I would have took the shot, if he had his head up, right in the back of the neck

He wouldn't go anywere with that shot if you hit your mark... you may have to do a quick follow up if you don't have the right bullet or enough gun but iv dropped one dead in his tracks with a .270 and barnes 110gr ttsx.... and it passed through...

Then that exposes a lot of area that will cause him to DRT. If enough angle & enough bullet you can get to vitals and possibly an exit through the chest.

Thanks, too all that talked me off the proverbial ledge. I feel better about my choice.

I wish I had the back of the neck shot. But oh well.

I was using a 270 with a hornady Gmx or sst I forgot. 125 yd shot.

I was afraid of that. Thats why I mentioned how high I was. Thanks for that info. Now I know for next time.

This tells me you did the right thing. Keep after him, he may show up again!

While their may have been shots that could have been taken you weren't comfortable or confident in them so like others have said I think you made the right call.

This is a lot better than making a post about how you made a good shot and it got away or you had to leave it over night and the yotes got it right?

Going with your gut was a good thing. Kudos.

If you have to force the shot or overthink it, then the chances of success - in my experience and with my luck - diminsh greatly. Again, good choice.

I hope your patience is rewarded with an opportunity on the biggest buck you have seen out there instead of the second biggest.

Yeah, your right this would look much better on my wall. El numoral uno..

I missed that part about you having elevation, but yea he is right, you could of have got into vitals with a good angle, just have to know where to shoot

It's a poor shot. 8 out of 10 times you will lose the deer IMO. You did right.

If you blow through spine, lung, heart and get an exit then it's covered everything a broadside shot would cover, except royaly screwing up back straps.if you miss spine but hit a lung, possibly some heart and punch a really low exit in the chest cavity then gravity & blood filling the chest cavity works in your favor on blood trail. Having said that, if you're not comfortable with a given shot, wait for one you're more comfortable with.

I agree. The deer will die, but it may go along ways before it's over. May be allot of blood to trail, may not be any.

You made the right choice. That's what keeps you going back!

A walking shot means you don't really have time to study the shot and make sure of it. Walking away means you either have to blow through the guts or make a precision shot on the neck, and do it quick. I let a big one walk under similar circumstances this year, and I practice a lot with my rifle. If I can't be reasonably sure of my shot, I DON'T TAKE IT, so I agree 100% with your decision.

femoral artery

but you better be on your mark

And don't take this as something I would do everytime...but the possibility is there

Right on with this answer!!

The ones who take the low percentage shots are often the same ones who piss and moan about the one that got away, the ones looking for a tracking hound, the ones that waste hours of your day trying to find it, the ones who miss and say "it happens to everyone"', and the ones who feel that two shots just to "check their zero" is all that's needed to prepare for the season.

It appears you're not one of them.

No, you would have likely just wounded him and he would have ran off. You made the right call.

This is the shot I had on my buck earlier this year. He was 125yds walking away, but not quite quartering. He stopped and turned to look back in my direction. I hit him about 3" below the chin, center neck.

I would have taken the shot if I had whistled or grunted him to stop. Turn or no turn I would have taken the shot. If you aim for vitals the bullet will get there if you have enough rifle/right bullet for the shot.

But what about the stomach and guts the bullet must take out before reaching the vitals?

Notice I said "if you have enough rifle/right bullet for the shot". If I was above the deer as posted I would have aimed for the vitals thru the spine in the middle of the deer if I have a good rest. Whistling or grunting can and will get a buck to stop and turn broadside offering a much better shot angle. The vitals can be in the path of a quartering shot also. A bullet can change course or fragement when hitting bone hitting a gut with the best of shot placements or planning. Assuming I made a bad shot, I would immediately gut the deer and trim as much as I could and then wash it out with a lot of water. Skin the deer then trim all I could and soak the deer in cold water in an ice chest for an hour or so. Drain the water then pack it with ice and let it drain for 5-7 days replacing the ice as needed. I have cleaned/processed deer that I made a bad shot on that were quartered more than I thought when I pulled the trigger. You learn to clean up your mess if or when a bad shot occurs. I don't waste any deer meat if I can help it.