The Best Shots at Game. 113 



and if too high may remove a horn. Unless the animal is 

 large, such as eland or buffalo, the neck is a difficult 

 mark. 



To hit the heart is a question dependant on the angle at 

 which the game is standing, but if broadside on, the best 

 spot is fairly low through the shoulder bone. The hearts of 

 all game are lower than a line drawn horizontally across 

 the body, and a buffalo's heart lies right down in the 

 cavity of the chest. If the heart, or large arteries just 

 above it is struck, the animal will usually give a shiver and 

 dash off at a fast pace and then collapse after going forty 

 to sixty yards ; but often game will fall at once and die 

 quickly. Personally, I prefer to see a beast run for a little 

 way before falling, as animals which fall quickly often get up 

 again and bolt. Of course a small buck is often knocked 

 down by the concussion, and I have seen bushbuck and 

 duiker lifted off their legs by the energy of the bullet, and 

 this was particularly noticeable when I used a -318 " Axite " 

 rifle, which has a velocity of 25ooft. sec. and shoots a 

 heavy, blunt point bullet of 25ogrs. 



For the lung shot aim at about six inches behind the 

 shoulder, and pretty high. Shots aimed at the lungs may 

 go high and break the spine, and then the stricken beast 

 will collapse at once. If the lungs be punctured, game may 

 run for a distance of from fifty to 200 yards before falling, 

 or it may fall at once. When running off it will drop a lot 

 of frothy blood from its mouth, and this blood will be a 

 light crimson colour and covered with frothy bubbles. 



If one sees this frothy blood, game will almost certainly 

 be recovered if tracked up, and the beast will likely be 

 found dead not very far away. 



Animals with a broken front leg may travel for hours ; 

 but a broken hind leg will prevent game moving far, as the 

 back legs are the driving machinery, so to speak, and the 

 heaviest part of the animal is the hindquarters. 



It is impossible to shoot much game without noticing 

 instances of animals exhibiting great tenacity of life, and I 

 have seen duikers run off with half their entrails dropped 



