Shoot em in the ear -what range?

Many times i’ve seen comments on shooting hogs in the ear or shooting deer in the head. Nobody ever said what their max range was on these shots. Yes, i’ve done that also, but only at short range. So, i’m interested in finding out at what range you ‘ear shooters’ feel comfortable with the shot. What say you?

I prefer to shoot hogs just behind the ear towards the bottom part. I've done this out to about 250 yds and would go further if I had the chance and stable rest. I'm not a head shooter on deer so don't have an answer for that.

Today I earholed 2 hogs in the trap at a whopping 2-3 yds with my 22 mag. I have shot many hogs in the head with my night vision from 133 yds. Thats the distance from stand to feeder.

it depends on what range you can shoot them at and feel confident in your shot.

Feeling comfortable with the shot is really up to the individual, and them knowing what their capabilities are.
The only shots I normally take on a deer is a behind the shoulder lung shot, or a high shoulder shot if I want to anchor the deer on the spot.
As for hogs, it's always slightly behind, and below the ear at whatever range I decide to shoot.
The heart and lungs are well forward on a hog so if I miss low, I will usually still catch the lungs or heart. Most of the time they are drt.

My furthest head shot so far was on a pig a couple of weeks ago. 130yds with my 6.8 using 95gr TTSX.

that just depends on your comfort level. if I know I can hit it and be comfortable taking the shot, range has no distance. for someone that shoots long range maybe thats 1k yards. for me I feel under 250 im very comfortable with. now for something thats not a hog or coyote that may change but for those Ill take more risk.

What everyone else has said: it's the range at which you are comfortable. As an old guy with vision issues, I do ear shots and head shots at about 100 yards, and then go for Center of Mass out beyond my comfort level of 100 yards.

Based on the firearm and your skill with it.....

I haven't done it but I would think that nearly any head hit would drop them. Missing and hitting them in the butt or shoulder I suppose is the worry?

Headshot low or front on a deer won't kill them. Just blow half their face/jaw off.

Hog, doesn't really matter. I hit one last week in the shoulder at 648, and the next day one walking, in the shoulder at 750. Depends on the light, the wind, and my position as to where I am aiming on the body.

Deer, depends on the light, the wind, and my position as to where I'm aiming, or if I will make a shot at all.

And conditions and animal context.

109 yards




197 yards

Whatever shot presents itself, when I see a hog or varmint I'm not deer hunting anymore.

About 300-350 for hog head shots. That's with the 6.8 and Thermal XQ50.

I don't shoot deer in the head.

My longest kill shot was 225 yard head shot at night no light with a borrowed 222 and a zeiss 3x9

Buddy shot a nice 8 pt last weekend 175 yards in the neck out of a normal deer blind, no bipod sand bags or special rest, just a 2x4 window sill.

Deer head shot about 125 yards or less, never take a shot on deer unless I'm confident in it.

Head or around the ear shot on pig, if I can even see it without using binoculars or scope I'll give it a try.
Never measured the distance of the longest successful pig kill, just a guess, in excess of 300 maybe more.

I shot a spike in the head two weeks ago at 45 yards. I had watched him for about 30 minutes. That's only the second deer headshot I've taken in 35+ years. The other was closer than that. While watching him and deciding whether or not to shoot him, it was interesting to see just how much and how often he moved/twitched, etc. Anyone advocating long-range headshots on deer as a standard method is seriously asking for trouble or has no respect for the animal.

Have a buddy with a custom, tricked out 300 win mag. He regularly shoot hogs in or below the ear at 600-700 yards. I've shot a couple hogs at 400-450 yards with my 7mm-08. Longest shot ever with the 7mm-08 was a neck shot on a doe at 487 yards, according to my Leica rangefinder.

I shot does in the ear for years until I pulled a shot once and blew a jaw completely off one and she ran off.
That deer died a terrible long starvation.
I decided never again to make that shot. The neck is a higher percentage shot that doesn’t destroy any meat.

I neck shoot deer. They move their heads too often. I used to head shoot them out to 125 yards but I had a near miss once when was facing me and luckily caught the jugular. That's when I stopped. Pigs I head shoot to 300. I don't hunt many places more open than 300. Hit them just below the ear and they'll be DRT.

Honestly we can’t really shoot far where I am at so my furthest ear shot is only 125 yards, but I did it using a .22 wmr

That is how I most often harvest does. I don't think there is a pat answer. It depends on several factors: the capabilities of the shooter and his weapon. Then the conditions the shot would need to be made in. The state of alertness of the deer as well as the actual position It is in. Sometimes it's a go and sometimes it's a no go. To even discuss this on an open forum I feel like I need to include a disclaimer.
On the topic of shooting live animals-"What is ethical for one individual may or may not be ethical for another".

I've shot 6 animals in the head. At 3, 35ish, 50ish, 60ish, 70ish, and 108yd. Head shots are cool, but impractical in that--as others have already said--they move their heads around a lot.
As someone else said, I like neck shots. My longest neck shot was 192yd at an aoudad ewe. My shortest was around 30yd.

Personally, I would be comfortable out to about 100yd. As others have said, this is my personal comfort level with my current rifle. If I practiced more and had a different rifle, it might be more; it varies from person to person.

My favorite is the ear shot:

Few years ago: 125lb hog standing broadside under the feeder 136 yds (Range finder) from blind. Hit low on the ear with a 55gr .223 soft point fired from a HR Handi-Rifle with a 3 - 9 X 40 scope. DRT (Dead right there) Fell over stiff legged without even a shake!

Unique looking cat. Do you have other pics?