jeepkid

I've shot a deer in the neck during my Wyoming hunt back in high school. It was a nice 5x5 that was laying down and had his head stuck above the brush. So I dropped to the prone positionwith my bipod.I don't like head shots so I droped the cross hairs about 6 inches below his jaw and sqeezed off. He dropped right there about a hundred yard shot. When I walked down to him he was still kicking and trying to get up, I had to put another round in his neck. No more neck shots for me, unless I have too. I was shooting a .270 with a X-bullet, can't remember the grains.

JagMagMan

EVEN if I took head/neck shots myself, I'd NEVER recomend it to others! Especially not knowing their shooting abilities!
One advantage I'll grant you with head shots vs. neck shots, is that with a hit you are more likely to leave a blood trail, and a chance of bone shattering into the brain killing the animal! STILL, I recomend NEITHER shot!
When you compare the kill zone of a lung shot to a head/neck kill zone, well, there just is no comparison! To borrow Mr. Spock's phrase, "its just illogical!!!!"

Todd1700

I can shoot a rifle very, very, well but I never aim for the neck or head on deer. There's just no reason for it. The heart lung shot is a sure thing with a lot larger margin for error. Put a hole throughthe heart/lung area andthey're not going far. Probably less than 40 yards. If you can't track a deer 40 yards or are too sorry to walk 40 yards to retrieve a deer then you should probably quit hunting and take up something simple, less challenging andless strenuouslike checkers. Nobody I know eats deer ribs so the meat damage excuse is a bust. I don't care how good anyone can shoot, deer are prone to and often do move their head and neck rather suddenly and without warning. They do so far more so than a hog which has a much shorter neck and is actually built much different than a deer. Those who doubt that deer are often maimed by head and neck shots gone awry are kidding themselves. It happens more than people will admit. A buddy of mine killed a doe several years ago that had a large maggot and puss filled hole through her jaw. She was also blind in one eye from either a fragment of the bullet or her own jawbone. Not a pretty sight. AndI could describe a few more such encounters. You only hear about the head and neck shotsthat go great. No one runs down to the local diner to brag about the doe whose nose he shot off but didn't find. Nor do you encounter many people online willing to admit it either.

JeffS

That is exactly what I have been trying to say. We sight in the guns for the police department where we hunt and we shoot alot, but we still don't try to shoot deer in the head. There is no reason for it and there is no way anyone can tell me they never missed a shot on a deer that they tried to shoot, or didn't hitit exactly where they were trying to.

bdog2003

I have taken one neck shot. It was on a smaller 8 pt at about 30 yards with my shotgun. Hit him right below the white patch and he dropped like a rock ! Typically I always shoot for vitals, larger target and more room for error. But he was really close and had not presented any other shot but striaght on. Once he noticed me on the ground I let him have it.

Rebel Hog

Yep! Right thru orbehind the Ear!

zrexpilot

I dissagree, you dot need to send fragmets into the brain for it to be fatal. Theres a good deal of arteries all around the base of the head, neck and jaw. Bullets hit with authority, its not just breaking the jaw, its doing a whole lot more damage than just a broken jaw bone. The impact alone can cause internal brain hemoraging, just like hitting your head on concrete, they get knocked out, never to return brain function,pulmonary function ceases,they die.
Please dont think I am advocating shooting them there. CAUSE I am not.
But a large caliber anywhere in the head region and its lghts out.

skeeter 7MM

As doI disagree with your statement. We've done this in the past and have no desire to go through the motions this time around. So lets just agree to disagree on shot placement...yet again.

SHoNUFF

I useually go for 7-8" below the head following the neck. Thats usually my ideal shot. I have no qwarms about takeing the heart/lung shot but for the most part its neck shots. Im not disagreeeing that some hunters should not even be allowed in the woods alone with a loaded gun (ie. my ex-stepdad). But there are some (i like to think myself) that are not going to take a shot they are confident they can make.

skeeter 7MM

WTF are you talking about??? 7-8" below the head following the neck...um wouldn't that be the neck???? I assume you aim DoC of the neck whether it be straight onor semi alert/full alert broad sides. So youraim pointis the CNS which on the average sized deer is 2", lets say the shot is 75 yards but your sighted in for 200 yards zero. Where do you aim at that deer to ensure your in the area of the CNS?? I aim at the same spot in that situation and every one out to 300 yards - I have 8" min to play withso being I am nota real rifleman like yourself I will have to settle for such foolery! GIVE MEA BREAK...you've demonstrated quite well your experience levels and I think you take the neck shots for the instant gradification it gives nothing else...sorry just my read.