Ha! Love the unintentional neck shot!
I've also done that, on a decent buck that I had to haul ass up a mountain to cut off, right at dawn. Out of breath, no rest, not even the ability to drop to a knee, I caught him in the open, pulled up, held on rear lungs as he was quartering away, and watched him drop at the shot. I was feeling pretty badass running back down the mountain to get to the ATV, and then bragged to my brother as we drove up to a good drag spot about how I'd held for ribs and the buck had dropped. Of course, my bullet choice, handloading accumen, and efficient offhand marksmanship came into play as I laid out the kill. Then we got up there, and there was a huge hole through the buck's upper neck. That rifle is just lucky, and I have proven it many times.
Maybe the rifle you used is just lucky, KG.
