PSEsilverhawk55

I got my new issue of deer and deer hunting and it had an article in it about shot placement. I have never heard shooting anywhere else on a deer and killing it except behind the shoulder. The 2 shot i am inquiring about is the neck shot and a shot below the spine,,i have never seen or heard of these shot being takin until i got the magazine,,then i was watching realtree road trip were they were in wyoming and he made a neck shot and drop the deer..has anyone tryed these shotor use them exclusively,,and what are/were your results or should they only be used in conditions where a shot behind the shoulder would not be possible,,after seeing and hearing about the success in the mag i thought i would try these in hopes of getting the quickess most human kill,,please help

stubblejumper

Neck shots can be quick killers or stunners or bad wounds.I have seen three deer drop at the shot after being hit in the neck only to jump up and run away.Two had to be shot a second time and the last was found after a long tracking job.Anyhit near the spine will usually stun a deer but they are not always lethal,and since the spineand neck are such small targets I usuallyavoid them altogether and prefertake much higher percentage lung shots.

mauser06

the 2 shots you are talking about are actually a neck shot....in the center of the neck...with drops the deer in its tracks.....and the point of the shoulder.....where the neck and shoulder come together..put a bullet through that bone does ALOT of damage.....disables the deers front legsby "breaking him down" or busting both shoulders...and if you dont hit the spine(alot of times you can) the bullet shock will get to the spine....and drop it in its tracks.......both shots sound fine and dandy....but that is a small target....maybe...2-4 inches tops??? you gota be a good shot...know your gun..know your capabilaties...and know that that is where your going to hit.....but i dont know that you can actually wound with either shot...either hit or miss from my thinking...i may be wrong...but a high shoulder shot you hit the spine or miss.....low your essentially in the boiler room.....left your in the neck or miss depending on neck angle...and right your still probably going to spine or boiler room the deer..(deer facing to the left broadside)....but i think there is a small area...above the lungs and below the spine...that if hit to the right may wound the deer....and leave little trail to follow....but then again it may die and that could be a myth from my thinking....but still no or little blood to follow...a hole in its diaphram should kill it right??? maybe not imnot sure......and a neckshot...you can pretty much hit anywhere in the neck region and still drop it by shock from the bullet....but i dont want to have a parlyzed deer on the ground flopping and bawling.....and you can just graze it and rip its windpipe open...and have a lost wounded deer.....but alot of guys swear by these shots...and if you have the right circumstances and can make them they can be deadly shots....then again so can headshots....but they arent for everone.......and not all the time.......

TomFromTheShade

If you are close enough to the deer to make a certain hit then I don't see any problems with the neck shot. I have seen tons of deer dropped with the neck shot, and if I have to finish a deer off when I get up on him the neck shot is what I use.

rybohunter

How new are you to hunting? how well can you shoot, how well can you hold your nerves when faced with a deer or big buck? If you can calmly, accurately make the shot, with a large enough caliber(magnums not needed) then go for it. Be truthful with yourself, or otherwise stick with chest shots.
Also NEVER attempt any thing other than a chest shot with a bow. NO neck, front on,or shoulder shots with a bow.

Cloudwalker

This is my all time favorite shot placement. I have NEVER had deer run more than 10 -15 yards if this shot is properly placed. I line up the verticle reticle with the deer's front leg and then line up the horizontal reticle right at the mid point of the deers shoulder. If I'm taking a 300+ yard shot I simply aim high on the shoulder, same result. This shot is only taken under ideal conditions for me personally, the deer must be perfectly broadside. In any other situation,I aim center mass.

I personally don't like a spine shot for 2 reasons: 1 - it's a small target, if you aim too high then you miss, 2- I love backstraps too much

uncle matt

Tom From The Shade: If I'm close enough to pick the placement of a shot with a gun, you can bet it's going to be the boiler room - everytime.

DevoMR

I've taken the neck shot a couple of times before - each time I droppedthe deer right whereit was standing.

I've also taken a spine shot before - although I have to admit it wasn't on purpose... This was my first deer and to this day the largest deer I have killed. It also dropped in his tracks - as a matter of fact, he flipped right overon his back with his front legs tangled up in his antlers.

But if I have a clear shot at the heart and lungs, that is the shot I'm taking. It simply a bigger target.

BuckBox Displays

If you're aiming at a big one, take him out at the shoulder, drop him in his tracks!

skeeter 7MM

The 2nd shotthey refer to isthe high shoulder shot, if excuted a show stopper with a CF no doubt. See the attached skeleton pic...FYIsome don't realize the size nor location of the actual shoulder blade or bone.

I don't consider neck shots a good choice to much can go wrong, as this is the part of deer that moves the most, quickest and often without warning. No doubt if excuted they will drop em where they stand but a slight miss can be a real nighmare. I have been part of a few botched head and neck shot track jobswhich was enough for me to cancel this shot from my target list. Prior I had successfully harvested a few deer with a neck shot but now won't chance it.

I consider a shot with the vitals in it's path the one to flick the safety, just more room for human error. (this excludes the "Texas Heart Shot"!!)