[moosemike]

Quote:       Originally Posted by lefty o

ive made alot of headshots, put a bullet in the brain and they wont go anywhere but down. as far as the size of the brain being a small target, i only see two good targets in a deer, the heart and the brain, and the brain is a little larger than the heart. if you think you want to mount a deers head, dont shoot them in the head, as bad things happens to their skull and antlers. its really a question of skill and ethics, are you a good enough shot to put one in the brain, or do you need the extra margin of error of the lungs while attempting a heart shot. like ive said before, most people dont belong taking shots at animals past 100yds, because they either cant shoot well enough or cant control their excitement, with folks like that, yeah headshots may be a bad idea.

The brain is larger than the heart? What?


Only two targets on a deer? Have you ever heard of the lungs? What about the neck?

[moosemike]

I feel the head shot is a blatant disrespect for the deer and grosses out anybody you try to show it to. I have zero respect for head shooters and would not hunt with one. If you have problems dropping deer with a good behind the shoulder or shoulder shot you are using the wrong load.

[sbowers5]

The GREAT thing about a HEAD SHOT, you either have a CLEAN KILL or a CLEAN MISS.

This remark is any thing but the truth I have seen many deer that had their nose or jaw shot off even the one that had the ear and part of its head missing and still running around half alive. Head shot's are one of the worst shots any hunter can make a dicision to use.
Steve

[Tack Driver]

A head shot would be okay in my book if it you were shotgun hunting with buckshot, and shooting at a doe; but with that said I would still opt for the traditional kill zone.

[Rambo]

Most deer I hunt never stand still long enough for a head shot. A quick shot to the shoulder area does the trick.

[bobvonb]

Quote:       Originally Posted by Rambo

Most deer I hunt never stand still long enough for a head shot. A quick shot to the shoulder area does the trick.

I am a very good shot (National Match style Expert), but I can't get the deer to march exactly 100/200/300 yards, stand against a X-10-9-8 ring target, call the mirage, and wait patiently while I adjust my breathing, stop shaking, and fight off the effects of buck fever. And even if I could get a buck to do that, ALL my shots were not X's, even without buck fever, and having personally inspected the brain cavity of many deer I know it ain't all that big. So I imagine that X on the deer's lung/heart area and then if everything is safe and clear, pull the trigger. Even a "9" hit there should do the trick. Therefore, after due consideration, I recommend not taking a brain shot.

However, if you would take that shot, I'd still have a beer with you while I try and convince you that is not in the best interests of hunting to do that.

[gopher]

take there lungs out,i find they drop in there tracks

[AllAlaskan]

Since we are talking about head shots on deer I thought I would share this story. A buddy of mine here in Texas decided to take his .300 win mag ( I still dont know why he chose to deer hunt that that big of a rifle lol) and when he lined it up the cross hairs on the head he shot and the deer dropped instantly, thinking he was such a great shot he runs over looks down and notices that he didnt hit the deer in the head he got it right on the low end of the antler but when the bullet came out the other side drilling an almost perfect hole ( I have seen the antler its pretty crazy but it is almost perfect) the bellet sorta ricotied down and went strait into the skull. It was a once in a life time shot and I dont think he will ever be able to pull it off again lol. Its the only time I have seen that happen.

As far as head shots I dont usually do that with large game for the simple fact that if you miss the brain the animal can run off and die in agony. I have a buddy at work whos father-in-law shot a deer on there lease because some one had shot it in the head with a shotgun and magled its face and so disfigured its mouth that it had no teath on one side and was starving to death, it was a very small spike buck but he couldnt see it die a horrible long death like that.

[TheLastMountain]

I firmly beleive in lung shot. When as a youngster hunting with a freind, he shot one through the heart. We sat for the 15 min., then trailed it. We kept pushing it farther and farther. Finally it jumped into a river, and we had to go back the next day to get it. It wound up on the other side of a fallen tree just across the river. Coyotes had not gotten it yet and it was 21* that night. When we gut it found that it had less the 1/2 its heart left and had run atleast 5 miles. Now I started hunting deer at a very young age. My father had died and had to put meat on the table. I was taught by my Grandfather that if you couldn't get to within 20 or 30 yrds of a deer, you weren't hunting. You were target practicing. But back the in Northern Michigan, I had access to miles of land to hunt on, not limited to acres. I now use a Super Blackhawk .44mag to hunt with, and normally won't don't shoot at anything over 50 yds away.

[BaserRonin]

I know more than 1 person who doesn't hunt anymore because they got tired of having to finish off other peoples mistakes. Head shots are a stupid thing to attempt. Why bother when there are options that do the job just as well with far less risk?

[big shrek]

Just use the Texas Cornhole shot.

Works every time.




I'm also fond of neck shots...they just drop right there on the spot.



With a Bow, heart/lung works nicely, Texas Cornhole with an arrow is a Definite Drop On The Spot...but kinda gross.

[deadzero]

Quote:       Originally Posted by big shrek

Just use the Texas Cornhole shot. Works every time. I'm also fond of neck shots...they just drop right there on the spot. With a Bow, heart/lung works nicely, Texas Cornhole with an arrow is a Definite Drop On The Spot...but kinda gross.

ugh... we called that the "Mexican Heart Shot".
If your with someone that made that shot, be upwind before they open the deer up.....

[deadzero]

Quote:       Originally Posted by BaserRonin

Head shots are a stupid thing to attempt. Why bother when there are options that do the job just as well with far less risk?

Agreed.
sort of, that is....
most hunters should not attempt that kind of shot. (based on what I see on the shooting range, with no adrenelin involved)

you have to know your limitations. don't do a... "I think I can", with that type of shot. if your just a little bit off... you made a very bad shot.

I'll double lung em on a high heart shot every time if they give me the shot. (or a quartering away shot) otherwise I would just as soon let em go.
besides, I've bagged some really nice bucks because I let others go by.

one more note,
the deer never get a chance to react or flinch as was stated somewhere above. the rifle round gets there before the sound. in a well placed head shot, they never hear it.

[Sav .250]

Head shot ?............ I`ll stick with the tried and true. Shoulder area. That being said, different angles present different choices of shot placement.

With all the "Head" hunters I wonder why you don`see it done on Out Door Sports shows?

[G. Green]

The LAST thing hunting needs is some deer being found by a hiker with a cell phone (youtube) wobbling around with it's bottom jaw blown off. Heads shot are for finishing an animal that is down, unless you're mounting the head (preferably with a pistol, I once administered a coup de grace on a doe with an '06. Effective, but dang what a mess!)

[Archetype_wyo]

Isn't this the 18th thread of its kind?

[338RUM]

yeah this thread is going to go forever... but I prefer middle of the neck with 90 grain Winchesters out of my 25-06

[bryarx]

I like neck shots. Last year my cousin's dog that could track was old enough that we knew she wouldn't make it another season. At the end of last year I told him this year would be all neck shots. My first deer this year was a 7 point at about 80 yards right in the neck. I did shoot 2 more does this year and went for high shoulder shots because they were shots at over 125 yards, and were very small does. I was on my cousin's brother-in-law's tree orchard (he has a nuisance license and wants all deer gone) so I was just out to blast away (he has workers that take and clean whatever deer are killed. But for me at less than 100 yards, I like neck shots, they don't move.

[Archetype_wyo]

I think this topic has been overdone at least a dozen times in conversation and what not. My late great-uncle Lee was a sniper in Korea and he always went for the behind the shoulder shot. He once and im not pullin yer chain shot an antelope with a .300 mag at 800 or so yards. He was a couple of draws away from the goat when he shot it and it was standin on the side of the hill his shot laid it on its side on the hill and it didn't move.

[tappedandtagged]

Quote:       Originally Posted by bobvonb

I am a very good shot (National Match style Expert), but I can't get the deer to march exactly 100/200/300 yards, stand against a X-10-9-8 ring target, call the mirage, and wait patiently while I adjust my breathing, stop shaking, and fight off the effects of buck fever. And even if I could get a buck to do that, ALL my shots were not X's, even without buck fever, and having personally inspected the brain cavity of many deer I know it ain't all that big. So I imagine that X on the deer's lung/heart area and then if everything is safe and clear, pull the trigger. Even a "9" hit there should do the trick. Therefore, after due consideration, I recommend not taking a brain shot. However, if you would take that shot, I'd still have a beer with you while I try and convince you that is not in the best interests of hunting to do that.

If that logical argument doesn't persuade you, then it's lost on you. Head shots are not ethical. Period.