neck shots with gun

[yanta61]

Bottom line of the throat patch, when they're looking right at me.... 95% of the time... if I'm shooting free hand I will take a shoulder shot

[tmurray]

I've never shot one in the neck. If I have an awesome rest and reasonable wind and a gun I trust I shoot them in the head. I know that's not popular around here, I know the horror stories of deer with their jaws blown off. I don't take that shot unless I'm 100% confident in the situation. If everything is not perfect I'm shooting for heart/lungs.

[Deathrow Jethro]

This topic really boils down to one thing

HOW PROFICIENT WITH YOUR GUN ARE YOU?

Some folks practice shooting year round & their weapons are properly sighted in. These are the folks who probably shoot animals in this method.

Some folks shoot their weapon a week or two before season and as long as they are hitting a pie plate area they are good. These are the folks who should NEVER use this method.


To answer your question though:
I prefer neck shots most of the time IF the conditions are right for it. If the conditions are NOT right, I will use the "high shoulder" method (drops them in their tracks like a neck shot but does waste some meat)

Remember this saying:
"Shoot them high, watch them die;
Shoot them low, watch them go.

[Colton]

I prefer them looking right at me and putting it right in the throat patch

This x100

[J-Fish]

So why all the jaw shots? Shooting them a little too high in the neck? Not good judge of distance?

I could see it if you were going for a head shot more then a neck shot.

[J-Fish]

This topic really boils down to one thing

HOW PROFICIENT WITH YOUR GUN ARE YOU?

Some folks practice shooting year round & their weapons are properly sighted in. These are the folks who probably shoot animals in this method.

Some folks shoot their weapon a week or two before season and as long as they are hitting a pie plate area they are good. These are the folks who should NEVER use this method.

Very, very true.... brings a lot of truth to the questing.

[PondPopper]

A neck shot is as good as any shot IF you can put a bullet exactly where you are aiming EVERYTIME.. Not much margin for error here.. Low or high a few inches could result in a wounded animal that you will most likely never find and will eventually die of infection..
I know guys who do it on a regular basis with success and other who will never do it again because they lost a animal..
It's all about accuracy!!

[glen]

In front of shoulder. I don’t like head shots but neck shots to me are preferred. I ran a tracking dog for years. Tracked a bunch of shoulder, heart shots. Not many in neck. My kid has probably stopped 100 heartbeats with a 22-250 all in the neck. I have killed plenty same rifle same spot

[BURTONboy]

If I'm shooting a gun it's the only shot I take. Perfectly broadside center and center. Center half way up from bottom of throat to top, and center of neck from shoulder to head. I've killed a many a deer this way, and they don't ever move. Either you miss or you don't. I do not like shoulder shots because I like to save all the meat I can. I do not like them face on and I do not like head shots as I've seen a blown out jaw before and that is a terrible way for a deer to suffer. We did not find that deer even though we tracked her well over 1000 yards.

[J-Fish]

In front of shoulder. I don’t like head shots but neck shots to me are preferred. I ran a tracking dog for years. Tracked a bunch of shoulder, heart shots. Not many in neck. My kid has probably stopped 100 heartbeats with a 22-250 all in the neck. I have killed plenty same rifle same spot

Thats some pretty good info with the tracking dog info. Good to know.

[deerplanter]

When I gun hunt which is rare now, I only do neck shots and I shoot pretty much where the head meets the neck. I either miss clean or I am recovering a deer in it's tracks. I don't miss often either and never had one yet run off with a wound from a neck shot but have lost a couple with a shoulder shot.

[txhunter007]

This topic really boils down to one thing

HOW PROFICIENT WITH YOUR GUN ARE YOU?

Some folks practice shooting year round & their weapons are properly sighted in. These are the folks who probably shoot animals in this method.

Some folks shoot their weapon a week or two before season and as long as they are hitting a pie plate area they are good. These are the folks who should NEVER use this method.


To answer your question though:
I prefer neck shots most of the time IF the conditions are right for it. If the conditions are NOT right, I will use the "high shoulder" method (drops them in their tracks like a neck shot but does waste some meat)

Remember this saying:
"Shoot them high, watch them die;
Shoot them low, watch them go.

This

[Ricky454]

Cant count how many i have shot in the neck. I shoot a 22-250 and they never get up. Top 4 or 5 inchs of the neck. Know your weapon, thats the key.

[mrc]

Too much good meat on the neck and shoulder, I center punch the ribcage and save all of the meat. I guess im getting old but a heavy for caliber bullet at about 2700 fps thru the ribs does it every time.

[WTucker]

If I’m shooting from a good rest, I take neck shots right in the throat patch. I have to be confident in the shot for me to take it though.