Neck shot ethics

[Smithb9841]

Splatter bullets for the win!
230 yards. Put both fists in the exit.

What in the hell caused that damage??? is splatter bullet code for a damn hand grenade haha

 

[Laramie]

Thats not a failure. That was a miss

As I stated earlier. Arrogance leads the conversation. Neck shots simply present a smaller target and therfore a higher likelihood of a poor hit that leaves a wounded deer running around the woods. Your earlier comment regarding archery is likely true but it has no bearing on the conversation. The debate is whether a neck shot is ethical. I think most agree it is very lethal if executed properly but it is more challenging than a lung shot. There is no debating that. How hunters interpret that for their personal ethics isn't up to you or me.

 

[goalie]

Upon further reflection I've come to the conclusion that the ethics of a neck shot are the same as any other shot on live game.

Either you have practiced and know you can make the shot with the equipment in your hands, or you're playing "pull and pray" on a live animal.

Whether that's a shot at lungs from 700 yards, or one at the neck from 100 yards, it's ethically the same.

 

[KenLee]

What in the hell caused that damage??? is splatter bullet code for a damn hand grenade haha

300 wsm 150 gr NBT

 

[Justin Crossley]

This is a neck shot I took at 393 yards a few years back. It was very effective, and there was almost zero meat loss. I was prone with a bipod and rear bag. I had crawled as close as I would get in that situation. I'm a way better and more experienced shooter now and would probably not take this particular shot in those conditions today.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Bullet too hard

Too hard?
A round ball doesn't "expand". Just punches a caliber sized hole in and out.
My muzzleloader days are over, but my favorite load in my T/C Renegade .54 was a .429 caliber, 240 grain solid nose in a sabot with 90 grains of fffG.
Never had a deer run over 50 yards. There was a .429 hole entry and a .429 hole exit.
Not sure about the "why", but you could literally eat right up to the bullet hole.
A large, heavy, slow moving bullet doesn't leave much blood shot meat.
A guy I knew hunted with a .22-250. Those medium sized east Texas whitetails were blood shot from mid neck to last rib with a classic behind the leg shot.....and seldom was a shoulder salvageable!

 

[Amos Keeto]

This is a neck shot I took at 393 yards a few years back. It was very effective, and there was almost zero meat loss. I was prone with a bipod and rear bag. I had crawled as close as I would get in that situation. I'm a way better and more experienced shooter now and would probably not take this particular shot in those conditions today.

Friend and me were hunting Nat'l Forest when we spotted a doe that looked horrible.
As we got closer, it was evident her lower jaw was missing.
We shot her and left her lay. Her lower jaw wound was horrendous and you could tell she was extremely stressed.
No telling how long she had been without water.

If you want to do neck/head shots, go for it! I won't except in cases of "emergency"(?)!

 

[goalie]

Friend and me were hunting Nat'l Forest when we spotted a doe that looked horrible.
As we got closer, it was evident her lower jaw was missing.
We shot her and left her lay. Her lower jaw wound was horrendous and you could tell she was extremely stressed.
No telling how long she had been without water.

If you want to do neck/head shots, go for it! I won't except in cases of "emergency"(?)!

I guess I "get it" but again, either you're taking a shot you know you can make or you're playing the "pull and pray" game on a live animal. There's not much similarity to me shooting a buck that is standing stationary giving me a good angle with my 45/70 at 20-25 yards and lobbing one in at 400. I can put 10 shots into an inch black square with that rifle at 25 yards.

 

[KenLee]

Too hard?
A round ball doesn't "expand". Just punches a caliber sized hole in and out.
My muzzleloader days are over, but my favorite load in my T/C Renegade .54 was a .429 caliber, 240 grain solid nose in a sabot with 90 grains of fffG.
Never had a deer run over 50 yards. There was a .429 hole entry and a .429 hole exit.
Not sure about the "why", but you could literally eat right up to the bullet hole.
A large, heavy, slow moving bullet doesn't leave much blood shot meat.
A guy I knew hunted with a .22-250. Those medium sized east Texas whitetails were blood shot from mid neck to last rib with a classic behind the leg shot.....and seldom was a shoulder salvageable!

Yes too hard. With an expanding bullet, his neck shot deer would have been laying there dead.
What good is a shoulder if you can't find the deer?

 

[Justin Crossley]

Friend and me were hunting Nat'l Forest when we spotted a doe that looked horrible.
As we got closer, it was evident her lower jaw was missing.
We shot her and left her lay. Her lower jaw wound was horrendous and you could tell she was extremely stressed.
No telling how long she had been without water.

If you want to do neck/head shots, go for it! I won't except in cases of "emergency"(?)!

I am not advocating for anyone to take a particular shot or not. I would be much less likely to take the shot today than I was at that time.

 

[molliesmaster]

I'd rather see more sub-100-yard neck shots than this long-range fad we've got going now, especially if we are discussing ethics.

 

[roosiebull]

I usually always bow hunt and last year was the first year I shot a deer with a firearm. I drew a state park hunt which is firearms only. I'm shooting a .44mag and had a prefect neck shot opportunity but never more than that. I opted not taking the shot. After talking to some people who've hunted a lot longer than I have, they say it's an ethical shot. I'm so used to bow hunting not sure if I should have taken that shot? Thoughts?

If it’s not a long shot from a known distance with a good rest, the neck shot is my favorite for deer. It’s quick and clean and the blood shot doesn’t spread like it does behind the shoulders

I have shot several there and watched a bunch more, and it’s been no drama every time. It’s a horrible shot with a bow, and shouldn’t be considered ever, but with a rifle, it works great

 

[goalie]

If it’s not a long shot from a known distance with a good rest, the neck shot is my favorite for deer. It’s quick and clean and the blood shot doesn’t spread like it does behind the shoulders

I have shot several there and watched a bunch more, and it’s been no drama every time. It’s a horrible shot with a bow, and shouldn’t be considered ever, but with a rifle, it works great

This sums it up for me as well. Considering I'm usually hunting in the woods and a "long" shot would be 50 yards or so, it's more if the deer gives me a good, stationary shot than anything else. Heck, I usually have a nice steady rest on the rail of the stand.

 

[S-3 ranch]

I'd rather see more sub-100-yard neck shots than this long-range fad we've got going now, especially if we are discussing ethics.

100% this crazy crap is ridiculous shooting @ 500+ yards
In the last week I have watched 3 or 4 hunting test shooting videos and every single person has failed to make a more than 60% on average at 400+ yards
In a hunting situation and setting, with a long range setup rifle.
So step back and analyze the ethics of lobbing bullets at game out of range for the average to less than average hunter ( much less a above average shooter)west of the Mississippi
Lots of nuts lose behind a rifle stock nowadays

 

[matchu865]

Neck shot worked pretty well on this little button buck. I wouldn’t go for it over ~150yrd even with a solid rest. This one was about 80yds shot off a pack.

 

[TSAMP]

Shot the lever gun this weekend with those hornady leverevolution bullets. 50 yard straight on. Lower neck entrance and the bullet stopped in the hide behind the last rib. I think they're a 250gr ftx bullet. Appeared to be a perfect mushroom. I need to snap some pics of it but I recovered the whole bullet. I could not even find the heart. It took about 2 steps.

 

[tradman]

During my elk hunt last week, I found someone's 6x6 bull in a canyon that had not been recovered. Reported the find to game and fish. Upon closer inspection I found that it was a neck shot as I found the entrance hole. You can see that it had been dead air few days as the eyes have been pecked out, the bird droppings on it and the smell of rot.

 

[Caseknife]

During my elk hunt last week, I found someone's 6x6 bull in a canyon that had not been recovered. Reported the find to game and fish. Upon closer inspection I found that it was a neck shot as I found the entrance hole. You can see that it had been dead air few days as the eyes have been pecked out, the bird droppings on it and the smell of rot.

Yep, neck shots you either kill them or miss them........

Tracked and killed a spike bull one elk season that had been wounded 4 days prior, lower jaw shot off.

Hunting partner shot a branched antler bull in the neck, bull dropped, hunter took his eyes off the bull, it got up and ran off, never to be seen again.

I shot a spike bull at about 50 yards offhand in the timber in the neck, he dropped like a sack of spuds, shortly got up and started to stagger off, shot again and he was down. Lots of area in the neck of an elk that is not vital, but will have adverse effects on the health of the animal. A little high and hit a spinal process and it will knock them out, but will not kill them. Hit a bit low and you just gave the elk a tracheotomy.

Too each their own, can only decide on your own personal ethics.

 

[FredoTwoWheels]

idk about elk but with whitetail my dad always takes neck shots, I used to always aim for heart but last year I aimed center of his neck broad side with 30-30 and he did not even take a step, honestly the most humane harvest I have ever had. But if you are the type to get excited I will say its a smaller target and it could more easily go south because of that.

 

[Swamp Fox]

I guess I "get it" but again, either you're taking a shot you know you can make or you're playing the "pull and pray" game on a live animal. There's not much similarity to me shooting a buck that is standing stationary giving me a good angle with my 45/70 at 20-25 yards and lobbing one in at 400. I can put 10 shotsa into an inch black square with that rifle at 25 yards.

It's not either/or. There is the third, more true situation where you *think* you can make the shot.

If you *know* you can make a shot under field conditions on a wild, untethered animal, there are more things in your favor than a wizard has crystal balls: range, wind, rest, nerves, weapon, load, stationary target, Fate.

(That is only a partial list. It could go on.)

The shots we think we can make are many more than the shots we know we can make.

I'm gonna leave it there, because almost nothing chaps my ass more than the idea/advice that if you're confident, you should take the shot.

Dean Wormer was confident he could run a college, and look where that got him ...