RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

well i have taken 2 deer this year and both were neck shots and both fliped rightover on there side.One was a doe at 70 yds and she was coming straight at me on an old log road and i knew she was not going to turn broadside so i decided to take her or she was going to end up right in my lap(i was on the ground no blind).and i didnt want to shoot her in the chest because i did not want to bust her guts open(would of made for nasty field dress).And the 2 deer i took was a 10 pt.It was almost dark when he came out and i had my estrust scent out infront of me and he was coming right towards it which again all i had was a neck shot.I shot him at the base of his neck on top because i was sitting on a hill side above him and he was below me.And he went down with out ever again kicking.But all in all i guess i would rather have a broadside shot than taking a neck shot,not because im afriad im gonna miss but because i have heard of people shooting deer in the neck and them getting right back up and running off.Havent you guys ever heard of the phrase (aim small miss small).

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

I don't really have anything against neck shots depending on the hunter. I have taken several neck shots before and hard instant kills however all of these shots were 60 yards and less. I am 100% confident i can put that bullet in a chew can at 60 yards every time and have done so. I avoid it at longer ranges for fear of wounding or missing as others mentioned previously.
As for the shoulder shot i personally try to avoid it. I just find that behind the shoulder there is a little hollowed out spot with very little meat on it so why not waste that instead.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

I agree the Neck is kinda a last resort shot.When I hunted state land some yrs ago I always went for shoulder.It would put em down like a rock.
It does tend to waste alot of meat but when you don't want your deer runnning to another guys stand - and then - Powww - the shoulder shot is the way to go.

Hunting private farm now and usually go for the Boiler Room.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

i agree w/ farmcntry!!

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

I have taken a few deer with neck shots. But they were <50 yds. Most deer I've taken with a rifle and how I've instructed my son and hopefully soon my grandson is to picture a basketball with the center just behind the shoulders and aim for the center of it. This works every time provided you are using enough gun to punch through the brisket or shoulder if needed. For anything from a .243 on down I suggest only broadside or qtr. away shots. Same for archery tackle.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

I got REAL lucky ona neck shot, because I wasn't aiming there. lol First buck fever and shaking so bad, suprised I hit it at all. First shot missed, broadside at about 150yds (aiming right behind the shoulder), second shot another broadside (again, aiming right behind the shoulder) and hit it in the neck and it went right down. I sat there for 3 minutes with the scope on him making sure he didn't get up and he didn't, only moved for about 30 sec. and it was over.

While it can be an effective shot when placed right (or the deer gods guide you bullet, like they did mine), probably not one I would take on purpose unless it was a total last resort for a MONSTER buck.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

Depends on what I'm shooting,how the deer is positioned, and what part of the deer iI can see.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

I just experienced my first neck shot yesterday. I was muzzleloading and saw a doe behind me. When there was a clear shot I aimed for the heart lung area. At the shot she dropped immediately. She laid for a minute and then got up and went 10 yards. I thought she was down right there. I didn't know I had hit the neck and thought I had a better hit. I went down and trailed after 20 minutes. She wasn't where I saw her go down so I started walking in the direction she was moving. I knew she'd be up there and there she was 20 or 30 yards away, still kicking a bit. She had dropped gallons of blood. I got lucky and hit her in the jugular. At least I believe that was where I got her, because she dropped so much blood. In that instance I got lucky and gota good hit in. However, I will never aim for the neck because you have to hit the main arteries or the windpipe in order to kill it. In many cases deer are just hit in the meat/muscle and survive those shots. Why would you aim for the inch diameter windpipe when you could shoot the nine inch lungs?

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

Yeap he is right! This is by far the most logical and ehtical shot. I shot one this year about 1 inch below its left eye on purpose. Had to do over again the biggest buck of my life may still be waling around in the woods. I WAS WRONG for taking a head shot.

RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
 

my dad shot one in the head about two years ago and it ran forever, blood was pourin out of his head so it wasn't hard to track but it took a long time to die. as for me i like either neck shots or just behind the front shoulder, never in the shoulder it wastes the front shoulder. i've never had a problem with neck shots and nobody i know has, in fact those shot in the neck tend to drop right away instead of 20 yrds away after their lungs fill with blood