Can you get insta-kill headshots in this game?

[BiggestMoisture]

I haven't played this game for very long (I accidentally left the game open one night, I haven't actually played even close to 10 hours) but so far, every single time I have tried to shoot a deer or caribou in the head it only seems to do light bleeding and they run away with ease. I am of course still using the starting weapon and ammo so maybe that has something to do with it? Just curious if it's a possible thing or the devs just want you to go for vital organ shots?

[david.hardie]

With the right weapon you can insta-kill with a headshot the trouble is it will not count as a trophy kill.
Aim for the heart. Worst case you nail one of the lungs instead and it runs for a bit before dying. You get the trophy kill either way.
Firing over a lake at animals using a drinking need zone is the easiest as they tend to be standing at the right angle for a chest shot.

[Psyringe]

You can get instakill-headshots, but there's no good reason for doing so. They give less XP and cash than "proper" kills via shots at the heart, liver, or lung (which are also easier, especially lungshots).

Your starter ammo consists of .243 soft point bullets, which have low penetration. They may not have enough power to penetrate the skull. But with a stronger weapon and polymer-tip ammo, headshot-kills are definitely possible - just not recommended.

[Haddock_Dundee]

Forget headshots. This is not Sniper Elite 4 (been there). :-)

Aim for sides and hit lungs. They will die rapidly only with a vital hit. 243 Soft Ammo cannot penetrate enough to get both lungs, but you will gain enough in-game money as you play to buy better guns.

There are also good weapon packs in DLC's you can buy (for real $).

Try to buy Polymer tipped ammo for the 243 when you will be able to. A good first step for more vitals shots. A heart shot (instant death) is way more difficult as you need to face the animal and know where is heart is.

[Humpenstilzchen]

Yes it is doable but it ruins the score in almost every case since the head is considered a trophy item. Also you don´t go for headshots in hunting. You go for lung and heart.

[James]

Like others have said, it is very much possible. One good angle is: animal is facing you front up and eating, head in grass. Aim for brain and it will sink like a rock. Using polymer tip ammo makes it safer, of course.

Usually, head shots is unsafe and ruins the score and potential trophies.

[Leadmagnet]

If you don't hit the brain, it ain't going down and it doesn't really matter what you are using.

[Mo0on]

Hunters don't do head shots. Here is the reality.
Don't read if you cannot handle IRL animal hunting.

1) They are more difficult, easy to miss and can leave the animal injured. Often requires follow up shot (or more often throat slit) to stop the gurgling and struggled breathing.
2) Often not instant kill, depends on weapon and ammo. (You'd be suprised how long an animal can wreath in pain with a gaping hole in their head).
3) Easier bigger vital targets exist on animals. (Like the heart or lung, they can move their head a lot faster than their bodies, creates lots of near misses and grazes that do not kill, because they are so fearful and jumpy they often jolt their head around all the time)
4) You ruin any trophy head mount that could of been made. Which, if its an actual trophy kill, you just ruined the most expensive part of the animal. Devaluing it immensely.
5) They also fall down on their sides often and start trying to run away not going anywhere, this can damage the fur before you even start cutting. Further devaluing the animal. Whereas double lung they often fall over and seize up not violently like a headshot.

Unless you're severing the spinal chord from the brain (Which is actually more of a upper neck shot), headshots don't do much for a lot of animals. Brains too small, spine too thick.

And honestly that ♥♥♥♥ will scare you for a long time and you won't make headshots anytime soon afterwards.

IRL if you shoot animals in the head your an ahole. Its painful, unnecessary and we have better ways to do it.

There are only few exceptions like with some moose and polar bear they will shoot from a boat behind the ear while they're swimming in the water. Specifically to protect the trophy skull. Have to shoot head because everything else is UNDER WATER.

[yogisgoat]

Another point most people don't know is that skulls in the animal kingdom are much tougher than you think. I've pointed this out before. Our perception is biased because of how easy it seems to be to kill a human with a head shot. A human cranium is much more fragile than most animals because evolution puffed it out to make room for our oversized brains. Many animal skulls are not only thicker than ours, they often have thick ridges on them where muscles attach.
Plus, in this game a headshot is a ruined trophy for most animals.

[Advanced Nap Techs]

Headshots work fine on the crocs in Australia. Right between the eyes when they charge you, and you'll still pass all the harvest checks. This seems to be the exception, not the rule.

[yogisgoat]

It's probably because the head isn't the trophy organ. Just guessing.

[Mo0on]

Originally posted by Advanced Nap Techs:

Headshots work fine on the crocs in Australia. Right between the eyes when they charge you, and you'll still pass all the harvest checks. This seems to be the exception, not the rule.

Yeah crocodiles are one of those rare species if you shoot their peanut sized brain they die instantly.

"a shot placed into his golf ball sized brain or one that hits the spinal column just behind the head"

Will instantly kill a croc.