Deer Hunting: Headshots

The 7.62 x 39 is a capable deer round with a proper bullet, in the .30/30 class. I certainly wouldn't use it for deer at 300 yards, especially not with iron sights.

Head shots are for a) bayonet range, b) competition-level shooters (of which I am not one) and c) bragging rights (which generally omit the failures). On the other hand, one in the boiler room and it's Bambi in the freezer.

Your 'friend' falls firmly into the Fudd category, IMHO.
 
There's a reason the vitals of an animal are referred to as 'the boiler room'. It's a fairly large target area, and pretty much a guaranteed kill when you hit it. I've only shot an animal in the head to put it out of its misery.
 
My one hunting buddy left me with beans for the season as a fifty yard head
shot was missed.
The fook had the doe draw too.
Free hand head shot, yeah right.
 
I think head shooting a deer is effective ( if hit properly) having said that there is nothing so sickening to look at than a deer's head blown apart with a high power. I shoot behind the shoulder and it has worked well. Old timers shot them in the head at close range to save on meat damage years ago. I don't mind losing a little rib meat with a broadside shot. It does hurt a little to damage the heart because thay can so well.

Darryl
 
I've shot two deer in the head. Both were previously wounded, the barrels were about a foot from their head and as far as I could tell, dead as soon I pulled the trigger. It's messy, but looking a crippled deer in the eye isn't a pretty sight. I figured I owed it to both of them to kill them as soon as possible.

I aim for behind the shoulder into "the boiler room" on the initial shot and luckily usually don't run into the above situation.

Cory
 
id never ever think of taking a head shot even a put down show should be at the base of the skull and hit the spine

only time i ever even come close i took at neck shot with load of 0000 buck at 20 yards that did drop it on the spot because it hit the spine
 
I've done it rarely from a tree stand on a relaxed deer, but there are to many variables, be very cautious of doing it, a deer is not a paper target. Jim
 
Cranky Pants said:
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!
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This ^^^

Also, the gutting process of a deer that has been head-shot is a real pleasure compared to a lung - shot one!
 
Bull####

wgamble89 said:
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?
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He is a keyboard warrior. People who shoot 1/4 moa groups are almost never this full of used dog food.
 
HammerHeade said:
I would personally never go for it, seeing a few jawless deer makes one hesitant about going for shots like that.
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^ this. I have personally never witnessed this but have heard many stories and it bothers me to no end! You take a dears jaw off and it is going to starve and have a slow and painful death over a long period of time! These f*cktards that try for head shots just don't get it?! It's a shame that not all hunters share the respect of the animal that many of us do. Take a nice lung shot or heart shot, know the anotomy of the animal you are hunting. You wanna be a bad ass cod sniper, practice on steel gongs at distance and leave the animals alone. jus' my two cents...
 
You find out VERY fast your off hand shooting ability , and some with a steady rest!!

As for the 1/4 MOA,it is totally achievable in this situation...................... with one shot groups!

brownie said:
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.
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But people will shoot rats, mice and golphers as far as they can hit them, anywhere. Why is that acceptable, are deer on a heightened tier of ethic?
Seems the smaller the creature or more pesky the less it matters where its hit or how long it takes to die. Ill admit, while my goal is a quick kill, should that peasant creature escape, i dont lose any sleep.
 
fuzzynuts54 said:
But people will shoot rats, mice and golphers as far as they can hit them, anywhere. Why is that acceptable, are deer on a heightened tier of ethic?
Seems the smaller the creature or more pesky the less it matters where its hit or how long it takes to die. Ill admit, while my goal is a quick kill, should that peasant creature escape, i dont lose any sleep.
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rats,mice,sparrows,starlings,crows are pest and they are alot easier to kill same thing as pest/feral species like hogs/pigs in the US and AUS and water buffalo,goats,camel,scrub bulls, in AUS i could care less if they run off and die some where as long as they're dead

now game deer,moose,black bear i want to die quick and painless and i want to find them i dont want to shoot they're jaw off and have the starve to death headshots are a no no on big game (id go as far as saying that true for coyote and wolf too) i dont take head shots on any game other then squirrels and rabbits even then its mostly heart/lung shots
 
billard81 said:
^ If you can heart shot a squirrel, you can head shot a deer. :)
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lol well lung shot them anyway cant really hit something the size of a pea does a shotgun pellet count. but i always say heart/lung maybe i should start saying boiler room and i almost always hit the heart of a deer unless i chose not to then i lung shoot them so i can have heart in the morning goot pratice for this shooting tennis balls for coyote a golf ball is better
 
Maybe its because deer around here don't think hunters travel more then 200meters from a truck or atv, but I'm often very close to deer I shoot, like 40yards or less. If I'm close enough to a deer that if it was a grouse I'd shoot the head off it, I'll take a head shot if thats all I have a clean shot at. I will not pass up a high probability shot shot to the boiler room for a head shot, but when a deer I've snuck up on stands up out of its bed and all I can see are the hind quarters and its head I'll shoot it in the back of the head every time.
Lets face it if you're confident in your ability to head shoot grouse you can probably hit a much larger target that doesn't move as suddenly at the same distances.
 
I've shot about 40 or so deer in the head/high neck. Inside 100 yds and from a prone rest with a bipod, it is my preferred shot. I've never lost one but have had a lot that I didn't actually pull the trigger on since the conditions were not ideal. Take the shots you know from practice and experience that you can make. I've seen several deer hit and lost by others taking the chest/lung shot and screwing it up. I have yet to lose an animal but the two that came closest were both moose shot through the lungs.
 
I have gotten odd looks from hunters for doing head shots on deer.

Some of the guys claim they are a risky shot and I say it is like anything else - it depends. I used to live at the range and shoot at least three times a week. I burned up gun barrels and my hunting rig was also my target gun. Back then I could (and did) pan deer out to 200 yards given time to sling up and squeeze off my shot. The local mulies are dumb and will be happy to give you all the time you need for that, more often than not...

Wouldn't try it at that distance today but if I ever want to put the time and practice in - I am sure I could do it again. Any of you young guys with sharp eyes and steady nerves could do it too, given the practice. Range time is everything: get off the bench, practice your positions and your marksmanship and you will be surprised at how simple most hunting shots are.
 
Do not go for head shots on game you wish to eat - unless of course you want blood soaked meat when you open up a packet. The animal will not bleed out properly because as soon as the brain is shut off the heart quits pumping.

A shot to the heart/lung area will ensure that a few seconds of brain activity will pump most of the blood into the body cavity. This is a good thing!!

This is from my experience. While a perfectly excuted brain shot produces dramatic results if you can pull it off, you will hate yourself later on when butchering.
 
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