Neck Shooting Deer.

Cletus

Cletus

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We found out a couple years ago, the hard way, the way not to lose deer in ultra thick grass and trees is to shoot them in the neck. With shooting 30 cal guns, the deer fall quicker than a judges gavel. We were up near Rainy River and the cuts and food plots get thick fast. We lost a couple deer before realizing the neck works wonders. My question is I want to use a .243, for food plot shooting, and leave the .300 for more open "cut" shooting. Should a .243 loaded with 100 gr. partitions be ample enough for a neck shot say out to 100 yards or so. I know I prefer a vital shot, but we dont wanna lose anymore deer this time around. I also dont wanna try it out either at the deers expense that the smaller calibre isnt enough!
 
Hopefully others that have lot's of experience with the caliber chime in. I can't imagine that a deer would not drop like a rock from a 243 in the neck. I would think you wouldn't have any trouble out to the 250 yard range.

just my $.02
 
In 2003 I shot a large buck in the neck using a .300 savage at an honest 246 yards free hand.
I was not aiming for his neck but that is where it hit, that 150gr 30 cal bullet dropped him like a bag of hammers. until...

I ran up to him and at about 20 yards he decides to get up and run in my dad's direction so I could not shoot. we tracked him for about 20 min as it got dark real fast. came back the next day and followed the blood trail into the swamp (I love that yellow beige swamp grass, blood just shines on it). he jumpes up 20 yards from me and went back down in 5 yards. I expected him to be dead so I did not have my rifle in the swamp with me so I yelled at my Dad in the corn field to bring his gun and I put one more in him.

That was the sickest feeling I have ever felt. Knowing that big old brute layed in the muck for a good 14 hours with a bullet in his neck. It must have been hell and I just about gave up hunting because of that stupid freehand shot.

Not trying tochallenge anyone's ethics because I am sure that 98% of deer shot in the neck die instantly but this was one of the 2% that makes me aim for the boiler room and some extra tracking is worth not having that sick feeling.

On that note I have a buddy that used a 243 with factory winchester I think they were 90 grs and every time he pulled that trigger deer would drop.
 
I think neck shots should be reserved for close range, say, inside 50 yds.
It really depends on ones confidence level and proficiency with said weapon.

Personally, I've never taken a neck shot when I've got shoulder,or lung shots broad side.

No disrespect, but what makes you think a shot to the spine (neck) is better when a shot to the vitals didn't work?

There's still tracking involved on a bad neck shot !...
 
In 2003 I shot a large buck in the neck using a .300 savage at an honest 246 yards free hand.
I was not aiming for his neck but that is where it hit, that 150gr 30 cal bullet dropped him like a bag of hammers. until...

I ran up to him and at about 20 yards he decides to get up and run in my dad's direction so I could not shoot. we tracked him for about 20 min as it got dark real fast. came back the next day and followed the blood trail into the swamp (I love that yellow beige swamp grass, blood just shines on it). he jumpes up 20 yards from me and went back down in 5 yards. I expected him to be dead so I did not have my rifle in the swamp with me so I yelled at my Dad in the corn field to bring his gun and I put one more in him.

That was the sickest feeling I have ever felt. Knowing that big old brute layed in the muck for a good 14 hours with a bullet in his neck. It must have been hell and I just about gave up hunting because of that stupid freehand shot.

Not trying tochallenge anyone's ethics because I am sure that 98% of deer shot in the neck die instantly but this was one of the 2% that makes me aim for the boiler room and some extra tracking is worth not having that sick feeling.
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I have had three similar experiences with neck shot deer in the past 30 years,none of which I myself shot.The fact is that a shot in neck will usually drop a deer in it's tracks,but unless the spinal cord is severed,the deer can get up and run away wounded.It is not a matter of a clean kill or a clean miss as some people like to think.
 
this little deer, i shot with my 7mm. in the neck . well i was a cant remeber maybe 100 yards away. well it droped like a rock. so i seen it was down. so after maybe 3-5 min i walked up.(had to get my rope&knife) and it was not dead. it was crying. so i had to put one more into his head


broke his spine. and there was no meat left on his neck and his back was also broken (bullet skined his back mabe 10" down)

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We had two deer shot in our camp this year, one by me 35 yards broadside thro the boiler room with my .300 savage and a 35 yard neck shot with a .308. My deer ran 30 yards and was dead as a stone. The other deer ran 150 yards and needed a follow up shot.
 
I would say that most of the shots on these food plot areas would be about under 100 yards give or take. The reason for the smaller cal. would be too make for a little quieter shooting, not much but at least a little bit.
 
Trouble with a neck shot is if you hit high (above spine), there's a lot of muscle that can be badly messed up without killing the deer quickly. Yes a spine or windpipe hit will kill quickly, but why not stay on or behind shoulder? I've killed a couple bucks hitting the base of the neck, but to be honest I was aiming for the shoulder. I've taken probably 35 deer with "boiler room" shots. Never a head shot.
Cheers
Geoff
 
Somehow I would relegate neck shooting deer to the "bad idea" category ... Miss by so little as an inch, and you have a wounded deer running around, not worth the risk IMO.

Not to mention the risk of contamination with spinal fuilds/matter .... I can't see that being a good thing ...
 
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Saw two neck shot deer last fall. One with a 223 rem and the other with a 223WSM. Not calibers of my choice. Both required me to cut their necks to put the deer out of their misery. The shooters, thought they were dead, because they fell down right away. Me, I'm going to stick to my shoulder shots. They were all dead when I got over to the deer. Obviously a lot of guys have success with neck shots, but my personal choice is to not even try.
 
RobSmith said:
Somehow I would relegate neck shooting deer to the "bad idea" category ... Miss by so little as an inch, and you have a wounded deer running around, not worth the risk IMO.

Not to mention the risk of contamination with spinal fuilds/matter .... I can't see that being a good thing ...
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I think that all depends on distance. I agree that when you shoot for the neck you basicly need to hit either the spine or jugular, which are quite small targets. But I think deer at close range when hit , the bullet has such a massive shock and tissue destruction, that they just cannot recover.

I would never attempt this on a long range shot, especially since the part that moves on a deer the most is it head and neck, but on all my close shots, neck shot have put them out for the count.
 
I've seen moose and caribou neck shot and they drop immediately as this is a deadly CNS shot (if done right). You are talking about a fairly small targer however, much smaller than the boiler, so I feel it's best reserved for ranges where you are very confident. Sorry I can't offer much experience on the .243 for deer, but I really can't see them surviving a spinal neck shot with a Partition.
 
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