Head and neck shots

[2rocky]

How do you compare head and neck shots at moderate ranges, versus lung shots at long range?

Do you feel that your long range practice gives you confidence to take a CNS shot at well under your effective range when presented with a centerfire rifle caliber?

I have taken these shots in the past at close range . Hog shot with a 7mm-08 between the shoulder and ear, DRT. 100 yds. Blacktail deer at 20 yds, Throat patch.

I could see targeting Stationary doe deer or antelope at 100 yds with a rest and moderate scope power, but wouldn't head/neck shoot an elk due to all the hair and muscle. Of course Coons with a scoped .22, etc...

Your thoughts?

 

[Matt Cashell]

I took a head-on throat patch shot at my antelope this year at 260 yards.

Boom...flop.

 

[ssliger]

I shot a raghorn bull elk at 300 yards. He was standing next to the property line, so I needed him to drop right away. It worked. My dad always taught me to aim small miss small. If I miss the neck shot, it will be a clean miss. This only goes when wind is perfect though.

 

[muleman]

I neck shot a bull this week with a smokepole at 138yds. It too was near a boundary. It was boom, smoke, flop.

 

[Sunspot]

Muley at 150 yards while sitting and gun on knees right in the throat patch - DRT.

 

[Broz]

Sometimes it is all you have. We talked about this shot in detail before I put Mike behind my LRKM. We were above him on a ridge with swirling wind below. I narrowed the error in my wind call correction to where I felt confident to within 2".

Here is the video.

Enjoy.

Jeff

[video=youtube;C9811oTNBxw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9811oTNBxw[/video]

 

[Shrek]

Congratulations to Mike ! The neck shot is my preferred shot when meat hunting and will take any shot distance I feel comfortable with in the conditions. I usually aim for the base of the skull. If I drift it up or down it is not a fatal wound and if I am forward a little it's a head shot. The only bad shots on head /neck is when you miss big forward and blow the jaw or nose off. I've had to finish one that someone took the nose off of. It had been a little while and it wasn't pretty.

 

[beachbunny]

for me practicing any shot to my max. range, be it football, basketball,golf,bow, gun makes the close stuff easier. i'm all about the neck shot out to 3 (243,223) and I am no long range shooter. I have had two deer walk away from a neck shot and I permit shoot deer if that gives you an idea of the numbers. no fuss, no muss.

 

[KMD]

Was set up for a long shot with the 7WSM and had a big doe step out @ 125yds to my left. Was considering neck or head shooting it with a 162Amax, but decided to insert thru both lungs for a clean kill. Didn't mind the deer ran off 100yds, spraying blood like a geiser, as there was hardly any mess left in the cavity during field dressing.
If anchoring an animal is Priority #1, go mid/high shoulder. Lots more 'error' to miss by an inch and not have a mess on your hands. Plus, I never liked blowing an animal's head off, but thats just my personal preference...

 

[Liljozie495]

the wife dropped a black tail this year strait up hill basically probably 60 degrees uphill super steep clear cut, 120 yds only showed top of his neck patch and head, put it thru the chin and out the left antler base... dropped on the spot with her .243 like a bag of potatoes. typically she would have awaited a better shot, but being 2nd to last day of season and she felt she could drop him i told her to take him sense i was ready for back up shot. no damaged meat on that deer, just a expensive taxidermy bill haha.

 

[JGood]

Is there a more recent thread to open this discussion up again?

It would be interesting to add the “big caliber vs low recoil” commentary on this subject 10 years later.

 

[TradLife406]

I'm not a fan of head shots. I've taken a lot of neck shots though and honestly they seem to be about 50% effective for instant death.
I'm going for lungs whenever possible.

 

[elkguide]

Chased down a bull that one of my clients was sure that he could take with a neck/head shot after I told him don't. Only went 3 miles without his bottom jaw before we caught him and finished him with a shot to the chest.

 

[Rich M]

Most folks overestimate their shooting abilities.

We hunt some stuff down here, all you see is the head in 4 ft high green stuff. Either you shoot the head/upper neck or you hunt elsewhere. You want to be close and for it to be an easy shot, aint doing that at 200 yards, even with my fav rifle.

 

[fisherman983]

I'll take it every chance I get. Took one this year at 520. Center of the white patch under his chin. Done deal

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[Wrench]

I love neck shots on elk. I choose the vertical transition area. The odds are in my favor....either huge veins or cns. I have no issues taking that shot when the conditions favor it.