Neck Shooters

[Adirondackman]

Where do you guys aim? I usally shoot my deer at 50 yards or less and I'am considering to take a neck shot. I enjoy the Liver and Heart and I'am tired of the big mess in the boiler room. Has anyone hit a deer in the neck and didn't find it? Just seems like the place to aim for at close distnces.

 

[Rancocas]

It is a risky shot. It is a small target and it doesn't take much for the deer to jump out of the way. I have taken two deer with neck shots, but if the truth be known, I wasn't aiming for the neck. However, a broken neck sure does put them down fast.
A .30-06 does a lot of damage to a deer. There is a lot of blood-shot, ruined meat. A .30-30 does less damage, and a round ball from a muzzleloader does even less.
I, also, like to eat the heart and liver. I'll try for a lung shot every time. My .50 round ball usually goes through and through with very little wasted meat due to blood-shot tissue.

 

[roundball]

With a muzzleloader lacking the enormous energy & shock impact of a high speed high power centerfire bullet, I believe the neck shot is very risky and I've only taken two neck shots in the past several years, but both were gimmes at 15-20 yards.
One with only his head and neck sticking out from behind some trees with the head turned away making his neck muscles and vertabrae stretched firmly and more visible as a target....the other was facing me with his head all the way down getting ready to go down into a drainage ditch...the vertabrae was visible under the skin.
Both dropped like stones because I was able to hit the POA at those very close distances, but I'd be too afraid I'd miss the vertabrae at longer distances

 

[Mountainman56]

I shot one deer in the neck with a .50 roundball at 30 yards and I doubt I'll every try it again. While it anchored the deer I missed the vertebrae and he was far from dead. It broke my heart to watch him thrash around while I reloaded. If you think you can reload your front stuffer fast just try and do it sometime when you're in a real hurry. Now I always carry my .44 C&B revolver just in case. Take Roundball's advice. If you are close and you are confident of hitting the spine it's an excellent shot that will ruin no meat and limit your tracking to 2 feet....straight down. If you are not sure DON'T do it. A roundball just doesn't have the hitting power if the spine is missed.

 

[Little Wattsy]

All deer have a nice big white spot on thier throats just under thier chins....Makes a GREAT target. :thumbsup:

 

[Headhunter]

The last neck shot I took was a doe at 5 steps. Any farther than that, I recommend agains it. Just too much could go wrong.

HH

 

[BrownBear]

I'll take it if I can get it, but it has to be a gimme shot. We like the organ meats and good clean carcasses for butchering. If there's the slightest doubt I pass or take a shot in the boiler room.

Face-on shooting, the white throat patch is best. In my experience it's more certain than the brisket, which can easily turn shots to run along the ribs and under the shoulder without entering the body cavity. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and tracked the deer close to 2 miles by the map to put it down- using a 7mm magnum!!!

If I'm presented with a face on shot and can't be certain of the neck shot, I'll wait till the deer turns broadside or pass on it.

Side target is the joint of the neck and head. On a side shot, it has to be a gimme shot because that big ole boiler room is sitting right there waiting.

I head shoot snowshoe hares. That's a target about the same size. If I wasn't doing so much of that, I wouldn't be taking neck shots on deer. I learn from my misses on the hares and improve my shooting, but I'm not willing to miss neck shots on deer. I pass on lots of deer neck shots rather than risk even the slightest uncertainty.

Last year's deer was a perfect example of how I take neck shots. Deer were scarce, and it was sliding downhill to the last day of the season. I waded into very thick brush to find them, following faint tracks in a dust of snow. Jumped the deer at less than 10 feet. It busted straight away, and paused very briefly at less than 20 yards to glance back over its butt.

Three choices: No deer. Butt shot. Neck shot to the base of the skull- all I could see over the butt.

I took the neck shot with full confidence that it was all over but the gutting. Would I have taken the same shot at 50 yards? Hell no! Would I have taken it at 25 yards? Probably, as long as I wasn't puffing. When I can shoot 1" groups offhand at 25 yards, why not?

 

[Britsmoothy]

The thing is neck makes a good stew, lungs don't :wink :

Britsmoothy.

 

[Vaino]

From my tree stand I've shot many deer that were close enough for either a head or neck shot but have instead shot them in the rib cage. No meat of value to me is ruined w/ a rib shot and 100% recovery is better than a somewhat "chancey" shot at a neck. If a neck shot deer doesn't go down immediately, the spine wasn't hit and could result in an "unclaimed" deer that eventually will suffer and die. Not to say that I've never shot a couple of deer in the neck....when younger I've also done other stupid things......Fred

 

[Adirondackman]

Thanks guys - I like the sure thing shot myself (lungs) but have been getting real close lately (20 yards or less) and shoot 1"-2" groups out to 50 yards. Just seems like a good neck shot would anchor the deer with minimal meat damage. Has anyone actually lost a deer with a neck shot?

 

[rabjr]

I've only done it a couple of times, only then cause it was up close and personal but I wouldn't want to take this shot over 20 yards. When you think about the target area, the chest/vital area is a much bigger target and allows room for error while keeping the ball within the vitals. A neck shot not as much.

 

[tg]

I think a neck shot is generaly a less than good choice, but each hunter must judge their own skill level and go from there, I have taken deer in the head when very close and with a rest, I do not like the "poop shute" shot I think that is the worst choice of shot one could make, even with a frontal shot a bit off and there could be problems, I don't have the eyes I used to so just use smoothbore now so my shot selection is pretty much a given, broadside or slightly quartered away
or I hunt again and hope for a better shot, I have seen deer lost to most every type of shot as the saying goes "stuff" happens all we can do is our best at making a good clean shot and hope all goes well.

 

[doulos]

I wouldnt take those shots if at all possible. While I have killed 2 deer with these shots long ago when I was a young hunter I would discourage people to not risk them. I saw a buck running that my neighbor shot in the neck and lost. He did not give it a follow up because the deer dropped. But as he approached it got up and ran. He followed the best he could and came to our cabin to see if we had seen it or any blood trails.
Well the next day I did see it. I could actually hear it breathing causing a woofing sound. I could not get a shot to finish it off. Im sure that buck did not make it with damage to his wind tube. If the spine isn't hit to drop or cripple the deer so you can finsh it off then it is a good possibility if its throat or trachea is damaged it will die a slow death from starvation. Im not trying to make any judgement about people who take these shots. Im just saying that the target isnt as big as it appears and things can go wrong.

 

[wtilenw]

I just think it's not worth the risk of losing an animal. Lung shots are sure things, neck shots are iffy.
Idaho PRB

 

[silent sniper]

well I have killed 1 deer with a neck shot. it was right around 50-60 yards. All I could see was the neck so I tried it. well I shot and the deer dropped dead,but it started kicking and of coarse as I am a young hunter and I didnt know better i shot it again at about 20 yards right above the tail bone thru the spine. it just about split a third of the doe in half,but it's movments ceased instantly. later on I relized I shouldnt of shot it again as the slug had hit about 2 inches below the base of the head right thru the vertebra. the doe was dead but its nerves were causing it to kick around. But it also makes a difference as I was not using a MLer but a 12 gauge with 3 inch winchester magnum slugs. So |I guess with a 50 cal PRB the deer would of died instantly from the ball breaking its neck, but it is certinly risker compared to a 12 gauge slug

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I feel that yes neck shots are risky, but if thats all you get than thats all you get.
I have killed many deer and elk in the dark timber up close and personal with a neck shot and my wife killed her first two deer with neck shots using her 50 cal and a prb.
First, I aim right behind the ear if broadside which is the smallest part of the neck and most leathal, the jugglar and spine are closest there.
Two, I never shoot a neck shot farther than 30 yrds open sites maby 50 with a scope(havent shot game with a scope in ten years)
third, If you don't pratice,pratice,practice shooting than you have no buisness taking neck shots.
And last I never take a off hand neck shot only rested.
Wattsy is right about the white spot except I don't aim at it unless it's a straight on shot.
My wife's last deer was taken this way, the buck dropped jumped and fell again spined, spraying blood everywere from a punctured jugglar.
about a month before hunting season we switch from shooting steel and paper, to paper sillouets of deer and elk.
After we shoot broadside vital for a wile we shoot smaller harder spots on the animal (neck and head)
Aim small miss small.
my two cents.
:thumbsup:

 

[Britsmoothy]

My new to stalking at the time friend did! All the way up to Scotland I kept telling him not to shoot one in the head! Well he did shoot a doe in the head and we could not get on it, we tracked blood around and around in circles for hours, what we needed was a strong hound! He was real close and said he thought he could not miss and promptly forgot how I had explained how quick they can move their heads :shake: When I did get a glimps it's lower jaw was smashed :shake:
I did it once but never have again, it's dead hit in the boiler even if it does go a running.
It's a small price throughing some shot up meat to the dog :thumbsup:

Britsmoothy.

 

[rebel727]

I've never taken a neck shot. Don't intend to. I'm not an organ eater so it's no loss to me to make a heart/lung shot.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Personally, I wouldn't take a neck shot with a round ball (or an arrow). No hydrostatic shock as with a fast-moving modern bullet. You have to poke through something vital; and other than the spine and the jugular veins and cartoid arteries on either side of that there's nothing there that assures a quick kill. Hit them in the esophagus and it could be a slow death that takes days.

 

[shootemup]

Thanks guys - I like the sure thing shot myself (lungs) but have been getting real close lately (20 yards or less) and shoot 1"-2" groups out to 50 yards. Just seems like a good neck shot would anchor the deer with minimal meat damage. Has anyone actually lost a deer with a neck shot?

I suppose if you're really confident in your ability to make that shot, and you have practiced as much as you seem to have practiced, it's an ethical shot. Obviously you're talking about getting close and I certainly respect that.

For me personally it wouldn't be a good risk. The odds of wounding the deer would be too great, and that ain't fair to the critter. But it does sound like you have done your homework.

I like Mountainman56's idea of carrying a pistol as a backup in case the deer is wounded in this situation - please do let us know how it works out if you try it.

:hatsoff:
Spot