[scythefwd]

I hear of people taking neck shots and dropping a deer DRT. How do you make sure you don't miss the spine? I figure you have a 2 inch target to hit on an unmarked piece of hide. Do you guys really just know the anatomy that well or are there some visual cues you are using that I haven't figured out yet? Do you have to actually hit the spine or will a shot running just under / over it drop the deer (I suspect the former)?

[Grumulkin]

The target is pretty small and you have to know the anatomy to pull it off. I would suspect that many attempted DRT CNS shots are failures but the successes get a lot of press. In my opinion, unless you're an expert shot and quite experienced hunter you're better off going for the larger target; i.e., heart and lungs.

[bswiv]

Unless they are VERY close, and even then why bother, I just do no do it. The value of having it drop right there weighed against the possibility of sending one off with a wound that will cause a lingering death is not worth it.

If he's close enough to be trying to pick out that perfect neck shot then he is close enough to be picking out that perfect heart/lung shot where you have a much larger margin of error.

That said I know folks do it quite often and I'll admit that there may be times when it may be the only open shot so it's not a completely bad idea just not quite at the top of the list.

[ole farmerbuck]

I've only shot maybe 5 or 6 deer but I shot each in the neck just in front of the shoulder. 6mm 75gr bthp and never had a deer to move. Hard to find the bullet hole.

[1/4MOA]

+1 on the spine being a small target. but you have to remeber the effects of bullet composion. I shoot a ballistic tip for hunting out of my .308 that pretty much blows to pieces on impact maybe 65% weight retention(would have to refer to the book). Bullet fragments can cause the deer to drop even if the spine hasnt taken a direct hit. Well at least thats true on these tiny 150lb NC deer. I dont know that i'd shoot at 300 canada giant with ballistic tip or even attempt the neck being that the size of the deer could have an effect on his ability to soak up that energy.

[wankerjake]

Another thing to consider is that if you are a little low, you take out trachea and vasculature. It isn't DRT but they don't go far. On a large buck or elk that isn't that little of a target, especially if you have a rest.

[627PCFan]

Heres my thoughts on CNS Shots. Ive done 1, made 1. 22 yards 22LR. The problem lies that you have to achieve excellent accuracy in the field which is rare to say the least EG bench rest to assure accurate placement. I say inside 25 yards would be the max for a CNS shot and then you have another problem not normally associated with hunting, countering sight height above bore. Lungs and heart get the job done, stick with whats safe

[41 Mag]

Below is a link which shows the different anatomy pictures of a typical deer.
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~cspence2/whitetaildeerms.pdf

If you notice the neck actually sweeps down sort of centered between the outlying top and bottom of the hide. Also the major arteries run right through the same areas as pointed out before.

I have taken quite a few deer hitting them in this area from distances of a few yards out to around 400yds and they all hit the dirt right there. When I DO take a shot in this location, I always try to make sure that eh bullet is going to travel through to the back side of the offside shoulder. A shot to this same area will drop most game animals in their tracks as well, as they are for the most part very similar on the inside with regard to the skeletal and nervous system. This area concentrates the nervous, skeletal, and circulatory system as well, so if you hit this area with a high powered rifle, you generally take out more than just one system.

[jim147]

I hear of people taking neck shots and dropping a deer DRT. How do you make sure you don't miss the spine?

I guess you need to be 100% sure you are going to hit what you are aiming for.

Last year was the only deer season I can remember that I didn't enjoy. I don't go out to see if I can get a deer. I go out to spend some time in the woods relaxing. Opening morning I walked to about the middle of my place to sit for a while before I started still hunting. It only took a few minutes before I spotted a small buck headed my way.(I don't worry about starting early because deer are always one my place.) He came within about twenty yards of me before he saw me. Then he went in a circle and walked right by me. I was a little shocked that he came back twice but still had the rifle slung. When he was just passing by the second time he turned and looked at me. His jaw was hanging off. Someone missed on opening morning.
I couldn't get my rifle ready before he hit the brush. It took about three hours of slow stalking with a very small blood trial but I caught up with him. From about ten feet when he stood up over the small ridge my round through the chest dropped him instantly.
I didn't care if I got a deer last year. I normally give most or all of it away since I'm the only one in my house that eats it. But I couldn't let this small buck go off to starve to death because someone missed on a head shot.
Take the best shot you can. And make sure you are confident you can hit it.

jim

[Yellowfin]

I've shot two in the spine but not entirely intentionally. I aim in the traditional spot right behind the shoulder and if I hit high it's a spine shot, low it's heart, and straight on it's lungs. With the last doe I shot it just worked out that way right off the bat, dropped right there stone dead and that was that, upon examination having taken out the spine and aorta. With the other it was a shot I took while it was on its way down from a lung hit; it didn't run but was still up so a followup seemed reasonable and that's where that shot went.

[shaggy430]

I've had a 5-6 neck shots and 2 head shots. They all dropped right there. The best thing about it is field dressing and having clean vitals.

[Art Eatman]

My experience has been that even if you don't hit the neck bone itself, the "mess" disrupts everything. I guess it dislocates the spine enough to screw up the nerves. Been that way on a couple of dozen bucks I've tagged...

[scythefwd]

Art,
So what you are saying is if I hit the deer just low or high with my round (.45 cal sabot at 250 gr moving about 2k fps), then the thunk of the round hitting, missing, and passing by is probably going to be enough to put the deer down due to disruption to the spine? I don't plan on taking these shots soon, but I am very interested in learning about them for future use.

[mbt2001]

First off, even if you miss the spine, the deer goes down even if you are using .223's. Second off, the low side of the neck and it is arteries and airways so that isn't a miss. The high side of the neck and unless you go REALLY high and knick the neck you will break it with the shot.

I have never ever failed with a neck shot even if I missed the spinal column, except when I missed the shot altogether.

I usually don't take shots over 100 yards though. Supposing I were to, I might take a more sure thing hit...

[mbt2001]

I don't plan on taking these shots soon, but I am very interested in learning about them for future use.

The impact of the round on the neck is terrific. Even hand guns cause the neck to snap pretty violently. I think it is the easiest most sure shot you can take. Occasionally, however the deer is quartered in such a way as to make it difficult, but usually a shot will present itself.