As an ethical hunter, the vast majority of your shots should be aimed at the heart/lung area of the animal.Only in specific circumstances, such as a charge situation or a close range shot on an elephant, should you aim for the brain. Compared to the rest of the head, the brain is a relatively small and well protected target. The head also moves more than any other part of the body. These factors combine to present an increased risk of a wounded animal by aiming at the brain and accidentally hitting the jaw or nose, for instance. As a result, the brain is a high risk target that you should only shoot at when absolutely necessary.

The neck/spine is a target similar to the brain. A good shot will bring the animal down instantly, but it is still a relatively small target and moves almost as much as the brain.
The heart/lung area however, presents a large, typically stationary target on an animal. Shots with large enough caliber bullets of the proper construction will typically bring the animal down very quickly with a minimum of suffering and tracking involved.

Fortunately, the anatomy of most African species of antelope is not that much different from the deer and elk most Americans are used to hunting. That being said, even though the vital organs are in similar locations, the fact that animals in Africa look different from American game and may be significantly larger or smaller can make shot placement more challenging since the “markers” and sense of scale that many hunters are used to using is off. This is particularly true when you’re tired, excited, in a hurry, trying to identify a specific animal in a herd, or can only see part of the animal due to thick brush.
 
At the same time, shot placement can also vary significantly for some species of African game. For instance, cats, such as leopards and lions, have vitals that are positioned slightly further to the rear than on antelope.Shooting a lion or a leopard on or even slightly behind the shoulder could potentially result in a bullet that travels in front of the lungs and heart, which generally results in an unpleasant combination for both the hunter and the cat.
The real challenge is to visualize the location of the heart/lung area (also known as the “boiler room”) on an animal and properly place your shot regardless of the circumstances.


So how do you do that? This is where your pre-hunt research will pay off. There are numerous resources available both as books and on the internet that discuss the anatomy and recommended shot placement on African game animals. 

Shot Placement On African Game: Where Should You Aim?

As an ethical hunter, the vast majority of your shots should be aimed at the heart/lung area of the animal.Only in specific circumstances, such as a charge situation or a close range shot on an elephant, should you aim for the brain. Compared to the rest of the head, the brain is a relatively small and well protected target. The head also moves more than any other part of the body. These factors combine to present an increased risk of a wounded animal by aiming at the brain and accidentally hitting the jaw or nose, for instance. As a result, the brain is a high risk target that you should only shoot at when absolutely necessary.

The neck/spine is a target similar to the brain. A good shot will bring the animal down instantly, but it is still a relatively small target and moves almost as much as the brain.
The heart/lung area however, presents a large, typically stationary target on an animal. Shots with large enough caliber bullets of the proper construction will typically bring the animal down very quickly with a minimum of suffering and tracking involved.

Fortunately, the anatomy of most African species of antelope is not that much different from the deer and elk most Americans are used to hunting. That being said, even though the vital organs are in similar locations, the fact that animals in Africa look different from American game and may be significantly larger or smaller can make shot placement more challenging since the “markers” and sense of scale that many hunters are used to using is off. This is particularly true when you’re tired, excited, in a hurry, trying to identify a specific animal in a herd, or can only see part of the animal due to thick brush.
 
At the same time, shot placement can also vary significantly for some species of African game. For instance, cats, such as leopards and lions, have vitals that are positioned slightly further to the rear than on antelope.  Shooting a lion or a leopard on or even slightly behind the shoulder could potentially result in a bullet that travels in front of the lungs and heart, which generally results in an unpleasant combination for both the hunter and the cat.
The real challenge is to visualize the location of the heart/lung area (also known as the “boiler room”) on an animal and properly place your shot regardless of the circumstances.

So how do you do that? This is where your pre-hunt research will pay off. There are numerous resources available both as books and on the internet that discuss the anatomy and recommended shot placement on African game animals.