Neck Shot?

[Joe Archer]

An opinion on another forum stated that "neck shots with a rifle were not ethical...". I will hold my opinion, and ask for yours. <----<<<

[DuckMan]

I think if you view it as "Will a neck shot kill a deer humanely?" Absolutely. If you view it as "Is shooting for the neck a good placement for the shot?", I would say no.

The neck is a MUCH smaller target than the chest area and leaves too much room for error. Granted, if you miss....it's usually a clean miss, but the potential for mistakes is much higher. I have killed 2 deer with a neck shot....one with a bow (which was a mistake, but killed the deer quickly.) and one with a 30.06 (which was intentional). I felt bad about both shots even though both killed the deer quickly because it was a risky shot. I feel I owe more to the deer than taking a risky shot.

So I guess I would say that even if I felt I was an extremely good shot with my rifle, I would not shoot for the neck. Too much risk for me.

Just my opinion mind you.....

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DuckMan

[This message has been edited by DuckMan (edited 11-21-2000).]

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I don't know if I would call it "unethical", but I will say this--the neck, while it does carry some very important anatomy (carotid arteries, spine, jugular viens) is a VERY small and exacting target. I think I would be hesitant to take a neck shot with anything other than a scope sighted centerfire rifle that I had practiced with and knew well, and from a rest. With bow, open sighted rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, or handgun, I would say no, don't attempt it.

[Joe Archer]

This is meant for rifle hunting only. <----<<<

[Bob S]

I have taken three deer with neck shots. All three deer went right to the ground.

[deerless]

Go for the bigger target, my vote is with Duckman.

Deerless

[gman]

I go for the neck only if I have a clear shot. I have shot 4 this way with a 270 scoped with a 3x9, and you see them go down in the scope, no tracking necessary. shots were at yardages i was more than confident at. NO hail mary shots that's for sure.

[This message has been edited by gman (edited 11-22-2000).]

[hoytshooter]

I took one just today, with a neck shot. I generally would agree with the rest of the posts, that it is not advisable, but I stalked to within 15 yds of this one bedded down in a swamp, with a 3" remington copper solid sabot slug, and a bushnell trophy series scope, it was a slam dunk.

[bonasabuster]

gman-with what caliber?rifle or shotgun?hoytshooter-was this the first deer you have taken with a shotgun in this manner? everyone- how have other deer reacted? i never have had a chance at a neck shot but i would be more apt to take this shot with a shotgun.seems to me with the energy transfer from a slug that a neck shot would slam dunk a deer. with a rifle i would be fearful of the bullet not expanding and going clean through without much damage.but with my twelve ga and a sabot i wouldn't hesitate at 15 yds!

[This message has been edited by bonasabuster (edited 11-21-2000).]

[This message has been edited by bonasabuster (edited 11-21-2000).]

[nightstalker]

Gives new meaning to the phrase "GO FOR THE THROAT" :D

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In the wind he's still alive!! Fred Bear

[hoytshooter]

bonasabuster,

Yes, this is the first deer that I have taken in this manner. I was still hunting through some thickets and underbrush, very heavy cove, and I was already within 15 yds when I noticed the deer bedded there. His head was facing the other way, and his whole body was burroughed down in the snow. I did not hesitate to take that shot, and when I shot him he never even flinched, his head fell over, and he was finished.

I was with a budy, last year that took a neck shot with a slug at about the same distance that was standing behind a bush, and she went right down as well.

I think that the whole deal here is that you have to be confident that you can hit the center of the neck. That is a decision that only an individual can make, based on there ability. If you are confident in a center neck hit, then I think the shot is very effective with rifle or shotgun.

[DILLIGAF]

I know of two deer that were shot in the neck. Neither was recovered by the hunter(s) that shot them.

[Hunter333]

I would say that a neck shot is a good shot IF and only IF the hunter has the utmost confidance in his/her shooting ability. I would not hesitate to take a neck shot while there are some that I would discourage others from taking that shot.

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ONE shot, ONE kill..No excuses, no exceptions EVER!!

[bishs]

Yea the neck is a smaller target than the chest, but if it is within your range it is deadly. Earlier someone was concerned about the bullet from a rifle not expanding; When a deer is hit in the neck from a rifle, he is down in his tracks. The neck is full of muscle and the bullet hits with such impact that the vertebrates are broken.

[Joe Archer]

I agree with Bishs. Put a rifle shell anywhere in the neck muscle and the shock will break the neck. I might as well confess. This year, a buck is facing me at 60 yards. He puts his head down to the ground. With my crosshairs on the back of his neck in the mid-chest area, I squeeze off a shot from my 308. It breaks the neck enters the chest and splits the heart down the middle. Like someone said, I watched him fall through my scope. This was the first time I had taken such a shot, and only had one shell in my rifle at the time. <----<<<

[Lance]

Four of the last five deer I have shot were neck shot. I hunt a ridge in a cedar swamp, the ridge is about 30 yds wide. I shoot a 12 ga using slugs. Thurs the 16th was the first body shot I've taken in 4 yrs. The deer dropped right where he stood I watched him for about 20-25 minutes and saw no sign of movement. Walked out to get drag help and when we got back he was gone. Dragged himself 20yds then got up on all four feet/hooves and never stopped (we tracked him 4 hours or so through the cedar swamp then he swan across the river, I couldn't find a spot shallow enough to cross and the three inches of snow the area got that night made tracking him the next day impossible). I felt like I made a good shot,(it's obvious now that I didn't), just above and behind the shoulder. You could see from where he laid that the slug passed through, only thing I can think is the slug passed close to the spine and it shocked him into temporary paralysis. I'm going back to neck shots...I feel that if I pull another shot or a deer moves or bends down I'd rather miss completely than feel sick about not making a clean kill and recovery. The butcher we use has said that most of the deer he sees shot in the neck with a shotgun die of a broken neck/severed spinal cord from the force of impact. That sounds better than 4 hours of tracking a wounded deer and not recovering it and still feeling sick about it.

[DuckMan]

While I hate to admit I have something in common with Fred Trost, I shoot the front shoulder. They go down and usually stay down for the count.

[Cougar]

I had a buddy shoot a 160+ class, in the neck, on the 18th. We tracked the buck for several hundred yards, and he watched as that buck jumped up and took off running like it had no injury. He hasn't seen the buck since! I'm not a big fan of that kind of shot, and he isn't anymore either!!!

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*Jace*

[BowHunt10]

A well placed shot on several parts of the deer will drop them in there tracks. I have no problem with a neck shot at good ranges where KN will knock the snot out of em. I killed my bull elk this year (790lb field dressed) in the neck and he dropped. If you have not seen an elk that big, their neck is as big as a whitetail.....basically shot placement is the key.

[Jumpshootin']

I've killed quite a few deer with neck shots. The doe that I killed Sunday morning was with a neck shot at 12'. I use a Rem. 1187 12ga. with a slug barrel and 3" mag. Remington Slugger slugs. Every deer that I've hit in the neck has gone down and stayed right there. Now if a deer is moving, or 50 yards out, I won't take a neck shot. But if it's close I sure will.

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Take a Kid Hunting!

[ONURNEZ]

I have always been a shoulder shooter. I have a friend that swears by neck shots. It's a matter of preferance really. Neck shots are appealing due to the clean miss likelyhood of a bad shot, whereas shoulder shots offer a slightly bigger target. If I had a broadside shot, within range with either gun or bow, I'd still go for the shoulder. But I will say, I myself have never seen (or heard of first hand)a deer shot in the neck, not go down immediatly.