Agreed that both can work, though on that picture I shoot straight through the middle of the throat. The bullet impacts directly on the spinal cord at the back of the neck. They drop or rear-up and drop, it is like lightning strike. Though, your dot placement is also good. You could also drop that dot down some and wreck the heart.Alright, first, you don't need a "+P" load. Any 240 grain hollow point or soft tip, doing about 1300 fps or faster (as listed on the box) will work fine. Remember the speeds listed for the ammo since it's a famous handgun round, are for either a 4" or 6" revolver barrel (whichever the manufacturer used as a test-bed). You with a rifle and no cylinder gap, and that longer barrel, will capture and use all of the gas pressure that's possible to capture so will get plenty of velocity. Find the brand and load that shoots the best.
As for a "neck shot" if you want DRT, then I'd suggest a shoulder shot instead. The problem with the classic neck shot, while when done without problem they work very well, it's easier for the animal to move the neck and thus you get a real tracking problem on your hands, sometimes. The shoulder shot pretty much pole-axes them, especially with that large slug.
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My .530, 225 grain soft lead round ball comes from my rifle at just over 1500 fps... and although it's larger than your slug will be, it's lighter and has a crappy ballistic coefficient so it drops below supersonic at around 80 yards...so if mine when it hits where indicated above literally drops the deer in their tracks at 100 yards, your slug will definitely do the same, as it will likely still be super sonic on impact, especially if you get that deer in at 75 yards or less. Don't plan on any second shots, just as I mentioned, get a very accurate load and put the bullet in right spot.
LD
Short distance deergun DRT
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CarJunkieLS1
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As far as DRT's go I guess I'll consider myself lucky. Ive had them with multiple cartridges and multiple bullet weights. And actually I've had more DRT's than I've had deer run off. I've harvested every deer I've shot so I ain't complaining. But for a for sure DRT shot shoot at the base of the neck or high shoulder. OP if I had a choice of .222 or 44mag the .222 would stay in the safe.
skeeterfogger
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44mag, 240gn JSP. Knock em down.
Ks5shooter
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12 gauge slug.
entropy
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Nuke 'em from orbit, just to be sure.
Seriously, NO projectile legal for deer guarantees a DRT, not even 12 ga. slug through the heart. I had one go 50 yards after a heart shot. Of the two you mentioned, (quite the opposite ends of the spectrum, I might add), I recommend the .44 beacuse if it doesn't DRT, you have a better chance of a good blood trail. .
Seriously, NO projectile legal for deer guarantees a DRT, not even 12 ga. slug through the heart. I had one go 50 yards after a heart shot. Of the two you mentioned, (quite the opposite ends of the spectrum, I might add), I recommend the .44 beacuse if it doesn't DRT, you have a better chance of a good blood trail. .
skeeterfogger
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Yeah, I got tired of tracking heart shots so long ago I started 3rd-4th rib from back hair low double lung. Farthest one went was 20 yards and 10-12 of those was a down hill slide. Most hump up then fall or spin a bit then fall. Air loss has faster effect than blood loss.
Yep, as a bow hunter you quickly realize a heart shot deer can run a lot farther than a double lunged one.
You make it sound like it’s a handicap of sorts.
HoosierHunter128
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Maybe I missed where you said you live...but a large northern whitetail buck will laugh at a .223, and any handgun load must be perfect. I grew up in a shotgun only state, and of the many deer I killed, very few dropped with a shotgun. Neck shots were the exception, but why limit yourself. I think you need minimum .243, and I believe a well placed 6.5 or .270 to be your best option for whitetail. Sorry, can’t advise on either of the rounds you mentioned for dropping a big buck... I just don’t think it will happen often with either
entropy
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The several my son has got with his Savage Axis and AR in .223 didn't laugh, nor did all the does. The longest any of them went was 50 yards. Shot placement is king.
Also, the deer in Indiana are smaller than up here in WI.
entropy
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redneck2
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That’s sometimes far from a DRT shot. Last deer I shot was a 9 point at maybe 70 yards. 7 mag. He ran probably 75 yards after the top of his heart was blown off and one lung destroyed
Long ago I shot a basket rack buck head on with a 3” Mag slug. Totally again destroyed his heart and left lung. He ran almost all the way across the field I was hunting. A deer can run about 8 seconds after its heart is gone.
Good rule of thumb is to hit part of their framework to put them down instantly. Head, spine, shoulders. A shoulder shot will most likely ruin more meat
I guess I'm going to have to be one of the outliers here and say that I would choose the 222 over the 44 every time and with ranges that short I would take high neck shots. Killed close to 20 deer that way with a 223 and a 22-250 and never had one do anything but fall or jump and fall.
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