered in the CNS area of the spine from the vertical red line to just before the cervical vertebrae begin.
The path of the central nervous system through the cervical and spinal vertebrae is marked with a yellow dotted line in Illustration 1. This (yellow dotted) “Medulla spinalis” is located only 2-3 mm below the “thorny spines” (Processus spinosus) in an almost circular hole with a diameter of 10-11 mm, which runs through all cervical and spinal vertebrae (see later Photo 3 and Illustration 2).
The spinal cord – “main road” for vital signals:
Through this “Medulla spinalis” signals (millivolts) constantly go to and from the brain, which controls (keeps running) all vital organs, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, etc.
If this Medulla spinalis is damaged sufficiently (from the vertical red line to the brain), the animal will immediately collapse and lose consciousness, as almost all organs lose their functions at the same second. – So escape distance = 0 meters, and none (or very short): “Time from hit to unconsciousness”.
According to a large scientific material, and from several other recognized sources, a hit in the central part of the CNS area, which is located in the animal’s spine in the thoracic region, in the animal’s cervical vertebrae and in the brain, is the absolute fastest stopping and fastest fatal hit – and where the animal loses consciousness in the hit.
You do not have to hit the spinal cord itself (with a diameter of about 10 mm), and a hit in or in the immediate vicinity of the vertebrae is fully sufficient and effective. – See the limit for a “Missing Shot” in the blue dotted line in Illustration 1.
Hits between the red dotted lines (in Illustration 1) will definitely destroy the “Medulla spinalis”, and the distance between the dotted red lines is about 4-4.5 cm on a smaller roe deer.
But the “Medulla spinalis” will also be fatally damaged if the projectile hits approx. 1.5 cm below the lower red dotted line, and min. 1 cm above the upper red dotted line in Illustration 1, i.e. up to the blue dotted line – this is due to the projectile’s very violent “Temporary cavity”, whose pressure will displace the individual spinal and cervical vertebrae in relation to each other, so that the “Medulla spinalis” is cut or damaged. – Regarding the “Temporary cavity” see: Netnatur.dk/riffelkuglens-effekt-og-virkemaade/.
Thus, one can count on a practical, effective lethal CNS hit area, alone in the animal’s thoracic area from the red vertical line in Illustration 1 (a few cm behind the course) to where the cervical vertebrae start, of: approx. 5.5 x 21 cm = 115 cm2 – compared to the heart’s most effective hit area of approx. 30 cm2 – and the entire heart area of approx.: 64-77 cm2, within which many hits are not the most effective, in the form of a skirmish.
And in addition there will be a huge “safety area” under the entire CNS hit area (entire lung region and the entire heart) – starting from the top with thick lung parts and several important large arteries with high pressure and blood flow. – However, these arteries must be hit very precisely, as they tend to give way to the pressure wave in front of and around the projectile, and the chance of damaging one of these arteries is greatest right down to the heart, to which the arteries are fixed, or in a vascular branch.
When the spinal and cervical vertebrae are hit by the projectile, bone splinters and perhaps bullet fragments will be thrown out to all sides – thereby increasing the lesion, and also perforating the lungs and possibly the posterior Aorta.
Even large animals like moose, if hit in the central nervous system, the moose stops immediately – according to Swedish studies (Link).
A vertebra:
From a smaller fawn, a vertebra (the first in the lumbar region) looks like this (seen from behind), and this vertebra shown is larger on an adult roe deer:
Photo 3. – The spinous process (processus spinosus) faces vertically upwards (on this small roe deer). – The lateral processes face obliquely downwards. – The approximately 10 mm hole in the vertebra itself is where the “Medulla spinalis” (spinal cord) passes through this and all other vertebrae.
When a projectile hits (in the direction of the blue arrow – and even slightly above), the bullet’s hydraulic pressure (below the “Temporary Cavity”) will displace the vertebrae downwards in relation to the other vertebrae, and bone splinters from hits in the strong lower part of the spinous process will be pressed downwards and injure the “Medulla spinalis” from above, which will thus be fatally damaged.
All hits in the bone structure of the spine itself will fatally damage the “Medulla spinalis” (spinal cord).
Ejected bone splinters easily perforate the underlying lungs, and can even leave clear marks on the insides of the ribs. Torn fragments from the projectile are also seen to cause multiple wound channels in the thick, vital parts of the lungs. – And the hydraulic pressure can propagate through the bone structure to important centres in the brain, which become disoriented, send incorrect messages to organs or short-circuit.
When a projectile hits (green arrow) min. 1 cm below the vertebrae, the bullet’s “Temporary Cavity” will displace the vertebrae upward, relative to each other, thereby lethally damaging the spinal cord.
The principle of the vertebrae:
Illustration 2. – Sketch of the principle in the spine, and the effect of a projectile hitting it.
Can you hit the CNS hit area?
There are some who say that we rifle shooters cannot shoot well enough to focus on the CNS shot placement. – And where I also say here in this article: “if we are not good enough to hit the CNS hit area, we are also not good enough for a Heart bullet, and that a Lung bullet is often chosen, when we do not dare to focus on high and low blade bullets, or at long shooting distances”.
You can quickly find out if you are shooting well enough by looking at what you are doing on the shooting range – and to this add a “hunting” allowance of 40%, which is probably realistic when hunting – and in addition correct (add) extra margin of error, so that the center of your shot group is different from your supposed aiming point in the center of the shooting target, as shown in photo 4 below.
For me, my hit picture on a 50 meter range with a fixed mount looks like this:
Photo 4. – My spread on the 50 meter shooting range is here the small purple circle with a diameter of 2.3 cm. – To this I add 40% in “hunting” allowance, which becomes 3.2 cm, which is the diameter of the yellow circle where I have moved my hits to a relatively close location (the black dots).
In addition, I compensate for the fact that the center of my spread is not in the middle of the target, where I (presumably) aimed, after which my real “hunting” hit circle, which I count on for hunting, becomes the black circle with a diameter of 4.2 cm – which is my absolute, foreseeable max. spread for hunting at the 50 meter distance. – The yellow dots are hits.
The large purple circle will then be my expected real “hunting” hit circle at 100 meters, with a diameter of 8.4 cm (2 x 4.2 cm) – since I shoot just as inaccurately at 50 meters as at 100 meters. – I consider myself an average shooting rifle hunter.
And this means that with my shooting, I can hit even a small roe deer 50 meters away, in the animal’s bone structure in the spine, which has a vulnerable height of (carefully put) about 4.5 cm (see photo 3), and where bones splinter upon impact and cause lesions on the spinal cord, and where the projectile’s “Temporary cavity” damages the spinal cord severely by pressure displacement of the vertebrae, even without a direct bone hit.
– And this causes the animal to fall into a trance in an unconscious state. – I know the location of the spine a good 1/3 down from the back edge (about ear height), and in a vertical line approximately with the front of the animal’s course, which is relatively easy to administer in practice.
Now I can insert my achieved spread (diameter 2.3 cm) at 50 meters, on Illustration 3 below – in the form of an adjusted up real “hunting” spread (diameter 4.2 cm) at 50 meters (and which will be 8.4 cm at 100 meters). – This will look like this:
Illustration 3. – The small yellow circle with a black border is the aiming point of the CNS bullet, on a roe deer, a good 1/3 down (approx. 12.2 cm) from the edge of the animal’s back, and in vertical alignment with approx. the front ¼ of the animal’s course. – The red vertical line should never be hit to the left (rear).
The dotted blue line is the absolute limit for a “tap shot”, see earlier Illustration 1 and later Photo 5.
The black circle is my real “hunting” hit circle (spread), with a diameter of 4.2 cm – at the 50 meter distance. – All hits (yellow dots) within this circle will knock the animal down, and with my shown (“random”) (yellow) hits, the animal will lose consciousness in the blow.
A rifle hunter should have no problem hitting this effective CNS hit area in the circle of 4.2 cm at the 50 meter distance – nor at the 100 meter distance (the purple circle), where all hits will be fatal, and where the vast majority of hits (approx. 77%) will likely hit the CNS hit area.
The large purple circle is my real hit circle (max. spread), with a diameter of 8.4 cm – at the 100 meter distance. – Here the two upper hits (the small purple circles) will knock the animal down, and unconscious. – The hit at 5 o’clock may do the same, but is in any case an effective, fatal hit in the thick part of both lungs, and where bone splinters from the shaft of the shoulder blade will also increase the effect of the hit in terms of bleeding.
Down to where possible “dead shot” begins (from the top of the animal) above the hit area, there is approx. 8 cm (according to Illustration 3) – and this should be avoided by a normal rifle hunter at all times, like myself, who has never delivered a “dead shot” (in the sense this is normally meant) – since several of my CNS hits in these cases have been just above the spine, with the same result as if they had been below, or in the spine.
* And thus there will be approx. (8 + (8.4/2)) = 12.2 cm from the top of the animal to the center of the CNS hit area – and from the center of the heart to the bottom of the animal there is approx. 8 cm. – And why should one aim less accurately on the outside of the animal with the CNS- bullet than with the Heart bullet?
And in later Illustration 5 it is also seen that the distance to a shot with the CNS- bullet is the same as with the Heart bullet – namely approx. 4 cm, but that the risk of a stray shot in the heart is much greater with the Heart bullet than the risk of a “pin shot” is with the CNS bullet. – The difference is also that the CNS bullet has a much larger “safety zone” (error margin area) of 142 cm2 (see Illustration 4) – and where the heart on 3 sides has no error margin.
* What is shown above is your chance of hitting the CNS target area on a deer at 50 and 100 meters, if you shoot like me (Photo 3) on the 50 meter shooting range with a fixed sight – and this should certainly not deter anyone from using the CNS- bullet, as I consider myself an average shooter.
– And therefore: if I can do it, so can everyone else.
Of course (as with all shots) you have to correct your aiming point (on the animal’s surface), with the animal standing obliquely, higher and often lower than the shooter – but this has nothing to do with your shooting precision.
Danish roe deer hunters apparently shoot at reasonable shooting distances, which according to previous studies for roe deer, on average, is around 60 meters, and a great many rifle-shot roe deer (approx. 23% according to Netnatur.dk/mere-end-hver-femte-rabuk-skydes-pa-klos-hold/) are apparently shot at less than 20 meters. – And if still correct, this indicates that the CNS- bullet is fully reliable at these average shooting distances.
A huge advantage of the CNS bullet:
– can be seen in the oblique shooting angles, horizontally.
With the CNS bullet, it is not so important to correct correctly for whether the animal is standing obliquely towards or away from the shooter (i.e. that the animal with its longitudinal axis is not perpendicular to the horizontal projectile trajectory), as is clearly seen in this Illustration 4:
Illustration 4. – The black shaded area is 4.2 x 21 cm (area: 88 cm2), which is your horizontal hit area at the 50 meter distance, where the animal will surely die. And if you hit well over half of this hit area (right), the animal will fall unconscious in the blast, and if you hit the rest of the hit area (left), the animal will also die, just like with a normal high lung bullet. – And this area is a huge advantage of the CNS- bullet, both when the animal is standing diagonally away from you and facing you.
The purple shaded hit area applies to the 100 meter distance, where the animal will die after hitting if hit within this area, and over half of the hits can be in the CNS area, and the rest will be like a normal high lung bullet.
This purple shaded area is 8.4 cm in height and approx. 14.5 cm in length (approx. 115 cm2). – This is also a huge advantage of the CNS bullet, especially when the animal is standing diagonally towards you, but also when it is standing diagonally away from you, where you also have the black shaded area against the neck of height x length: 4.2 x approx. 6.5 cm (approx. 27 cm2), i.e. a total of 142 cm2.
This Illustration 3 is seen on an animal standing with its side perpendicular to the projectile path, and it is clear that the shaded hit areas are reduced in the longitudinal direction as the animal stands more or less diagonally – but there will still be a huge advantage. – Just try inserting the shaded areas in Illustration 4 down by the heart, and see the difference – and notice how wrong this can go.
* In every CNS shot I fire at both 50 and 100 meters, I will have a horizontal “safety area” (within which the animal will surely die after being hit) of approx.: 115 cm2 + 27 cm2 = 142 cm2, with a pure side shot – and shouldn’t all rifle hunters be able to keep their bullet within this? – A larger “safety area” cannot be achieved on deer, within ethically defensible tree danger areas, with the greatest possibilities for falling in a bang and immediate unconsciousness.
In fact, the center of my hit circle at a distance of 50 meters and with a pure side shot (and all my hits therein) can sit approx. 11 cm further towards the animal’s chest – where there is an effective CNS hit area all the way, and where the animal falls unconscious in a bang when hit. – This helps to a considerable extent if the animal is standing diagonally away from the shooter.
The center of my hit circle at the 50 meter distance can also be allowed (for a pure side shot) to sit 8.5 cm behind the animal (to the vertical red line), where I will still deliver an effective high double lung bullet, in thick lung parts. – This helps to a certain extent if the animal is standing diagonally towards the shooter.
– and these large lying tree danger areas, where all hits lead to death, and where hits in well over half of the total area will cause the animal to fall in the shot, and in an unconscious state – you really benefit from CNS shots at animals in a pure side shot, but also at animals that are standing diagonally towards, or diagonally away from the shooter – which they most often do.
* As can be seen, the CNS- bullet has the largest possible “safety area” built into it, both at 50 meters and at 100 meters – and the probable risk of a “pinned shot” is 0% at 50 meters and 0% at 75 meters and 0% at 100 meters.
What is my longest (ethical) shooting distance for the CNS bullet?
For me, this can be calculated as follows:
As can be seen in Illustrations 3 and 4, well over half (can be measured to be approx. 77%) of my hit circle at 100 meters is within the effective CNS hit area, and the rest of the possible hits will be in the vital lung area. – Therefore, I can confidently, and with ethics in place, shoot roe deer with the CNS- bullet at 100 meters (based on what I showed at the shooting range), but I usually prefer 75-80 meters.
This can also be calculated as follows: since my “hunting” hit circle for a CNS bullet has a diameter of 4.2 cm at 50 meters, my “hunting” hit circle increases: 4.2 cm/50 meters = 0.084 cm per meter. – And if I (with my shooting) have to hit in a circle with a diameter of 8.4 cm – this hit circle will be at the distance: 8.4 cm/0.084 cm = approx. 100 meters, which is my maximum shooting distance (my longest ethical shooting distance for a CNS- bullet) to roe deer, with a probability of hitting within the hit circle of 8.4 cm, found on the shooting range.
The fear of a shot above the spine:
“High spine shots” are very different, and certainly not all lead to a wounded deer, or to a lost animal – see earlier Illustration 1 and later Photo 5.
A hit in the thorny spines is here called a “High spine shot” or “Tap shot”, by which we mean a wounded animal – and this must of course be avoided, although a shot in the animal’s sternum, liver/stomach, elbow and course (in the event of a missed heart shot) must be considered far worse hits, where wounds also get infected more easily (in contact with soil), and these hits have no chance of healing to a normal, tolerable life for the animal. – In this regard, we cannot thank the Schweiss- people too much.
An additional these “tap shot” (which does not hit organs) has the possibility of healing (even with activity), and giving the animal a fairly normal life, when the wound has healed – and from the above, a “tap shot” is far preferable to a missed heart shot (- but of course “tap shot” should be avoided).
It is actually difficult to hit an animal with a “tap shot”, where the animal gets up after a while and flees. I have shot two bucks, where the bullet had an entry only approx. 4-6 cm down from the back edge, in vertical flight with the rear edge of the course, and both bucks fell on the spot – one unconscious in the impact and without movement, and the other fell in the impact and remained lying down, but moving his head, which is why I gave a final shot. – Below you can see the first of the bucks:
Photo 5. – 25.07.08. – Here you can see one of my 2-3 missed CNS- bullets (far too high and too far back).
The bullet (in an almost horizontal trajectory (path), slightly downwards – this can be seen in the small photo), was about 4 cm from the top of the animal, and yet the animal fell in a fit of unconsciousness, and did not move afterword. – This is because the density of the tissue above the spine is relatively high, resulting in a very constant Temporary cavity (temporary expansion) downwards towards the spine.
The photo shows that not all CNS- bullets placed too high result in what is normally feared: that the animal gets up after a while and flees. – However, it must be said that if the bullet had hit where the number 8 in the photo is written – the risk of what is associated with a “pin shot” would be present – but then you have also shot 8 cm too high!
The photo shows the effect of the projectile’s “Temporary Cavity”, in the raised/elevated area of the back, marked with thin black dotted lines on the small photo, which is actually fine evidence of the “Temporary Cavity” and its effect when it becomes stationary (as here).
It is clear that I lost part of the animal’s back here, but the point of this photo is to show that the fear of delivering a “tap/spine shot”, where the animal gets up and flees, is probably exaggerated. – If the bullet had been 8-10 cm further back, it would have been a “tap shot”, where the animal would have got up and fled after a while, because the spinal cord there does not give signals for vital functions. – Thus, the fear of a “tap shot” is probably most associated with meat value – but also that the animal is often not found by “tap shot”, during a search.
Proponents of lung shots and heart shots always claim that a CNS- bullet has a high risk of inflicting a “pin shot” on the animal.
* This is incorrect, as can be seen in, among other things, Illustrations 1 and 3, as well as in Photo 5 above.
– And it is therefore relatively easy and safe to measure a good 1/3 down from the top of the animal at the CNS shot, and everyone should be able to hit within a hit circle of 8.4 cm in diameter at up to 100 meters.
– If you can’t do this, you can’t hit the Heart either, and all that’s left is a deliberate double lung shot, but that’s not very ethical, because the animals can flee far (farther than necessary and therefore unethical), and because oblique shooting angles often result in single lung hits, where the functioning lung will be able to oxygenate the blood for a long time, until hemorrhagic shock (acute blood loss at approximately 30% blood loss) occurs, after which the animal loses consciousness and dies.
This is evident from according to Netnatur.dk/mere-end-hver-femte-rabuk-skydes-pa-klos-hold/, that approximately 24% of bucks are shot at shot lengths over 100 meters – and if correct, this means that a significant portion of 76% of all shot bucks could be shot with the CNS- bullet and fall unconscious in the crash – and this should more than make up for the fact that a smaller/small proportion of “spine hit ” animals are often more difficult to find in searches.
– And I have used the CNS- bullet for many years, and as I said, have never delivered a “spine shot” where the animal fled. – My % of animals that fall in the shot (of all shot males) is up to now approx. 71% (- only due to the CNS- bullet).
This long-standing discussion about the central nervous system and “tap/spine shots” should not surprise anyone, as even the Danish Hunters’ Association (DJ) in this Link and in this link writes verbatim:
“A shot that hits the central nervous system will make the animal unable to escape, as it is paralyzed, but this shot placement is not appropriate, as the animal will die more slowly than with the recommended shot on the blade”.
This statement from the Danish Hunters’ Association is directly incorrect and misleading, as a large amount of material within medical science and forensics, identifies precisely the rather large primary part of the central nervous system as both the fastest killing target, and at the same time the fastest immobilizing target (for many completely understandable, obvious and carefully explained organ physiological reasons).
– This is also confirmed in experiences from wars, just as it is confirmed by special forces specializing in the fastest possible killing and stopping shot placements. Well-known big game hunters have said the same. – See also: Netnatur.dk/cns-kuglen-og-den-nye-alternative-hjerte-og-lungekugle + Netnatur.dk/cns-kuglen + Netnatur.dk/hvad-sker ved-kugletraef/piletraef.
Meat value:
Some claim that you lose too much meat when using the CNS- bullet.
Now it is not reasonable to put the value of meat above humanity and animal welfare.
The length of the kill (the time the animals suffer when hit) should not be determined by the amount of meat the individual hunter may lose when killing the animal.
If someone loses meat when using a CNS shot, it is because they are aiming and/or hitting too high, and end up with a “pin shot”, where the “important” meat is in the animal’s back – seen in Photo 5.
In almost all of my CNS shots, I only lose a small corner of the lower, front corner of the animal’s back at the side edges (where the ribs are cut).
In all of my CNS shots, I keep the entire heart, liver, most of both legs (the rib pieces) and both forelegs intact.
In a heart hit, you lose the heart, often a piece of the liver, much of one shot and often some of one or both forelegs/forearms (depending on the shooting angle).
A deliberately placed effective double lung bullet, which is demonstrably not the fastest stopping and fastest killing hit, because the animal must bleed to death for a certain period before unconsciousness occurs – does not seem very ethical, just to save meat.
It is also said (e.g. in Sweden when moose): that the period of stress that the animal has during long flight distances has a great impact on the quality of the meat.
And with double lung bullets and heart bullets (even though these are called effective) the flight distances are much longer for deer than the lack of flight distances with the CNS- bullet (i.e. with its 0 meters in flight distance), which must then give the best quality meat.
The heart bullet:
There are quite a few who say that they prefer a “High blade bullet, rather than a Low blade bullet” – and there must be a reason for this.
A reasonable reason for this (apart from meat value, which is not a reasonable reason) can only be that they find the heart bullet not as appropriate or effective as the “High blade hit” – and I say the same thing.
Those of us who say this have obviously recognized that the heart bullet goes wrong very easily when the animal is standing obliquely or low – where the bullet often cuts the heart, and often only hits one lung in the lower lung lobe which is thin, and therefore does not contribute to effective bleeding – and thereby postpones the onset of hemorrhagic shock (acute loss of approximately 30% blood volume, after which unconsciousness occurs). – In other words, a relatively long: “Time from hit to unconsciousness”, which according to written and unwritten rules must be avoided.
A reported practical experience from an experienced Dr. Bengt Röken supports this with:
“If a bullet hit is only centimeters behind the heart, only the lung edge plus the foregut and possibly the liver (on the animal’s right side) is perforated, which only causes minimal internal bleeding, and therefore a very long escape distance (Link)”.
No stray shots to the heart are effective hits, and we also know from forensic medicine and from war situations that a person shot in the heart can move far and even defend himself. – We hunters see animals hit in the heart that have long escape distances (and the same with lung bullets, where I have seen escape distances of 150 meters with a double lung bullet) – whereas I have never seen an escape distance when using the CNS bullet, in all my many years of hunting.
A heart hit that involves more than one of the heart’s 4 chambers is more effective than a hit in only one chamber. – The impact effect is reduced when a heart chamber that is hit is about to finish emptying its blood volume, because the hydronomic effect from hitting liquid (blood) is then reduced, or perhaps completely absent.
Of importance for the effectiveness of a heart hit is therefore which part of the heart is hit – and it is most effective to hit blood-filled heart chambers, since the density of liquid (blood) is high, whereby tissue destruction will be greater when the projectile penetrates – creating a hydronomic pressure wave effect. – This is seen in hearts that are completely disintegrated (almost exploded, Photo 7), versus hearts that only have a bullet hole or a small crack that will try to close itself by muscle contraction (contraction).
The principle in the heart is quite brief: The right side of the heart (right atrium and ventricle) collects oxygen-poor blood (which comes to the heart through large veins in the upper part of the heart), and pumps this to the lungs, where the blood is oxygenated. – The oxygenated blood from the lungs returns to the left side of the heart (left atrium and ventricle), and is sent by pump pressure (via large arteries in the upper part of the heart) out to all the organs that are thereby oxygenated.
In this connection, it must be mentioned that when only one lung is hit, the other lung can still oxygenate the blood, and this will significantly delay the time until the animal sits down or falls.
In addition, the heart becomes 7-9 mm smaller, both in width and length, when it pumps. This means that a projectile that would perforate a heart chamber between heartbeats when the heart is pumping could actually be a non-perforating glancing shot (which does not open the heart chamber), but simply pushes the heart. Such a violent “push” can stop the heart – or not.
When the heart is only grazed by the projectile, so that smaller amounts of blood are pumped out of the involved heart chambers, the heart will still be able to pump further, just with reduced force (with reduced blood pressure and reduced blood volume in the circulatory system). – And this increases the time until the onset of cardiogenic shock (heart pump failure) or hypovolemic shock (insufficient circulating blood volume), after which unconsciousness occurs, compared to a pure heart hit where several heart chambers are involved. – This is seen in animals shot in the heart that have sat down to faint, and where you see splashes of blood next to the animal, on one or both sides of the animal.
Regarding shock types and the way animals die, see: Netnatur.dk/riffelkuglens-effekt-og-virkemaade/.
* The most important effect of a heart hit is therefore the projectile’s effect on blood volume in the heart and the amount of blood loss from the heart (resulting in pressure loss), and not as such the projectile’s destructive, local effect on the striated muscle itself: the heart.
What is my longest (ethical) shooting distance for the Heart Bullet?
For me, this can be calculated as follows:
From 0 meters to 100 meters, my “hunting” hit circle (spread) increases to 8.4 cm. That is, it increases: 8.4 cm/100 m = 0.084 cm per meter. – If I (from later Illustration 5) determine that the effective, “hunting” hit circle of the shown heart is max. 4.8 cm in diameter (this is to (even only to a certain extent) avoid stray shots in the heart – this hit circle will be at the distance: 4.8 cm/0.084 cm = 57.1 meters, which is my maximum shooting distance (my longest ethical shooting distance) for my “Heart Bullet” (- and therefore also for my “Low Blade Shot”) for deer – if I want to be sure of a likely quick hit effect.
However, with great attention paid to the fact that the heart is not in an area with a large safety margin around it, but with a very small one – and where parts of the lungs around the heart are relatively thin, and therefore not particularly effective hit areas.
Photo 6. – The heart of a six-pointer roe deer shot 16.05.24. – This heart (which is probably very slender) measured approx. 11.5 x 6.5 cm (approx. area: 64 cm2). – A normal deer heart is probably approx. 11 x 8 cm (approx. area: 77 cm2).
The most effective target area in the heart is the red oval figure shown, which on this small heart will measure approx.: 3.8 x 9 cm (approx. 30 cm2), but which is not a target circle – and who can hit such a figure in a hidden (not visible) heart that lies obliquely in the animal, and be sure not to hit the animal in the stomach or in the breastbone, in one lung, in the elbow or in the course – and especially at oblique shooting angles sideways and downwards?
From the centre of the heart (the white cross) to the diaphragm, stomach-liver region, there is approx. 4.1 cm, because the diaphragm inside the centre of the animal abuts almost closely against the heart, as can also be seen in the previous Photo 2 and in the later Illustration 5.
And very close to the bottom of the heart the breastbone (sternum) begins – and in front (on the outside) of the breastbone sits the animal’s elbow, and a few cm further down the animal’s course begins.
A normal human heart measures approximately: 6 x 9 x 12 cm, but there are also large variations.
What might a heart attack look like?
– and what was the effect?
Photo 7. – This heart has been hit by the bullet, which has created an increase in pressure in the heart’s tissue fluid (blood) by explosive lesion, where the heart tissue has been expanded to such an extent that the limit of the heart tissue’s elasticity has been passed/exceeded, which is why the heart tissue (with quite high density) has been completely torn apart.
Yet this buck ran 40-50 meters in flight, and even longer in trail length – after which he got stuck in the rapeseed with the attachment. – I don’t know how long it was “From hit to unconsciousness”, as I only found him dead after about ¾ hour.
And precisely this, that we often only arrive at the shot animal after a certain time, and often, in the case of the heart bullet and the lung bullet, do not see where the animal sits or falls, means:
* That we rifle hunters often, (or rather most often) do not know how long after the shot our shot animal lost consciousness – we therefore most often do not know: “Time from hit to unconsciousness. – Whereas when the CNS bullet is used, we have much better control over this and much else, because the animal has not left the shooting site.
When the animal falls in the shot after a CNS bullet, we see where the animal has fallen – and can very often judge whether the animal is lying still or moving, and we can therefore also kill the animal much faster if necessary – which I have so far only had to do once out of all my CNS bullets, where the animal fell in the blast and lay completely flat and clearly without full consciousness, but moved its head a little.
Comparison between a Heart bullet and a CNS- bullet:
Illustration 5. – The small yellow circle with a black border is the aiming point of the CNS- bullet, on a roe deer, a good 1/3 down from the edge of the animal’s back and in vertical alignment with the front quarter of the animal’s trajectory. – The red vertical line should never be hit to the left (backwards).
The yellow circle in the heart is the hit circle (diameter approx. 4.8 cm), which gives just a little distance for stray shots and shots. – The purple hit circles are my “Hunting” spread at 100 meters.
Black circle is my “hunting” hit circle at 50 meters, with a diameter of 4.2 cm (13.8 cm2), found on the shooting range (and the yellow dots are my hits).
Around the center of the heart (the red dot) is inserted the purple hit circle with a diameter of 8.4 cm (55.4 cm2), which is my “hunting” hit circle, with my hits (the small purple dots, all stray shots) at the 100 meter distance, which I found on the shooting range (see Photo 3).
The yellow circle shown in the heart is the largest possible most effective hit circle in the heart, with a diameter of 4.8 cm = 18 cm2, which keeps just a little distance from stray shots and which is up in the most effective part of the heart. – The heart’s effective hit area is however approx. 30 cm2 (see oval figure in Photo 6), but this obliquely positioned oval figure is difficult to locate and hit.
The two small figures at the very bottom right corner of the illustration show that there is approximately the same distance (approx. 4.1 cm) from the center of the CNS bullet’s aiming point to a possible hit (“pin shot”, but which can actually be added approx. 1 cm, as previously explained) – as the distance from the center of the heart to a possible hit in the liver/stomach and in the chest and elbow, and the decreasing lung area in front of the heart.
A big difference is that oblique shooting angles with heart shots can cause hits, whereas oblique shooting angles with the CNS bullet can hardly cause hits. – And this must also necessarily make the CNS bullet much safer, more humane and ethical than the Heart bullet.
The risk of a “pin shot” with the CNS bullet is here, within the upper purple hit circle of 8.4 cm, unlikely at a distance of up to 100 meters. – In well over half of the hit circle (approx. 77%), the animal will fall into the hole unconscious, and hits in the rest of the hit circle will lead to relatively rapid unconsciousness and death, as these hits will be in very vital parts of the lungs.
On the other hand, with the heart bullet’s purple hit circle of 8.4 cm at a distance of 100 meters, there is room for approx. 24 grazing shots in the outermost peripheral zones of the heart in this circle (on both sides).
With the heart bullet, there are thus really many chances for grazing shots (also outside the purple hit circle) – and where one side of the heart faces closely towards the target area of the liver/stomach, and the other side of the heart faces closely towards the non-vital hit area at the edge of very thin lung lobes at the bottom of the lungs. – Not always, but perhaps most often, you get the animal with these hits – but not in a humane way, compared to a CNS hit.
As can be seen in illustration 5, all my 3 hits (which I had on the shooting range) in the heart are located at the very outer edges of the heart, and are therefore all only grazing shots in the heart – and none of my hits are located in the heart’s most effective hit circle (the yellow circle) with a diameter of approx. 4.8 cm, which gives only a little distance for grazing shots and shots.
The shot shown in Illustration 5 is horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the animal, but if the animal had been standing diagonally towards me (and I had not corrected correctly for this), the upper heart bullet would not have grazed the heart, but only hit the lower, thinner parts of the lungs (lung lobes), and at the same time probably hit the stomach/liver region. – The result of this is a very long flight distance and a relatively long time from hit to unconsciousness, which is by definition a grazing shot (the term for a shot at game that does not hit with an immediate killing effect).
If the animal had been standing obliquely away from me (and I had not corrected correctly for this), the two lower heart bullets would not have hit the heart, but only in the lower thin parts of the lungs (the anterior lung lobes), and at the same time probably the animal’s humerus on the back of the animal – i.e. a miss.
* And these mentioned problems, with oblique shots, when using the Heart bullet (reasons for misses) do not exist with the CNS bullet (see Illustration 4).
This is what the CNS- bullet looks like in reality:
Here is a nice CNS bullet placement – this rare time in a clean, horizontal side shot 75 meters out.
The buck fell lifelessly into the crash, and then did not move his head, ears or legs. So: 0 escape distance, no pain and no anxiety – and therefore optimally effective, humane, ethical and uncomplicated – and it can’t get better than this.
Summary and conclusion:
The difference between a CNS hit and a heart hit is therefore large:
1. With a CNS hit, the animal falls unconscious in the blast, and with a heart bullet it is said that the animal can flee up to 150 meters. – The CNS- bullet is therefore (for this reason alone) more humane and ethical than the Heart bullet.
2. It can be demonstrated that there are far greater chances of a safe and rapid fatal hit within the CNS hit area than there are with the Heart bullet (and Lung bullet) hit area.
3. An animal hit by the CNS bullet can be killed more quickly if necessary than with most Heart bullets and Lung bullets.
4. It is easy to aim at the CNS hit area: An ear length (a good third down from the top of the animal’s back), and in vertical flight with the front ¼ of the animal’s course.
5. In many cases, the animal is standing in high vegetation, so that the heart location cannot be located – and where the CNS hit circle can easily be located. – It can be difficult to determine how obliquely the animal is standing in high vegetation (you cannot see the animal running), whereas this is not so significant with the CNS- bullet.
6. The CNS- bullet demonstrably has a significant clear huge advantage in oblique shooting angles on the animal, as the CNS hit area is elongated and lies fairly horizontal. – In contrast, with the Heart bullet, oblique shooting angles in the horizontal plane can very easily lead to ineffective grazing shots in the heart, hits in only one lung, hits in only thin lung lobes and hits in the liver/stomach region – and with oblique shooting angles downwards, the Heart bullet can very easily hit the sternum, elbow and course (also on the back of the animal) – and all these risks are not present with the CNS bullet.
7. The fear of a “pin/spine shot” with the CNS- bullet is completely unfounded, as the probable risk of this can be demonstrated to be: 0% at up to 100 meters. – A possible “pin shot” where the animal is not found is not as serious for the animal as a missed heart hit that hits: liver/stomach, sternum, thin lung lobes in front of the heart and hits in the elbow and course. – The animal has the opportunity to achieve a normal life after healing of wounds from remotely placed “pin shots”, which cannot happen with a missed heart hit, where not all animals are found during searches.
8. Claims that the CNS hit area is too small of a hit area are not in accordance with the facts, which are:
The primary CNS hit area of a deer has a total, effective tree danger area of: approx. 43 cm x min. 4.2 = approx. 180 cm2, if you count the neck part (ex. brain). – Without the CNS area of the neck (which should be avoided), the 100% effective CNS area is approx.: 5.5 x 21 cm = 115 cm2. – That is larger than the area of the heart of approx. 64–77 cm2 – and larger than the heart’s effective target area, which is a crooked (and difficult to locate) oval figure with an area of approx. 30 cm2 – and larger than the heart’s effective hit circle (a hit circle where stray shots and shots can be avoided) of approx. 4.8 cm in diameter (approx. 18 cm2).
My “hunting” spread (found on the shooting range) is a hit circle of 4.2 cm in diameter at the 50 meter distance. – At 50 meters, a 4.2 cm hit circle is within the primary CNS hit area – and this is what most rifle shooters should be able to hit all their shots within, and also at a 8.4 cm hit circle at 100 meters.
My “hunting” spread (found on the shooting range) is a 8.4 cm diameter hit circle at 100 meters. – Here it is likely that approximately 77% of the hits will hit the primary CNS area, where the animal will fall in a unconscious state – and hits in the rest of this hit circle will be double lung hits in the vital upper parts of the lungs, leading to certain death.
9. The margin of error can be demonstrated to be much greater with the CNS bullet than with the Heart bullet. – With the CNS bullet there is a total safety area (including the CNS impact area) of: 142 cm2 (Illustration 4), within which well over half of the hits will be within the CNS impact area, with a fall with a bang and immediate unconsciousness, and where hits outside the CNS impact area will be fatal double lung hits, in the upper vital parts of the lungs. – A larger “safety area” cannot be achieved on deer, within ethically defensible tree hazard areas with the greatest possibilities for a fall with a bang and immediate unconsciousness.
The corresponding margin of error (safety area) cannot be calculated for the Heart Bullet (with a hit circle of 8.4 cm), because: From the heart (at the height of the heart’s hit circle of 8.4 cm, Illustration 5), there are only a few cm for a liver/stomach hit, 0 cm for a hit in the anterior lower, thin lung lobes, and at the bottom of the heart there is 0 cm for a hit in the chest – and these are all serious areas of impact, and everything is amplified by oblique shooting angles. – The Heart Bullet is therefore very risky.
At least 40 projectiles can be placed in the full circumference of the heart, all of which will be ineffective grazing shots at the edge of the heart – whereas all hits in the circumference of the CNS hit area will be hits in vital parts, and far more than half will lead to collapse and unconsciousness (see Illustration 4), and the rest will be like ordinary double lung hits.
10. The effect of a Heart bullet, and subsequent flight distance, is very dependent on where in the heart the bullet hits and on the amount of blood in the heart chambers when the projectile hits, whereas all hits in the entire CNS hit area always lead to a fall with a bang, and unconsciousness.
11. If you shoot like me (see Photo 3), you will be able to shoot the CNS- bullet at a longer (and still safe and ethical) shooting distance, than you can with the Heart bullet:
The CNS- bullet: My maximum shooting distance is approx. 100 meters, which is my longest ethical shooting distance for a CNS- bullet for roe deer, with a 100% probability of hitting within my “hunting” hit circle of 8.4 cm (which I found at the shooting range, see Photo 3). – This with a large margin of error in the effective hit area outside the CNS hit area itself, and with significantly reduced risk at oblique shooting angles.
For a pure Heart bullet: My longest ethical shooting distance (according to what I perform on the shooting range) and with a most effective hit circle with a diameter of 4.8 cm (which does not give stray shots and only keeps a little distance from shots) = 57.1 meters, and this with a very small margin of error outside the heart, and with a large risk at oblique shooting angles. – Within this distance of 57.1 meters I have a 100% probability of a clean and ethically defensible heart hit in a pure side shot, and everything else is about taking chances.
Thus, it can be seen that a statement such as: “that we rifle hunters are not skilled enough for a CNS- bullet”, and therefore should choose the Heart bullet”, is wrong – it is just the opposite!
12. With CNS shots, we usually see where the animal falls in the crash, and depending on the height of the vegetation, we usually also see whether the animal is dead, which means that we can quickly kill the animal if necessary. – With the CNS- bullet, we usually have much more control over the “Time from hit to unconsciousness” – more control over this is better compliance with ethics.
With the heart bullet, the animal can flee, often 50 meters, but (it is said) up to 150 meters (perhaps into the neighbor, or into a large yellow rapeseed field), where most often the visual contact with the animal is long gone, and thus: “Time from hit to unconsciousness” is usually unknown, and can be relatively long, and even longer if a Schweisshund is to be requested.
13. Claims that CNS hits only paralyze the animal, and that the animal dies more slowly when hit in the central nervous system than when shot with a blade – are completely wrong and misleading, as this is contradicted by a large body of material in medical science, forensic medicine, experience from wars, experience with special forces, experience from big game hunters, etc. – and also my many years of practical experience with the CNS- bullet.
14. Just to substantiate this letter to the editor, I will give percentages here on the effect of all my shots at deer (males of roe deer, fallow deer and red deer) to date: 71% stayed at the shot site (fell in the antlers) – 58% of all my shot deer (males only) were killed with the correct CNS- bullet and 100% of these fell in the antlers (also fallow deer and red deer), and all I could see from where I was sitting were unconscious. – No “tap/spine shots” where animals fled. – No lost animals. – No missed shots. – All deer were dead when found, except for my one search with a sniffer dog, where the track length was a full 900 meters (due to lack of expansion of the projectile), and with my last shot with a CNS- bullet that was too high, where the animal lay completely flat and was not conscious, but moved its head a little.
Rifle hunters (and bow hunters) who use the heart bullet or the lung bullet can then compare this with their own statistics – or compare it with results from large studies that show that between 37 and 48% of larger deer shot with a rifle fall in the blast – and for bow hunting it is approx. 5% that fall in the shot.
Conclusion:
My conclusion is clear: the CNS- bullet is more humane, more effective, safer and more ethical, as well as much easier and far more problem-free in practice – than the Heart bullet.
At no point or area does the Heart bullet appear to be a better shot placement than the CNS- bullet – and why continue with the Heart bullet?
The Lung bullet can never be avoided (as it cannot be avoided), and here it is important to hit in the upper, front parts of the lungs and correct for oblique shooting angles, so that all hits become double lung bullets, in the thickest possible parts of the lungs.
Unless someone can seriously and well-foundedly refute what is described and shown here, I suggest for the good of all: “Fire the Heart bullet – use the CNS- bullet”.