ahankster,
You're 100% correct about buckshot. Anyone who argues for buckshot, has not done any research. I would only use buckshot if slugs were not legal. Buckshot can do a lot of damage, and a lot of deer have been taken with it. But, it doesn't have the range, accuracy or power of the slug. Not to mention, that more often than not, many pellets from the buckshot do not hit the target, ultimately reducing the energy even further.
I prefer the vitals. If I want a deer to stop in its tracks there are ways to do that while still being confident that the vitals have been hit. Shoulder heart combo is a good example, or double lung/double shoulder hit is another.
But if elevated and at the right angle, going through the neck may be the best route in getting to the vitals.
But as for simply aiming for the neck, I can't say. My father showed me where to shoot and that is what I did. I don't aim for the neck, unless of course it is between me and the vitals!