So guys I made a mistake, I started a discussion with a guy on youtube about the abilities of the sks as a deer gun. He said it had no use as one I said it could be used as one and that in the right hands it can hit a deer sized targets out to 300yrds (not that I would suggest trying it to much risk of non kill for my liking). His response was along the lines that he wants to be able to get head shots with precision and not have the animal take another step, with this statement I have a problem, the risks with hitting a deer in the head at long distance just seem to high to me and unless you are a truly exceptional marksmen with perfect conditions it just seems unethical to even try (I've seen the pictures and videos of the effects of this and they are sad to say the least), I point this out to him and he responds with this with "I head shot to 200 yards and heart, lung shot 300 plus . My rifles with my own ammo I shoot 1/4 moa groups at 1-2 and 300 yards". To me it seems to risky but on other forums I see a lot of talk about it usually in younger members, I wonder if this current generation being the COD wannabe sniper generation that it is (I come off sounding old but I'm only 23) is just thinking head shots are better because of games and movies. Maybe I'm just being over cautious and am way out in the left field here, what do you guys think about head shots on deer and the whole situation in general?
Deer Hunting: Headshots
- Thread starter wgamble89
- Start date
burnt_servo
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- right in the middle of b.c.
i've seen more than a few deer with wounds in their neck and heads .... last fall a friend of mine put down a doe with her lower jaw shot off .
not a fan of head shots .
hit them in the heart / lungs even if it is a marginal shot , the animal won't last long .....
and don't forget to practice practice practice ..... the more you shoot your gun the less the animal will suffer .
not a fan of head shots .
hit them in the heart / lungs even if it is a marginal shot , the animal won't last long .....
and don't forget to practice practice practice ..... the more you shoot your gun the less the animal will suffer .
Chalk it up to the fact the guy you were talking to is a clown, 1/4 moa on a bench is very hard to do let alone in any hunting conditions.
I personally won't head shot a deer unless it is 50 yds or less away, and i have a steady shot. anything more risks unecessary wounding and suffering should the tiniest mistake be made.
Growing up if I took a deer home that was not shot in the head I got my ass kicked for damaging meat. Times have changed.
Also 90% of the deer shot were with in 50 yards. Funny part is of all the deer I have taken over the years only lost one doe and it was a heart shot. Found her the following weekend rabbit hunting
Also 90% of the deer shot were with in 50 yards. Funny part is of all the deer I have taken over the years only lost one doe and it was a heart shot. Found her the following weekend rabbit hunting
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I'm of the opinion that a headshot is just to risky & could seriously wound the animal rather than killing it.
I always shoot deer just behind the front shoulder while they stand broadside OR 1/4'ing (aiming for the far shoulder).
And, the sks is fine for deer, IMHO.
Cheers
Jay
I always shoot deer just behind the front shoulder while they stand broadside OR 1/4'ing (aiming for the far shoulder).
And, the sks is fine for deer, IMHO.
Cheers
Jay
I'm of the opinion that head shots have to much room for error. I'm more of a heart/lung shooter because it allows for a margin of error should the conditions change too quickly to adapt for them. On shots under 50 yards on non-moving animals I will sometimes take a neck shot assuming the conditions allow for it (steady rest, unsuspecting animal, no wind, etc.).
If this guy says he can take 1/4 MOA shots at 200 yards off hand in hunting conditions he is either one of the best there ever was or full of crap. I'm leaning towards the latter.
If this guy says he can take 1/4 MOA shots at 200 yards off hand in hunting conditions he is either one of the best there ever was or full of crap. I'm leaning towards the latter.
Cranky Pants
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I would be very hesitant to try a sks on deer sized targets out to 300 yds. Yes maybe it "can " hit them but I haven't experienced that sort of accuracy out of an SKS to trust I would make an ethical shot. Personally, I would only use one to 150 yds max but that is me.
Head shots... not what I try but I have taken a few animals with neck shots and at the base of the head. I only try this if I am in a stand, resting my rifle and the animal is very close (20-50 yds) It is easier to miss than one would think!
Head shots... not what I try but I have taken a few animals with neck shots and at the base of the head. I only try this if I am in a stand, resting my rifle and the animal is very close (20-50 yds) It is easier to miss than one would think!
I stated that I did not even consider the using an sks out to that distance because the risk of a non kill is to high, but in my discussion with he guy I said sks can hit a deer size target at 300 yrds, which it can I believe one of the members on here has a video hitting an eighteen inch gong at 300yrds. Head shots at close range I don't see a problem with but the person I was talking with on youtube was suggesting using them out to 200yrds.
Risky indeed! In ABSOLUTLEY perfect conditions (steady rest, no wind, clear line of sight, etc.) I might consider a head shot, but not with an SKS. Like most of us who have chimed in on this thread, I'll go for a heart/lung shot.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Here is how you know if you can do it.
Shoot a golf ball from a known distance.If you hit it 10/10 times at that distance during normal hunting scenarios you can do a head shot.
As for boiler room shots , the same can be done with a 1 gallon milk jug.That is how I determine how far I can go with a boiler room shot.
Try it standing and resting, you would be shocked how poor a shot you really are.
How well could you do that?
Shoot a golf ball from a known distance.If you hit it 10/10 times at that distance during normal hunting scenarios you can do a head shot.
As for boiler room shots , the same can be done with a 1 gallon milk jug.That is how I determine how far I can go with a boiler room shot.
Try it standing and resting, you would be shocked how poor a shot you really are.
How well could you do that?
Logan_Lamothe
Regular
- Location
- Big River, Sask
I have taken deer with neck shots, close range a solid rest and perfect conditions. But 99% of my deer have been behind the shoulder through the lungs and almost all drop in their tracks and those that did run did not go far. I use a 7mm Rem Mag with 160 grain accubonds.
One could argue that ANY offhand shot provides too much room for error, no matter where you are aiming. I have seen DOZENS of broadside and quartering shots go completely wrong, gut shots, too high and didn't hit lungs or spine, brisket hit, shoulders smashed too high or too far forward, i could go on... For those reasons, I don't take offhand shots. I have seen far too many go wrong. I take the shots that count. And, YES, I WILL TAKE HEAD SHOTS OUT TO 200 YDS WHEN THINGS ARE RIGHT!! I have hunted with SKS's, Lee Enfields, M48's, and Nagants. They were all I could afford when I was younger, but they were NEVER headshot rifles. For me, a headshot rifle, will hit a golf ball at 100yds from the bench every time. Then, I KNOW it will do what I want at 200. I have rifles that will do that now.
I also have certain advantages that many others don't. I have 3 months to shoot 3 deer and I hunt for meat almost in my back yard so I haven't paid out big money for a moose or white tail hunt. No hurry so I don't have to rush. I can go out almost every day during the season. I have a known distance range minutes from my house. And I shoot several hundred rounds a year from my rifles, ESP the one I plan to use in any particular area/situation. And I always shoot from a rest. Even for hophers. Lessons learned from 30 years of hunting. While most of the animals I've shot in my time have been broadside boiler room shots, the past 3 years have seen more with head shots because I can now make those shots reliably and, being older, I just don't want to chase them and have to drag them back.
Far too many people here put their own limitations on what someone else can do. Just because you can't do it does not mean others can't.
Pages and pages last year condemning videos of an 1100yd shot on a moose or a 600yd shot on a elk with a .243. Just because they couldn't do it, it is unethical.
No different than driving in the winter. Drive to your ability and you'll have people get pissy because you are not going fast enough, pass you and then 20 minutes down the road you are pulling them out of the ditch...dang, just make the shots you can make and leave others alone.
I also have certain advantages that many others don't. I have 3 months to shoot 3 deer and I hunt for meat almost in my back yard so I haven't paid out big money for a moose or white tail hunt. No hurry so I don't have to rush. I can go out almost every day during the season. I have a known distance range minutes from my house. And I shoot several hundred rounds a year from my rifles, ESP the one I plan to use in any particular area/situation. And I always shoot from a rest. Even for hophers. Lessons learned from 30 years of hunting. While most of the animals I've shot in my time have been broadside boiler room shots, the past 3 years have seen more with head shots because I can now make those shots reliably and, being older, I just don't want to chase them and have to drag them back.
Far too many people here put their own limitations on what someone else can do. Just because you can't do it does not mean others can't.
Pages and pages last year condemning videos of an 1100yd shot on a moose or a 600yd shot on a elk with a .243. Just because they couldn't do it, it is unethical.
No different than driving in the winter. Drive to your ability and you'll have people get pissy because you are not going fast enough, pass you and then 20 minutes down the road you are pulling them out of the ditch...dang, just make the shots you can make and leave others alone.
Head shots are instant death IF the brain is hit.
However, the brain is a small target in any big game animal.
It is far too easy to miss the actual brain and cause the animal a long lingering, painful death.
I have seen a number of animals with the lower jaw hanging after a "head" shot.
One was a poor bull moose which was on the verge of collapsing from dehydration.
I have heard people say..."I take head shots because it is either DRT or I have missed"
Nothing could be further from the truth!! Makes me wonder how many "missed" animals escaped to die slowly.
While it is true that some animals supposedly shot in the lungs escape, the % of such losses is very low compared to head shot losses.
Of the 300+ big game animals I have shot in my lifetime, only 5 or 6 were shot in the head.
I have very strict criteria that must be met before I will take such a shot.
1. The range must be short, preferably within 60-70 yards.
2. I must have a steady rest....NO offhand shots.
3. The animal must be only showing the head, making a heart lung shot impossible.
4. A follow-up shot must be possible, should the animal move after the shot.
A parting thought.....a ¼moa "hunting" rifle under field conditions, and shooting offhand??
I'm waving the BS flag on this one, too.
Regards, Eagleye.
However, the brain is a small target in any big game animal.
It is far too easy to miss the actual brain and cause the animal a long lingering, painful death.
I have seen a number of animals with the lower jaw hanging after a "head" shot.
One was a poor bull moose which was on the verge of collapsing from dehydration.
I have heard people say..."I take head shots because it is either DRT or I have missed"
Nothing could be further from the truth!! Makes me wonder how many "missed" animals escaped to die slowly.
While it is true that some animals supposedly shot in the lungs escape, the % of such losses is very low compared to head shot losses.
Of the 300+ big game animals I have shot in my lifetime, only 5 or 6 were shot in the head.
I have very strict criteria that must be met before I will take such a shot.
1. The range must be short, preferably within 60-70 yards.
2. I must have a steady rest....NO offhand shots.
3. The animal must be only showing the head, making a heart lung shot impossible.
4. A follow-up shot must be possible, should the animal move after the shot.
A parting thought.....a ¼moa "hunting" rifle under field conditions, and shooting offhand??
I'm waving the BS flag on this one, too.
Regards, Eagleye.
that sounds like a very good idea for practice with the deer rifle. I know people that could not hit a one gallon milk jug off the bench at hundred yards.
