Headshots vs Heartshots - Let's look at the evidence!

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Matt_Dubber

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May 5, 2015
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Eastern Cape
There seems to be a lot of debate regarding shot placement, especially in the UK where the airguns are restricted to 12 ft/lbs. Some will tell you that you should only be taking headshots, while others will tell you that heartshots are just as effective.

I put my high powered airguns aside for a day and set out with a 12 ft/lb Air Arms S410 TDR to "gather some evidence". I'll let you decide which shots were most effective!
 
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Great video as always, Matt! In my opinion as far as smallish birds go, if you have a gun that you know will penetrate vitals I would usually take the body shot because of the much larger target, I don't ever try to headshot birds (my hunting guns are around 15 FPE) because not only are their heads tiny but they also move around a lot and a grazing/non lethal head shot could be very bad...but of course if you have a low powered but very accurate gun then go for the head. However in my experience using guns of the power I mentioned earlier if you hit a bird in the upper chest it's going down quick! Just my two cents...
 
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"Robonline"A really good video. Some of your shots appeared to be neck shots which are kind of not head or heart shots. Sort of neither fish nor foul as it were. Care to comment on the effectiveness of neck shots?
Red.
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Neck shots usually just drop the bird instantly. When the pellets hits the spinal cord it disconnects the messages coming from the brain to the body therefore the bird just drops and it's game over.
Leo : )
 
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"KYAirgunner"
"Robonline"A really good video. Some of your shots appeared to be neck shots which are kind of not head or heart shots. Sort of neither fish nor foul as it were. Care to comment on the effectiveness of neck shots?
Red.
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Neck shots usually just drop the bird instantly. When the pellets hits the spinal cord it disconnects the messages coming from the brain to the body therefore the bird just drops and it's game over.
Leo : )
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Thanks for your reply Leo and everything you say is true. I was hoping that Matt might put that very information in context as the title is head shots vs heart shots after all.
Red.
 
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"Robonline"
"KYAirgunner"
"Robonline"A really good video. Some of your shots appeared to be neck shots which are kind of not head or heart shots. Sort of neither fish nor foul as it were. Care to comment on the effectiveness of neck shots?
Red.
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Neck shots usually just drop the bird instantly. When the pellets hits the spinal cord it disconnects the messages coming from the brain to the body therefore the bird just drops and it's game over.
Leo : )
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Thanks for your reply Leo and everything you say is true. I was hoping that Matt might put that very information in context as the title is head shots vs heart shots after all.
Red.
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Hi Red

Exactly as Leo says, the neck shots are extremely effective. I wasn't trying to take any neck shots in this video - The neck shots you see are either headshots passing low or heartshots passing high. I don't usually AIM for the neck unless really close, purely because a birds neck is as thin as a pencil! But a neck shot will put a bird down instantly.

Matt
 
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"greenterror"Great video! would like to see the same done with pigeons, as they are a harder bird to kill and would have made a better comparison.
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These birds are actually bigger than pigeons. They're not like the Mourning Doves you guys get in the US. Pigeons do seem a bit "tougher" but they don't really take any longer to die than these do.

Matt
 
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"Spash"Both really good methods but just as you said, I think alot depends on the situation and also if people are watching a headshot may not be the best option to enhance "public opinion" on pest control :)
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You have no idea how ridiculous some of the comments are...I sometimes wonder whether some people have the ability to locigally process thoughts. I had somebody tell me once that I am going to be responsible for the apocalypse because without pigeons there will be "no more pollination". Another person told me that it's my fault that "pigeons are becoming extinct", conveniently forgetting that they are one of the most abundant and widespread birds on earth! 
 
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"Matt_Dubber"
"Spash"Both really good methods but just as you said, I think alot depends on the situation and also if people are watching a headshot may not be the best option to enhance "public opinion" on pest control :)
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You have no idea how ridiculous some of the comments are...
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I think I have some idea. :) hahahahaha!

Great vid, Matt!
 
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"Ted"
"Matt_Dubber"
"Spash"Both really good methods but just as you said, I think alot depends on the situation and also if people are watching a headshot may not be the best option to enhance "public opinion" on pest control :)
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You have no idea how ridiculous some of the comments are...
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I think I have some idea. :) hahahahaha!

Great vid, Matt!
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Sure, don't you know that wild life live forever frolicing in the woods in peace and tranquility unless an evil hunter kills them in cold blood.
Red
 
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