Your Natural Point of Aim When Hunting
There has been a lot written about bullet performance on game and the need for premium quality bullets. But sometimes there is more to it than meets the eye.
Most new hunters soak up all they can read on the subject and believe the story that the bullet manufacturers are trying to sell them.
These hunters end up spending two or three times the amount that they may need to on bullets or loaded ammo when in reality standard soft point bullets may be all they need. However in some cases a premium bullet is exactly what they do need.
So who is right and who is wrong? Well only the individual hunter can answer that and the reason lies in the mind of the hunter. 
I have observed that every hunter that I have known has a preference for where they aim at an animal. I call this the natural point of aim. This is part of the vital zone somewhere between the neck and the back of the chest.
For some this area of the is the point of the shoulder. For some it is the heart. For some it is the base of the neck and for a lot of hunters it is the big bit behind the front leg.
This natural point of aim is a subconscious thing. A deer, pig or goat etc, jumps up, the rifle is raised and the bullet is sent on its way, all within a few seconds.
The hunter “knows” the vital zone and the place to aim. Its just that the exact spot can be different from one hunter to the next.
So with all these hunters naturally aiming for different parts of the anatomy of the game animal, it is little wonder that there are so many different opinions on what is the best bullet to use.
Take Barnes bullets for example. Some hunters love them and others hate them. Now these bullets offer very high weight retention and deep penetration. So the hunters who have a natural point of aim for the shoulder will have much better results than the hunter that likes to aim at the lighter chest cavity area.
(Some bullets do not expand well at low velocity)
A hunter who has a natural point of aim that lies behind the shoulder may have great results and instant kills with a rifle loaded with cheaper standard bullets however if he was to aim at a solid shoulder on a large game animal he may find his bullet lacks penetration and performs poorly on that animal. 
So this leads us to the hunter that constantly worries about bullet performance. He changes bullets looking for the ultimate in bullet performance. He is always looking at the most expensive bullet that he can buy, thinking that by spending more money he will get better results. This may not always happen.
My message is simple. First look at yourself and take note of what is your natural point of aim. Then purchase a bullet that is designed to perform with that sort of shot in mind. After that just enjoy your hunting.
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Category: Norman Nelson's Column
Can’t say I agree with the premise of this article which suggests bullet construction should be determined by intended shot placement!
Bullet construction should be determined first and foremost by the type of game you are hunting, from this point it should follow that the selected bullet has the widest margin for error i.e. a projectile that has the best chance of killing within the widest possible defined kill zone (NOT the shooters preferred kill zone)
The fact remains that some projectiles are far better suited to certain species of game than others and should be picked based on this fact.
The article also makes mention of the varied opinion amongst shooters as to the best shot placement area. Obviously they can’t all be right which means that many shooters are intending to place their shots into the wrong area of the game they are shooting. Shooters should educate themselves to the point that they know where best to place their shots rather than using a “subconscious” ” natural point of aim”!
Use a premium bullet if you can afford them, they consistently outperform cheaper bullets on big game and they have a wider margin for error. Taking the example provided in the article of “A deer, pig or goat etc, jumps up, the rifle is raised and the bullet is sent on its way, all within a few seconds” how many shooters can guarantee the placement in a preferred “natural point of aim” in this circumstance, the fact is none can which should reinforce a preference for “premium” bullets.
Bottom line is I would rather have premium bullet performance and not need it than need it and not have it, how many hunters aim for the heart and instead his bone, the answer is many…
Rath,
Thanks for your comments.
Bullet selection is sure to raise a debate.
Obviously your preference is for premium bullet. That is fine and you must be happy with your selection. It obviously suits your natural point of aim.
You didn’t mention in your reply just where you think a game animal should be shot? You only mentioned “within the widest possible defined kill zone ” This is the “shotgun principal”.
I don’t know how many animals you have shot but if you have shot quite a few then maybe you have noticed that the majority of your killing shots tended to land in a particular location? This would be your natural point of aim and your bullets should be designed to perform best in that location for the size of the animal. Maybe they do and that is why you like premium bullets?
I find premium bullet are fine for shoulder shots on large Australian game animals at moderate range. But they can perform badly on side on chest shots, especially at long range where the velocity is lower. In this case they perform dismally or may not expand at all.
The thing is that just about all modern game bullets are very good when used within their capability. You just need to find one that performs well for you and the type of animal that you hunt.
The debate on bullet selection is never ending. My advice is to keep an open mind. Don’t be brain washed by the advertisements of the bullet manufacturers. Go with what ever works well for you. That is natural selection.
You don’t need premium bullets like Barnes XBT, Woodleigh, Interbond, Accubond, Grand Slam etc on deer, pigs or goats. These animals are way too light and conventional game bullets will always work better. I’ve tried most of them and performed countless autopsies on dead game to recover fired bullets. Calibre selection is important as is shot placement. I’m with Norm on this one – by all means use premium bullets on big game especially if you have invested considerable time/money on a hunting trip to a very remote area, but a conventional bullet placed in the correct spot out of any appropriate calibre rifle will down your game animal.
I’ve shot game on culls in africa and observed a lot more but I’m opened minded enough to consider a range of different viewpoints. Aside from cost what are the advantages of “conventional bullets” over say a barnes TTSX? I’m referring to hunting at normal ranges not long range hunting where BC plays a large role.
Guys who have shot a lot of game will tell you time that placement of the shot is primary concern and most important consideration, projectile selection ranks 2nd and caliber selection last. At least that is the opinion of the professional hunters I know in africa, one of whom is a close mate and has shot over 16000 head of african game. I like taking my advice from people who don’t have to guess.
Whilst I agree that you don’t need a “premium” bullet to kill anything, it’s simply about consistency. That picture of the barnes bullet that has failed to expand in the thread above is famous because it is so rare.
I like the versatility that a bullet like the barnes provides, shoot the shoulder, lose a little meat but drop your animal DRT. If you hit the shoulder with an unpredictable projectile it’s only a matter of time before you lose an animal.
Whatever you shoot, shoot it often, no projectile can make up for poor placement.
Rath
I agree with the shoot often comment Rath. That said I think there are a lot of people out there that shoot often at the range over the bench and never shoot field positions which you’ll agree with me may as well equate to not shooting at all!