Whitetail neck shot?

[mo mauser]

Will always prefer the neck shot.

For shot placement, just dead center on the neck is fine. Severed spinal cord is instant lights out, severed jugular drops them in their tracks too, not quite as instant.

So if it's a close shot, good rest, confident with my rife I'll aim a little higher for the spinal cord.

If I'm playing it safe just dead center of neck, something like this.

View attachment 9792507

I've never shot one as depicted in this image. If I'm given that profile I aim for the heart out of habit. However, two of the last four deer I've shot was in the adam's apple area because it was the best shot I had. It worked. Shot one in the back of the head once just below the ears not my fault he was turned looking the wrong way.

 

[Allsmiles]

On does, neck shots are my second choice. I prefer to just shoot them in the head. Bucks, I take what is available at the moment (high shoulder preferred),

 

[Farmer 2]

Where I hunt I always take the neck shot because of property lines. I like it because you kill it or miss it I have never wounded a deer and had it run off. Just my humble opinion

 

[CAMSDADDY]

Shot one in the back of the head once just below the ears not my fault he was turned looking the wrong way.

Remind me not to look at you the wrong way

 

[Huey Deer Processing]

There's plenty of confident people that don't have the ability.
A neck shot is a high risk, high reward shot.
Fact is if you hit a deer anywhere in the neck you've hurt it.
If you shoot and have a clean miss you had no damn business shooting in the first place.
A neck - shoulder junction shot works good but you destroy a lot of meat.
I prefer to shoot eating deer from the white throat patch to the ear hole. And always shoot bucks center shoulder.

Those ear shots work great until you blow one’s jaw off and have to put it down.
If you graze a deer’s neck it’ll be a whole lot better off than if you put a bad shot behind the shoulder.

 

[basstracker89]

Those ear shots work great until you blow one’s jaw off and have to put it down.
If you graze a deer’s neck it’ll be a whole lot better off than if you put a bad shot behind the shoulder.

Only time I ever put a bad shot behind the shoulder was with a 223. I hit my mark. I was being stubborn and wanted see how the cartridge would do. It was the largest buck I'd ever harvest. It ran off and I never found it. Looked for that deer at least 2 days. Last time I ever hunted deer with a 223

 

[Huey Deer Processing]

Only time I ever put a bad shot behind the shoulder was with a 223. I hit my mark. I was being stubborn and wanted see how the cartridge would do. It was the largest buck I'd ever harvest. It ran off and I never found it. Looked for that deer at least 2 days. Last time I ever hunted deer with a 223

The most common wounds I’d see back when I processed them for a living was either front legs broken/blown off or shots in the intestines with lower powered rifles.
This past season I had a big buck make it back to the cutting room with a broadhead stuck in his neck bone, I have no idea how that didn’t paralyze him but it looked to have happened at least the season before.

 

[basstracker89]

The most common wounds I’d see back when I processed them for a living was either front legs broken/blown off or shots in the intestines with lower powered rifles.
This past season I had a big buck make it back to the cutting room with a broadhead stuck in his neck bone, I have no idea how that didn’t paralyze him but it looked to have happened at least the season before.

Certainly heard of the broadheads. I tell ya, that made me sick. I knew to shoot different. I would've likely mounted it. I shot a doe straight on in the chest. Double tapped. She ran off too. That's why I hate the 223 for deer. Granted I could make a head shot, but it's risky. Things can go wrong. I don't like taking that chance

 

[THREEJAYS]

Like all the others every deer i ever neck shot dropped like a rock

 

[TrueGrit]

Deer are tough, seen the small buck a few times after this picture, haven't seen the larger one again. A .223 is devastating on deer when shooting a 68 gr Hornady, but you can't shoulder shoot them. Deer are easy to kill you just need to be able to drive the bullet where you want.