Shot placement on deer

[loki04]

Gentlemen,

I have been wondering about shot placement on deer, and specifically, which is best in terms of killing the deer cleanly. (I do not mind tracking a deer, but there is a little voice in my head saying I owe the deer a swift and relatively painless death.) I use Heart/lung shots, but I am curious as to whether or not neck shots are effective, and if so, where on the neck should I be aiming? I was taught heart/lung, but I wonder if there is a better/different way to get the job done. I am not worried about my ability to hit the aim point at range, but I would like to know where in particular is best to aim for shot types other than heart/lung.
Thanks for the help.

Loki

 

[Pete Gaimari]

A neck shot can knock them down, but they can also get back up. It's not really good odds. They can turn their head as you shoot.

A heart shot is the best safest shot. It leaves a good blood trail too.

 

[Bill Hall]

but I am curious as to whether or not neck shots are effective, and if so, where on the neck should I be aiming? Loki

Exactly, you don't know for sure where that spine is located up and down the neck. Just like Capper said, you can knock them down with neck shots, but sometimes they get back up (Happened to me once with a high powered rifle ).

Head shots can also be iffy. I've taken head shots where it didn't kill them right away, just made them walk around backwards or sideways.

I try to stick with the lung/heart area. It's a big target, and once they're hit solidly there, it's just a matter of time, usually just seconds. Bill

 

[Trench]

Look at it this way. You can shoot the hose (neck arteries) or you can shoot the pump. Go for the pump. :thumbsup:

 

[hoochiepapa]

With cf's, my dad taught me, if it's at all a good shot, go for the neck. Saves packin'. But it has to be a guaranteed shot, and that was with a scope. With my ml, I would only take it if it was 20-30 yards. It's easier to miss with open sights.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

With cf's, my dad taught me, if it's at all a good shot, go for the neck. Saves packin'. But it has to be a guaranteed shot, and that was with a scope. With my ml, I would only take it if it was 20-30 yards. It's easier to miss with open sights.

When is any shot guaranteed?

Kill a deer. Don't wound it.

 

[rawhide]

I like heart lung shots. on a neck shot I havn't tried it. but I was told to aim at te jaw line. or for the ear chanle. should go down fast. so I was told for what it's werth.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Gentlemen,

I have been wondering about shot placement on deer, and specifically, which is best in terms of killing the deer cleanly. (I do not mind tracking a deer, but there is a little voice in my head saying I owe the deer a swift and relatively painless death.) I use Heart/lung shots, but I am curious as to whether or not neck shots are effective, and if so, where on the neck should I be aiming? I was taught heart/lung, but I wonder if there is a better/different way to get the job done. I am not worried about my ability to hit the aim point at range, but I would like to know where in particular is best to aim for shot types other than heart/lung.
Thanks for the help.

Loki

I have one question for you. Do you 100% of the time center punch the heart? I mean a perfect shot in the middle of the heart all the time?

If you can honestly say to yourself yes. Then consider a neck shot. Just consider it. It's still a risky shot that's harder than the heart shot.

If you want the swift humane shot. It's the heart shot. If you miss that neck shot it will be a slow death for the deer. Something you're trying to avoid. As everybody should.

Guys with modern CF guns and scopes miss neck shots.

 

[longcruise]

Draw an anatomically correct deer on cardboard with a clear outline of the deer but a subdued outling of the brain and spine. Keep it to correct scale. Set it up and shoot at it and see at what range you are 100% on the brain or spine.

A missed brain or spine shot can be a deadly wound for a deer but it may take days or weeks to die. A poorly placed shot on the chest cavity will usually result in the deer going down and being unable to get up if you give it an hour or two to stiffen to where it can't get up and take off again as you approach.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Through the years, I have shot elk and deer, the number I can't give you through the neck. But where I hunt, the majority of the shots are over 100 yards. I have killed 20 elk since 1974. And a percentage of them were in the dark timber where a good still hunter can get to within 50 yards. With a 4 power scope, that is a guaranteed neck shot. I'm not trying to boast, I'm just telling you the facts. We used to range shoot, pop prairie dogs at 300-400 yards with our hunting rifles. One of my un-favorite target shoots was to put a cardboard target inside a tire and someone would roll it down a hill. But my dad was adamant that I be a good shot, and I only wounded one elk in a meadow at about 150 yards. With a cf, a neck shot is viable UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. If I do my part, it's guaranteed.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Low in the lungs. Sometimes I miss and hit the heart. ;-)

I treat my round ball like I do an arrow. Aim for the highest concentration of blood vessels. And with two perforated lungs and a hole to the outside in each that deer will collapse in a dozen seconds or so.

 

[loki04]

Gentlemen,

I am not hearing a lot to recommend neck shots, and it sounds like a heart/lung shot is the better option. While I have no worries about hitting my target, the fact that many have said that the neck shot must be placed just so, and that I would rather not give a lingering death to a deer mean that I will continue taking heart/lung shots. My thanks for your advice and expertise.

Loki

 

[Bill Hall]

Also, it's easy to access the heart/lung area when the animal isn't standing in a perfect broadside position. If his butt is angled toward you, you can sneak a shot behind his ribs and still hit the vitals. If his head is angled toward you, an off-centered shot to the chest will take out the lung on the opposite side. You can imagine the bullet's path to the vitals, and then pick an entrance spot on the animal to get to that area. Just try to miss the major bones. Bill

 

[Jayhem]

Neck shots are the cleanest, quickest kills but if you are off by even 1 inch it can spell the difference between an instant kill or a wounded deer bleeding from a neck flesh wound that will suffer for days or weeks before dying of infection!

It's always better to aim small, miss small...go for the center of the rib cage, just behind the shoulder. If you miss your point of aim by a 5 inch radius in any direction it's still a clean kill.
Even if the animal doesn't drop instantly from a heart/lung shot...they go into shock almost instantly and feel no pain.

I've killed 5 deer with muzzleloader, all shot in the lungs and 100 yards is as far as any of them have traveled after the hit and there was always a blood trail. Loosing a wounded animal is the worst feeling and not fair to the animal. This is why I do not archery hunt.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Through the years, I have shot elk and deer, the number I can't give you through the neck. But where I hunt, the majority of the shots are over 100 yards. I have killed 20 elk since 1974. And a percentage of them were in the dark timber where a good still hunter can get to within 50 yards. With a 4 power scope, that is a guaranteed neck shot. I'm not trying to boast, I'm just telling you the facts. We used to range shoot, pop prairie dogs at 300-400 yards with our hunting rifles. One of my un-favorite target shoots was to put a cardboard target inside a tire and someone would roll it down a hill. But my dad was adamant that I be a good shot, and I only wounded one elk in a meadow at about 150 yards. With a cf, a neck shot is viable UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. If I do my part, it's guaranteed.

All your kills over the years were with a ML with open sights? Never had to shoot one in the wind?

I think it's irresponsible to take neck shots with a ML. I doubt the old timers ever did. They were shooting for meat for their family, and didn't want to miss.

It would break my heart to wound a deer and not find it. I shoot for meat, and not to show what a great shot I am. Although I am one hell of a shot.

My .02

 

[longcruise]

I think it's irresponsible to take neck shots with a ML.

I would say that it would depend entirely on the situation and the conditions. Every hunter has there own capabilities and limitations.

I'm a vital organ shooter by habit and will always take that shot. OTOH, if a head or neck were the only thing offered and it was within my shooting ability, then I'd take it. For me it would have to be very close. Probably 15 or 20 yards max.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

In 60 years of hunting i've never had a 15 yd shot at a deer.

I might just throw a bowie knife if I did.

 

[roundball]

First choice for me is always the heart.

 

[bobman]

I've killed well over a 100 deer with my long bow in the last 40 plus years and most of them were within 15 yards and all but one within 25.

The poster that made the comment about not bow hunting because you lose deer so far I lost one because a landowner wouldn't let me on his land to find it.

My point is if you limit the range for the weapon used and shoot for the heart lung area so you have some room for error its not a problem.

It does make me sick to read stuff on some forums about people that take 40 yard shots with bows and then lose the badly wounded deer. You can thank modern marketing of gadgets for that.

If possible let the deer pass you slightly then shoot thru the lung area inline with the far side foreleg thats going to put the arrow or ball in the right place every time.

 

[roundball]

Also, it's easy to access the heart/lung area when the animal isn't standing in a perfect broadside position.

Agree 100%...and that capability is further enhanced as you up the larger caliber scale