Deer hunting question - Page 2 - The Firearms Forum

Big ugly · 07-14-2009, 01:19 AM

Like I have posted in the past I am not person fond of the chase. I have honed my skills with my old mouser to the point where if I am within 400yd they aint goin very far.I know the 8mm is a little large for deer in mosteyes but there are those who use the 30-06 and the 8mm is about the same size but a little on the meaner side. I go with a tight head shot or a spineshot. Since I aint real interested in having one mounted that is my shot preferance.

plowhorse · 08-05-2009, 12:56 AM

I have to agree with the heart/lung shot. I once saw my father force a head shot that luckily only turned the forked horn into a spike. my father was at that time a very competent shooter, which was evident by the four followup shots into the heart while the animal was on the run. you want to talk about tracking, try finding a missing horn in thick manzanita.

Joel Lehman · 08-05-2009, 08:22 PM

We saw a doe on our lease last year that the hunter across the road shot in the jaw. We did not get a chance to kill it. It was not a pretty sight. I always try for lung shots.

ski9393 · 08-07-2009, 12:08 AM

If you SUCCESSFULLY pull a head/brain shot, it is pretty humane. However, the chances of being unsuccessful are great. It is a very small target, a deer's skull is.With a heart/lung shot you have alot of room for error. You do sacrifice some meat but not enough to merit risking losing your prey and causing it undue agony. I have myself dropped one deer at close range with a headshot using a shotgun loaded wth 000 buck, a long long time ago. The rest have all been body shots. The worst of those shots still didn't cause me to loose much meat either.

Bill Sweetman · 08-26-2009, 05:24 PM

I think a head shot posses too many chances to miss out-right or hurt the animal so I personally choose to shoot at the "vitals" or if the game is close and just standing there with little or no chance of moving I'll go for a spine shot ................ that usually just drops the animal with no need for a search or a long waiting period!(I like this shot cause I'm lazy!)

Bill

fyimo · 08-26-2009, 05:31 PM

I always shoot for a center chest shot hoping to take out the lungs. If off a few inches it still makes a quick kill and the Deer doesn't travel far.

07-14-2009, 01:19 AM	#26
Big ugly Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Knoxville Tennessee Contributor Posts: 2,603	Re: Deer hunting question Like I have posted in the past I am not person fond of the chase. I have honed my skills with my old mouser to the point where if I am within 400yd they aint goin very far.I know the 8mm is a little large for deer in mosteyes but there are those who use the 30-06 and the 8mm is about the same size but a little on the meaner side. I go with a tight head shot or a spineshot. Since I aint real interested in having one mounted that is my shot preferance. __________________ "You say the Devil made do it with a smile. Raisin' hell and howlin at the moon. Well I'm gonna put your @$$ back in line. I'm gonna scare the Devil out of you." BlackBerry Smoke Song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R513dA4peMg Nothing is "proof" against a truly talented fool. Swanshot

08-05-2009, 12:56 AM	#27
plowhorse Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 22	Re: Deer hunting question I have to agree with the heart/lung shot. I once saw my father force a head shot that luckily only turned the forked horn into a spike. my father was at that time a very competent shooter, which was evident by the four followup shots into the heart while the animal was on the run. you want to talk about tracking, try finding a missing horn in thick manzanita.

08-05-2009, 08:22 PM	#28
Joel Lehman Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 22	Re: Deer hunting question We saw a doe on our lease last year that the hunter across the road shot in the jaw. We did not get a chance to kill it. It was not a pretty sight. I always try for lung shots.

08-07-2009, 12:08 AM	#29
ski9393 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Lynchburg,Va Posts: 116	Re: Deer hunting question If you SUCCESSFULLY pull a head/brain shot, it is pretty humane. However, the chances of being unsuccessful are great. It is a very small target, a deer's skull is.With a heart/lung shot you have alot of room for error. You do sacrifice some meat but not enough to merit risking losing your prey and causing it undue agony. I have myself dropped one deer at close range with a headshot using a shotgun loaded wth 000 buck, a long long time ago. The rest have all been body shots. The worst of those shots still didn't cause me to loose much meat either.

08-26-2009, 05:24 PM	#30
Bill Sweetman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Port-Daniel Que. Canada..EH! Posts: 116	Re: Deer hunting question I think a head shot posses too many chances to miss out-right or hurt the animal so I personally choose to shoot at the "vitals" or if the game is close and just standing there with little or no chance of moving I'll go for a spine shot ................ that usually just drops the animal with no need for a search or a long waiting period!(I like this shot cause I'm lazy!) Bill

08-26-2009, 05:31 PM	#31
fyimo V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Arkansas Posts: 187	Re: Deer hunting question I always shoot for a center chest shot hoping to take out the lungs. If off a few inches it still makes a quick kill and the Deer doesn't travel far.