Deer hunting with small caliber

[Preacher Man]

Would like to get opinions on shot placement when hunting deer with small caliber rifles, i.e. .223/5.56 or 22-250 sized rifles. A classic behind the shoulder shot would do the trick, however I'm more interested in dropping them DRT.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance

[Boomerang]

.22-250 varmint tips behind the shoulder. A .223 will do it but a 40 grain will take longer versus a heavier bullet. Speed is everything, you want massive fragmentation. Compare the logic to a big Magnum caliber that only mushrooms through the lungs and exits, or the varmint / ballistic tips that vaporize the lungs.

[twosixteens]

22/250 behind the shoulder Remington green box 55 grain soft points amaze me how fast they put them down even big bodied northern Missouri bucks

[glen]

I have worked culling deer on a ranch in college and my 13 year old is doing it now. 22-250 in the middle of the neck just in front of the shoulder. I never had one take a step and he has killed over 100 this year and none have got out of dirt road he feeds.

[Colton]

I would make sure to use a good strong bullet, like a Barnes TTSX, and put it right behind the shoulder

[Preacher Man]

Middle of the neck type of placement is what I was thinking. Or maybe a high neck shot just below the head/jaw. Basically base of the neck

[Walker]

With a good bullet such as the Barnes TSX the high shoulder shot will anchor a whitetail right there. Thats what brought this guy down.

[speck1]

I have killed more deer with a 22 Hornet than any of my other calibers. 46 grain soft point to the white spot on the neck. Shoulder shot with small caliber is unreliable. Many of those will run and much of the time you don't have an exit wound to bleed. You hit them high neck and they drop 100% of the time.

[AntlerCollector]

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=566685

Great info on this thread for the 22-250 and shot placement

[Pineywoods Paul]

I have killed more deer with a 22 Hornet than any of my other calibers. 46 grain soft point to the white spot on the neck. Shoulder shot with small caliber is unreliable. Many of those will run and much of the time you don't have an exit wound to bleed. You hit them high neck and they drop 100% of the time.

^^This!!!

When these threads start on small caliber rifles and shot placement they can become lightning rods. My experience on bigger deer is that shoulder shots with smaller calibers are recipe for disaster. We've banned smaller calibers on our place for that reason. I know, I know- appropriate shot placement renders small calibers lethal on even larger deer. I get that.

Problem is that shot placement theories go out the window in reality when a big buck presents himself and a broadside shoulder shot appears to be the best chance to hit the animal in the vitals. People frequently take that shot despite coaching otherwise. See results above^^.

Things are made worse when one considers small calibers are more frequently placed in the hands of less experienced hunters to minimize recoil- like kids and (some) women.

I've been hated on more than once on this site for stating the above. Lots of folks with "hill country" deer experience on bucks the size of German Shepherds take huge issue with above statements.

To me, humane quick kills trump all the b.s. used as excuses for shooting small calibers on big bucks. Does, cull bucks- ok. But NOT on bigger bodied trophy bucks!

With protein costs, lease fees, other expenses etc. the total "cost" of a trophy buck on our place today can easily calculate over $20k.

Having that buck die and rot in a creek bottom after leaving no blood trail when a larger, more forgiving caliber would have afforded recovery is not worth all these "shot placement" debates.

[Seacoal]

Why the fixation with killing them in their tracks? When did blood trailing become such a hassle that no one wants to do it?

Looking straight at you, aim for the top of the throat patch. Or just shoot a normal shot and walk an extra 40 yards.

[ferrellv]

Center of the neck right infront of shoulder. Never had one take another step

[okrattler]

I'd use a heavier hunting bullet that will punch through bone. I've seen v-max and hollowpoints "splash" on a coyotes shoulder. And they're nowhere as big as a deer. Varmint bullets are for varmints. Knowing how far you can shoot and make a quick,humane kill with the particular caliber you're shooting is important also.

[smokin feathers]

55gr tsx, 60 gr nosler partition, 62 gr ultra bond or 64gr win powerpoint through the shoulders.

[talleywack97]

My dad and his dad and probably his before him shoot deer mid neck every stinkin time. I've killed a dozen or so (half with a .223) and i have yet to have one run. Neck shot is the way to go, unless you're talking 200 yd+ then. Good luck to you sir with a small caliber. But that's why I went with an Ar-10. He gone