not necessarily !
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Had a guy ask me
- Thread starter Adamjen15
- Start date
First of all, it has nothing to do with marksmanship. A deer's head movement can be quick and unpredictable. You can make a flawless shot and if they move their head just as you fire there isn't anything you can do about it.
Second, I don't recommend using a "varmint" bullet or caliber for deer hunting at all.
Third, the viable kill area for a heart lung shot is approximately 12 x 18 inches, so it's a lot easier to reliably hit it than a 3 inch brain.
Fourth, a deer's torso does not have the same random mobility that their head does.
Fifth, from the center of the kill area on a head shot to that of a devastating and inhumane wound is only about 3 or 4 inches. For a heart/lung shot it's more than twice as much.
So, what was your logical and ethical reason for taking head shots?
I was faced with the question last year. I was taking my son and wanted him to become a responsible hunter. I bought him a 243 and let him shoot it. I have to say he has made 3 great shots and I have 3 deer in the freezer. Of course at 9 he is a better sportsman and will let a deer walk I would have tried 15 years ago.
Some folks will shun .223 but there's some killer ammo out there now that I'm fully confident in. I like the Barnes stuff personally but there's plenty of good ammo for 223. . The Hornady American whitetail is some great ammo imo
The Hornady American Whitetail is what we are using in my sons 243.
I have been impressed.
That's awesome , my youngest daughter's the same way... a stone cold killer but she's patient; let many walk last year. Seems most young folks are not that way?
1)Has he ever shot any rifles before?
2)If he does have a rifle is it a gun he likes?
3)Has he been to a range and tried out any other caliber guns?
4)If he has, was there a caliber that he did not flinch with while shooting?
5)Most all the calibers previously mentioned can do the job when the shooter does their job...
The caliber does not have to be big bore or small bore its all about bullet placement and squeezing the trigger not slamming it when he fires the gun. Most right hand shooters have a tendency to drive the stock to the right their chin, just an observation over the years. Most shooters also have a tendency to cant their rifles. We use a bubble level to check so we can keep from doing that, just a habit we got into over 50+ years ago.
just some simple things to consider when shooting long guns...
Good luck in your gun quest to shoot the best for you, what works some does not work for others...
2)If he does have a rifle is it a gun he likes?
3)Has he been to a range and tried out any other caliber guns?
4)If he has, was there a caliber that he did not flinch with while shooting?
5)Most all the calibers previously mentioned can do the job when the shooter does their job...
The caliber does not have to be big bore or small bore its all about bullet placement and squeezing the trigger not slamming it when he fires the gun. Most right hand shooters have a tendency to drive the stock to the right their chin, just an observation over the years. Most shooters also have a tendency to cant their rifles. We use a bubble level to check so we can keep from doing that, just a habit we got into over 50+ years ago.
just some simple things to consider when shooting long guns...
Good luck in your gun quest to shoot the best for you, what works some does not work for others...
Sounds like DAD, has been a good example of what to L@@K for, GREAT WORK DAD!!!
My first rifle was a 270 Winchester. I was so afraid of the recoil the first couple of years I hunted with it, and I did not have great success with it, because I developed a flinch and I was scared to death of pulling the trigger. I wanted a smaller caliber, but my dad would not hear it or have any of it. So I practiced and I practiced, and I practiced some more, and some more, until the flinch was gone. The old trick of him not letting me know whether there was a chambered round or not was part of it. Then I moved up to a 30-06, then a 7 mag, then a 270 Weatherby magnum. My now favorite deer rifle is a 300 Win Mag. Now I just don't fear recoil, and it is just part of it now. So my advice is get something that fits, and shoot it a lot. For whitetail deer anything will work if it is done right. My advice to new hunters, if you fear the recoil, don't go big at first. You will just either miss or wound an animal.
