The Neck Shot Versus the Heart/Lung Shot?

Originally Posted By: TachoSimple math; the neck on an average coyote is about the diameter of your wrist, or at best, the part that if hit will kill it. The heart/lung/liver kill area is about the size of a litre pop bottle, much larger lethal area than the risky neck shot.

Exactly
 
Originally Posted By: doggin coyotesSalmo, you really ain't been at this coyote hunting crap very long have ya? Maybe only seen it done on videos?

Get and there and kill several dozen coyotes for yourself and then come back and preach your head/neck shot BS. Until then, you have no clue pardner.
Hey now, you are awful hard on an old guy. I've only been shooting predators for 40 years
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I don't pretend to know what your experience is in Colorado; however, I do know about mine in Arizona. Neck shots drop coyotes dead in their tracks - period! Body shots create alot of spinning. BTW, I'm not trying to preach anything to anyone. I'm simply stating some thoughts I had about this issue. Now if you don't feel you have the shooting skill to reliably hit a coyote in the neck, then by all means shoot for the biggest part of the body you can find. I just thought that most of the folks on this forum have invested lots of time at the range and plenty of money on good equipment such that making neck shots would not be that challenging.

Just my 2-cents.
 
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Originally Posted By: ghjacobsI hunt predators for their fur. A neck is pretty thin with a good chance of blowing a big hole in the hide. A chest shot with a smaller caliber 17 rem, or 204 wii most likly not come out. Making the fur burer, and me a much more happy camper.
Hey ghjacobs:

I understand the fur folks have a different agenda and my ideas may not work. I don't keep the fur so I don't care about any pelt damage. That being said, I certainly respect your thoughts on this issue.
 
Originally Posted By: TachoSalmo....It's obvious from your writting, that you take yourself, way more serious than the topic.
Tacho - at my advanced years, there is very litte about myself that I take seriously. I just wanted to throw out my thoughts and see how other felt. It is OK to respectfully disagree. If we agreed on everything, it would be a much more boring world.

Take care.
 
Originally Posted By: firstcoueswas80Salmo,

I think most of Zepps guys use .243's as well, which has quite a bit more knock down then the common 223 or 22-250.

That being said, I am not a greatly experienced coyote hunter, but I have about 70-80 coyotes under my belt. One hit properly with a 223 or 22-250 I have never had run off at all. Most go straight down and go to sleep. [beeep], even most of them I have gut shot go down right away.
I am one of those guys that likes to hit them hard - thus my 243AI. With 70-80 coyotes to your credit, you are plenty experience. Thanks for your comments.
 
Well clearly I am in the small minority when it comes to my neck shot preference.

Mostly good comments - thank you and may you all enjoy great hunting in the future.
 
Salmo22, I,m going back to the part of your original post that first caught my attention. I THINK I understand PART of your frustration in seeing videos that show animals still on their feet, not being put down with a quick second shot.
We watched a coyote hunting video recently where a coyote was shot and spun and bit itself for probably 30 seconds before going down. All the while the shooter was talking to the camera. Too many shows now will show the shot,and watch the animal walk or run off with no second shot to stop it, while the shooter tells the audience" That was a good hit and he ain't going far".
If I shoot an animal and it's still on it's feet, if at all possible, I will shoot i again.

Shayne
 
Originally Posted By: Salmo22
I'm confident in my shooting abilities and the capabilities of my weapons. Accordingly, I don't see neck/head shoots has a problem - no ego here, simply how it is. Maybe most predator hunters are not capable of reliably hitting the neck/head compared to the heart/lungs.

Take care and good hunting.


Just curious as to what type of terrain your hunting? i don't think your considering the full picture. I don't buy videos, but what I see on tv is wide open terrain where one can see for miles. the shooter waits with a bipod (in most cases) and has some time to prepare for the shot.
My state is heavily wooded. Shots are made at odd angles/ tight quaters, off hand, and sometimes with the weak hand. Usually when you do see them, he doesn't stick around. This makes for quick shots at a small part of the animal.

I take what the animal gives me, and given the choice, I will aim for center of mass.
 
When I do shoot Coyotes in the summer I do tend to use a bigger gun. Right now I'm using a custom 250 savage with 75 gr. v-maxs. Any good chest hit they go down quickly with no spinning. But it does leave a basket ball size wound on the off side. A 243 wit 75 gr. Speers does the same thing.
 
Originally Posted By: rpc55I'm Just curious as to what type of terrain your hunting? i don't think your considering the full picture. I don't buy videos, but what I see on tv is wide open terrain where one can see for miles. the shooter waits with a bipod (in most cases) and has some time to prepare for the shot.
My state is heavily wooded. Shots are made at odd angles/ tight quaters, off hand, and sometimes with the weak hand. Usually when you do see them, he doesn't stick around. This makes for quick shots at a small part of the animal.

I take what the animal gives me, and given the choice, I will aim for center of mass.
rpc55:

I primarily shoot in more open country. Arizona is certainly not as "wooded" as Maine. I defer to your expertise on "close quarters" shots. While I can choose to hunt predators in tight cover here in AZ, I generally like to get on a side-hill so I can get the best view in all directions. In fact, I enjoy making long shots on coyotes and this probably would not work in your region.

Thanks for the perspective.
 
I took a few minutes to clear the fog and remember how things were when I started hunting predators 40 years ago. I had much more steam in my stride and I was all about body counts - the more the better. To be fair, I was not always true to my "neck shot" training as my father would like. If I saw a coyote coming into my stand, I simply tried to cut him in half as quickly as possible. In my past I've shot plenty of yotes from arsehole to nose because I did not want to wait for a better angle. The one consistent theme has been to use a gun with plenty of horsepower and hit them very hard.

In my older years, it has become as much about the hunt as the kill. Accordingly, I am willing to wait or pass-up shots until I can get on a coyote's neck the way I like. There is something about making a precise shot (especially at long range) that is very satisfying for me. Now don't get me wrong, if I can neck shoot a nice pile of coyotes - that is just icing on the cake.
 
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Salmo,
i understand what you're saying and can see your point about the spinners. but, lets be honest anyone thats out to kill high percentages is going to take the best "available" shot. shooting at heads and necks is not a good idea on predators. i'm sure you've noticed how much those body parts move when they come in. good head/neck shots will expire an animal quicker, generally, than body shots. but i'm out to take the first "good" shot i get and not wait for the possibility of getting a predator to stand still long enough to get a bead on a smaller target for an "ideal" shot.

i guess the answer to the problem is better bullets and quicker follow up shots.
 
I spotlight coyotes a lot, often with only the eyes visible. The head is a very small target so often the better shot to take is the neck.

Would I take a neck shot over a chest shot, never.

Its all about which is the highest percentage shot. I always try for a center mass shot on the largest part of the target presented to me.

Also at night it is more difficult to place your bullet accurately than in the day time so I like a larger caliber. I mostly use a 270win. I know whatever shot is presented to me my bullet will have the power and penetration to kill a coyote on the spot with little chance of a runner. Having a coyote run at night usually means a lost dog.

Once I shot a coyote at about 150 yards at night with my 270, but the shot was slightly off and managed to just clip the side of his head. When I drove up to him he was still spinning and flopping on the ground so I finished him with another shot. It turned out the first shot would not have been fatal, but he was knocked loopy just enough not to be able to run.

The point being I was glad to have been shooting a caliber of sufficient power to git the job done in an less than ideal situation.
 
Big fan of placing one just below and behind the ear with a .22. Not a shot I would take in low light but I can promise you if you connect there won't be any tracking involved not much twitching either. LOL

Just one more challenge to an already challenging sport! Besides unless you are hunting for fur there's usually plenty more where that one came from if you miss. Great bragging rights when executed successfully. It's kind of like competing with yourself. If I were shooting for food it would be a different story. Jeeze I love this stuff!
 
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So salmo in forty years of shooting coyotes in the neck,,never did see ones choppers blow up in the scope?

i get the point that its thrilling to make that precise shot at long distance,,What about when there is a crossing wind near the animal,you did not read?..you will have a not so satisfying miss or worse, a wound.

Where you are living maybe there are so many coyotes in every bush,,and your shooting skills are that tuned,,to get fancy.

Around here its about making the kill,educating as few coyotes as possible and trying to represent predator hunting in a good way....................X
 
Originally Posted By: justin10mmI spotlight coyotes a lot, often with only the eyes visible. The head is a very small target so often the better shot to take is the neck.

Would I take a neck shot over a chest shot, never.

Its all about which is the highest percentage shot. I always try for a center mass shot on the largest part of the target presented to me.

Also at night it is more difficult to place your bullet accurately than in the day time so I like a larger caliber. I mostly use a 270win. I know whatever shot is presented to me my bullet will have the power and penetration to kill a coyote on the spot with little chance of a runner. Having a coyote run at night usually means a lost dog.

Once I shot a coyote at about 150 yards at night with my 270, but the shot was slightly off and managed to just clip the side of his head. When I drove up to him he was still spinning and flopping on the ground so I finished him with another shot. It turned out the first shot would not have been fatal, but he was knocked loopy just enough not to be able to run.

The point being I was glad to have been shooting a caliber of sufficient power to git the job done in an less than ideal situation.
Hey Justin:

It isn't legal in AZ to use lights for night hunting predators - I'm jealous. You touched on a good point - using enough horsepower. I would agree that more center mass shot coyotes would go straight down if nailed with larger caliber weapons. Now this would be problematic for the folks seeking to harvest the fur; however, if fur isn't your deal shoot them with plenty of gun.

That is another thing my father put in my head. He was/is a Weatherby disciple. Hit 'em fast and very hard. Accordingly, his reloading always focused on wildcats that shot hyper velocities and hit like Thor's hammer. I've done more coyote hunting than I care to remember with his 30x338 Win Mag. I readily admit that his 30x338 was way too much gun for the chore; however, if I could hit them they were DRT. No offense to the small caliber crowd that enjoys shooting lighter bullets. It is less cost, less recoile and often saves fur (if you use the right bullet). I'm a bigger fellow so I don't mind the recoil of a large gun.
 
what are we tryin to prove here? A 52Gr. BTHP through both shoulders and lungs will kill. I don't care if he runs off 50 yards or 100 yards. Being a bow hunter too, I like trackin' a blood trail. I'd hate to know I wounded any animal by shooting for a smaller kill area when a larger one was available........
 
Originally Posted By: coyotexSo salmo in forty years of shooting coyotes in the neck,,never did see ones choppers blow up in the scope?

i get the point that its thrilling to make that precise shot at long distance,,What about when there is a crossing wind near the animal,you did not read?..you will have a not so satisfying miss or worse, a wound.

Where you are living maybe there are so many coyotes in every bush,,and your shooting skills are that tuned,,to get fancy.

Around here its about making the kill,educating as few coyotes as possible and trying to represent predator hunting in a good way....................X
Hey coyotex:

I've certainly had my share of poor shot results in my time. I don't know about the "fancy" part, I simply enjoy the "challenge" of making a precise shot in typical AZ conditions. If you go back to my initial post, you will see that I clearly stated I was not criticizing anyone and acknowledged that every hunter has a right to pursue game animals in their own way. Why is it that some folks get their dander up when someone suggests they consider another way of doing things.
 
I totaly agree with the distasteful shots one sees in videos now and again. I use a 243 when I am not worried about saving fur, which is most of the time. I have had much better luck with the 223 with the 55 grain nosler BT than I did with others. I think when an animal is hit in the kill zone they go into shock and dont really feel pain, but if there standing I'm shooting just the same. Get it done as quick as possible.
 
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