Author Topic: head shots (Read 5712 times)

jamaldog87 · « **on:** August 19, 2006, 09:57:10 AM »

i was told by someone who had been hunting for over 40years that head shot i what is needed for "meat hunting" and why is it that most people don't take head shots on deer and hogs? we take head shots on small game,but not biggame.

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #1 on:** August 19, 2006, 03:11:31 PM »

I myself would rather lose a little meat (don't care for the ribs anyway) and get a better shot at a clean kill than try a head shot and maybe just wounding an animal. If you miss a perfectly centered vitals shot by a couple of inches it will still hit the spine or lungs or at least give you a good blood trail. If you miss a head shot by a couple of inches, you could just maim the animal and it will die from infection or starvation god knows where and you will have killed it for nothing. No meat, no trophy, no hide, just coyote food.Just my opinion.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #2 on:** August 19, 2006, 05:53:51 PM »

1. Practice until you are confident that you KNOW where your rifle prints on paper.
2. Use a steady rest
3. Aim small, miss small
4. Take shots only at stationary deer
5. Know your limitations regarding range...
...and head and/or neck shots are like printing paper.

Why just "head shots" though? Stewing the neck meat? Not a lot of meat there and what's there is difficult to debone. Also, everything previously posted by GRIMJIM is very true (except IMO body shots do not always make for a "clean kill") .

Shoot 'em in the neck. The neck is long. They don't take it well in the neck. They go down hard and stay down. Not so ugly a sight too when you go to pick them up in the field. No nightmares

There will always be times when the head or neck are NOT the shot of choice and the best assurance shot is (if 1 through 5 inclusive are not or can not be followed) the rib cage immediately behind the front shoulder, which is a large target area and equally devestating, but you mght have to track a ways.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2006, 04:33:16 AM »

I agree with Land Owner. A proper neck shot is just as quick and lethal and a lot tidier.

I don't bone the neck. I cut me a nice roast about 8" long and put it in a crock pot along with some pintos and a couple of jalapenos, a bay leaf and salt and pepper and such. I cook it slow until the meat falls off the bone. Mmmmmmmmm.

pdrhtr · « **Reply #4 on:** September 09, 2006, 03:13:43 PM »

Head shots are all I take on deer & pig, to much of a pain in the ass to clean out the damage.

Enjoy,
Robert

Kragman71 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 04, 2006, 09:02:01 AM »

I don't want to interfere with your style of hunting,but just want to let you in on mine.
I'm a Pothunter,and was taught to hunt by a Master Pothunter,who,in his youth,provided a lot of needed game meat for his family.
He was,all his life,a neck shooter.He reasoned that a small miss will result in a lost deer,but one that will not subequently suffer and die a lingering death.On the other hand,a small mis on a head shot will result in a lost deer that will suffer and probably eventually die.
I hunt the 'big woods'and shot at two bucks who only presented a head shot.One was dropped on the spot with a hole in his scull and the other had his jaw shattered.Fortunately,I got another running shot and connected(lickily) witha spine shot.
If you are an accurate shooter,and can get close enough,head shots are OK.
Frank

Ranger J · « **Reply #6 on:** October 04, 2006, 11:20:47 AM »

Deer don’t hold their heads still that long. I took two headshots in my life both with a .50 round ball. The first deer was found the next day (meat no good) shot through the windpipe & no blood trail and the second deer (the largest buck I ever killed) at about ten feet distance turned his head and caught it in the spinal column in the neck. Just dumb luck on my part, never again! Now I shoot for a part of the animal that I hope will stay stationary for a while. Believe me it doesn’t take much of a turn of the head to really mess up your shot.
RJ

jpsmith1 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 04, 2006, 03:15:03 PM »

I'm a shoulder man myself. Break those bones in the shoulder and there's no tracking job. Miss a little bit and you've still killed the deer, just gotta track him. The head is a small target that is in pretty constant motion, plus, the actual vital area is little more than a softball. An easy target, no doubt, but pretty tough while in motion.

Leave the head for finishers.

Don Fischer · « **Reply #8 on:** October 08, 2006, 12:18:53 PM »

If you were starving and you had one round of ammo and saw an elk at 150yds that was preparing to leave and that elk ment live and death to you, where would you shoot it? You may screw up a few ribs shooting at the chest but it's a BIG target! You just might miss the head and then your out of ammo!!!!!!!!And time!

jamaldog87 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 09, 2006, 09:27:22 AM »

i use to shoot hogs in the head. I got a lot of walk to me shots or side head shots.

Jaydub in Wi · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2006, 04:30:00 PM »

After what I saw last weekend, I will never,ever take a head shot. I took a whitetail doe that some jacka$$ tried to take with a head shot. He didn't even hit the jaw. just tore up the skin etc under the jawnear the head/neck junction. You could even tell that the shot was from an elevated stand because of the angle.I made the lungs into red soup and that was that. If I hadn't, the wolves would 've had an easy dinner.too much movement on the head for me. sorry for the sermon, but it was truly disgusting

SDS-GEN · « **Reply #11 on:** December 02, 2006, 04:43:48 PM »

If youv'e ever seen a deer with it's jaw blown off you would never take another a head shot. It makes a gruesom injury and a lingering death. What's a couple of pounds of rib meat anyway?

oso45-70 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 26, 2006, 10:30:17 AM »

Head shots are for close still situations, Like in the pig pen where they don't have any place to run, Not recommended
for free ranging animals........Joe...........

NONYA · « **Reply #13 on:** December 26, 2006, 10:40:00 AM »

I occasionally use headshots on MD does,within 100 yards its not a very difficult shot to make and I havnt had a deer run off with a hole in its head from my 7 mag.

LEO · « **Reply #14 on:** January 03, 2007, 10:35:02 AM »

I have killed a lot of management deer with head shots, but as others have pointed out, the deer don't hold their heads still a lot and it provides a relatively small target. If you have a good rest and are a dead calm shooter, the head shot works. If you are excited or don't have a real good shooting postion you take a good chance of wounding the animal. I have only killed two deer with head shots while hunting. The first was a small doe with a broken leg that hobbled up to my stand, I shot her at less than ten yards so the margin of error was pretty small. The second was a big bodied small poor quality racked buck, I shot it at about 175 yards from a solid position the reason for the head shot on this animal was the rest of the body was shielded and the deer had "frozen" to avoid detection, I probably wouldn't take that shot again. Shoot them in the rib cage and you have a much bigger target that is not moving as much, if you are worried about them running any distance, give up a little meat and shoot them through the shoulders they will be there (as has already been pointed out).

GrassLakeRon · « **Reply #15 on:** January 05, 2007, 03:59:41 AM »

I have always been a heart/lung shooter. With the old 06' and 150 grains deer went about 10 yards and died. This year I used something a bit larger and had a head/neck shot (head on). I put the crosshairs on the base of the skull where the backbone comes in and sweezed.....WOW it dropped like a box of rocks with 2 seconds of nerve twitch.....I will be shooting head shots from now on. I will say there wasn't much in the way of a neck roast this year....

Ron

no guns here · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2007, 04:27:09 AM »

Don't make it a practice but did on one evening in Alabama take two does with head shots. AR-15 with x-bullets (53 gr I think). Set up on an old ladies back porch, drinking tea and eating cookies. Bipod, match grade barrel and a target scope at about 40 yards. First one dropped, second came back about 15 minutes later. They died side-by-side. The old lady didn't want them to run off into a neighbors yard or property so I figured I'd shoot the most accurate thing I had and take head shots. Was like shooting from a bench. No problems... Wouldn't do it in the woods though. Too much chance of them moving or me moving. Not worth it...

no guns here

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2007, 10:55:32 AM »

I have found two deer that were missing parts of thier jaw. One was a small 8pt buck that I found a week after reifle season while rabbit hunting. He was missing the whole entire lower jaw. It tried to get up to run away but didn't have the strength to make it very far. I put it out of its misery. The second was a doe who had the lower jaw hanging down as she ran by, I shot her in the lungs and she dropped on the spot. Those were enough for me to never take a headshot on big game ever.

NONYA · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2007, 12:53:53 PM »

and how did you decide these were the result of missed head shots?The hunter that wounded them could very well have been going for a heart shot.

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2007, 03:48:59 PM »

Regardless of where the original shooter intended to shoot it illistrates what even a small miss can cause when taking head shots and the aftermath. I won't take head shot at big game for that reason, you can do as you please. Its just a low percentage shot.

NONYA · « **Reply #20 on:** January 17, 2007, 06:19:08 PM »

IF i keep my shots within a couple hundred yards there is no low percentage here.

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2007, 09:08:44 PM »

the percentage of hitting a moving orange compared to a stationary basketball at any range. I'll put my odds on the basketball.

NONYA · « **Reply #22 on:** January 18, 2007, 08:18:02 AM »

who said anything about a moving target?And the kill zone on a deers head is slightly larger than an orange.My rifle is 1.5" high at 100 and 0 at 200,if i cant kill a deer with a headshot at that range I wouldnt be in the field.Wait till the deer is facing you and put the bullet right above the nose,if you miss the brain you willl still sever the spinal cord,either way its an instant kill with 0 meat loss.You should be able to shoot a 200 yard group from your hunting rifle that makes this a safe shot.

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #23 on:** January 18, 2007, 09:03:59 AM »

Nonya-

Try as you will your not going to talk me into thinking head shots are a good idea. I'm not trying to talk you out of them either, if you feel comfortable doing it thats your decision to make not mine. I don't doubt that I can hit a deer in the brain, but would rather put my odds on a good bread basket shot. You must be an amazing shot to consistantly head shoot deer at ranges up to 200 yards.

Looks like an orange is an accurate way to describe the size of the brain to me!

NONYA · « **Reply #24 on:** January 18, 2007, 09:58:11 AM »

why dont you try facing that skull towards you and including the entire spinal colum in the kill zone?Thats what you are shooting at when you shoot a deer FACING you.I guess i am an amazing shot because i have made it many times out to 200 and a few beyond.I can shoot a fairly small group out to 200 off my bipod why is shooting a live target any different?Im not trying to convince you to try it,if you dont think you can hit an orange at 200 maybe you shouldnt even try.

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #25 on:** January 18, 2007, 11:40:29 AM »

THe brain doesn't get any bigger regardless of the angle your looking at it. This was talking about head shots so the neck vertabrae shouldn't be included. The head doesn't sit still very long and a small movement at 200 yards could cause a miss. Its not weather or not I think I could hit the orange, just feel better taking the heart lung shot, there is a bigger margin for error, and has worked very well for me for years now. Some times we get caught up on if we CAN or not and don't focus enough on if we SHOULD. Sooner or later your going to miss a head shot or wound a deer, its not hard to put that bullet a few inchest to far one way or the other and that could shoot a nose off or take an eye out but leave the deer alive but wounded. Besides it messes up a perfectly good mount.

As to zero meat loss....you will waste far more meat in trimming than you will with a rib shot on a white tail, there isn't much meat in the ribs anyway.

NONYA · « **Reply #26 on:** January 18, 2007, 12:16:53 PM »

i dont mount does so the trophy is nill,any time you take a head shot on a deer looking in your direction you do not HAVE to hit the brain,anywhere between the bain and the bottom of the neck you will sever the spinal colum and drop the deer in its tracks.If Im taking a body shot on a deer i shoot em in the enter of the front shoulder so the head shot does eliminate some meat loss in my case.

ken2222 · « **Reply #27 on:** January 19, 2007, 06:26:43 AM »

IMO....there is nothin' that SLAMS a whitetail like a neck shot...NOTHING! But then 90% of my shots are 75yrds and in...I took two this year, two shots from 11/87 quick as it racked, both neck shots! You don't have to wonder if its going anywhere...it SLAMS 'EM TO EARTH! My son thought I had missed(two shots) til he came over to my stand two hrs later to see two dead bucks 40 yrds appart!

It was a good day!

IMshooter · « **Reply #28 on:** January 19, 2007, 07:16:44 AM »

This thread sounds like my dad's nieghbor talking. He claims to shoot all his deer in the neck with a 30-30 while the deer are running at about 500 yards. If memory serves he has a low magnification scope on his rifle and doesn't waste any shells on target practice prior to the season as bullets cost too much money. Now that thar is a hellava shooter!

ken2222 · « **Reply #29 on:** January 19, 2007, 07:31:34 AM »

I can't believe you said that...YOU are the only one that made any mention of 500 yrds...shoot your weapons once in a while and you too can make neck shots.