Shot placement on deer

[hoochiepapa]

If you read my post again, you will see that I was talking cf's. I have only taken up ml hunting in the last 10-15 years. Never shot one in the neck with an ml. Haven't felt comfy with the shot.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

If you read my post again, you will see that I was talking cf's. I have only taken up ml hunting in the last 10-15 years. Never shot one in the neck with an ml. Haven't felt comfy with the shot.

All is good Mike.

PT's are always good to work things out.

Good luck with the grouse.

 

[roundball]

I wouldn't call a ML neck irresponsible, but I do believe in general they're high risk.
If you're close enough under excellent conditions the occasional neck shot can be made with precision.

This 8 pointer had walked in and stopped right in front of me at only 20yds, standing still looking away from me, tree blocking his heart, and the light was about gone.

I was seated against a tree which is about as solid as a bench rest position.....and I shoot empty .12ga hulls at 25yds at the range for fun so I knew the gun...knew I could hit that vertebrae which was visibly prounced due to his head being turned the other way bending his neck, and I dropped him in his tracks, dead when he hit the ground.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

"I do believe in general they're high risk."


Glad to see you agree. :wink:

 

I have several problems with this subject. First if you can make a neck shot why not a good killing lung shot? Second please at least look at an anotomically correct drawing of a deer, elk etc. The heart is not the easy shot that seems to be touted here. The easiest,largest and deadliest shot is the lungs.With a hole punched thru both lungs you have what is called a pnumothorax and the animal is dead in seconds. If you get unlucky and shoot it in the heart your liable to be in for a long long follow up. Please understand your anatomy before you wound or don't recover a fine animal. FRANK

 

[Jayhem]

I agree with Frank.

The heart is only 5 inches long, 3 inches around and is situated very low in the chest...2 inches too low on a heart shot and you have a wounded deer.

The lungs take up most of the rib cage, a target 10" x 12" and hard to miss.

 

[hoochiepapa]

If you take a good look at this diagram, the neck bones are about the same size as the heart. I'm not condoning that a first time hunter shoot for the neck. What I am trying to get across is that it is a viable shot under the right conditions. I did it many times with a cf, and a cf bullet has a high shock value. Most likely will break the neck if even close to the spine. A ml bullet has a lot of shock value, too. But not near as much as a cf. I shot a spike bull at about 60-70 yards facing me with my .280 in the neck and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. I missed the spine, but he didn't know it.

 

[Jayhem]

I agree with a scoped centerfire the neck shot is ideal if the range is right and the shooter knows his/her limits. I have shot 4 or 5 deer with neck shots, all under 75 yards with a scoped CF rifle. Every one of them dropped in its tracks.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

I should have been more specific, but I assumed everybody knew what I meant.

The lungs and heart overlap. I don't shoot low for the heart alone. I aim higher an try to hit both. A little off and you still have good odds of hitting one of them. Both is always best.



I'll have to be honest and say i've taken neck shots in the past. It was always with a scoped CF gun though. I could shoot the eye out of a gnat with that gun. I wouldn't try it with a ML, but that's me.

 

[410-er]

I'm a lung fan.Like to eat the heart.Neck shots wastes too much good scrapple meat.Keep it low so blood can run out sooner instead of having to fill the chest cavity.
I have 2 deer that I head shot.The reason I took the shot was I had been doing alot of squirrel hunting and figured if I coud hit a squirrel in the head at that range,I could do a deer.

 

[roundball]

"I do believe in general they're high risk."

Glad to see you agree. :wink:

Funny the different things people "see".

I also indicated I did not think that taking a neck shot was "irresponsible" as you had said it was.

 

[tg]

I think the lungs are the best overall target, one might get a piece of the heart as well, I have taken a few close head shots when I had good eyes and a rifle I knew very well, where ever you feel is the best spot getting as close as possible is the key to reducing error,even if it means letting some Deer walk, think archery and few Deer will be lost. PRB would be the only choice of projectile I would consider, if conditions for whatever reason made this an unsuitable projectile I would pass the shot or go back to centerfire hunting, anyplace that has archery hunts will produce opportunities for the PRB and some serious traditional hunting.

 

[hoochiepapa]

....just in case there are doubters.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

"I do believe in general they're high risk."

Glad to see you agree. :wink:

Funny the different things people "see".

I also indicated I did not think that taking a neck shot was "irresponsible" as you had said it was.

That doesn't make either of us right. Just our opinions.

However, I don't have to say a heart/lung shot is high risk.

 

[flyfisher76544]

Lungs and heart only for me. "You take the wind from their sails and you have stopped their momentum" Easier place to hit.