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This guide will help you determine the best shot placement on a deer in nearly every situation you might ethically shoot while hunting with a rifle or a bow, including shooting from a treestand and compensating for angles.
The safest neck shot placement on a deer would be halfway between the top or back of it’s neck and the front or underside of its neck about where the white patch is on a whitetail. A buck in full rut has likely built up muscle mass near the top so aiming too high might only injure the deer.
Use the double lung shot for fast and reliable killing. For horizontal shots, place your horizontal post between ⅓ and ½ up the deer's body. For broadside shots, place your vertical post on the center of the front leg. For a 45° front quartering shot, place your vertical post inside the near leg.
The Neck Shot. If you can manage to hit a deer in the neck, severing the spinal cord, it will cause almost instant paralysis. Causing minimal meat damage, a neck shot sounds like a money shot. However, properly executing a neck shot is nearly impossible, even for experienced hunters.
Remember that if your shot placement is high, you'll only hit its back or neck. If it's either on the side, you'll only damage its shoulder. Aim your bullet at its chest cavity. Otherwise, you might miss your chance and only hit a single lung.
That’s the first step to proper shot placement. Notice how the majority of the heart is directly above the leg – not behind it. Notice how the lungs extend from the belly to the backbone, which is about halfway to two-thirds up the body in the neck region to three-quarters up the body farther back.
Therefore, the first rule of shot placement is to use a rifle caliber with enough energy for the game and the range at which you intend to use it. Then choose a premium, controlled expansion bullet.
It's important to be able to visualize your shot placement and where you're hoping to hit vitals. We've built out the ultimate guide for just that so you can not only see exactly where you need to aim, but also the path your bullet or arrow will take through the deer's vitals.
Hit the crease of the neck, ahead of the shoulder, on a quartering-to deer, and you have the shortest path possible to the heart. I've killed numerous animals with this shot, including a couple of my best bucks, and have never lost one.
Eye-Level Head-On Shot Placement. When a deer is directly facing you, you should aim for the area where its neck and shoulders meet for the best possible shot. Again, bowhunters should not attempt any shot with the deer facing them unless they are expertly trained, and sure they can get the job done right.