shot placement questions
 

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

RE: shot placement questions
 

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.

RE: shot placement questions
 

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.......

RE: shot placement questions
 

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.

RE: shot placement questions
 

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.

RE: shot placement questions
 

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:D

RE: shot placement questions
 

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.

RE: shot placement questions
 

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.

RE: shot placement questions
 

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

RE: shot placement questions
 

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"!!)

RE: shot placement questions
 

This may not be very popular, but if I'm hunting for meat, I take a head shot when I can be certain of the shot. If I'm going for trophy, it's a whole different story and I go with one of the shots above depending on which one presents itself.

RE: shot placement questions
 

Very good question. I was curious about this myself. This following is "my" opinon. I'm mainly an archery hunter, however, I black powder and rifle hunt as well. I have taken two deer over the last 5 year's both with a bow with neck shot's. A very nice 8 point: the shot that was presented was a neck shot at about 20 yards. (Keep in my, I shoot my bow far more than the average archery hunter.) Figured I could break the neck and have a quick humane kill. After the shot the buck did not drop, in fact, tore out of there to stop about 50 yards away,stand there for a couple of minutes then walk away. After climbing down and out of my stand. I discovered the absolute biggest blood trail I had ever seen with a bow hit. Make a long story short, thebuck was just yard's from the last place I seen him. There was a 3" or so portion of the neck, wind pipe, etc., gone. Was that a good shot? NO !!! Pure luck of a hit. I'm very lucky to have killed the buck. Believe me, to hard of a shot with a bow. (I have a pic of the mount, you can see the shot from the hide, if anyone can tell me how to reduce the photo I can send it.) Secondly, on a hunting trip in southern Ohio a couple of year's ago. The land owner defianetly wanted us to take some does to help reduce the doe to buck ratio. Lo and behold my second neck shot was presented. I took it. Dropped the doe, was not an immediate kill. She kicked around for several minute's. By the time I got down and to her, she had died. However, after taking the hide off and processing the doe, it became apparent why again not to shoot a deer in the neck with a bow. Both front shoulder's, the neck, and even the backstraps were completely blood shot. Why, how??? To this day I don't know. What I do know, is that the doe was an absolute mess. Considering my experience's, I don't recommend taking a deer with a neck shot with a bow. I'm lucky with the first story, second was just very unpleasant. Gun hunting total different situation from the post's listed here. I would agree with about all I have read.

RE: shot placement questions
 

I got lucky two years ago and killed a 145 class 14 point buck with a spine shot. The reason I got lucky is between aiming for its shoulder,buck fever, and my stand moving a little in a sudden gust of wind I should have missed completely. I couldn't imagine shooting for the spine or neck or a deer and a head shot is only an option at close range with a non-trophy deer. Everytime I aim at a deer its boiler room or high shoulder.

RE: shot placement questions
 

the only deer i've killed was with a neck shot and i know people who exclusively use the neck shot. it all depends on your capabilities and how well you feel about it. it would take neck shots on close nonmoving animals. if i weren't going to take a neck shot i would probably take the high shoulder shot to put them down. with the neck shot the deer i shot dropped and so has everyother one that my friend has. it can work and work very very well. but like many people have said it can be a risky shot. if you aren't comfortable with the a neck or shoulder shot by all means go with the vital shot.

RE: shot placement questions
 

I shot an 9-point two years ago with an accidental neck shot he was about 30 yards out and at a trot after a doe, well he stopped a split second before i pulled the trigger and i was leading him, BOOM down he goes, stopped him in his tracks but that was with a 12 gauge, it was nice not having to track him but i would never intentionally take that shot. 99% of the time i wont shoot at a moving target but he wouldnt stop for my grunts and whistles.

RE: shot placement questions
 

well behind the shoulder is a great shot to have, but isn't always avaliable. for example, my buck i shot this year never offered a broadside shot or qartering away shot behind the shoulder. instead i had to take an ify shot while he was facing me just a little bitand try to hit the liver. it worked out good and killed him fast and with little suffering.neck shots i have heard both sides on it. sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. never tried it and don't really wanttoo. it all depends on what is avaliable at the time.

RE: shot placement questions
 

I was watching the Gander Mtn show on OLN last week, and they had some pro hunter in Canada after some big bucks, bow hunting.

I was watching as my usual self, and it got to the point of the show where a very nice buck came in and the impact was going to happen.

He pulled back and let her rip....I almost jump right out of the chair...the wife even asked what was wrong...He nailed the buck about 15-20 yards out right into the spine further aft of the vital area. The thing dropped like a rock, I mean like a boulder, and piled up dead.

It was very cold out there, he was bundled up big time, so I don't know if it was on accident on part of shaking from the cold, or if it was dead-on on purpose. The buck was in the clear fully broadside. The show never addressed the issue, and I wish they would have. That's the first time I've ever reacted to a hunting show on TV, beyond the "oh, nice buck" comments.

I have no problem with other shot possibilities, if the shooter is confident enough to take that shot and make it count.

RE: shot placement questions
 

Of course you need an almost perfect broadside shot to break both shoulders.If you only break one shoulder,the deer will rarely drop in it's tracks.

RE: shot placement questions
 

When I was hunting in Maryland ,I had a deer run very fast by me sideways. I thought fast and put the open sights right in the middle of the deer on his back bone area. I hit the back bone{Spine} and the deer went down immediately.

RE: shot placement questions
 

I used a neck shot once at close range on a big whitetail. It hit part of the spine and knocked him down but I had to finish him off. It was VERY close to a perfect shot and VERY close to a perfect miss. Too risky for me.

RE: shot placement questions
 

Very similar to my first whitetail: walking around in the late morning after sitting in a stand in a wet snowfall all morning. Just stretching my legs and walking over to talk to a friend. Too impatient. Up jumps a nice buck and pauses for a second with a perfect broadside shot. Brought gun up, acquired "boiler room" in scope, shot. Deer went down like pole-axed: perfect spine shot in neck! Bad shot on my part, really lucked out.

But.....

That's why we aim for the boiler room as close to the shoulder as possible. There is alot of room for error: a little too high you still hit the lungs and maybe the spine over the back. Too low, you either hit the lungs or miss. A little to far back, you will hit the liver (or if it's a bad shot, a gut shot, which NOBODY wants!) too far forward, you have a lot of good "misses" - fatal and cripling shoulder shot and maybe the neck shot.

My lessons learned: I haven't taken an off hand shot since even though I practice with it a lot since then. Always aim for the middle of the boiler room (every shot since then has been a clean double-lunger).