To me the most ethical shot would be the heart shot.

I've only killed 3 deer so I'm certainly not an expert, but the 3 I've killed were all shot with a .243 just behind the shoulder and all dropped right there. The 10 pointer I shot just kind of crumpled up as he tried to lay down, and the 2 does just whipped around and fell dead.

last on i got was hit in vitals, locked up rolled and when dressed even though top of heart blown off was still beating.
with 243 in vitals never had one go further than ten steps.

why....define ethical...what would make a neck shot less ethical...

I must take exception to the quote above...granted the things listed plays into the success or failure but what is not mentioned is how quick a deer can move his head/neck that could cause you to wound a deer. I have heard on many occasions that the deer is dead or you miss but I am here to tell you that those are not the only two results.

I believe that heart shots are the most humane shot we/hunters can make. And I believe it allows us the largest opportunity of success and doing so humanely. I know some shoot out the front shoulder and I have done so in the past as well but have now come to understand that the best shot is to the heart just behind the shoulder. This dispatches the deer humanely and also does not harm any meat to speak of.

I'm not an experienced deer hunter (let that be said first) but i have ALWAYS been irritated by people saying that a deer can "jump the gun" or move in some way in reaction to the shot thereby changing the point of impact.

just FYI a 308 bullet travels an average speed of 2,700 fps, and MANY loads are faster. The speed of sound is exactly 1128 fps. What that translates to, is that the bullet impacts the deer in only 40% of the time it takes for the SOUND to get there... the deer is hit by the bullet before it can possibly hear the shot.

DEER DO NOT REACT TO THE SOUND OF A GUN SHOT BEFORE THE BULLET IMPACTS!

That being said, deer often move between the moment you begin to pull the trigger, and the moment that the bullet leaves the bore.

Beprepared - IMO very very few people should be trying to shoot a deer in the neck. The animal deserves better. A poor neck shot and the animal has a bad painful wound and will probably eventually die long after you have left your hunting grounds. But again it is kinda like asking advice on calibers on this forum or any other, everyone does it differently, everyone has their own opinions, you simply have to decide which camp you fall into based on your skill and the circumstances. If everyone trusted their neck shots so much, how come I always hear comments like, "I shoot my does in the neck and my bucks in the shoulder" ? IMO most of the time people will say, "I tried to shoot it in the neck and missed it clean because it didnt drop." Well, it very well could be that the deer was grazed in the neck and simply ran off,,,,,,

I have killed a ton of deer in my lifetime and have killed a few deer by a neck shot but only shoot em there when no other shot is available. I always shoot for a double lung shot if i can. My dad is just the oposite, he prefers the neck shot and has killed a bunch that way. I guess to each his own.

Both are good shots. I can't stress enough about shooting in the off season. If you practice and don"t rush your shots all should work out fine. For me, I shoot 90% of my deer in the face. But mind you I'm 60 yards from my feeder and I wait for the deer to offer me the best shot. I feed Indian corn, because the deer really seem to like it, and stay at the feeder longer. This allows me to take the shot I want to take the deer.

It should be recognized that any shot that causes a deer to die within 15 minutes or so can be considered "humane," since the initial impact is so traumatic to the system that the animal goes into shock before the pain sets in.

As to the neck vs vitals, I prefer a behind the shoulder shot if the animal is broadside, and a head shot if it's facing me. If the terrain is rough or the cover especially dense, I've been known to take a shoulder shot, just to make sure he can't run off & disappear. I've had to track too many deer that others have "missed" when going for a neck shot; same for those who were sloppy in their attempts to hit vitals.

Bottom line is that the best shot is the one you're truly capable of making, with a gun/caliber that is up to the task. And the only way to be sure is to shoot A LOT, all year long, under different conditions, rather than just sighting in at 100 yds. the week before opening day.

Yes! This is the key. If you don't have complete CONFIDENCE and the SKILL to make a good neck shot, you have no business attempting it. You should have complete command of your rifle and know how it shoots in all conditions. I harvested quite a few deer with shoulder shots before I even considered a neck shot.

Man this is a good thread!

I shoot all of my dear in the neck or head. The only time I take a heart or lung shot is with my bow. I call it giving them a sporting chance. If you do not have confidence in your equipment then you should not be shooting it. Just my opinion.

My 25-06 and a 100 grain BTHP takes them down with ease.

What about the fact that the deer is frightened out of its wits by having it's #1 predator being able to walk up to it?

so should we not kill deer when other deer are around? what if the other deer saw there fellow deer killed and heard a loud boom....

you've watched too much Disney,

and for that matter I've waled up on deer that were shot in the vitals still alive, it happens...

don't worry about them being afraid when you walk up on them, they will die soon and forget about it.

As I related above, the one deer I neck shot was paralyzed but able to move it's eyes. The look of outright terror I saw there is something I don't want to experience again. Every deer I've shot behind the shoulder was dead by the time I walked up on it.

Shoot necks if you want, but I won't anymore, and I think it is something anyone new to neck shooting needs to think about.

i shot a deer in the vitals once and the bullet hit bone then gut....deer died quick and all but it sucked dressing him....thats something anyone new to vital shooting should think about

Postoak, I've seen that look myself.
My MIL shot a buck, clipped his spine above his shoulders.. he couldn't move his body, but he could raise his head. I ended up finishing him off, and I never want to do that again.

I always go for heart/lungs, and like you said, I wait for a bit and go to them and they're dead.

I don't know that the deer experiences "fear" in the same way we interpret it. More of an instinctive drive to escape, sans the emotional aspect. The "terror" we see in the animal's eyes are more likely darting glances to determine an escape route. Given the apparent lack of anthropomorphic emotions, I'd suggest that the deer suffers less than a human who is more capable of projecting possible outcomes of such a traumatic experience.

In combat situations, the first few moments after being hit with a bullet usually leaves a human in a state of profound physical shock, rather than being capable of coherently assessing their situation and feeling much pain. Those come about once the initial trauma is processed by the body's defense mechanisms, and I would assume that a deer's system isn't that dramatically different.

I am cautious of using the words NEVER and ALWAYS when it comes to deer hunting. I have found over the years that there are some things that have a typical outcome, but you have to be prepared for a wide range of outcomes. When I hear hunters say NEVER and ALWAYS, I have to assume that they have not shot that many deer, as I used to make statements like that as well. I now think and say USUALLY and TYPICALLY! The more I learn about deer the more that I realize how much I have to learn, which in addition to being my primary source of meat for the past 15 years, is why I just can't spend enough time hunting them. They are fairly predictable, but each one is different as well.

I've had neck shot deer drop and also had some that were hit get away, as well as the same with shoulder shots. Deer are a tough critter to put down quickly, and they can put a good distance between you and them after being shot, even if it is a fatal shot. Aim the same exact place on several different deer, and there is a good chance there will be a different reaction from each of the deer. Last year, I had a doe that I hit in the vitals that traveled close to 200 yards after the shot. Until that time, I had NEVER had a vital shot deer run that far, but it happened. I've had others with the same shot that dropped right there. I don't really like the neck shot, but I won't say I'll never do it again, as sometimes you've got to either take the shot you are presented with or risk the chance of not shooting the deer. I say as long as you feel it is a very high percentage shot and you are comfortable taking it, then do so.

As far as ethical goes, I like to choose a shot that kills the game as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, finishing off wounded game is just a part of hunting. If I walk up on a wounded animal, I finish it off as quickly and humanely as possible.

I still say this is not a question of ethics. good stuff there CFR, I too try to stay away from Always and Never as I used to say I always take neck shots, but last year I killed 4 deer with all vital shots, its just the way it happened. This year I may take 4 or 5 neck shots...who knows may take a head shot...the OP question is which is more ethical or humane, as it is stated above i don't think it is an ethics question, thus which is more humane....well neither the most humane IMO would be to the back of the skull, instant death, no questions.....since the question was not in regards to how easy a shot is, room for error or wounding an animal due to miss.....I vote for neither and write in Brain shot of any sort.

I like the heart/lung shot every time.

Culling head or neck...but I will only use a bullet designed to blow up and use something with lots of speed( BT..ect)

Body shots TSX, Accubond, Partion..ect

But I also use 25-06, 243, and 22-250..all loaded hot

if I was using a 30 cal I would only take body shots

I prefer heart/lung over the neck shot, because if the animal moves any distance after the shot they usually leave a better blood trail...

Is anyone that typically neck shoots using .222 Rem or .223 Rem? The majority of my neck shots have been with a .222 shooting pointed soft points. If so, what bullet do you use and what results have you had with it?

I use that gun at one of the locations that I hunt because it is fairly close to a residential area and the .308 is much louder. I have made the majority of my neck shots with that gun and load, because of the idea of dropping the deer in its tracks. My reasoning is that small bullet usually leaves a very poor blood trail. I know for a fact that I hit three different deer in the neck with that round that ran off and were never found. One was broadside and kicked like a mule when it took off. Another was broadside and ran off, and one was facing me. I know these were hits, as they were all very close shots (under 50 yards) and then gun is consistently accurate. I shoot a lot of deer and spend ample time at the range, and to top it off, none of these were large deer, so I know I can rule out shooter error. I've had several others that were shot in the neck with this gun/round that dropped immediately (usually with a huge hole). I also chased a doe down and had to finish her off after a neck shot with a .270 and lost a doe that I shot in the neck last year with a .308. The one I lost last year was taken as a neck shot because I knew I did not have time to clean it right then, and did not want any busted organs to deal with when I did clean it. My son and I were on a lease in west Tx and had to pick up some hunters that were flying into San Angelo, and would have had to clean it later that evening. We needed to shoot a pile of does, so as it got dark, I picked one out that was 75 yards or so away and shot her in the neck as she looked at me. She dropped immediately. By the time I got out of the stand, the deer was gone and all that was where she was standing was a spot of blood the size of your hand and it was smeared into the dirt. We looked for a little while that evening and again in the morning, and never found the deer or any blood. Experiences like that are what make me prefer the body shot, but I certainly won't rule it out if I need to make a split second decision due to angle or the vitals obscured by brush.

the majority of mine have been with a 300wm and the 180gr accubond or 180gr ballistic silvertip performs well..OR a 270 shooting 130gr silvertips.