You really don't get it, do you? A bigger lethal target area makes for a higher percentage of humane kills. It's that simple.I wonder if you ever made a head shot.
Those center mass shots that seem to be a miss, when the deer jumps in the air, those are sever days dying with their guts hanging out and the yotes gnawing at them.
I'll bet a dime to a donut that you hunt squirrels with a 12 ga shotgun. lol
BTW, the fact you think that a deer jumping in the air when hit is a sign of a bad shot really shows your lack of experience. When they jump and kick, it's almost always a heart shot and they will be found a short distance away. Have you made that shot and then never looked for the deer because you didn't know any better?
I typically hunt squirrels with segmenting .22 subsonics... and take heart lung shots then, too. For the same reason.
Your entire argument seems to be based in your pride of marksmanship, rather than a concern for the game you hunt. I have pride in my shooting skills, too and have hunted at long range. However, I never take a shot that is anywhere near my max ability on game. No one should. It is simply unethical. I push my shooting ability at the range where a bad hit doesn't cause unnecessary suffering.
Look, you're going to do what you're going to do and I normally wouldn't go after it this hard, but this is a thread about a new hunter and I don't want them to think for even a second that head shots on deer are okay. They are not.
Oh, and to answer your question, I have never taken a head shot. If that's all that's available I'll either wait for a better shot or let the deer walk.