Here's my opinion for what it's worth. Of every deer I've ever killed only two were shot any place besides the neck. I shot a nice buck a couple years ago and aimed at the shoulder because with a doe and wouldn't stand perfectly still, plus I was using my dad's .270 and I wasn't as comfortable with it. The other deer was my first bow kill, which happened to be this year. Of every single other deer I've killed in my 16 yrs of hunting has been a neck shot, only one of those deer was under 100yrds. I also killed all but a couple of those deer with a .22-250.

If you don't believe me, that is your choice but I have many family and friends who will back me up. Am I some super dead eye? No, not at all, I am just able to contain my adrenline when shooting at a deer and thus remain very steady and confident. My last deer with a gun (due to my taking up bow hunting) was back in 1998. It was a nice 10pt at 220yrds. I have the whole thing on video to prove it to anyone who doesn't believe it. I watched the buck for several minutes as he walked around in the field in front of me. He had just ran a doe off and he was sniffing all around where she'd been standing, since it was the peak of the rut. I remained very calm and waited for him to stand perfectly broadside and perfectly still. Had he not, I wouldn't have shot him. Anyway, I did get the shot and like every other deer before, he fell over like a ton of bricks. The video footage is totally amazing!!

All of that being said, I do not reccomend neck shots to everyone nor do I try to convince people to take them if they aren't comfortable with them. However, shooting a .22-250 I don't feel as comfortable taking shoulder shots on a big deer since it is a smaller caliber. I know it will kill deer because my wife has done it as well as one of my best friends. As for where I aim; I follow the neck up about half way to the head from where the neck leaves the shoulder, aim dead center of the neck, wait for the deer to be perfect broadside and perfectly still. Works like a champ. The way I figure it, I have almost no error room but I also have almost no wounding error room. A shoulder shot too far forward, too far back, too far high, or too far low can result in a wounded deer that you might not find. Not saying it is a bad shot at all, because shoulder shots are the best if you are looking for the biggest target.

Just my 2 cents, take it or leave it.

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Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.