neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
12-01-2006, 10:21 AM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: mississippi by way of Florida
Posts: 357
RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
Of all the things that I have seen that resulted in lost deer, two stand out.
First is buckshot. I know, I know, every person that has ever killed a deer with buckshot will tell me how wrong I am, but I have seen more lost deer w/ buckshot than anything else. It generally produces a poor blood trail and results in deer running off and not being found.
Second is neck shots. I have seen so many deer knocked down and "stunned" only to get up and run off while people are standing there watching that I refuse to take a neck shot unless it is the only option available. I may be wrong, but I think that many people shoot and knock down deer due to the stun effects on the spinal cord. After a few seconds, this effect wears off and despite what will probably be a mortal wound, the deer gets up and runs off. Just my opinion, but neck shots when taken need to be watched carefully and given a follow up shot quickly if needed.
Hank
First is buckshot. I know, I know, every person that has ever killed a deer with buckshot will tell me how wrong I am, but I have seen more lost deer w/ buckshot than anything else. It generally produces a poor blood trail and results in deer running off and not being found.
Second is neck shots. I have seen so many deer knocked down and "stunned" only to get up and run off while people are standing there watching that I refuse to take a neck shot unless it is the only option available. I may be wrong, but I think that many people shoot and knock down deer due to the stun effects on the spinal cord. After a few seconds, this effect wears off and despite what will probably be a mortal wound, the deer gets up and runs off. Just my opinion, but neck shots when taken need to be watched carefully and given a follow up shot quickly if needed.
Hank
12-01-2006, 10:32 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,394
RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
ahankster,
You're 100% correct about buckshot. Anyone who argues for buckshot, has not done any research. I would only use buckshot if slugs were not legal. Buckshot can do a lot of damage, and a lot of deer have been taken with it. But, it doesn't have the range, accuracy or power of the slug. Not to mention, that more often than not, many pellets from the buckshot do not hit the target, ultimately reducing the energy even further.
I prefer the vitals. If I want a deer to stop in its tracks there are ways to do that while still being confident that the vitals have been hit. Shoulder heart combo is a good example, or double lung/double shoulder hit is another.
But if elevated and at the right angle, going through the neck may be the best route in getting to the vitals.
But as for simply aiming for the neck, I can't say. My father showed me where to shoot and that is what I did. I don't aim for the neck, unless of course it is between me and the vitals!
You're 100% correct about buckshot. Anyone who argues for buckshot, has not done any research. I would only use buckshot if slugs were not legal. Buckshot can do a lot of damage, and a lot of deer have been taken with it. But, it doesn't have the range, accuracy or power of the slug. Not to mention, that more often than not, many pellets from the buckshot do not hit the target, ultimately reducing the energy even further.
I prefer the vitals. If I want a deer to stop in its tracks there are ways to do that while still being confident that the vitals have been hit. Shoulder heart combo is a good example, or double lung/double shoulder hit is another.
But if elevated and at the right angle, going through the neck may be the best route in getting to the vitals.
But as for simply aiming for the neck, I can't say. My father showed me where to shoot and that is what I did. I don't aim for the neck, unless of course it is between me and the vitals!
12-01-2006, 10:44 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 6,921
RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
Of the 2 shoulder shot. I agree with the others on neck shots. If excuted they are an instant anchoring shot, though if off by a margin they can lead to misery for both animal and hunter. Margin of error is much smallerplus the head/neck area move the most and without warning many times on animals. Been in on botched neck shots and it was enough for me to stop considering such shot placement.
On broadsidesI prefer 1/3 up just behind the leg where the heart and lungs meat. 1/4ing away I prefer top lungs out the opposite scapula. 1/4 towards I prefer middle of the leg. Heavy 1/4 towards/front onis a shot I don't take but if I did it would be 1/3-1/2 up in front of the leg but off side of the brisket. Facing awayI let them walk.
On broadsidesI prefer 1/3 up just behind the leg where the heart and lungs meat. 1/4ing away I prefer top lungs out the opposite scapula. 1/4 towards I prefer middle of the leg. Heavy 1/4 towards/front onis a shot I don't take but if I did it would be 1/3-1/2 up in front of the leg but off side of the brisket. Facing awayI let them walk.
12-01-2006, 10:54 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Lancaster pa
Posts: 3,015
RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
If the guy next to me this year wouldn't have aimed for the neck I probably wouldn't have taken my buck. Luckily he did and missed so I got a chance and dropped him with a shoulder shot. I just like the fact that I have a larger target area in the shoulders. Neck shots have to be placed perfectly and have a higher miss rate than shoulder shots. If someone wants to take a neck shot that's fine with me, to each his own, but I'll stick with my shoulder shots.
12-01-2006, 11:11 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location:
Posts: 1,785
RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
ORIGINAL: Killer_Primate
ahankster,
You're 100% correct about buckshot. Anyone who argues for buckshot, has not done any research. I would only use buckshot if slugs were not legal. Buckshot can do a lot of damage, and a lot of deer have been taken with it. But, it doesn't have the range, accuracy or power of the slug. Not to mention, that more often than not, many pellets from the buckshot do not hit the target, ultimately reducing the energy even further.
I prefer the vitals. If I want a deer to stop in its tracks there are ways to do that while still being confident that the vitals have been hit. Shoulder heart combo is a good example, or double lung/double shoulder hit is another.
But if elevated and at the right angle, going through the neck may be the best route in getting to the vitals.
But as for simply aiming for the neck, I can't say. My father showed me where to shoot and that is what I did. I don't aim for the neck, unless of course it is between me and the vitals!
ahankster,
You're 100% correct about buckshot. Anyone who argues for buckshot, has not done any research. I would only use buckshot if slugs were not legal. Buckshot can do a lot of damage, and a lot of deer have been taken with it. But, it doesn't have the range, accuracy or power of the slug. Not to mention, that more often than not, many pellets from the buckshot do not hit the target, ultimately reducing the energy even further.
I prefer the vitals. If I want a deer to stop in its tracks there are ways to do that while still being confident that the vitals have been hit. Shoulder heart combo is a good example, or double lung/double shoulder hit is another.
But if elevated and at the right angle, going through the neck may be the best route in getting to the vitals.
But as for simply aiming for the neck, I can't say. My father showed me where to shoot and that is what I did. I don't aim for the neck, unless of course it is between me and the vitals!
I would like to hear more about YOUR research on buckshot in a separate thread of course; there is no sense in hi jacking this one.
As far as neck vs shoulder, I have and can do both successfully, and I have never lost a deer with either. The neck is just an extremely low percentage shot that is really not a good idea due to the small target. I have reverted back to shoulder shots and have killed 5 so far this season. I do like neck shots for the lack of trailing, but of my 5 deer this year, none has run over 20 yards before collapsing.
12-01-2006, 11:16 AM
#7
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 58
RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
i shot many deer in the neck, and many in in the vitals. i never shoot the shoulders. i shoot just behind the front shoulder if the deer is broadside, shooting through the shoulders just wastes meat to me. i shoot in the neck if the deer isn't presenting a good broadside shot. i've shot both and both shots have dropped deer, as long as you hit right the deer will drop. i haven't had a deer run more than 30 yds in at least 7 or 8 years.since i gut shot one with the muzzleloader, but i did find and eventually kill the doe.
12-01-2006, 11:20 AM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location:
Posts: 11,472
RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
Everytime this thread comes up for the life of me I can't understand why you would shoot at the neck. Last I checked it's not a vital organ. What is the problem with a lung/heart shot??
12-01-2006, 11:34 AM
#10
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: southern, Indiana
Posts: 88
RE: neck shot vs. shoulder shot???????
My opinion is I would rather take a shoulder shot but with that said all the deer I have killed (all 4 of them) were shot in the neck??? 1 on perpose and the other three not so but they all dropped in there tracks to never get up again. Found out that my shooting technique was bad causing me to jerk up and over a little causing the bullet to hit the neck. Now that I am older and learned though my mistakes I wouldn't take that shot. However I just shot a doe on Tusesday just behind the shoulder and we never found her, looked for two days but she just disappered? But if I was betting on the best choice I would take the shoulder shot over the neck due to better odds of killing and not wounding the deer.