Neck Shot Disappointment

[cantfixstupid]

This last Monday, I was whitetail hunting in the Central Texas Hill Country, out of a blind of course. About 30 minutes before it got too dark to shoot a huge Axis Buck wanders into the feeder, I ranged him at 125 yards, my 6.5 Grendel shoots a .4 group at that range with the 120 Gr Nosler. I place the crosshairs about an inch behind his skull connection with the spine and squeeze one off, I see the bullet impact, it looked to be a perfect shot hair flew off the other side, he went nose down in the dirt, buckled front legs, bull dozed with his back legs for about 10 yards, he then tumbled into a little ravine out of site. I know he is dead, just out of site, never hear anything like legs kicking or any movement, I wait about 10 minutes and walk to the ravine. To my surprise, there is no Axis in the ravine, as a matter of fact there was not a dead Axis anywhere to be found and not a drop of blood at the impact point or in the ravine. I looked that evening until it was too dark to see, I got friends to go out with me the following morning, we looked for 3 hours and never found a sign of the Axis.
I have shot a bunch of Whitetail deer, hogs, Black Buck and Axis with that little cartridge and not once has anything even taken a step, all DRT. I am just sick that I wounded it and couldn't be found, I am sure that he eventually died. All I can think of that could have happened is the impact was just a little low and impacted meat only. I have chosen that very impact spot many times in the past and it has always resulted in a quick end to everything until this time.
I guess this incident just shows the need to keep shooting as long as they are moving, to say the least, probably the most disappointed I have been in a hunting situation in a very long time.

 

[Plinker147]

Or shoot them in the heart lungs. That ones on you friend

 

[TRnCO]

why aim for such a small kill zone. Lungs and collect dead critters.

 

[cantfixstupid]

why aim for such a small kill zone. Lungs and collect dead critters.

I have to agree, and this shot placement here has never, ever failed me until it did fail.

 

[Koda_]

I ranged him at 125 yards, my 6.5 Grendel shoots a .4 group at that range with the 120 Gr Nosler.

Im guessing thats from a benchrest? Have you practiced this group size from the field position you shot from?

 

[Fiftydriver]

I have to agree, and this shot placement here has never, ever failed me until it did fail.

Neck shots are tricky at best. Used to do them all the time and we found that with the right chambering, they can work very well but you need the right combo of speed and expansion to get the best results. We also found that its wise to never take a side shot when going for the neck. Looking right at you is by far best. On whitetail, aim at base of whitepatch most of the time. Looking at you gives most vertical vital area of the spine.

the grendel is relatively low velocity and at that speed even the 120 nosler will not produce the hydrostatic shock needed to break the spine and spinal cord if there is not a direct hit. It will shock the spinal cord causing the animal to drop like a rock but then will recover its senses and run off, seen this many times.

since those early years we have gotten into longer range hunting with shoulder shots being the standard. Will give up a bit of shoulder meat any day to anchor an animal within 100 yards max.

lesson learned so no need to be disappointed. These lessons rarely happen on small animals though, thats to bad to loose a big axis!!

 

[Monster Toms]

If the back legs are moving after a "neck shot" you didn't get spine. If this was an elevated blind chances are you hit just above the spine.

ground blind sounds like you hit just under the spine.

 

[Barrelnut]

What Fifty driver said. Sounds like one of those shots that works great until slightly off the mark, and then not so much.
Hornady makes a 95 Gr V-max .264 bullet that would be faster and more explosive. Sierra makes a 100 Gr varminter that's good too. They might work better than a 120 in the Grendel Those two bullets might give you a little more margin of error, if that's the shot you need to take.

 

[crashlanding]

Sorry to hear that but s..t happens. We like to think because we practice and know the perfect shot placement that it's a done deal, we don't control life, lesson learned

 

[Ucsdryder]

I think something a little splashy like a 130 eldm would be a better option for that shot.

 

[cantfixstupid]

Im guessing thats from a benchrest? Have you practiced this group size from the field position you shot from?

I have shot 18 white tail 17 hogs 4 Black Buck and 3 Axis in either the head or the same spot in the neck over the last 4 years and the result has always been DRT with this rifle or my 225 Winchester.

 

[Koda_]

I have shot 18 white tail 17 hogs 4 Black Buck and 3 Axis in either the head or the same spot in the neck over the last 4 years and the result has always been DRT with this rifle or my 225 Winchester.

Then it sounds like this is just a random anomaly. Its a very small target so maybe this one time you got a flyer.

 

[Old Rooster]

Hang in there brother,your not the first to miss the sweet spot by a hair and won't be the last.
I hope the Axis deer made it through the shot.I have seen deer take a shot and recover.Hang in there!

 

[memtb]

I believe that the best way to avoid being disappointed in a neck shot would be……don't shoot them in the neck! Same for head shots! memtb