Neck shot vs Body shot

[Rebels7]

The shot placement depends on where I am hunting and time of day. My prefered shot is in the high lung area. It doesn't mess up too much meat and cuts down on the chance of clipping the gut. We have a few locations that are gnarly planted pine. If I am hunting here or on the edge of our property, especially near dark, I center on the front shoulder. I may loose a little meat but I will not be tracking deer somewhere I dont want to or loosing an animal. I have taken neck shots but I like the extra margin for error of the shoulder vital area.

[450rydr]

I prefer a heart/lung shot. That said, I had to take a neck shot on my buck this year and he totally got blown over backwards. I spotted him at 320 yards on the edge of a clear-cut, and as I was trying to work towards him he was feeding around the back of a stump so I wasn't gaining anything as far as a shot goes. I worked in to just over 200 yards, set up on my shooting stick, and whistled. got him when he looked over the stump at me. I put a LOT of practice in with that rifle, and fealt VERY comfortable with the shot he gave me, but I still prefer the heart/lung shot.

[sinman]

I try to go for neck shots, if I know my rifle I am using then neck shots all the way. I would take any deer out to 300 with my 223 Zombie hunter. This year I used my 6.5x55, why? it's a swede there is no reason needed haha

[tucker301]

Neck shots are OK. Head shots are great when you get them with high confidence and there's no trophy in play.
I prefer to hit them high center shoulder.
I will NEVER shoot another deer behind the front shoulder. I'm just not into spending half a day looking for downed game.

A shot placed here will drop a deer in its tracks every time, and very little penetration is needed.
In fact, I have killed a ton of them with 6mm 70 BTHP's.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s117/tucker301/drawskel.jpg

[GaCop]

I used a Ruger 77 in 243 shooting handloads with the Sierra 87 grain BTHP for many years here in Georgia and always took a neck shot causing the deer to DRT. The exit would was always around 3". I shot a 10 point buck at 60 yards using a 16" AR carbine and a 62 grain load. Hit heart/lung area, deer ran 15 yards and piled up, no exit wound but heart and lungs were "hamburger".

[Tracer]

It's nice to bust both shoulders and go pick up your animal without looking for it for several hours. I have seen this happen many times with those who are so called rifle target champions at the shooting range, hunting big game in the bush or wilderness areas is a whole different ball game. You often as not do not have 5 minutes to make the shot on a broadside presentation. I have only taking one neck shot in my entire hunting life and that was because it was the only thing showing above the rocks and it had a great set of spirial horns on that 58 inch kudu.