Shot placement

[Happy stalker]

My idea of a clean carcass is no hair, no dirt and no gut contamination,(plus well chilled). Shoulders don’t really come into cleanliness.

Even if you can shoot <1” at 100 yards, as folk say, aim small , miss small. I’d far rather my odds at a dinner plate sized target,(not even counting the liver) than a golf ball.

Most estates or guides will invoice you if you take out the loin but never shoulder shots.

This is very much each to their own. Neither are wrong. And there’s so many more factors as far as distance, wind, good rest, buck fever client ect.

Absolutely spot on

 

[Heym SR20]

I've only been stalking for a little over a year now, so I've always been good and shot the DSC1 placement. I have always hit exactly where I have been aiming, but always had the deer run on (albeit very short distance).

Last deer was a Roe buck that was standing head on and staring straight at me. No option for a body shot as it would have entered the front and come out the backside, spilling everything inside. Having hot my target every time for the past year, I opted for the neck and felt confident in doing so.

It dropped on the spot and did not move a muscle. By far the cleanest and what I would say was therefore the most humane kill by far.

The distance was short, and I certainly wouldn't be taking the shot at 200 m, but it certainly made me think that although a chest shot deer will die quickly, it definitely knows what is up

I have stalking for a few decades now. A few weeks ago had similar with a Roe Buck. Had been trying ti catch up with him fir a while. Finally got an opportunity, but only a neck shot. He dropped on the spot.

I went up to him and he was lying looking pretty dead. And then he started regaining consciousness and struggling to get up. Foot on antler and sharp knife taking all the arteries of throat finished him off.

My bullet was probably an inch to the left of ideal. It had taken out an orange sized chunk from the side of the neck leaving the spine exposed, but had somehow had failed to take out the main arteries, although he was bleeding

Would he have gone far - probably not. But he have gone off with a nasty wound.

I have shot deer in the past with healed wounds across the neck. And I once had to follow up a lion that had been shot in the jaw. It was eventually found three days later having been closely tracked but offering no shot for two days.

Its kind of a salutary lesson. Neck and head shots are great, until they are not, and then you leave a badly, but often not fatally wounded animal to deal with.

A chest shot will always be fatal pretty quickly.

One point though is left hand side is the Rumen pushes forward, so you dont to a quartering away shot, especially if it goes a bit far back. Left has to be perfectly broadside or quartering towards you. On the right if quartering away you go straight through the liver which has major arteries, along with heart and lungs.

 

[VSS]

I have stalking for a few decades now. A few weeks ago had similar with a Roe Buck. Had been trying ti catch up with him fir a while. Finally got an opportunity, but only a neck shot. He dropped on the spot.

I went up to him and he was lying looking pretty dead. And then he started regaining consciousness and struggling to get up. Foot on antler and sharp knife taking all the arteries of throat finished him off.

My bullet was probably an inch to the left of ideal. It had taken out an orange sized chunk from the side of the neck leaving the spine exposed, but had somehow had failed to take out the main arteries, although he was bleeding

Would he have gone far - probably not. But he have gone off with a nasty wound.

I have shot deer in the past with healed wounds across the neck. And I once had to follow up a lion that had been shot in the jaw. It was eventually found three days later having been closely tracked but offering no shot for two days.

Its kind of a salutary lesson. Neck and head shots are great, until they are not, and then you leave a badly, but often not fatally wounded animal to deal with.

A chest shot will always be fatal pretty quickly.

One point though is left hand side is the Rumen pushes forward, so you dont to a quartering away shot, especially if it goes a bit far back. Left has to be perfectly broadside or quartering towards you. On the right if quartering away you go straight through the liver which has major arteries, along with heart and lungs.

A neck shot is my least favourite.
In my personal opinion, there's a higher chance of losing a wounded animal to a neck shot (eg, throat ripped out) than there is with a head shot.
I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but while I'm happy to take a headshot under the right circumstances, I won't ever take a neck shot out of choice.

 

[Nickb]

A neck shot is my least favourite.
In my personal opinion, there's a higher chance of losing a wounded animal to a neck shot (eg, throat ripped out) than there is with a head shot.
I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but while I'm happy to take a headshot under the right circumstances, I won't ever take a neck shot out of choice.

I disagree, neck shot over head shot for me.

Never lost a deer to a neck shot ...

 

[Paul 600]

I disagree, neck shot over head shot for me.

Never lost a deer to a neck shot ...

View attachment 438988

You will

 

[homer]

I disagree, neck shot over head shot for me.

Never lost a deer to a neck shot ...

View attachment 438988

That 243 58gr, is an awesome neck bullet.

 

[VSS]

I disagree, neck shot over head shot for me.

Each to their own. I was simply stating my preference. Personally, I just don’t feel comfortable with neck shots.

Never lost a deer to a neck shot ...

You will. There isn't any shot placement that doesn't include an element of risk.

That 243 58gr, is an awesome neck bullet.

.243 58gr is pretty effective on heads, too:

 

[User00056]

Shooting a red deer in the heart without severely bruising a shoulder would be quite the trick shot unless coming in from behind quartering. Roe have a slightly different heart location and it’s do able

It most certainly is! I tend to shoot just behind the shoulder on roe, and more often than not I see something like this when gralloching

 

[Taff]

I could post lots of photos of head shots, neck shots, from when we tried various ammo for a certain ammo company using 243/270 , all were dead on the spot, except one that was hit low and smashed the jaw. Anybody who has never missed is one of two things either they have not shot many rounds or a xxxx

 

[homer]

What a mess.. That's what you get using a sh1te calibre with a volatile light weight expanding varmint round.

Looks like a perfect result.

 

[Nickb]

Looks like a perfect result.

It was

 

[Heym SR20]

Each to their own. I was simply stating my preference. Personally, I just don’t feel comfortable with neck shots.

You will. There isn't any shot placement that doesn't include an element of risk.



.243 58gr is pretty effective on heads, too:

View attachment 439033

It is. I shot lots of reds in my younger days with a 243 Max wildcat. Pushing a 6mm bullet close to 4,000fps it was point and shoot to silly distances. Made the 25-06 look loopy. We were using the new ballistic tip bullets, fixed 6 or 10x42 scopes with no twiddly turrets, 26” barrels, no quick change magazines and no moderators. Rifles were rebarreled and tuned Rem 700s or Sako L or TRGS. It was simple - two of us would crawl into a group of hinds. Make a plan on what we wanted to take and then just put half a dozen on the deck in a moment all with head shots. We would always stop after about three shots, so had rounds loaded in case follow ups needed. Occasionally they were but not often. Key was to get into 100 yards before you started shooting.

Mind you when you have 15 reds all with their heads blown up in the back of snow cat it was not a pleasant sight, nor particularly pleasant lardering and then skinning them all before finishing. Then doing the same again the following day.

And we wore tweed breeks and buffalo smocks.

 

[Scipio]

just a practical question for you head shooters, (not judgement meant by that, btw), - since you're not rupturing the heart, liver, lungs etc, or other organs one would expect to cause major blood loss, and maybe help bleed out the animal somewhat (depending on shot placement, how the beast falls etc), do you have special procedures for bleeding the beasts then?

 

[25 Sharps]

I've only been stalking for a little over a year now, so I've always been good and shot the DSC1 placement. I have always hit exactly where I have been aiming, but always had the deer run on (albeit very short distance).

Last deer was a Roe buck that was standing head on and staring straight at me. No option for a body shot as it would have entered the front and come out the backside, spilling everything inside. Having hot my target every time for the past year, I opted for the neck and felt confident in doing so.

It dropped on the spot and did not move a muscle. By far the cleanest and what I would say was therefore the most humane kill by far.

The distance was short, and I certainly wouldn't be taking the shot at 200 m, but it certainly made me think that although a chest shot deer will die quickly, it definitely knows what is up

Neck shots are often the less humane option, you can paralyse the deer it just lays there conscious but with no bodily function.

I take them if needed but I’d sooner take a brain or chest shot.

 

[25 Sharps]

I fully agree that head and neck shots risk serious wounding, suffering and lost animals. I think a lot of this is fuelled by shooting bravado. Clean carcasses are the excuse. But as said, not that much meat is wasted especially a broadside shot with copper. It's even harder on muntjac to head and neck shoot with them flitting about up and down etc. If any animal decides to move just as the shot is released, it will never be perfect. So a slight margin of error is best for all concerned.

Chest shots can still result in wounded animals, you have more margin for error but a shot can always go wrong.

 

[Dunwaters]

just a practical question for you head shooters, (not judgement meant by that, btw), - since you're not rupturing the heart, liver, lungs etc, or other organs one would expect to cause major blood loss, and maybe help bleed out the animal somewhat (depending on shot placement, how the beast falls etc), do you have special procedures for bleeding the beasts then?

They bleed out through the wound, all of those blood vessels and organs you mention are there to get blood to and from the brain.
I personally dont like head shots, the target is small and mobile, but I’ll take neck by preference

 

[rem284]

God sakes, the only way never to wound or miss them is never to shoot at them. I prefer through the shoulders because it's quicker to get on to than a head shot, neck shots are my least favourite but I done one last week when an eight pointer sika was head on at 70m. Every scenario is different, time, range, cover, angle of the dangle, etc. Just get on with culling.

 

[Dunwaters]

God sakes, the only way never to wound or miss them is never to shoot at them. I prefer through the shoulders because it's quicker to get on to than a head shot, neck shots are my least favourite but I done one last week when an eight pointer sika was head on at 70m. Every scenario is different, time, range, cover, angle of the dangle, etc. Just get on with culling.

Last sentence is the difference between you and the sportspersons.
Get it down, take the shot you’ve got and move on to the next one.

 

[VSS]

just a practical question for you head shooters, (not judgement meant by that, btw), - since you're not rupturing the heart, liver, lungs etc, or other organs one would expect to cause major blood loss, and maybe help bleed out the animal somewhat (depending on shot placement, how the beast falls etc), do you have special procedures for bleeding the beasts then?

There's no shortage of blood coming out of a head shot deer when you hang it up.

(But I guess it could be different if it had been left lying for a while first. Generally my headshot deer are back at the larder within 10 minutes of being shot).

 

[Scipio]

There's no shortage of blood coming out of a head shot deer when you hang it up.

(But I guess it could be different if it had been left lying for a while first. Generally my headshot deer are back at the larder within 10 minutes of being shot).

They bleed out through the wound, all of those blood vessels and organs you mention are there to get blood to and from the brain.
I personally dont like head shots, the target is small and mobile, but I’ll take neck by preference

Cheers for the replies lads .-)
Ok, yep, if you hang them quickly, or lie them on a hill, head downwards, it makes sense that they bleed out well, i guess .-)

Just out of curiosity, which cartridges do you use when head shooting, typically, and do you use a surpressor with that? Just thinking that recoil needs to be fairly minimal, and the rest very stable, when making such shots.