[fabsroman]

Depends on the bullet used on the big deer and the velocity of the bullet. I shot a button buck at 25 yards with my .300 Win Mag and the old Remington Core Lokt bullets and there was no exit wound because the bullet completely disintegrated before getting to the other side. It was enough devastation on the button buck (i.e., blood came out of the entrance wound like the Old Faithful gizer sp.) to drop him in his tracks, but I don't know how that bullet would have performed if it was a big buck and I hit bone somewhere in there. Now, with the Barnes X bullets I use, I seriously doubt there would be any problem breaking bone, etc. with the .300 Win Mag.

Are you still using the Barnes X bullet sabots in your slug gun? If so, how have they been working on the bigger deer? I would assume well. Last year I didn't get to use them much because I couldn't find them around here. Hence, I used the Remington premium crapola. Wasn't satisfied with the patterning on those rounds, but that was all I could find around here (i.e., Dicks).

As far as the neck shot is concerned, I took one on a wounded doe that Diamante shot last season, and I had to stare at the thing while she gasped for breath for about a minute. I was going to shoot her in the head after the neck shot, but Diamante didn't want me to. No idea why I ever listen to anybody but myself.