Head Shooting?

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The last time a shot a roe buck in the noggin the then Chairman of the BSRC had kittens as its a non-scoring ring on the DJV target! Or put another way: K scores "NIL-POIS"!

K
 
Scapegoat said:
Here goes, controversial sensible debate time.

Engine room shots are "best practice" because those teaching the "craft" of deer shooting have to cater for the lowest common denominator. The engine room on a deer is the largest effective target area- look at the size of the scoring circle on a DSC target. To be considered suitably competent, a NOVICE needs to be able to score within a target area the size of a saucer.

Let's not beat about the bush. If after forty odd years of rifle shooting I was straying outside of that target area from 100 m, I'd think there was something seriously amiss with my rifle, ammo, scope or technique.

However, add in a few other factors. I can shoot pretty well. I'm not going to start a pis$ing contest, my circumstances, experience and whatever else mean I'm a confident shot at various ranges in many different sorts of conditions, but I have my achilles heel which is sticks. I know that shooting off sticks will rob me of the accuracy I can expect off bags, bonnets or bipods. Not enough to score outside of the magic saucer, but enough to tell me I won't be sure of hitting a golf ball at 100. And that is the target size of a brain shot on a deer. Yes, yes, if I were to use a frangible varmint round that sort of opens up my options, but the only head shots I've taken on deer have been on still days, at short ranges, and off a bipod. Even then I've had to be convinced the deer is relaxed and unlikely to move.

So, that's my experience and my personal mantra. Now add in the "expert" factor. Here's an example: Read any debate on Farcebook, or even to an extent on here, and you'll start to notice some serious gaps in people's knowledge and approach. One of my favourites is the old "where should I zero my rifle?" and you'll see an instant flood of "One inch high at 100" responses. So the novice swallows that whole, because all the old "experts" said so, and goes to a range where his round is striking one inch high of his aiming mark at 100 yards. He's now equipped to shoot anything between 50 and 200 yards (according to the experts). He then reads all the "head shot versus chest shot" debates and sees that "experts" can and regularly do shoot roe deer in the head at ever extending ranges. Now the last time this novice went to the range he managed a cracking "sub-moa " group at 100. He must now be approaching sniper status (in his own mind) so it's now safe to start shooting at deers' heads. After all, his rifle is perfectly set up with it's "one inch high at a hundred" zero, and 1 MOA is good enough for anything isn't it?.................... do you see where this is going? In the cold harsh light of reality we now have a rank novice, in proper field conditions, with a rifle and ammo combination that no one knows where exactly it is zeroed, because no-one thought to ask him how high his scope is, what calibre or MV his round is travelling at, and his true shooting ability is masked by the fluked inch groups he put into some paper on his second or third visit to the range. Is he going to hit a golf ball at 125 yards? At 75 yards? At 150 yards? Answers on a Doe's ear to the usual PO BOX .

That's why anybody worth their salt doesn't advocate anything other than engine room shots, no matter what the company they're in.

Skill, experience, and JUDGEMENT. Oh, and ideal conditions. Not the so-called wisdom of experts.
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Spot on M80 :thumb: but, I still like the "Hit em anywhere" shots at 1500 - 2000 metres with a 50 cal, especially after some "Quarry" in the mountains. :rofl::old:
 
In all reality at 100 yds the bullet only takes .1 of a second to hit the target so in practical terms the bullets hit the target before you consciously squeezed the trigger,. Assuming the target was stationary when the shot was taken then its likely to be when the bullet strikes..

D
 
See the source image
neck shot !
 
As mentioned already,its because some people put deer on a life pedestal way higher than for most other wildlife.

They can get irrationally emotive and no amount of reasoning will work as they cant see past the blinkers.

Another one is where fox men wet their knickers for foxes being shot when cubs are still underground,yet not a mention for the hundreds of thousands of squabs,young rabbits or other creatures left to die a long slow death due to shooting of parents.

No doubt the most of us love deer more than most other creatures but there is a line where it becomes slightly tarded.
 
Back of the head from sticks at 100 m wouldn’t phase me but some would be a gibberish wreck if asked to take that shot .It really is a personal thing with the only wrong being when it goes wrong and the deer running over the boundary ,jaw hanging and no blood trail .If we are all honest about it ,it happens and it’s this moment that will have an effect on future shots taken at same aim point .Much beyond 100 and I think it’s is irresponsible but only because Ive seen it go wrong a few times .Face on head shots are a definite recipe for disaster ime .
Neck shots much better imo ,Any angle ,hit middle ,down it goes
 
I’ve taken a few head shots, went perfect for most but had one which still figures in my dreams these days, the worst experience ever seeing the best suffer the way it did until I managed to finish it off - never again! And it’s not from lack of skill, but not wanting to ever see that again.

Yes, deer can run and suffer from H/L shots, but time to expiration is much faster as anything through lungs or liver will result in death pretty swiftly, whereas a headshot 1”-2” off will result in a bad injury and a running deer

That’s just me, others will disagree but I’ve been around the block long enough now to know what I feel is right and I’m not going to sugar coat my feelings on it.
 
Liver is not the best shot, that's for sure. But it will be dead, maybe a couple of hundred yards away if its a Sika Stag in the rut, but it will be dead.

I have seen a couple of head shots go horribly wrong in the distant past and am not a great advocate of taking this kind of shot. But under certain circumstances if the animal is facing directly away or looking straight at you and it is within a very short distance less than 100yds in my opinion, with a safe backstop, and you have stalked a number of years and are aware of your rifle and more importantly your own capabilities I see no issue.
 
I would say the straight at you bit is where things go wrong but only my opinion mind .Unless the liver is hit along with another vital organ I would say you’ve a lengthy follow up with no definite outcome without a dog ,though again only my opinion as don’t want the tread locked
 
We must be talking about two different things then as not in my experience ,though I’ve only ever seen the liver clipped as it’s not an intentional shot .
Obliterating the liver with an expanding bullet as you say would burst the gut too I guess .
I’ve seen lengthy follow ups from liver shot deer ,fallow mainly but a few roe ,not a shot I would advocate but again only my opinion
 
Dexter said:
People are very keen to judge other people based purely on their own abilities and circumstances. The fact is that there are too many variables to possibly judge someone for doing what you wouldn't do on your stalk, with your equipment, your eyes and your rests because if you walked in their shoes you might!
Air rifles have moved on leaps and bounds in recent years. Shooting a rabbit in the head at 25 yards is child's play!
Click to expand...
They do advocate also shooting pigeons in the head at similar and longer ranges.
Ken.
 
kenbro said:
They do advocate also shooting pigeons in the head at similar and longer ranges.
Ken.
Click to expand...
Yep, shooting pigeons in the head at 25 yards with a good rest is child's play too! Done 7 out of 7 in my parents garden when I was a kid. You can also see where the pellet went is you miss with a PCP! Great fun!
 
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