Neck shot placement
- Thread starter Dhindes
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Jon P
Well-Known Member
I agree, I shoot 90 % of my deer are neck /headshots, but I will try to wait until the deer turns so either looking directly at me or away, jawed deer take some finding with the dog . I believe the OP was asking for advice on taking the occasional neck shot.
Neck shots are my least favourite. I once had a client who shot a huge Red stag which was about 60m away and broadside on. We were already in a good shooting position when it appeared. He shot, the stag went down, got up, went down, got up and as I shot the client was shouting "it does not need a second shot." When we got to the stag he had shot the windpipe out of it, he still reckoned his shot would have killed it. I said it probably would but it may have taken days or weeks if we did getba second shot into it or a lot of dog work
Dead front on, the spine is symmetrically positioned - judging where to aim is easier: just place the vertical post of the cross hair in the centre of the neck.
Side on, the spine is not symmetrically positioned. If you put the vertical post of the crosshair down the centre of the neck, you have a very real chance of missing over or under the spine, depending on how high up you’re aiming.
baguio
Well-Known Member
No, you said "will often"
Your words not mine hence my post #21
Regardless, the side on neck shot is one to consider carefully before pulling the trigger.
Oh for god’s sake man.
Will often. Often will. They mean the same damn thing - there is an elevated but not absolute risk of failure.
Roedeer 1962
Well-Known Member
I think if your in touch with your rifle and know its placement its all about confidence , I just cant seem to find it , but less meat damage would be better !!!
Not too far off the mark:
K
K
geoffw
Well-Known Member
From the front or rear you'll *always* connect with vertebrae. From the side you can clip the oesophagus or trachea and have a runner.
Been there, done that, never again; 3mm out was all it took- no expansion and so not energy transfer.
Fortunately it only went 50m in the rhododendrons and the dog took all of 30s to find it.
Neck shots from front or rear only for me.
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
If you stay above the half way mark, the spine is always in the middle, but you’re right it does take a fairly major dip half way down to pass between the shoulders. A centre shot should still get you your deer though, especially if you clip the dorsal vertebrae.
You‘ll drop the animal with just about any solid hit to the upper neck, its solid bone and muscle, crammed full of essential blood vessels and the spine, close to the brain and transmits shock exceptionally well.
I’m not sure I completely agree.
I have once shot under when holding dead centre, side on, top of the spine, 40m with a .308 ballistic tip. It took out the larynx. It ran, but fortunately was in a field with high fences, and was obviously struggling to breathe, so couldn’t jump it and I put a second shot through the top of the shoulder. Been much more careful since.
Also seen it done, or the after effects, a few other times.
At the top of the neck, the spine is nearer the back than the front.
I have no doubt that there are people with the kit and skill to pull it off consistently, but it is unarguably a higher risk shot, and one I won’t take now.
baguio
Well-Known Member
Utter rubbish. Low tread on your tyres gives an elevated risk of failure ie crashing. It's not in any way the same as saying that it will often happen.
Most people know the limitations of their skills and that of their equipment and probably shoot well within their actual ability which they prove on the range at paper.
For all the deer shot in this country I would say that mistakes don't happen often at all although I guess it could be argued about what 'often' equates to.
For me a neck shot should be high up / axis joint. I don't like taking this shot when the deer is side on - the deer can twitch its neck up or down quite suddenly. But also why make life hard - a side on deer presents a bloody big and effective target in the h/l area? This also offers plenty of variations depending on whether you aim is meat preservation (lower - heart, lung, liver) or stopping power (higher/shoulder/hilar) Plenty of other threads on this. This means I rarely neck shoot and only if the deer is facing me or facing away, at close range. Head up, head down or a slope helps avoid the bullet raking through the body.
Woodsmoke
Well-Known Member
I take neck shots occasionally, but they're far from my favoured shot these days. I've seen marginal calls go wrong too many times to recommend it as a preferred option. Having said that, with either my .223 or my .270, the neck shots I have taken have resulted in instant kills. I think it's been mentioned earlier, but with a fast-moving bullet that's more likely to fragment quickly the chances of a less-than-optimal shot proving immediately fatal are greater. I don't used copper, but I would imagine neck shots with copper bullets would have a higher risk of pass-throughs with no expansion?
My own [limited] experience chimes with Mungo's wisdom.
Most of the Roe I have shot were neck shot [just 9 Roe last year]. Almost all of those facing me. In all cases where the animal was facing me the dispatch was instantaneous.
One Roe I neck shot from the side dropped on the spot and remained immobile as I approached.
However, it still had some eye response on arrival at the site a few minutes later, so a coup de gras finished the matter.
Carcass inspection showed that the first shot had utterly broken the spine, so all I can imagine is that none of the circulatory system had failed. The initial shot was undoubtably lethal, but not instantaneously effective.
So when I take neck shots in future, my preference is for front on or facing away: passing through the neck front-to-back or vv I know the projectile disrupts all vital functions at one time of asking.
Most of the Roe I have shot were neck shot [just 9 Roe last year]. Almost all of those facing me. In all cases where the animal was facing me the dispatch was instantaneous.
One Roe I neck shot from the side dropped on the spot and remained immobile as I approached.
However, it still had some eye response on arrival at the site a few minutes later, so a coup de gras finished the matter.
Carcass inspection showed that the first shot had utterly broken the spine, so all I can imagine is that none of the circulatory system had failed. The initial shot was undoubtably lethal, but not instantaneously effective.
So when I take neck shots in future, my preference is for front on or facing away: passing through the neck front-to-back or vv I know the projectile disrupts all vital functions at one time of asking.
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Looks like you shot a bit too high up the neck, but like I said its not always going to end with perfect placement, but what shot does?
Absolutely - I definitely went too high.
But that’s the problem - side on, both your vertical and horizontal hold has to be precise. I think probably much more so than almost any other shot.
Erik Hamburger
Well-Known Member
The thickest part of the neck where you can place a bullet but that doesn't have another part of the animal behind it. What I mean is, a neck-shot sometimes presents, but it could also take out a loin or haunch if you would take that shot, for example imagine a shot angled downhill. But go for the thickest part of the neck as you have a slightly larger margin of error than if you aim for the thinnest part of the neck, despite the latter maybe giving you more venison.
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Just the gentlest of suggestions, imagine an upside down pint glass with the mouth of the glass about half way down the neck.
That’s your mark for the males of 4 of your 6 species. On females the area is smaller, but still very doable.
Straight shooting on the bucks.
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