doesnt hurt to practice them. I have used a neck shot twice in the last 4 years. Deer just refused to go broadside and it was getting dark. They are very easy if the Deer is facing you and has their head down feeding.

I have taken two deer with other than a boiler room shot out of about 40. Both times it was a if it doesn't happen now it isn't going to happen situation and I had a good solid rest both times and I knew where my gun would shoot. One in the neck with my 45-70, which completeyl severed the carotid and windpipe, looked like somone opened a firehose filled with blood and the other was a doe laying down, chewing its cud I saw because of an ear flicker, last day of the season and late in the day. I had a good rest she was cacing away from me and all I could see ws about 6 inches of neck and her head. I put the crosshairs on the back of her head just above the neck, between the ears and when the .308 went off her head went right down. She still had her legs folded under her when I walked up on her. This is not a common thing for me to do but if the conditions are right, I am confident I can do it and not flub it up.

Over the years I shot 3 deer in the neck as this was the only clear area available at the time. Shot with 12g sabot slugs at a range of 20, 95 & 105 yards, all 3 never took a step and dropped dead in their tracks.
If I have a chest shot instead I take it, the neck if it is the only option.

I prefer to not neck shoot. Too many things can go wrong. Behind the shoulder works for me.

I will take a lung shot over any if at all possible, unless its a long distance shot, then I hold center shoulder. I do this mainly so the deer bleeds out, you shoot one in the heart/lungs they do not immediately die, they bleed out inside, head/neck shots kills instantly but then its a bloody mess to clean up.
shot one in the head this summer on damage permits, I had 2 big mature does that I wanted to take and they saw my buddy who was with me, one would not turn broadside so I took them both out but one was shot in the nose looking straight on, cleaning them up there was a notable difference in how much blood was still in the meat.
I can hit them wherever I want if they offer a shot, I once shot one in the head at 611 yards, because she was wounded and I did not want her to suffer. but the absolute best shot is the double lung shot without a doubt.
RR

Boiler room for me 95% of the time, and that is my preferred shot.

Trailed a nice buck that a buddy shot in the neck with a .30-06 long time ago, never found it. He dropped it like a brick, and as he was climbing down it got up and ran off. Laid there a good 5 minutes before getting up. Decent blood, just ran out after about 1/2 mile.

If you want the deer to drop quickly, the safest shot is high shoulder. (4-6" below the spine). Bullet hits the bone and really causes some damage. Even the big ones usually don't make it off the field.

That's exactly where a lot of these deer that drop at the shot on TV shows are being shot.

the high shoulder shot hits the spine, that's the main reason they are DRT, center shoulder works well if the bullet is not still screaming (extreme velocity)
RR

Can't go anywhere without wheels............... short blood trail ?!?!