[PharmaDrMan]

As salaamu alaykum.

When hunting an edible animal, like a deer or an antelope, with a firearm, how does one balance the consideration of killing an animal quickly and mercifully and that of not spoiling/ruining meat? In other words, how does one select an ideal caliber?

I ask because, in general, all things being equal, the larger the caliber bullet used the more likely that the animal will be killed rather quickly. However, there is a certain point at which a large bullet size ensures that much meat will be spoiled. As such, what should one do? Should one make their best ijtihaad and try to strike a balance between the two? Or practically speaking, a quick death of the animal takes precedence over all things and one shouldn't even risk a second more of pain to the animal and go for as large a caliber as possible/practical?

I know that this is a strange question but I am going hunting this year and so I'd like to know.

Anyone qualified to answer please do so insha'allah.

Jazakallahu Khair.

Wa'salaam.

[Dabdklwu]

Basically, you pick the rifle based on the size of the game animal and the distance you will be shooting to kill it.

[Dabdklwu]

Hopefully, you are going with friends that have experience hunting.

Find out what type and caliber of rifle they will be using.

Then buy your weapon well before hunting season begins.

Do a lot of target practice shooting from various distances.

Become very proficient at shooting the target dead center.

Each animal will have a different place on their body to shoot in order bring it down; head, neck, heart & lung torso.

You will need to find out this information "before" you go hunting.

That way when you go on the hunt and draw a bead on the animal and pull the trigger.

It will be, one shot, one kill.

No suffering.

[PharmaDrMan]

....

Do a lot of target practice shooting from various distances.

Become very proficient at shooting the target dead center.

"Proficiency" is very subjective.

Each animal will have a different place on their body to shoot in order bring it down; head, neck, heart & lung torso.

....

Understood. I am going for a broadside shot where I can get the lungs and heart.

That way when you go on the hunt and draw a bead on the animal and pull the trigger.

It will be, one shot, one kill.

No suffering.

That is the ideal but in practice probably only 2-3 out of 100 shots that take game in a given year actually result in the animal just dropping in place. In practice, most animals run several dozen if not several hundred yards even when hit with a shot that eventually kills them.

The question about caliber is one concerned basically with margin of error. The bigger the caliber, the bigger the margin of error. However, the bigger the caliber, the most meat spoiled.

I hope that the question is clear now.

[viagracheapest]

How lucky you guys. In my country hunting is a serious crime (5 or more years in jail + fine).
Haven't eaten (even haven't smelt) deer.

[Dabdklwu]

The question about caliber is one concerned basically with margin of error. The bigger the caliber, the bigger the margin of error. However, the bigger the caliber, the most meat spoiled.

Who ever told you that "the bigger the caliber, the bigger the margin or error". has No idea what they are talking about.

[Dabdklwu]

"Proficiency" is very subjective.

No, proficiency, actually marksmanship, is learning to be a good shot.

If you are a bad shot.

Don't go hunting.

Wait until you become a good shot; preferably an excellent shot.

[Dabdklwu]

Understood. I am going for a broadside shot where I can get the lungs and heart.

Like I said before; it depends on the animal that you are hunting.

Rabbits, squirrels, turkey, and other small game, require a head shot; so as not to ruin the small amount of meat on the body.

Deer and other large animals need a well placed heart & lung shot to quickly bring them down,

[Wachearex]

If the animal runs a hundred meters before falling and dying, is the meat halal? I've heard that this is the normal scenario. You have to be considerably skilled and very lucky to get instant kill.

Some hunters like to aim for the head for instant kill, but this is quite hard. The animal probably has lots of blood left if you do get instant head kill. Would you need to drain the blood away before you can eat it? Or is the bloody meat halal?

[PharmaDrMan]

Who ever told you that "the bigger the caliber, the bigger the margin or error". has No idea what they are talking about.

I am not here to get into a debate about this issue and I am not really asking for hunting advice. I am asking about how, Islamically, one should balance considerations of quickly putting down an animal while minimizing the spoiling of meat.

No, proficiency, actually marksmanship, is learning to be a good shot.

If you are a bad shot.

Don't go hunting.

Wait until you become a good shot; preferably an excellent shot.

So what do you mean by a "good shot" or an "excellent shot"? "good" and "excellent" are still vague terms.

In Pennsylvania (where I live) most people are considered "proficient" marksmanship for (deer) hunting purposes if they are able to consistently hit a target, at 100 yards, about the size of a pie plate since the vitals on a deer (lungs and heart) generally occupy an area of about that size. However, even though someone capable of shooting at that level of "proficiency" is obviously capable of hitting a deer with a shot that will kill it if it is a broadside shot, they rarely are capable of bringing down a deer instantly.

Given this, how "proficient" a marksman need one be to humanely (from an Islamic perspective) bring down a deer? Should one be capable of 1 MOA at hundred yards? More? Less?

Like I said before; it depends on the animal that you are hunting.

Rabbits, squirrels, turkey, and other small game, require a head shot; so as not to ruin the small amount of meat on the body.

Deer and other large animals need a well placed heart & lung shot to quickly bring them down,

Again, I am not looking for hunting advice. I simply want to know how to balance the consideration of a quick kill (so that it is both humane and the animal is not considered carrion for running off and dying later) and the consideration of not spoiling an excessive amount of meat when selecting a CALIBER to use. In my state, I have options ranging from a .223/5.56 Nato all the way up to a .50 bmg. I know that any one caliber in that range can bring an animal down but some do it with far more margin of error than others while at the same time resulting in more spoiled meat.

I hope that my question is clear now.

Lastly, I am looking for an answer from a fiqh perspective (hence why I posted this in the Hanafi Q&A and am not sure why it was moved here).