Hunting & Fishing Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

[flyboy]

Just outta curiosity, I know a shot to the head will make them DRT as will a shot to the lungs/heart. But for the times that you don't want to mess up a set of horns or antlers but also dont have a shot without trashing meat on the body, would you take a neck shot and why.

I understand back when gramps used to hunt with single shot 22lr, neck shots is what he took. Of course now, you can't do that so I wouldn't know, but its a thought.

 

[KClark]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

My family always took the neck shot too and I thought it was spectacular and cool but in practice I found out the kill zone in the neck is much smaller than the head kill zone. To break or clip a vertebrae is an 1-1/2" wide target. The juglar is a 1/4". I can imagine lots get punched through the wind pipe or worse yet what I've seen is the bullet comes close enough to the spinal column to drop them like a rock but in 3 minutes they come to and bolt.

I don't like to take neck shots anymore.

 

[dksd39]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Personally, a neck shot is my 1st choice. I have never had an result other than DRT. The only negative I have is that it destroys a personal favorite of mine- I love a good neck roast. Thats why I will take head shots if antlers are not an issue.

 

[Bigbrotheretter]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Haha this last novemeber, I flew out to minnesota to go hunting at my gramps farm. When ever deer came out i got so nervouse and excited i forgot about headshots on does. And missed a good doe... All my grandpa takes is neck shots.

 

[KClark]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Ouch, oh well theres more does.

Yeah I think lots of older shooters would rather miss or wound and not recover a deer than waste a tag on something with a scrap of meat ruined.

 

[glocksig40]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

If you watch any of the hunting shows on TV they shoot the vitals. Never fails they run in the brush and have to look for them. Im a neck shooter and never have to go in the brush looking for one. This may in some cases be harder to hit but it always means dead in their tracks. If you dont think you can hit the neck, then by all means shoot for the vitals.

 

[KClark]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: stacyp</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you dont think you can hit the neck, then by all means shoot for the vitals. </div></div>

Or once you prove you can't hit the neck go for the vitals.

I think that says it all right there.

 

[JSTARSZ]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

If you can get a neck shot it will drop them like a bag of dirt; however, they do raise their heads a lot and move around so you have to time it. If I get a nice neck shot I go for it. Where I hunt in Virginia it is heavily wooded and you don't always get that perfect neck shot between trees. My priorities are Neck, Vitals or head and not in order. Depends on what I can see and identify.

 

[lovetsx]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: stacyp</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you watch any of the hunting shows on TV they shoot the vitals. Never fails they run in the brush and have to look for them. Im a neck shooter and never have to go in the brush looking for one. This may in some cases be harder to hit but it always means dead in their tracks. If you dont think you can hit the neck, then by all means shoot for the vitals. </div></div>

This is why me and my buddy have decided to only shoot for head or neck. You don't have to track. I lost several deer 3 years back. Started raining both times and washed the blood away... By time finially found the coyotes had already made it to him. So far in the last two years we have killed 6 deer with only neck or head. All dropped right there. It is so much easyer to clean with head shots. No blood or gut shots...

 

[Guest]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

It usually trashes a shoulder, but I always aim for high center shoulder.
The shot seems to work in two ways.

1. It short-circuits the nervous system via the spinal column. That usually locks them up like they've been instantly frozen and they drop right there.

2. Even if the spine isn't directly hit, the bullet breaks the tripod between the two front legs and the spine.

Either way, down they go. No tracking.

 

[LWILLIAMS]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Lost one very large mule deer buck to a neck shot, tracked him forever and never found him as he entered a property the owner would not let anyone trespass on. I will only take a good shoulder shot from now on. But to each there own.

 

[RTH1800]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Most of the travling, international hunters would not dream of using the neck shot if other shots presented the opportunity. None of the professional deer cullers I know use the neck shot if given any other. These two groups shot between them, thousands of animals to one the local guy does.
With offense to no one, I would say that most of the local bar stool, drive around and poach them on someone elses land types, are the neck shooters and head shooters. For these boys, the neck or head shot is very appealing. No need to get dirty looking in the woods for the deer that runs 50 yards. No worry if wounded, just drive around and find another on someone elses land and try again. More fun to show the "sporting neck shot" made at "500 yards" or the gross out brain shot at the local bar.
More time to throw the deer in the truck and get away before being seen and reported.
I my opinion, there is VERY seldom an excuse for a neck shot. I realize this is an emotional subject for those who's ego is involved, but the facts are clear.
Brain shots make a visual mess and the head is small and moving.
Neck shots are small targets that move to a lesser degree.
The safe shot is the heart lung area. Large area, fairly quick and humane kill. If you are a good enough shot to hit the neck, you are a good enough shot to hit the heart lung area.

 

[reelman]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Shoot for the lungs! Head shots are great IF everything goes perfect, if not you end up with a deer starving to death with it's jaw blown off. Neck shots are good again IF you hit the spine or close enough to it to knock the animal down, if not you either shoot through muscle or windpipe, plus you waste a lot of meat with a neck shot.

Shoot them through the lungs with a good expanding bullet like a Ballistic Tip and the deer is dead within 50yds if not dropping on the spot. You waste at the most 1 pound of meat and who really cuts all the little scraps out of the ribs anyway. Plus the lung is a nice big target to hit with a huge margin of error.

Head shooters and most neck shooters do it for one reason: to try to look cool and brag irregardless of what happens to the animal.

 

[patriotoutlaw]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I just killed my 51st and 52nd deer to a neck shot with my Mini-14 (go ahead and diss me for shooting a Mini, but it definitely shoots minute of critter w/ 62gr. Sierra Gk's)this past deer season. I have yet to miss one or have one get away. Haven't had to blood trail one either. That lil .224 bullet don't leave much of a blood trail.I've trailed my son's deer shot with a .223 in the past and the blood trail is sparse at best with a lung shot deer. All of my other calibers that I hunt with, I aim for the vitals. Yep it destroys more meat, but the blood trial is there to follow if necessary, which usually isn't too far.As far neck shooting to brag about it, that is not an issue with me. We have a call in system in MO, so I never have to leave the farm. Ya'll are the 1st to know about it, outside of the MDC and my family.....

 

[CA48]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I worked for three years on a white tail ranch and under MLD permit we usually needed to harvest around 100 does each season. I most of the time did a neck shot didn't lose hardly any meat and sometimes hit vertebrae and sometimes not but almost always DRT but if not they were immobilized. Of course had to track a few that is going to happen when harvesting that many does but the blood trail is usually makes you think some one was dumping out blood with a 5 gallon bucket(very easy to follow). Vitals is always great I personally like head and neck on does but the main thing is do whatever works for you but you know your limitations so to do not try to surpass them by taking a head shot for instances and hitting the animal in the jaw.

 

[HOOFER]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

i normally shoot for the neck on bucks and head on does, partly because when you gut them they are almost clean inside from blood squirting out their neck/head, if the shot is far or questionable obviously vitals are your best/largest target. a clean punch through the ribs is the best bet. you dont mess up the front shoulder or the backstraps.

 

[jpolansk]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I wouldn't shoot for the neck unless I was sure of a good solid hit. Don't get me wrong, I have done it, on my first buck none the less, but that is not to say that I would do it all the time. It works nicely and if done correctly does not waste any meat. I aimed just below the lower jaw region by a couple of inches on a quartering away shot.
If you can do it everytime in every condition go for it. If you are not positive you can drop it in it's tracks, then a vitals shot is a safe bet. just my $0.02

 

[sw22aellafrits]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Id just go for vitals, its a bigger target and you know you will kill it if you hit it right.

 

[TearMaker]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Gunning necks,is a great way to make easy shit hard.

 

[knockemdown]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I'd rather punch a deer through the lungs and have it bleed out on the run. Ribs is the only part I don't eat and find that dressin' chores are easier with all that blood out of way...

For coyotes, I just wanna bust 'em, so I'll take what they give me...

 

[Photon]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I've only taken one deer by neck shot, it was directly in the jugular and only because it was looking at my brother and was about to spook, I was told to avoid head and spine shots because of the 'era of CWD', and I had found the jugular in an deer arterial map the night before. It was only a 25 yard shot with a shotgun/sabots, so it wasn't out of the question.

I can typically hit a spine shot with my shotgun out to 50 yards with open sights, that will drop them instantly and I don't worry about CWD anymore, the hype is gone for me. I like doing the spine/head shots out to 200 yards because the sabots can really punch a hole. Anything further or smaller caliber i'll be using heart/lung shots because I can't penetrate the skull, kind of depends on what the game gives me, and if I feel like dragging a deer an extra 1/4 mile.

 

[Moof]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Yall got this all wrong... NO BODY said anything about shootin them in the butt. NOT that i'm aiming for their a$$ but sh!t happens. I once shot a doe useing a recurve. She jumped the string and the arrow got her butt. Blood trail was like a fire hose! 55 yds later DEAD. My 1st and 2nd largest buck was shot in the butt aswell but with fireams. LOL NO i'm not saying that one needs to shoot for the roast but my point is... well do what ever works.

 

[Jaeger308]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Over the past 10 years I have had the opportunity to work with farmers in my area that truly have a whitetail deer management problem. We shoot 15-25 does just off of this one large farm every year that sits right next to a public park with no hunting and overrun with deer. The local food link gets most of the meat. I use my .308 and take nothing but low neck shots. At that time of year when they are in the crops, bean field in particular, all you have are head and necks presented as targets. I go low neck as it will not move as much as the deer turns and bobs its head. They are dead before they hit the ground period! No meat is ruined. It is a small target however, I also started using Amax bullets, using a hunting bullet on deer necks just does to much damage. Bigger game would be another matter.

 

[reelman]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

How is no meat ruined with a neck shot? There is a lot of meat on the neck and I can't see how putting a bullet through all that meat doesn't ruin a bunch of it.

 

[81Z4ME]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I shot my first deer in the neck with a .308 (M1A, 165 grn. spitzer boat tail). I had to throw away about 8" section of neck. It was loaded with bone splinters. We tried saving some of that piece but we were carving it into hamburger or stew meat trying to find/cut out the bone splinters.

 

[7mmRM]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: tucker301</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It usually trashes a shoulder, but I always aim for high center shoulder.
The shot seems to work in two ways.

1. It short-circuits the nervous system via the spinal column. That usually locks them up like they've been instantly frozen and they drop right there.

2. Even if the spine isn't directly hit, the bullet breaks the tripod between the two front legs and the spine.

Either way, down they go. No tracking.

</div></div>

+1

 

[MontanaLon]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Have found more than a few dead deer with neck/head wounds. Always wondered why until I ran into a guy at the range shooting his "slug" gun before the season. Vent rib barrel with a scope. He could hold a 6" group at 50 yards and said that was good enough, he always shot for the neck and they either died right there or he missed. Well, not exactly.

High shoulder, you hit they are not going far if at all, a miss within 6" is going to leave a blood trail anyone could follow unless it is high and then they are DRT.

 

[mdesign]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

The supposed advantage would be less meat or pelt damage but the larger disadvantage could be a wounded animal if the hit does not go as planned.
In the hands of a good shot that knows his limitations, they work well, but left to the "wanna be" shooter with his new rifle, etc, a lot can go wrong. Same with head shots.

 

[psinclair]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

If I want an animal anchored fast and not moving after the shot I shoot the shoulders....otherwise I like broadside lung shots through the ribcage.

All of the guiding I've done over the past 30+ years, I've never advised a neck shot shot...on anything. IMO its a poor choice.

 

[Ankeny]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I think most game wardens in the west would agree, the most failed and problematic shot in terms of cripples are head/neck shots.

 

[lovetsx]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

We only take neck and head shots. We also practice. I go to my happy hunting grounds. Place beer cans at various ranges from 100-200 yards on fense post. If you can't hit the beer can you should not be tring for head shots.

 

[KClark]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ankeny</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think most game wardens in the west would agree, the most failed and problematic shot in terms of cripples are head/neck shots. </div></div>

I'm not a game warden but after 38 years of avid hunting I can say most of the wounded deer and elk I've come across were shot in the jaw or windpipe.

 

[trilogymac]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: PGS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If I want an animal anchored fast and not moving after the shot I shoot the shoulders....otherwise I like broadside lung shots through the ribcage.

</div></div>

+1

 

[lovetsx]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Same should be said of bow hurting. I find lots of deer every year that had been shot with a bow and never recovered. I helped track three shot in the chest with a bow and we never found them. These bow hunters keep shooting until they finally find one that they shot.

I usually tag out opening day. I hunt the remainder of the season without bullets. I go out and watch and learn from them. I dry fire. I set up the shot and dry fire. I no longer get "buck fever". Don't take a head shot unless you practice it and only if you Don't get buck fever. I would never let one of my sons try a head shot. I will continue to shot them in the head. I haven't lost one yet... But I practice for them...

Right now I am practiceing turkey head shots. I am in the woods patterning them and practiceing the head shot without actucally shooting just dry fireing.

 

[medbill]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lovetsx</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We only take neck and head shots. We also practice. I go to my happy hunting grounds. Place beer cans at various ranges from 100-200 yards on fense post. If you can't hit the beer can you should not be tring for head shots. </div></div>

You mean a beer can on edge (top or bottom) right?

 

[KClark]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

On a different note, I hope you're not one of those jackasses that shoot fence posts apart because you're too lazy to put up a target stand or just don't give a shit about other peoples property. It really burns me up to find my fence posts shot to hell, clips gone, wires drooped or shot in two, then the fools who did it act like I'm being mean and selfish because I wont let them hunt again.
[rant off]

 

[lovetsx]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Lay an EMPTY beer can side ways on the TOP of the post. There is really only two old posts around the field the rest I stick a stick in the ground at an angle and stick the can on it. and Yes I pick my cans up. If you hit the post that means you missed and have no busienss takeing head shots. This is private property that only I am allowed to hunt.

The kill zone for a head shot is the size of a beer can. If you can't hit the can that means you blow a ear or jaw off and you have no busiess takeing head shots then...

Some people out there can't even hit a heart shot and need to go practice or stay out of the woods.

 

[reelman]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

How much do those beer cans move when you are shooting at them? There is a HUGE difference between shooting at the range, or at a beer can, and shooting a living animal.

 

[Northrop]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

lovetsx, I just want to elaborate on the bowhunting comment u made.
ANYONE who shoots a deer with a bow ANYWHERE other then behind the shoulder on purpose is a fool!! Period!!
And anyone who shoots a deer and makes a bad hit (if you bowhunt long enough it will happen) Then you owe it to that deer to be out there giving it 110% to recover it.
Learning to track a wounded animal is part of bowhunting, if you don't want to track, then u shouldn't be bowhunting!!!Period!!

 

[ARCOREY]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Learning to track a wounded animal is part of any type of hunting. I've seen well placed shots on small whitetails with rifles as large as a 300 WM result in a several hour tracking job. I have personally shot deer behind the shoulder with a bow and dropped them within a few steps of the impact. A creatures will to live can be remarkable, especially when they are wounded. Every hunter owes it to the game they pursue to make a lethal shot whether it be head, neck, shoulder, heart, lung, rifle, bow, shotgun, blackpowder doesn't make a difference. One shot isn't better than the other all the time, circumstance and the hunter make the difference. Personally I limit my shots with a bow to 45yds broadside and 30yds quartering away. No head on and no quartering to shots and never straight away. I know people can shoot them at 75yds, and some say 45yds is too much. That is what I feel comfortable with. With a rifle I don't get opportunities past 100yds usually. My rifle is setup to take advantage of that fact. I don't shoot at deer running mach II through the woods, trotting yes, if I feel I can easily make the shot. I don't shoot 200yds+ at them because I don't practice that shot as I feel it won't be needed in my area. I don't use super tough 30"+ penetrating bullets, because I don't want my bullet energy dumped into the ridge behind the deer. A nice copper jacketed soft point works just fine for our whitetails. Neck shots if that's all I have, usually within 50yds with a good rest on a calm and still deer. The deers attitude will dictate this. Most times I can wait for a nice behind the shoulder or in the shoulder heart lung shot and have a short if any tracking job. As a youth I made some stupid shots and some payed out and some fed the coyotes later. I regret those now that I am old enough to know better. If you hunt long enough and take enough shots on game animals, eventually one will get away from you. And if you are a good hunter, it will have exhausted you looking for it and kept you up all night worrying about it. If not, you're probably just a shooter and not a hunter. The main thing is to learn from mistakes both your own and others and give the animal every ounce of respect it deserves before, during, and after you pull the trigger.

 

[Northrop]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

VERY WELL STATED ARCOREY!!!!!!!

 

[lovetsx]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

What I was trying to say is don't pull the trigger or hit the release unless you know you got the shot. That takes practice. A lot of "SHOOTERS" fire a gun only once or twice a year during hunting season. Listen on opening day BANG! BANG! BAng! and they still missed. You have to know your limits and that comes from practice. My beer can shoots is at different ranges and act as land marks. I have a range card filled out with every tree's range. I have a tree stand in the tree behind my house and I will practice the bow every night before season. The most important thing I have learned out of tracking is to wait two hours before you start tracking. Over the years I have seen lots of deer get jumped 50-100 yards from where they were shot. they had laid down to die and the excited hunter went right after them. Jumped them and sending them away at a fell run.

one morning 5 years ago I was one of those "SHOOTERS" I was at the top of a hill over looking a field just inside the tree line. 285 yards away this 12 pointer the biggest deer I have ever seen came walking out. I steadied my 22-250 on my shooting stick. I fired and heard slap. It stopped and looked at me. I cycled the bolt. fired again. Slap. It walked 20 yards and stopped and looked at me again. I fired again. Slap!. It walked into the woods. Couple minutes later here comes the land owner and my son. yelling you got it. We heard the bullets hit. I told them it was to soon. Ignoring me they ran to the bottom of the hill. they found three different impact blood sign and a blood trail and jsut before they entered the woods a 3" piece of rib. Their first step into the woods the 12 pointer which had laid down just inside the tree line jumped up and took off. We tracked all day. and just before dark it came a down pour. I didn't sleep at all that night and spent the next day in the rain wondering the woods. That buck haunts me to this day. The next year I bought a 25-06 and got into TSX bullets and practice every chance I get. I have not lost a deer since...

I just think we should be as humane as we can be and kill as fast as we can. I will never forget the first deer I shot with a muzzle loader 25 years ago. Double lungs. It was laying there moaning gasping for air and crying. It brought tears to my eyes. Until I shot it a second time in the head. They don't suffer with the right head shot...

 

[SmokeRolls]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I made that mistake years ago... I took a neck shot at a gorgeous super dark brown 10+ point white tail in marion Co Kentucky with a 270 win loaded with Barnes XLC 130 grain.....Shot was at 100 yards, deer was peeking out from behind a tree and shoulder was too close to tree for me to feel comfortable so neck shot it was, the deer took off.....I waited alittle while and slowly started to track it. Found quite a bit of blood where deer was standing, I tracked it for 1/4 mile and blood trail was on a steady decrease....... Lost all evidence of blood and tracks at that point....... I will never shoot a deer in the neck again. If you have noticed the inside of a gutted deer neck, it's all hollow. You have the spine at the top, the arteries towards the bottom and the wind pipe floating around towards the bottom. There is a large area of just neck muscle with hollow area inbetween......If this area is hit, you might as well kiss that deer goodbye...... Luckily this deer survived to continue procreating and siring some good deer because he looked great and he is still seen in this area. He is probably a 15-18+ pointer now........ I am a firm believer in the front shoulder shot/heart/lungs shot.....And that is all I will do now.......................SmokeRolls

 

[300zero]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jgn8541</div><div class="ubbcode-body">lovetsx, I just want to elaborate on the bowhunting comment u made.
ANYONE who shoots a deer with a bow ANYWHERE other then behind the shoulder on purpose is a fool!! Period!!
And anyone who shoots a deer and makes a bad hit (if you bowhunt long enough it will happen) Then you owe it to that deer to be out there giving it 110% to recover it.
Learning to track a wounded animal is part of bowhunting, if you don't want to track, then u shouldn't be bowhunting!!!Period!!
</div></div>

Agreed. If you don't want to track a wounded animal using any weapon, stay out of the woods.

 

[medbill]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

It's like I told my young nephew last hunting season, we ain't starving for the meat. Wait for a perfect, ethical shot and sometimes even when we do everything as well as we can stuff happens and that's why we learn how to track and follow a blood trail.

Just make em count guys, lost/wounded game makes us all look bad, especially the ones with missing jaws and arrows sticking out of them.

 

[luciausarmy]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

Shot a small buck in the neck with a 300 win mag 180gr bullet, dropped him in his tracks, ejected the round made sure one wasnt in the chmaber put it around my shoulder started to walk towards the deer and up he jumped ran away and never found him again, therefore I dont do the neck shots anymore.

 

[cjaclwill]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

BillyLo 1+

If you can hit the neck wait for a decent head shot.

If you don't want to waste meat shoot a little above and behind the shoulder. Lung shots, a high shot about 4-6 inches below the spine, directly behind the shoulder, will devastate/quickly kill a deer and exit through the ribcage. I have dropped over 20 deer with ballistic tip, 130 grain Federal 270 rounds. Normally they don't even get a chance to run...they just drop!

And for you meat enthusiasts...if you can get meat off the rib cage I will bow in your presence. That is a real pain in the ass!

 

[bachelorjack]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I shoot them in the low neck with 45acp.

 

[lovetsx]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pistol Pete</div><div class="ubbcode-body">BillyLo 1+

If you can hit the neck wait for a decent head shot.

If you don't want to waste meat shoot a little above and behind the shoulder. Lung shots, a high shot about 4-6 inches below the spine, directly behind the shoulder, will devastate/quickly kill a deer and exit through the ribcage. I have dropped over 20 deer with ballistic tip, 130 grain Federal 270 rounds. Normally they don't even get a chance to run...they just drop!

And for you meat enthusiasts...if you can get meat off the rib cage I will bow in your presence. That is a real pain in the ass! </div></div>

We always barbeque the rib meat. You don't like ribs?

 

[Chanonry]

Re: Neck Shots, advantages, disadvantages

I heard all of this chat about damaging meat so thought a neck shot was better. First (and only) time I did it was with a 223 and I lost a lot of meat from the neck! Seems to me the whole point is to damage some meat, you just choose where.

Provided only take a shot within your real capabilities I don't see that the preferred kill zone is a big deal.

Personally I aim for one third down on the shoulder. It takes the wheels out with fair chance of taking the spine as well but isn't such a precise shot as neck or head. Sooner or later I will screw it up and this is more forgiving.

If I am well back, the dog gets to earn it's biscuits

Andy