haed shots on you tube!!!

[bauldy bob]

Hi there,I like most of you like watching vids on you tube of stalking etc,however I a seeing more vids of headshots than ever before!!!some at extreme ranges,while I am not against them I have made and will make more of these shots myself(always 50/60 yards with a settled beast)I think with the amount of new blood coming into our sport,whom may be a bit easily influenced and impressed the people whom post these vids are basically just irresponsible assholes!!!!

 

[Dan Gliballs]

It seems that long range head shooting with fancy setups seems to be somewhat fashionable these days.

Shame.

 

[bauldy bob]

All it takes is a twitch and your Target is off minus a jaw,dosn,t bear thinking about!!!!

 

[tia]

I never head shoot anything,I want it to be dead!!!!

 

[flyingfisherman]

It seems that long range head shooting with fancy setups seems to be somewhat fashionable these days.

Shame.

Theres plenty of shooting on youtube which is far from ethical! I agree.. Luckily John (YDS) has put some decent ones on there to watch.. I think that the UK stalkers seem very sensible, its usually our friends across the pond..

 

[Dan Gliballs]

I never head shoot anything,I want it to be dead!!!!

Eh?!

Any beast I have shot in the head seems to be dead before it hits the ground.

 

[stone]

Any beast I have shot in the head seems to be dead before it hits the ground.

+1 on above

 

[AlbaTaxidermy]

head shots should not be allowed as it doesnt do much for my buisness,

 

[jamross65]

Eh?!

Any beast I have shot in the head seems to be dead before it hits the ground.

+1

Instantly very dead!

 

[stone]

head shots should not be allowed as it doesnt do much for my buisness,

That made me chuckle, a sort of blow your brains out moment

 

[flyingfisherman]

Head shots that go right, yes.. sure, they do drop like a bag of spuds, but its not a pretty sight to see one staggering around like its drunk with no bottom jaw..

Regardless of your ability, you cant guarantee this wont happen..

 

[Hornet 6]

Regardless of your ability, you cant guarantee this wont happen..

You can't guarantee a heart/lung shot won't go wrong either.
Actually you can't guarantee any shot won't go wrong, we just do the best we can with the situation
we are presented with or we don't shoot.
I don't like head shots on Mr Fox either, but if that is all that is on offer, the range is ok and
rest steady I'll take it.
Strange really when head shots are the norm on rabbits, and if your selling them, that is the only shot that's ok.
They are all gods creatures and as such deserve equal respect.

Neil.

 

[User00003]

I see myself as a very proficient shot, and very capable at placing bullets within 1" out to 300m's, albeit, not 'every' shot would fall within 1"!!

However!!! I would NEVER take a headshot, unless it was out of pure necessity - ie, to administer the last rites on a mis-hit deer, or if the deer was going to shoot me first

Like some others say, there's just not enough margin for error, and even though a heart/lung shot can go wrong, there's a pretty much guaranteed 4" killing radius, whereas on a Roe, with a headshot, the margin is surely no more than 1" before things start to go horrifically wrong.

I feel the same way about neck shots, the vertebrae is just too small to guarantee you will make a proper shot that will put the beast down dead, quickly..this is similarly noted on the deer commissions guides as far as I recall.

So unless we've started shooting to save our lives - ie. to put enough food on the table to feed our starving families, or to protect ourselves from deer with opposable thumbs and access to weapons, I don't see why one can't wait for a shot that is 'close enough to be ethical', and in a broadside position to 'place a shot that is ethical' - in that I mean, margin for error is highest, and thus likelyhood of unnecessary suffering is lowest.

IMHO - incoming!

 

[Neill]

I can't see any justification for head shots on deer. Neck shots possibly if the stalker is a well above average shot, normally it shoud be heart/lung everytime.

 

[Dan Gliballs]

I can't see any justification for head shots on deer. Neck shots possibly if the stalker is a well above average shot, normally it shoud be heart/lung everytime.

if you are close enough for the neck you are close enough for the head.

ANY shot can go wrong!

 

[willie_gunn]

Oh dear, here we are on head shots again....

I don't advocate head shots, have never taken a head shot, and it's unlikely I ever will, but I accept that's an entirely personal choice.

If others feel their equipment, their experience and their judgement allows them to take head-shots, that's their choice too. With park deer I can see that, for welfare reasons alone, there is sometimes little choice but to take head shots.

I've generally found that there's no harsher critic when taking a shot than the person pulling the trigger, as you're the one who has to live with the outcome afterwards.

willie_gunn

 

[Neill]

if you are close enough for the neck you are close enough for the head.

ANY shot can go wrong!

Exactly, any shot can go wrong, so reduce the odds with a larger target and aim at the engine room.

 

[bambislayer]

I haven't been on here for a while, but it seems like I've never been away, head shots ffs

It's up to the individual or the person giving guidance.

Personally if given the chance I'd head shoot everything, I prefer that to necks especially with stags. But I'm just as happy plugging them in the shoulder if need be.

Would I ask clients? very rarely, but if they are happy and I'm confident with their abbilitiles then why not?

I fail to see how someone sitting at a pc can comment on a field situation ?????

If you don't want to do it , then don't.

 

[caorach]

I always take heart/lung shots but my take on the options is as follows:

Head/neck - The target is small and may be mobile so there is a higher standard of marksmanship required. If carried out correctly then the beast will almost certainly drop to the shot and so there is no chance of losing the animal, especially close to forestry however a close miss can result in a rather nasty non-fatal (in the medium term) injury but leave the deer very mobile so recovery is unlikely.

heart/lung - The target is much larger and less mobile and so the chances of an injury inflicting miss are reduced as is the "luck" factor based on the animal making a sudden movement beyond your control. On the other hand the animal is highly likely to run even when hit well and in forestry there is always a considerable risk of losing the beast leaving the hunter in a rather unpleasant situation. However, as the target area is large and as any hit to the chest/liver area is likely to be fatal within a relatively short time period it is highly likely that any lost beast is dead.

There may be points I have missed that tip the argument one way or the other but based on my consideration of the matter I can see there are good reasons to use either method and so I think the only answer is that it comes down to the individual. In effect we have to pick our poison and I know every time I chest shoot a sika and watch it disappear into the dense forest my heart is in my mouth that maybe I will never find it.

 

[flyingfisherman]

Hahaha, didnt take much to kick it off!

Any shot can go wrong but the margin for error on a chest shot is massive compared to a head shot. Ive shot quite a few head shots recently and to be honest, all dropped on the spot (fallow and red) but then i had 2 in 2 days which the first dropped like a sack of spuds, then got back to his feet and was wobbling and staggering all over.. Not a nice sight but i was fortunate he was like this and not running for cover.. The shot was 80yds prone. The bullet hadn't taken the expected path and had deflected down into the back of his jaw. He obviously dropped to the second shot only a few seconds later. The second staggie dropped on the spot and was immobilised but still had signs of life.

What have i learned? Well, head shots are great most of the time as they drop to the spot, no carcass damage etc BUT i think i would prefer to follow up an animal with a shot misplaced by an inch into the chest rather than the same shot misplaced by an inch into the head. Also, even staggies can have pretty tough skulls which dont always give you the bullet path/expansion you expect.

Heres a question - how many of you would head shoot on your own permission but if you were invited on a days unaccompanied stalking on SD, would you still take a head shot?

Im just throwing it out there, not dictating what people should/shouldnt do.. its a free world, just my thoughts on the subject!