Hogs with a rimfire

[DrB]

Most of our wildlife management areas here allow hog hunting with whatever firearm is allowable for the game in season. Since small game starts first, and the hogs learn fast, that means your first and best bite at the apple is with a 22 or 17 rimfire.

Now the problem is the "apple" isn't an apple. I went out mushroom foraging/scouting sunday morning with my hunting partner, and the first field we eased up to had what looked like a half slumped hay bale that on closer inspection was sporting tusks and a tail! Farther down the field there was another about two thirds the size of the first. I was impressed by the spectacle of that much mass hurtling across the field when the second one finally spooked at my stalk at about 35 yds.

So, while I won't be gunning for a hog over 150 for eating, I'm wondering at the good sense of hunting these critters with a 22 or 17. I do a lot of squirrel hunting, so I'm not too worried about putting one in the ear at under 50yds... But those critters had some BIG EARS. :)

Anyone with experience using a 22 on pigs have a picture they could markup and share showing suggested headshot placement? I want to get some offhand and kneeling range time in before trying this.

[Shooter]

I've seen hundreds killed with a .22 between the eyes at 2 feet on butchering day, but hunting... I don't know.

[DrB]

I've seen hundreds killed with a .22 between the eyes at 2 feet on butchering day, but hunting... I don't know.

Hp or solids, does it matter? Dad had a story from when he was a boy, said hps were a bad idea for slaughter.

[Matt3357]

Seems to me like a good way to piss off a wild hog. I would only take a shot at a hog with a rimfire as a last resort to defend myself. Never have hunted them myself, just doesn't seem like a good idea.

Matt

[Junior1942]

I wouldn't shoot a wild hog with a 22 unless it was (1) in a pen or on the other side of a stout fence; or (2) there was a strong tree with low limbs beside me.

If you'd ever spent time up a tree while a mad wild hog raged below, as I have, you'd understand what I mean. In my case, the round fired was 12 ga squirrel shot.

[DrB]

I wouldn't shoot a wild hog with a 22 unless it was (1) in a pen or on the other side of a stout fence; or (2) there was a strong tree with low limbs beside me.

If you'd ever spent time up a tree while a mad wild hog raged below, as I have, you'd understand what I mean. In my case, the round fired was 12 ga squirrel shot.

I've killed them with a 50 bp rifle, and mostly with 30 caliber rifles. I've never had one come at me but have heard enough stories to know it's no joke.

That's part of why if I'm going to do this, I want to be sure as possible it's one in the ear and lights out. It's interesting to me that I haven't yet heard of a hunter getting gored by the hogs in alabama or georgia. I've heard of folks getting knocked down in a pen and killed, but not in the woods. I know guys loose dogs fairly often.

They do allow sidearms year round with a valid ccp since the 2nd amendment supreme court case, so I was planning on wearing my 45. And keeping an eye out for a handy tree. :)

Thank you for the words of caution, 1942. I've spoken to the area and regional biologists, and despite a largish number of folks doing this there have been no casualties. It was surprising to me, but the 17 hmrs were reported pretty effective relative to the 22s.

Any suggestions for shot placement on a side shot from someone with personal experience?

[GabbyM]

If it's legal. Start squirrel hunting with a 223 loaded with cast boolits. Or ,gasp, if you don’t want to cast 22’s. Use 22 hornet bullets over something like Unique powder. Then carry a few M193 ball rounds in your pocket.

[DrB]

If it's legal. Start squirrel hunting with a 223 loaded with cast boolits. Or ,gasp, if you don’t want to cast 22’s. Use 22 hornet bullets over something like Unique powder. Then carry a few M193 ball rounds in your pocket.

That would be illegal here in small game season. Thank you, anyway. :)

[Shooter]

Hp or solids, does it matter? Dad had a story from when he was a boy, said hps were a bad idea for slaughter.

Solids were used for day-to-day use. HP were more expensive IIRC. I would by them for groundhog hunting.

[DrB]

Solids were used for day-to-day use. HP were more expensive IIRC. I would by them for groundhog hunting.

So dad related he had the chore one late fall day of getting the scalding drum filled and slaughtering a large castrated hog. He put one hollowpoint shot into the forehead which splattered without penetrating the bone. The mad hog left an impression on him that has lasted his whole life...

[sqlbullet]

We always used solids when slaughtering an animal.

[DrB]

We always used solids when slaughtering an animal.

thank you for the information.

Did you ever take a sideshot or just between the eyes? I'm doubtful about a front aspect shot as I think there wouldn't be much time to make it, and shooting from ground level I'm concerned I might skip the bullet off the forehead bone.

[10 ga]

22 mag. CCI 45 gr. game point or Federal 50 gr. Best of the rimfire stuff. Go on over to rimfire central and do a search there. 10

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php

best o luck!

[x101airborne]

I can tell you with over 70 kills close range under my belt. You have to use solids. only your rifle will tell you whats best for group. Hollow-points are an occasional go. Get the heaviest solid that will group well with your hunting round.

[bstarling]

My wife's family once ran a slaughter house. One time a very large sow (later dressed out over 600 lbs) got out of the pen and could not be persuaded back in. It fell on me to dispatch the hog by whatever means available. I had a 38 special loaded with +P hollow points in the truck. The first shot was directly between the eyes. That one really pissed her off, but nothing more than she decided to chase me. A couple of the guys distracted her and I got two shots off into her left ear area. Not exactly in the ear. This only served to further annoy her even more and she came after me again. Once more the guys came to my rescue. The last round in the gun was a solid lead +P and that one got her in the side of the head and she dropped fast. The moral of this tale is..DON'T SHOOT HOLLOW POINTS AT HOGS HEADS...IT WON'T WORK!! A high power rifle will change that rule, but not the average hand gun or rim fire.

Bill:Fire::Fire::Fire:

[barkerwc4362]

Growing up we butchered a hog twice a year, or I should say we had a hog butchered twice a year. My dad would pick out the hog from the 100+ on the feed floor and we would lock the others inside the shed. The butcher would guide the hog to a corner and shoot the hog in the ear with a .22. Usually the hog would quiver and then drop. It was probably a short or long solid, because it was very quiet fired out of a rifle. I have experienced first hand the fury of an old sow trying to protect her young and watched two big domestic boars go at each other. When I hunt hogs I carry the big stuff! All it would take is a flick of a head and you will be slit from ankle to crotch, or gutted. Better to carry too much than not enough!

Bill

[DrB]

So, I've got a decent solid to shoot that is accurate with my gun.

Where's the point of aim for a side profile shot? The ear hole? If so, how much behind, forward, above and below do I have? Can anyone make a mark on a photo and say -- here's your target?

I understand that for slaughter it's dead between the eyes at a fairly normal incidence to the pigs skull... maybe angled back a little from POI. But I do not expect to get a shot like this. I expect to get a profile shot at the head from 30 to 50 yards (not much down angle).

Best regards,
DrB

[DrB]

Alright, so I think this is what I was looking for. Look about right? I think he probably has the yellow zone a little too high towards the scalp at the top end. Especially with a rimfire, too high up and the bullet is going to ricochet off the skull, or just not penetrate.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/154544e1d086faad0e.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1458)

From here:
http://californiahuntingtoday.com/hogblog/2009/02/02/shot-placement-on-hogs-arguments-against-the-head-shot/

Incidentally, the guy is pretty set against head shots... on the other hand, it seems to me he's not thinking of a guy hunting hogs with a rimfire. A two inch target at under 50 yards will be fine. I'm thinking knocking a tennis ball on the 50 yard range around with my hunting buddy should be pretty good practice.

Best regards,
DrB

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

can you carry a side arm while hunting squirrel , strap on the 44 and carry the 22 if your getting that close use the 44 on the pig

[DrB]

can you carry a side arm while hunting squirrel , strap on the 44 and carry the 22 if your getting that close use the 44 on the pig

I'll be carrying my 45 (carries better than my 44 mag).

If I end up using the 45, it had better be evident that it was in response to a charge... and really my objective is not to need it.

I think it's a little silly, as the hogs are a HUGE problem at the WMA we're hunting, the regional biologist whom I regularly speak with recognizes it's a HUGE problem, and yet... it's quite clear that they will enforce the current regulations. They don't want folks running around taking shots at deer during small game, is the theory.

Don't get me wrong, if I end up with a big hog running at me, I'll worry about what to say to the warden later.

But again, with proper practice and preparation, and a careful stalk, I intend for it to be unneccessary. I'm also not in the least afraid to skirt around a boar hog too big to be tasty eating (like we saw Sunday)... the biologists want folks to kill them all, but I'd rather be better armed if I'm going to take on a critter the size of a love seat.

Best regards,
Caleb

[10 ga]

Deer are way easier to kill with a rimfire than hogs. That rimfire for hogs in small game season is because the dogcatchers/possum police don't really wanna do any real enforcement work, just write tickets, raise $ for the gov, for having the "wrong" gun when it's really the right gun. 10

[DrB]

Yeah, I know... :?

That's why I put the part about theory, I don't think it makes much sense from a game management standpoint.

It seems even more senseless/confused to me now that they are allowing carry of "defensive" arms to permitted individuals (post 2nd amendment supreme court ruling for DC). Given that they can't ticket me for just carrying it, why not let me shoot hogs with whatever I like whenever I like in open season? They want them all dead anyway, and if you catch a guy with a deer out of season, what's changed? He's still charged with a game violation.

For now, though, if I want to get a first crack at the hogs during small game, I've got to use a (rimfire) weapon lawful for small game.

[Changeling]

So dad related he had the chore one late fall day of getting the scalding drum filled and slaughtering a large castrated hog. He put one hollowpoint shot into the forehead which splattered without penetrating the bone. The mad hog left an impression on him that has lasted his whole life...

Thats why we used solids, I've have shot many hogs with with 22 rim fire solids and never had but a few problems! I killed all the ones on the farm and was also called in to shoot the ones on neighboring farms, friends, and people who just wanted me to do it because they new I hunted practically every day one could, and had a very good reputation with shooting.

Forced to shoot solids by my father, he had the money, bought the bullets, what could I do?
In defiance I think, I tried hunting with HP's one fall and grew to hate them real fast, when you are shooting squirrels, rabbits, coons, groundhogs and later a deer, they either blow up to much meet unnecessarily or worse fail to penetrate deep enough in the larger game and really cause problems!!

Bottom line (Like most hard head kids) I found my father was right all along the way! Hell, he even knew when I switched to HP's for a few weeks, why do kids not LISTEN?:bigsmyl2:


PS. Ive often heard it takes a HP to stop a squirrel in it's tracts or they will run to there dens/nests, give me a break, a 22 through the head, lung/heart area will kill it in it's tracks!

One in the non essential areas will let it run, just like a HP will, think about it!

[Lloyd Smale]

what about a shotgun? Could you use buckshot? if not even #2 shot? Might be better then a 22. If i was going out with a 22 for pigs id probably at least take a 22 mag. 22mag slaps animals much better then a standard 22 does. Id also stay away from hp ammo as penetration would be marginal with it.

[barrabruce]

Yeah Iv'e shot a few hogs with a .22lr

First the head on shot is a bit dicey as far as I'm concerned.

Iv'e shot most of mine in the base of the spine in the back of the head.
Looking on an angle facing away unaware I was there.
The more or less side on from rear angled into the same spot.

Side on just below the ear and a bit forward.

Apparently you can tuck one under there armpit ..but you have to let them wind down before they stop.

Use solids what ever is most accurate in your rifle.

Best to be on the other side of the water hole when doing it :) :)

It will stiff'en 'em but you aint got no room for error.
sort of wait for the right moment sort of thing.
If you buggar up the shot then they will naturally push forward.

Now if you are going to stalk them head on or in open country where you don't have all the advantages then I would probably go for something big!!!!!!

Don't blame me if you get run over by a p'd off hog.

Barra

[DrB]

what about a shotgun? Could you use buckshot? if not even #2 shot? Might be better then a 22. If i was going out with a 22 for pigs id probably at least take a 22 mag. 22mag slaps animals much better then a standard 22 does. Id also stay away from hp ammo as penetration would be marginal with it.

Number 2 or smaller would be legal, I think... But I'm concerned number 2 at 35 yards will not reliably do the job, as compared with a carefully placed 22 solid to the head....

The penetration will be less, and you will have little control as to where it goes.

[DrB]

Barrabruce, changeling, do either of you have a problem with the headshot picture on the prior page? Thanks for your feedback.

[wallenba]

Just for laughs...how about this guy! A 250 lb hog with a .17 cal air rifle!
http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=hog+hunting+with+air+rifle

[Changeling]

Barrabruce, changeling, do either of you have a problem with the headshot picture on the prior page? Thanks for your feedback.

Personally I would lower that yellow blob it's to high. From the side stick it in the bottom of the ear. Head on, between the eyes. Solids only. This is with tame hugs being butchered in a pen.

I have never shot a wild hog yet but I don't believe it would be any difference. However I would NOT use a 22 on wild hogs unless it was an emergency, even then I would have a stern talk with my feet on what they were to do after the shot! :holysheep

[DrB]

Thanks, Changeling.

Yeah, I've heard a bunch of stories, I'm trying to prepare so as not to have a (bad) story myself. Every time I've ever shot a wild pig before, they've gone down where they stood or in a half a dozen steps... with a 22 to the head I hope to put them down where they stand.

Running shoes may be appropriate attire on this hunt... :)

On the other hand, my hunting partner's about 20 years older than I am.... it's like they say, you don't have to run faster than the bear. :)

:kidding:

[CATS]

Can you up gun to a .22mag ?

[DrB]

Any rimfire will be legal. 22 mag is an option, as is 17 HMR (which, surprising to me, has actually got a pretty good reputation among the biologists/fellas hunting hogs down there).

My partner is converting a 22 magnum revolver (a smith, I think) into a carbine for the expedition.

[barrabruce]

I'd extend the spine bit over in the same arc to the front roundy bit.
Lose the bottom pokey bit at he the bottom left hand side.
Try shooting golf balls or the end of 12 guage cases.

You have to wait for the shot to present proper.
Be prepared to pass up shots if it don't happen or wait it out.
This is not a see-um and shooting game as far as I'm concerened.
Slowly slowy catch the monkey.
Have to know your gun and how it performs in the wind.
The impact can be an 1/2" out in a light twichy breeze....just ask the benchresters. 1/2 and inch for range misjugement so a total of 1".
Add the fact pigs heads move alot and are hard to predict.

I haven't shot any "real big boars" with a .22lr.

I only shot them 'cos I'd sneak up an a water hole and they's were there and that's what I had at the time.

People seem to reckon .22 magnums o.k. the hornet is not suited but a 222 is good??? Go figure.
Also 30-30's aren't up to the job over 100yrds and cast bullets will just bounce off them as well.

Stay safe have an escape route

Bruce

[para45lda]

I'd still tote the 44 vs the 45. I know hogs are killed all the time with smaller/slower stuff. But I'm gettin too old to climb trees and too fat to run.

[Fenring]

Have shot at and killed three or four smaller ones (no more than 30kg) with the .17HMR at short ranges.

[Char-Gar]

I would not hunt wild hogs with a rimfire..period! The animals deserve better.

[Mk42gunner]

Well if any rimfire will be legal... .56-50 Spencer.

Only a couple of problems:

1. Cost of gun.

2. Cost and availability of shootable ammo.

3. Damage done to squirrels.

4. The looks you will get from the Game Warden while he tries to give you a ticket for having a fifty caliber rimfire.

Seriously, I wouldn't intentionally try to shoot a hog with a currently available rimfire.

Robert

[DrB]

I would not hunt wild hogs with a rimfire..period! The animals deserve better.

Maybe a paraphrase of the late Lewis Grizzard would be appropriate, here? :)

Q: "Mr. Grizzard, do you believe in infant baptism?"
A" "Believe in it?! H3ll, I'VE SEEN IT DONE!"

The question of whether anyone believes in killing pigs with a 22 rimfire entirely misses the point of my interest in the subject. I'm not interested in a high minded debate about what our porcine fellow inhabitants of the good earth "deserve." I'm interested in killing them, and 22 rimfires have killed mountains upon mountains of hogs.

To that end, "deserve" hasn't got anything to do with it. I'm not looking to have tea with it, and I'm not looking for a pet. I intend to kill it as expeditiously as possible given the restraints placed upon me, disembowel it, chop it into small pieces, cook it, and consume it. I don't care if it has a lifetime of good piggy living behind it... it is a pig. I will make it's transition to table fare as minimally unpleasant as possible, but I expect the pig to be thoroughly opposed to the process.


So why am I going to go in small game season instead of solely during big game season when shot placement would be a little less critical?

From having followed these pigs over the past season, I have come to the conclusion that the first couple of days of small game are by far the best opportunity. The pigs are very smart, the country is rough and deep with plenty of vegetation, and motorized vehicles/mountain bikes are not allowed. On one day I covered about ten miles cross country with my hunting partner, through brush, up and down ravines, etc. Plenty of pig sign, but no pigs. At the beginning of small game season, you can hike in less than a mile, stroll into a green field and find them munching along, head down and unawares. The best chance for success given limited days to go is to use a weapon legal in small game season over the first few days of the season.

Based on the anecdotal information out there and my experience, I'm pretty sure that feral hog hunting with a rimfire is practicable for someone who is at least a competent squirrel hunter in terms of accuracy, knows where to place a shot, and is sufficiently patient to wait for a shot to present itself. I may screw it up anyway, but that is reality -- and what backup plans are for.


Don't get me wrong, folks. I am very interested in (and grateful for) any suggestions you may have as to more efficient means of killing a hog that would be compliant with the regulations we locally have in force, whether arms, shot placement, or tactics. I am interested in hearing of any hunts gone bad. I'd rather learn from another's bad experiences than unnecessarily have my own. :)

I'll use whatever is legal and apparently effective within my ability to use it to dispatch the hog. If my preparation prior to the hunt or experience with the hunt leads me to believe it is ineffective -- well, I'm not interested in casually wounding animals -- I intend to kill them, only. I will either adapt my methods/arms to make them sufficiently reliable or if unable to do so I'll set it aside.

Best regards,
DrB

[Leadforbrains]

If it was me in your situation I would use a .22 magnum solid between the eye and the ear hole.

[DrB]

I'd still tote the 44 vs the 45. I know hogs are killed all the time with smaller/slower stuff. But I'm gettin too old to climb trees and too fat to run.

You've got a fair point... actually, I've been thinking about the last stalk and what was available, tree wise. Plenty of trees, not many good for an escape ("water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink" don't ya' know?). Upon reflection, I think it would be a lot more likely that I would end up playing "chase the tail" around a two foot hickory with a boar, than climbing up a tree to make an escape. :shock:

I think a 44 magnum would generally be better at killing with a shot, but I feel much more comfortable with my ability to draw, fire, and get one or more shots on a rapidly closing target with my Springfield XD 45. Since I can't use a 44 mag for the first shot, the 45 is a better choice for me, in my opinion. Solids SWC should provide adequate penetration to kill, and I'll have 14 rounds instead of 6... the 45 would be a self defense situation, so I'm worried about stopping the charge.

[DrB]

Well if any rimfire will be legal... .56-50 Spencer.

Only a couple of problems:

1. Cost of gun.

2. Cost and availability of shootable ammo.

3. Damage done to squirrels.

4. The looks you will get from the Game Warden while he tries to give you a ticket for having a fifty caliber rimfire.

Seriously, I wouldn't intentionally try to shoot a hog with a currently available rimfire.

Robert

Done and Done, Robert!

I await your PM, I'll send you the address of my local FFL, ASAP. I can't wait to use your 56-50 spencer, and can't tell you how much I appreciate your generous offer! [smilie=l:

(Actually, I had considered the legality of a custom built single shot using 32 cal power loads behind a cast bullet :) )

[DrB]

If it was me in your situation I would use a .22 magnum solid between the eye and the ear hole.

Yeah.... that's kindof where I'm arriving. I'm trying to decide whether I can get away with a 22LR or really need to do the 22 mag.

I've got a passle of LRs, no magnums in the stable, at present.

Of course with Robert sending me that spencer rimfire, it's a moot point. :)

:kidding:

[Mk42gunner]

Done and Done, Robert!

I await your PM, I'll send you the address of my local FFL, ASAP. I can't wait to use your 56-50 spencer, and can't tell you how much I appreciate your generous offer! [smilie=l:

(Actually, I had considered the legality of a custom built single shot using 32 cal power loads behind a cast bullet :) )

If I had one, I would loan it to you to try. You wouldn't even need an FFL since all original Spencers are antiques. :bigsmyl2:

I did have a young man that worked for me that wanted a Spencer, that's kind of what got me thinking about them.

The more I think about it, if you only go for small hogs (like somewhere around 80 pounds) I think it would be doable as long as you got the throat cut before they came to. No one knows how many deer are poached with a .22 every year.

Too bad the larger rimfires aren't available now, I wouldn't use the Navy Arms .32 *&$( on anything bigger than a possum.

Robert

[1kshooter]

try to get your hands on some Aquilia S.S.S Sniper sub sonic 60gr .22lr and keep the shots to 50 yards or less!

I shot one with a Ruger GP100 357mag JSP...20yards when it broke cover and charged ....first round hit dead center between the eys and rolled it ....it was down for about 20 seconds and then game on 2nd 3rd 4th 5th shot were all in the face at under 10 feet! and the six and last shot was in the top of it's head as it .....slid between my legs!!!!!
carfull boys and girls!

[DrB]

If I had one, I would loan it to you to try. You wouldn't even need an FFL since all original Spencers are antiques. :bigsmyl2:

I did have a young man that worked for me that wanted a Spencer, that's kind of what got me thinking about them.

The more I think about it, if you only go for small hogs (like somewhere around 80 pounds) I think it would be doable as long as you got the throat cut before they came to. No one knows how many deer are poached with a .22 every year.

Too bad the larger rimfires aren't available now, I wouldn't use the Navy Arms .32 *&$( on anything bigger than a possum.

Robert

Well, thank you Robert. I really appreciate the sentiment.

[DrB]

try to get your hands on some Aquilia S.S.S Sniper sub sonic 60gr .22lr and keep the shots to 50 yards or less!

I shot one with a Ruger GP100 357mag JSP...20yards when it broke cover and charged ....first round hit dead center between the eys and rolled it ....it was down for about 20 seconds and then game on 2nd 3rd 4th 5th shot were all in the face at under 10 feet! and the six and last shot was in the top of it's head as it .....slid between my legs!!!!!
carfull boys and girls!

I've got a few bricks for another project of the SSS.

More mass is a very good thing for penetration, and I have shot a large ground hog (the very large rodent, not a pig on the ground :)) before in the top of the skull with a SSS and had it penetrate the entire length of the animal before exiting sideways and deeply denting a piece of sheet steel.

I don't know about the tradeoff between mass and velocity with SSS vs. standard high velocity solids, though. SSSes are only going about 870 fps out of my rifle, and that's pretty standard (great for a short range suppressed rifle). I could see SSS working better on a pig skull, or not.

Like I said, I dunno.

[1kshooter]

Drb,
I will try to dig up the artical on the invention of and intended use of SSS .22 60gr....bottom line skinny version.. killing attack dogs and turning the lights out on drug raids...also heavely used my animal control for deer in...sensetive areas like airports and near homes!!
I have had lenght wise pass throughs at 50yards on brush wolves(over grown coyote) of 60 lbs!!

[DrB]

Drb,
I will try to dig up the artical on the invention of and intended use of SSS .22 60gr....bottom line skinny version.. killing attack dogs and turning the lights out on drug raids...also heavely used my animal control for deer in...sensetive areas like airports and near homes!!
I have had lenght wise pass throughs at 50yards on brush wolves(over grown coyote) of 60 lbs!!

Sounds good... So at 870 fps a sixty grain SSS has as much momentum as a 40 grainer going at 1300 fps, but less than half the drag (nose on about ~45%). That does sound like a recipe for a lot more penetration.

1kshooter, I'd love to get anything you've got.

I've got some sss muzzle velocity vs. shot plots that I think are kind of interesting I keep meaning to post. I'll try to get them up soon and send you a pm. Be interested in your thoughts.

[DrB]

try to get your hands on some Aquilia S.S.S Sniper sub sonic 60gr .22lr and keep the shots to 50 yards or less!

I shot one with a Ruger GP100 357mag JSP...20yards when it broke cover and charged ....first round hit dead center between the eys and rolled it ....it was down for about 20 seconds and then game on 2nd 3rd 4th 5th shot were all in the face at under 10 feet! and the six and last shot was in the top of it's head as it .....slid between my legs!!!!!
carfull boys and girls!

Hey, btw, since you've been charged, what do you think of a revolver for a charging hog vs. a fullsize semi auto 13+1 rd 45acp?

[Lloyd Smale]

keep in mind that in most states pigs arent even game animals. there considered vermin. No more wanted that poisonous snakes. They deserve death and thats all thats owed to them. I the states game dept was to worried about hurting those cute little piggys theyd allow you to use a real gun. they dont care so why should I.
I would not hunt wild hogs with a rimfire..period! The animals deserve better.

[Lloyd Smale]

bottom line is a 22 will kill hogs. Ive seen it done. What it takes is alot more disipline. You need to know when to hold them and and know when to fold them. Heck eskimos use them to kill polar bears!! Again there not running around shooting them in the guts or in the but. they put the bullet where they know its going to kill.

[Gee_Wizz01]

As stated by others, a 22 rf will definitely kill a pig. On the farm I have seen a goodly number dispatched with a 22 LR to the head. These were all in a small pen, and they usually shook a little and rolled over dead. Wild pigs are a whole different situation. I wouldn't shoot one with a 22 lr unless I was close and already in a tree or otherwise out of harms way. I am a pretty good shot, but I wouldn't bet my life on the 22 lr. Out of the last 15 wild hogs I have killed, I have been charged twice. The first time I shot a small (about 90 lbs) at 50yds with a 30-06. The pig was the lookout in a group of 27 in out dirt stock tank, and I was sneaking up on them. The look out saw me and squealed, I put the crosshairs between his eyes and cut loose. I hit him in the snout and he went down and then jumped up. The rest formed up a defensive semi circle around the piglets, and several larger pigs then charged me. I dropped two of them, and the rest turned away. The last pig I dropped was only 15 yds away and my bolt gun was empty. The pig I had hit in the snout was still flopping around. The bullet hit the snout and deflected downward blowing the lower jaw off and the bullet continued down into the lower brisket area. The second time I was charged, I shot a 100lb pig at 25 yds with a 45ACP, and hit low breaking one front leg and damaging the other. That pig instantly made a run at me. I fired 3 shots hitting him 2 more times before he turned a way, less than 5 yards from where I was sitting. He bull dozed a large prickly pear cactus on the way towards me. He ran another 20-30yds and collapsed with his butt in the air. He covered 20 yds in an instant! After observing and killing pigs for years I have learned several things; 1 Hogs are fast and agile; 2 They will come after you. Most of the time they roll over and die, but when they don't you be better be prepared and they have a very bad attitude. 3. I have seen a high school kid that got "hit by a hog as it ran past him, and he had several hundred stiches.

Just be aware hogs can hurt when things go bad.

G

[myfriendis410]

I've head-shot two hogs with high-powered rifles over the years: one with a 22-250 and the other a 7mm rem mag. I lost the second one when the Nosler Accubond bounced off it's skull. The first one also bounced off, but addled it enough that I was able to shoot it four more times in the chest as it ran off. THAT one we recovered. I'm with most everybody else here; I wouldn't attempt it with a rimfire. If I HAD to use a rimfire it would have to be a .22 magnum solid VERY carefully placed. Maybe even the base of the skull behind the ear instead of in the skull (which is very thick). Just my two cents.

[dualsport]

.22 mag fmj, brain shot. Penetrates pretty good. Put down a dying horse with one frontal shot. Some so called jacketed .22 mags. are actually just plated. Make sure it's a real fmj bullet. The angle and placement should be obvious, straight in between the eyes or thru the ear hole. The brain is behind and slightly above the eyes. I wouldn't bet on anything else making it into the brain. The 60 gr. SSS load is hard to stabilize, 50 yds. is pushing it, and it's a soft lead bullet. I think it was meant for close range assinations. IF I was hunting hogs with a rimfire I'd bite the bullet and buy a good .22 mag. Different class than any .22 LR. Mine's an old Marlin. Savage makes a beauty, very accurate I've read. Has the Accutrigger. You'll need serious precision. Let us know how it goes.

[1kshooter]

Hey, btw, since you've been charged, what do you think of a revolver for a charging hog vs. a fullsize semi auto 13+1 rd 45acp?

if I had a hundread rounds ....I think I would have used most of themlol I think that if a hand gun is the weapon of choice then it needs to be a special load for the game intended...I would have been much more comfotable with a 44mag black hawk and big heavy solids!!

[1kshooter]

.22 mag fmj, brain shot. Penetrates pretty good. Put down a dying horse with one frontal shot. Some so called jacketed .22 mags. are actually just plated. Make sure it's a real fmj bullet. The angle and placement should be obvious, straight in between the eyes or thru the ear hole. The brain is behind and slightly above the eyes. I wouldn't bet on anything else making it into the brain. The 60 gr. SSS load is hard to stabilize, 50 yds. is pushing it, and it's a soft lead bullet. I think it was meant for close range assinations. IF I was hunting hogs with a rimfire I'd bite the bullet and buy a good .22 mag. Different class than any .22 LR. Mine's an old Marlin. Savage makes a beauty, very accurate I've read. Has the Accutrigger. You'll need serious precision. Let us know how it goes.

I got to agree with you my friend i would always opt for the largest hardest hitting most accurate round I could get my hands on ...it is one thing to talk about doing it and another thing being in the path of a wounded pig that wants to kill you just as much as you it!....you know what I mean as you too have been there!

[dualsport]

That's funny 'cause I have been there too. Point blank between my legs with a 45-70. It died instantly. I wouldn't think about shooting one that's moving with any rimfire. Careful sniping might be one thing, but running? Not likely to get the brain. As charger pointed out, the pigs must really be on the $#@* list if they can be hunted with a rimfire, legally. I look forward to a report. Maybe some pictures too! They use spears in Hawaii.

[GabbyM]

All my Granddad used on the farm was a 22 short. He said the long rifle ruined the brain and we used that. I believe brains get tossed now due to danger of mad cow disease.

Shoot a hog between the eyes from above looking down and all you do is punch a hole through the top of his mouth and out his lower jaw. Use a 458 win mag if you want on that snout shot. Won't do any good. Hunters need an image in there mind of where that brain is then when it’s time for your shot let hand eye reflex make that happen. That will cover your running shots. When I read the earlier post of a man shooting the hog between the eyes then several times in the face I thought good shooting wrong aim point.

Had a man last year tell me my cast bullets he used weren’t any good. He’d gut shot a coyote with his 45 acp and it ran off. He was so propagandized on the power of a 45 acp that he believed any hit would send an animal tumbling. So he took a center mass aim point. :groner:

22 rim fire does give you a challenge for sure.

With my 44 mag I’d aim at where the heart is then count on penetration to get it there through anything that was in the way. Like the neck or head. Then I’d cock it and go for a brain shot coup de grass. I’ve never seen spray and pray work even on rabbits and coons.

[1kshooter]

GabbyM,
I was not the most experianced handgun hunter as that was the first game I had shotwith one but I was not trying to do anything but kill the thing and it all happened so fast that I honestly did not have time to do anything more then draw....point empty gun and then my stomach contents lol

[GabbyM]

Well you killed it in the end 1kshooter. :mrgreen: I’ve never had a hog charge me.

[1kshooter]

I honestly don't ever want to be in that position ever again!

[Chicken Thief]

Yeah.... that's kindof where I'm arriving. I'm trying to decide whether I can get away with a 22LR or really need to do the 22 mag.

I've got a passle of LRs, no magnums in the stable, at present.

Of course with Robert sending me that spencer rimfire, it's a moot point. :)

:kidding:

What exactly defines a rimfire?

Any round fired in a rimfire firearm?

Then this might yeald some power to the project:

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=8153

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=70952

[Changeling]

I've head-shot two hogs with high-powered rifles over the years: one with a 22-250 and the other a 7mm rem mag. I lost the second one when the Nosler Accubond bounced off it's skull. The first one also bounced off, but addled it enough that I was able to shoot it four more times in the chest as it ran off. THAT one we recovered. I'm with most everybody else here; I wouldn't attempt it with a rimfire. If I HAD to use a rimfire it would have to be a .22 magnum solid VERY carefully placed. Maybe even the base of the skull behind the ear instead of in the skull (which is very thick). Just my two cents.


The Nostler 7 Rem Mag bullet bounced off the pigs skull, that must have been one bad pig and scary as Hell, maybe you should move up to a 460 Whearby, what do you think?

[Changeling]

I've head-shot two hogs with high-powered rifles over the years: one with a 22-250 and the other a 7mm rem mag. I lost the second one when the Nosler Accubond bounced off it's skull. The first one also bounced off, but addled it enough that I was able to shoot it four more times in the chest as it ran off. THAT one we recovered. I'm with most everybody else here; I wouldn't attempt it with a rimfire. If I HAD to use a rimfire it would have to be a .22 magnum solid VERY carefully placed. Maybe even the base of the skull behind the ear instead of in the skull (which is very thick). Just my two cents.


The Nostler 7 Rem Mag bullet bounced off the pigs skull, that must have been one bad pig and scary as Hell, maybe you should move up to a 460 Wetherby (spelling), what do you think?

[DrB]

What exactly defines a rimfire?

Any round fired in a rimfire firearm?

Then this might yeald some power to the project:

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=8153

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=70952

Hey! I've got.several of these already, but mine are hammonds game getters. They are fun... different poi but very quiet, and they can be accurate to boot.

I suspect the wardens would quibble on that. :) I'm tempted to call the chief biologist/regional supervisor, though. There may be something about 22cal or smaller but I would have to double check.

[DrB]

Re the 22 sss stabilizing, I modified an old marlin 25n with a fast twist short barrel to stablize them... I'm actually overspinning them right now... They fly straight, but I'm still working a couple of kinks out.

Really the rimfire is a first shot deal.. I expect to either drop them with one in the ear, watch them run away, or deal with a charge with a sidearm (permissable self defense).

I'm still looking into the 22 magnum. Yes, I will report the hunts outcomes, if any.

[exile]

I freely admit I know nothing about hunting pigs. I did however work as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for several years with people with spinal cord injuries, head injuries, amputated limbs etc.,.

Having seen the long-term effects of these kinds of injuries, I would have to ask, "Is hunting wild hogs with a .22 really worth a possibly life-changing injury?" Killing a domestic pig with a .22 in a pen bears no resemblance to hunting a wild hog that has the ability to kill you.

Having read Glenn Fryxell's excellent articles on hunting wild hogs, I would say that hunting a wild hog with a .22 is like driving drunk. You might not always get hurt, but why take the chance?

exile

[DrB]

Exile, thank you for being concerned for my safety... It is thoughtful of you and I do appreciate the sentiment. I'll keep the thread posted on the good, bad, and embarrassing.

<snip>

Disapproval for driving drunk and my hunting hogs with a 22 really don't have anything in common, do they? :)

I recognize that shooting an unconfined wild hog is more dangerous. I plan on preparing to pith it with the first shot, not picking on hogs bigger than I am, going with a partner I trust, etc.



You might not always get hurt, but why take the chance?

Because I won't always get hurt. Because I love hunting, and the law requires me to use a less than ideal arm for the pursuit. Etc., etc.

Sincerely, thank you for your concern.

Best regards,
DrB

[bowhunter]

here in the the jungles of S.C. it has always been wide open to hunt with any cal. back in the 60's my dad and his friends hunted deer all the time with 22s i have skinned many killed with them. he always used solids, at close range 50-75 yds they will break ribs going in and out stoping on the off side skin. he would shoot deer 3-4 times with a rem 550-1 automatic behind the shoulder. they would always run about 50-60 yards or so and fall dead. his heavy rifle was a 22 hornet, same result, a few jumps then lights out. back then nobody told them they were under gunned and thay needed a magnum to kill a deer. but a wild hog is another story altogether.........

[exile]

DrB,

I freely admit, being a VR counselor can make you a little skittish. My secretary always said her kids hated her because she would never let them do anything.

Enjoy your hunt.

exile

[hiram1]

how about an 88 mm from a long long way away. or a 105 mm there bad puppys for sure. i dont want to get cut up .but i will say hp bullits dont do it at all

[DrB]

Thank you, exile. I hope to... worst case, I expect to have an "interesting" experience. :) Again, thanks for your concern.

Bowhunter, I get up to the Georgetown/Pawleys Island area two or three times a year... catfishing at santee cooper is also an old favorite of mine, and sarahsetter trained my birddog. Are you in any of those neighborhoods?

I hear you, both re what you can do with small caliber/small bullets, and that a rimfire isn't the go to gun for hog (all those I've previously killed have been with either a 30 cal or one with a 50 muzzleloader). I've never hunted deer anywhere a rimfire was legal, but the only two whitetail I've pulled the trigger on with a 22 hornet went as short a distance as any I've (brain)shot... drt. Lethality of a gun is mostly accuracy, penetration, and anatomy (with a little wound surface area thrown in). :) That said, yes, most of the time I'd prefer a bigger and faster bullet.

My biggest uncertainty about this hunt is reliability of penetration and the effective size/shape of the area for a brainshot...

Obviously a rimfire wouldn't be my choice absent government rule shenanigans.

[1kshooter]

...just get it on video so we can all see it...not you getting hurt but the well placed shot and the hog going down..that would be awsome!

[DrB]

Yeah, but a video of me getting run down and gored would get more you tube play. :? If we have success I'll try to get some pictures up, and tell the tale regardless.

If I get a shot, I'll be worried about making it right, not filming it.

[GabbyM]

Been thinking about this for the week or two this threads been up.
Light bulb came on. Hunting partners. Two hunters with 22 rim fires. One lead shot with the other hunter designated for the follow up shots.

You need help to carry out the meat anyways.

When I’ve been bear hunting. We never went into the woods after a shot bear alone. Just let it go then gather up some help and back up.

[1kshooter]

smart GabbyM

[DrB]

:) Gabby, we're meeting at the range in a few hours.

I'm not sure how we'll work it. We're planning on some range time leading up to opening... maybe we'll see who is shooting most consistently with our chosen rifles, and give that person first shot and backup to the other.

Where did you bear hunt? Black bears?

[Junior1942]

DrB, obviously you're about to ignore several Voices of Experience and head out after wild hogs with a 22. In Alabama, as here in Louisiana, many of your wild hogs are TRULY wild hogs as they've had over 1,000 generations for the meanest and smartest to survive and pass on their genes since they ran away from DeSoto in circa 1545.

So keep that fact in mind when this Voice Of 50+ Years of Wild Hog Hunting speaks:

1. Use a semi-auto 22 and NOT a bolt action or lever action. I suggest a Ruger 10-22 with a magazine holding more than 10 rounds. In other words, don't stop shooting until the hog stops moving or your magazine is empty. Don't use a target 10-22 with a tight chamber. A plain ol' off-the-shelf 10-22 is what you need.

2. DON'T BUY CHEAP 22 AMMO. Cheap 22 ammo gives mostly ~1100 fps Chrony readings with an occasional ~900 fps reading. The former won't jam a semi-auto action; the latter will. A jammed action while a hog is in full charge mode wouldn't be fun at all.

3. DON'T BUY HOLLOW POINT AMMO. You want penetration through a hog's skull, not expansion in hog tissue. You don't need FMJ; plain ol' solid lead works fine.

4. Try your semi-auto and its ammo for function before the hunt. Try it for many rounds.

5. DON'T MOUNT A VARIABLE SCOPE ON YOUR 10-22. Mount a 2x or a 4x max. Human nature being what it is and the hog being out there just a tad too far, you'll crank your 3x9 up to 9 so you can put that bullet exactly where you want it. Well, sorry, but it didn't go exactly where you wanted it. Here comes the hog at full speed and with blood on its mind--your blood. You just redefined the word "panic." Will you shoot AT the hog with the 9x setting through which you can't even FIND the enraged hog or will you turn your scope down to 3x? It doesn't matter much either way. At 9x you'll shoot all around the hog, and by the time you crank the scope down to 3x and can finally see the hog through the optics, the hog has reached you and is shredding your legs and working his way up to your intestines.

6. Always rest your rifle against the side of a proper tree when shooting truly wild hogs. "Proper" means the tree is both easy to climb and sturdy enough to hold your weight while a hog tries to climb it, root it over, or push it over. I once spent an entire day in just such a tree while just such a hog raged below. My brother, who was up an adjacent tree, says it was only 15 minutes, but it sure seemed like a day to me.

[GabbyM]

:) Gabby, we're meeting at the range in a few hours.

I'm not sure how we'll work it. We're planning on some range time leading up to opening... maybe we'll see who is shooting most consistently with our chosen rifles, and give that person first shot and backup to the other.

Where did you bear hunt? Black bears?

Upper Peninsula of Michigan. About thirty years ago.

[Junior1942]

True, truly wild hog story: back around 1960 a friend and neighbor and his son went hog hunting. As it was open range then, their intent was to catch unmarked hogs and earmark them. They rode horses and took a pack of dogs. Their arms were original M92 Winchester rifles converted to 357 mag, which was once the rage, sadly. The dogs bayed a boar hog, a truly wild DeSoto gene boar hog. The plan was to rope the hog from two directions since he was a boar and mean and bad, then earmark and castrate him. He wouldn't stay roped via running toward the rope tension--and the man with the rope--instead of running away from the tension and the man.

The boar hog came after the man and the man's horse. So under and around the horse, a boar hog and a pack of hounds raged. The hog ignored the dogs and shredded the horse's legs and belly. It tried to climb the horse's legs after the man. In the midst of the raging, bucking, barking, screaming and bloody melee, the man pulled his M92 from its scabbard and emptied the magazine at point blank range into the blur of dogs and hog.

When it ended, there lay a dead hog, a couple of dead dogs, and there stood a bloody horse with its guts hanging out.

[1kshooter]

scarry stuff Junior 1942,
I saw a 350lb sow ..on a game farm take 5 rounds of store bought 45-70 JHP bullets at less then 20 yards and all were body hits....it then chased the hunters around a large tree and then up it...really he almost climbed the tree....I shot him from 35 yards while he was streatched out with his front legs on the tree and hit him through one lung and heart and the arrow burryed it the rottor cuff of the hogs far schoulder!

come to think of it...are you allowed to use bows in this area??.....that would be a hell of a lot better in MHO then a .22

[DrB]

DrB, obviously you're about to ignore several Voices of Experience and head out after wild hogs with a 22.

Junior, thanks for the post. I'm not sure which Voices of Experience you are referring to (there have been a number all of whom I've read, and most of whom I've responded to), or why you assume I've ignored them. Perhaps I'll synopsize at some point what I think my take aways from this thread have been -- don't have time just at the moment.

However, I have read and considered every post that folks have been kind enough to make here, across the entire range of opinion (and the jokes :)) and read very attentively with regard to (the far fewer) statements of actual personal experience. I honestly rather resent your suggestion that I've ignored what the posters with experience are saying, as I think it's unfounded.... but I know you are trying to be of help because you are concerned, so that's fine.



In Alabama, as here in Louisiana, many of your wild hogs are TRULY wild hogs as they've had over 1,000 generations for the meanest and smartest to survive and pass on their genes since they ran away from DeSoto in circa 1545.


The present infestation of the region in question are domestic hogs that were released circa 2000, according to the cognizant biologists I've spoken with. :) In this case your generations are probably off by around a factor of 300, but I'm really not sure why it matters, anyway. There are plenty of anecdotes about folks falling down in domestic pig pens and never getting up. A close relative on one occasion used the expression "more excitement than I've had since the day the pigs ate my baby brother" (which I took at the time to be just a horrible off color expression :?) I've hunted other populations that were supposedly known hybrid european/domestic crosses and had been wild for generations... and yes, the larger ones can be dangerous in any regard. I have heard anecdotes that the guys that use dogs have dogs cut up to the point they either die outright or have to be put down on occasion (I'm not planning on going after a hog with my teeth, though). etc. etc.

Large hogs can be dangerous. Not new information, I'm not ignoring it, and I do understand.



So keep that fact in mind when this Voice Of 50+ Years of Wild Hog Hunting speaks:


Alright, I am keeping in mind the inapplicable factoid (the 1000 generation wild thing), as well the applicable one (large hogs can be dangerous).



1. Use a semi-auto 22 and NOT a bolt action or lever action. I suggest a Ruger 10-22 with a magazine holding more than 10 rounds. In other words, don't stop shooting until the hog stops moving or your magazine is empty. Don't use a target 10-22 with a tight chamber. A plain ol' off-the-shelf 10-22 is what you need.


I have a couple of 10/22s, and I am considering them. I do think though the safest way to drop a hog is to pith it in the brain though, and the best chance of that will be the first shot, and the most important criteria will be accuracy and penetration. That doesn't necessarily discount the 10/22, but it doesn't lock it either.



2. DON'T BUY CHEAP 22 AMMO. Cheap 22 ammo gives mostly ~1100 fps Chrony readings with an occasional ~900 fps reading. The former won't jam a semi-auto action; the latter will. A jammed action while a hog is in full charge mode wouldn't be fun at all.


First of all, I'm probably gonna pass on the hogs that are bigger than I am or over around 150 pounds if I'm using a 22, because I already had in mind that hogs are dangerous. :)

Second of all, because I already had in mind that hogs are dangerous, I am not going to try to stop a charge if one occurs with a 22 against a moving, rapidly closing target. That just doesn't make any sense to me. As I've already mentioned, I think my hi-cap semiautomatic 45 acp with 230 grain tc's is probably a reasonable fit for that role, although I get the point of the guys who favor the large revolvers (44 mag, etc.).



3. DON'T BUY HOLLOW POINT AMMO. You want penetration through a hog's skull, not expansion in hog tissue. You don't need FMJ; plain ol' solid lead works fine.


Yep, this has been an oft repeated point... one I mentioned myself quite early on in this thread, and a number of Voices of Experience have mentioned (have to check as to whether I introduced it, but I believe I did). Junior1942, are you IGNORING my Voice of Inexperience?! :kidding: :)



4. Try your semi-auto and its ammo for function before the hunt. Try it for many rounds.


Yep, already mentioned this too, but thank you (actually just a couple of posts before yours, and one or more times earlier as well :)). Not evaluating feasibility at the range with relevant distances/positions before trying to take a brainshot on a large game animal with a lowpower round would be foolhardy. If you practice enough to be confident of making that shot, then you are probably not going to have worked through any ammunition problems before you get there.



5. DON'T MOUNT A VARIABLE SCOPE ON YOUR 10-22. Mount a 2x or a 4x max. Human nature being what it is and the hog being out there just a tad too far, you'll crank your 3x9 up to 9 so you can put that bullet exactly where you want it. Well, sorry, but it didn't go exactly where you wanted it. Here comes the hog at full speed and with blood on its mind--your blood. You just redefined the word "panic." Will you shoot AT the hog with the 9x setting through which you can't even FIND the enraged hog or will you turn your scope down to 3x? It doesn't matter much either way. At 9x you'll shoot all around the hog, and by the time you crank the scope down to 3x and can finally see the hog through the optics, the hog has reached you and is shredding your legs and working his way up to your intestines.


Nope, I'm not gonna shoot at a charging hog with my .22, for reasons aforementioned, regardless of the power of the scope. The right way to do this sort of hunt in my mind is to pick a reasonably sized hog to start with and pith it on the first shot. if (for some unforseen reason) you have to deal with a charge on a large fast closing animal and you are holding a scoped 22 rimfire, IMHO, I believe you should dump the 22 and draw a larger sidearm to deal with the charge. If the hog is too close, sure, use the 22, and when the hog is on you you can at least club the 300 pound boar with a five pound birchwood carbine while he's goring you? I dunno, I think I'd probably draw the sidearm anyway if it was an actual charge by a dangerous sized hog.



6. Always rest your rifle against the side of a proper tree when shooting truly wild hogs. "Proper" means the tree is both easy to climb and sturdy enough to hold your weight while a hog tries to climb it, root it over, or push it over. I once spent an entire day in just such a tree while just such a hog raged below. My brother, who was up an adjacent tree, says it was only 15 minutes, but it sure seemed like a day to me.

Thank you for sharing that experience... I really do appreciate the data. Did either of you have a sidearm, and did the hog just leave or did he bleed out?

While I recognize that a climbable tree would be convenient, in this particular area that is unlikely to be feasible, as I mentioned in an earlier post. The great, great majority of the trees are relatively mature stands of hardwood like hickory, oak, and poplar. You might play chase the tail around a convenient largish tree, but unless you are cousin to a squirrel, happen to be wearing linesman spikes, or are divinely inspired to levitate by the fear of the hog (which I don't discount) you are very unlikely to reach the limbs of any of these trees.

That's why I plan on not picking on a tusker bigger than I am, pithing what I shoot in the brain or passing up the shot if it's not right, and defending against a charge with a large capacity 45 if needed.


That said, here's one other pertinent fact for this region. Hunting of the nuisance hogs has been going on for 10 years, and briskly so for the last five years. According to the federal biologist I spoke with this afternoon (and the state regional biologist I spoke to previously), they estimate in the range of 50-100 individual hunters hunt pigs during small game season each year (with rimfires). During the prior five years (and to the biologists knowledge, ever), with all of these hunters, for all of these hunt days, and thousands of hogs killed, there have not yet been any reported injuries to a hunter by a hog.

EDIT: Thinking about the above, I need to take back the "thousands of hogs killed." What was represented by the biologists were the number of years and an estimate of the number of hunters in small game for hogs each year. There is no hunter sign in for hogs, so they are really guessing based on their interactions with hunters, how many hunters they see out, and the number of killed hogs voluntarily noted by hunters in the log books. If I accept their estimates then I suspect the number of hogs killed is probably more in the hundreds (something on the order of ~1 hog/hunter * 50 hunters/year * 5 years = 250 hogs in small game... it might be a fair bit more, as I know from the logbooks that when someone kills a hog they often kill two or more, I doubt that it's less, but I also doubt that it is thousands as I originally suggested. /EDIT

So, to summarize: 1) yes, I am aware that larger hogs have the potential to be quite dangerous; 2) no, I am not ignoring any of the gentlemen who have been so thoughtful as to share their experiences; 3) and yes, actually, I've thought about what everyone is suggesting and I am planning for a safe hunt.

Junior1942 -- thanks for sharing your experience. I'd appreciate any other hunt/charge details you could relate (did you have a sidearm?, did you shoot the hog first? where, with what? was it a boar and of what rough size/age? etc.)

Best regards,
DrB

[DrB]

True, truly wild hog story: back around 1960 a friend and neighbor and his son went hog hunting.


Thanks for the story! Much appreciated, Junior.

[DrB]

scarry stuff Junior 1942,
I saw a 350lb sow ..on a game farm take 5 rounds of store bought 45-70 JHP bullets at less then 20 yards and all were body hits....it then chased the hunters around a large tree and then up it...really he almost climbed the tree....I shot him from 35 yards while he was streatched out with his front legs on the tree and hit him through one lung and heart and the arrow burryed it the rottor cuff of the hogs far schoulder!

come to think of it...are you allowed to use bows in this area??.....that would be a hell of a lot better in MHO then a .22

Good thought 1K -- I believe you could use a bow. My only concern is that in my experience I limit myself to less than about a 35 yard shot... and I'd like all the distance I can get both because I'll be stalking and because I want standoff.

I hope to get about double that range, and a faster second shot (on a different animal) with a rimfire... what do ya' think?

[Junior1942]

Thank you for sharing that experience... I really do appreciate the data. Did either of you have a sidearm, and did the hog just leave or did he bleed out?......Junior1942 -- thanks for sharing your experience. I'd appreciate any other hunt/charge details you could relate (did you have a sidearm?, did you shoot the hog first? where, with what? was it a boar and of what rough size/age? etc.)

Best regards,
DrBWe were three teenagers--me, my younger brother and a friend. We had two shotguns, a 12 ga double barrel and a 410 bolt action. Both were loaded with #6 squirrel shot. We came across a circa 150 lb sow with pigs, and the friend shot her in the butt with the 12 ga. Here she came--fast! We dropped the shotguns and climbed trees. She finally just strolled away. We never went hunting with that friend again.

I've owned many open range hogs. The open range closed here in 2001, believe it or not. They had two litters a year or very close or slightly over. It's 466 years from 1545 to 2011. Many of your Alabama wild hogs carry DeSoto hog genes. Also, size doesn't mean much if a boar is truly wild. The meanest, baddest boar hog I ever met weighed only ~ 90 lbs.

Good luck on your hunt.

[exile]

keeping your intestines inside your body, sound wisdom, lol.

exile

[zooly]

[QUOTE=dualsport;1336892]That's funny 'cause I have been there too. Point blank between my legs with a 45-70. It died instantly. I wouldn't think about shooting one that's moving with any rimfire. Careful sniping might be one thing, but running? Not likely to get the brain. As charger pointed out, the pigs must really be on the $#@* list if they can be hunted with a rimfire, legally. I look forward to a report. Maybe some pictures too! They use spears in Hawaii.[/QUOTE

My brother killed a large Boar on the island of Kauai. He shot it with a long bow from about 50 fee while his friend backed him up with a spear that had given him, made from a spring tooth harrow tooth.

Spear not needed, broadhead had done quick work on that big guy!

[just.don]

when i was growing up we raised hogs. butchered two in the spring and two in the fall.
had some friends that helped us with ours and we helped them with theirs. eight hogs a year for several years.
we used a .22 long solid and killed lots of them with one shot to the head and leg up twitching.
one particularly large barrow simply shook his head and got back to the "bait" as it were.
second shot and the same result.
Daddy sent one of us kids for the sledge hammer.
one good blow...out ...long enough for us to stick him.
autopsy provided the slugs flattened against the skull.

never hunted hogs.
sort of wanted to....w/ my .50 ml...
...and .357 on my hip.

one person i knew that had hunted them passed this bit of info along
"shoot them till they stop moving. then smoke a cigarette, when you finish that, have another....and if it ain't moved then get out of the tree"

good luck on your hunt

[1kshooter]

Good thought 1K -- I believe you could use a bow. My only concern is that in my experience I limit myself to less than about a 35 yard shot... and I'd like all the distance I can get both because I'll be stalking and because I want standoff.

I hope to get about double that range, and a faster second shot (on a different animal) with a rimfire... what do ya' think?

sounds good to me ..all said and done..you will have a side arm that can and will stop one that gets ugly...although you may have some explaining to do it would be better then reconstuctive surgery!!
other then that I think you got all the bases covered....take lots of pic's :popcorn:

[dualsport]

The one I shot between my legs with a 45-70 was actually trying to escape, not charging me, I think. Don't tell anybody. My buddy on that hunt used a muzzle loader squirrel rifle. Wouldn't listen to me. He ended up sticking his with a knife. Bad show. Lots of squealing. But still, carry a big knife, you never know. Plans go wrong sometimes.

[DrB]

The one I shot between my legs with a 45-70 was actually trying to escape, not charging me, I think. Don't tell anybody. My buddy on that hunt used a muzzle loader squirrel rifle. Wouldn't listen to me. He ended up sticking his with a knife. Bad show. Lots of squealing. But still, carry a big knife, you never know. Plans go wrong sometimes.

dualsport, thanks for that thought -- that's something I should have thought more about.

I've downed a few deer that were oblivious but still had the heart beating, so I bled them (two were headshot). A regular pocket knife (about three inch blade) worked fine, behind the point of the jaw and up/back a bit.

You know, I have my grandfather's old pig slaughtering knife he used to take for a pig killing... it is nothing to look at at all, just an old slab sided brass pinned knife with about a five to six inch 3/4 inch width pointed blade. Has his initials carved in one side.

I am vague on where to stick a pig in the neck to just perforate the carotid/jugular vessels, and would appreciate a picture if anyone can find one and/or knowledgeable suggestions. I wouldn't have any problem finding it eventually, but I'd rather not saw the head off a quarter of the way looking for them.

Best regards,
DrB

[1kshooter]

dualsport, thanks for that thought -- that's something I should have thought more about.

I've downed a few deer that were oblivious but still had the heart beating, so I bled them (two were headshot). A regular pocket knife (about three inch blade) worked fine, behind the point of the jaw and up/back a bit.

You know, I have my grandfather's old pig slaughtering knife he used to take for a pig killing... it is nothing to look at at all, just an old slab sided brass pinned knife with about a five to six inch 3/4 inch width pointed blade. Has his initials carved in one side.

I am vague on where to stick a pig in the neck to just perforate the carotid/jugular vessels, and would appreciate a picture if anyone can find one and/or knowledgeable suggestions. I wouldn't have any problem finding it eventually, but I'd rather not saw the head off a quarter of the way looking for them.
Best regards,
DrB

I would think that your Grandfathers knife would be the best knife...and I am sure your papa would agree....would be nice to have him with you on the hunt as well!

as for placement ...behind the front leg into the heart...check out you tube for videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnPEiKu5crM

[dualsport]

We were hunting with dogs. When my buddy(long gone, went to law school) popped his pig with the beautiful handmade .36 he built, the ****e hit the fan. Dogs all over it, a big messsy fight. The guy who owned the dogs was upset and yelled something unkind about my buddy and his gun, jumped on the hogs back and grabbed it's ears pulling the head back yelling don't shoot stick the *&^%$#@)(*&!!! My buddy stuck the knife in under the chin aiming down to get the arteries above the heart. What a gawdawful scene that was. The pig's desire to live was very strong and fought and slashed to the end. For that job you need a big strong knife, like an Arkansas toothpick or such, don't want it to break off. It's not a cutting thing, more of a deep stab with a twist.

[GabbyM]

That must of been a Saturday night!

[1kshooter]

lol...ya dang fool stop a cuttin thats my leg! lol

[exile]

I won't say that I wish we had hogs in Nebraska, because I don't, but I have always wanted to hunt one (or two) with a .44 Special or a .41 magnum. Maybe I'll get the chance someday.

DrB, I hope that you will take pictures or video of your hunt and post them here.

exile

[DrB]

I won't say that I wish we had hogs in Nebraska, because I don't, but I have always wanted to hunt one (or two) with a .44 Special or a .41 magnum. Maybe I'll get the chance someday.

DrB, I hope that you will take pictures or video of your hunt and post them here.

exile


Wilco. Tell you what, if I don't get a hog on a particular trip I will at least post a picture of my ham sandwich lunch. :)

Re pig sticking... I thought it was preferable to sever the vessels of the neck to drain a carcass? That way the heart continues to pump the blood out, and you don't end up with as much bloody muck in the thoracic cavity when you are cleaning. That doesn't take much of a blade. Now if it's still fighting like yours, that's something quite a bit different... i can see the utility of the long blade.

[dualsport]

Yup, two different processes. The little devils are tenacious as heck. Like I said before, I wouldn't be afraid to try sniping the brain with a .22 mag FMJ at a calm stationary pig in fairly close. If I lived there I'd be out hunting too. Have fun.

[1kshooter]

as for the sticking...the video is showing the point of enterance for a lively target ..and it can be hit from under neeth when it is on top of you eatting your ham sandwich lol

as for the arterial cuts through the neck or throught yes that would be an exelant way to bleed out a pig for slaughter but not when he is chewing on your arm!

[DrB]

I had planned on keeping my ham sandwich and avoiding the arm chewing -- personal preference, I know. But I am fond of a ham sandwich.

:)

[1kshooter]

too funny my friend!

[DrB]

Well, I said I would update folks...

Nothing to report. Apparently DNR heard the griping and announced a special season just for the hogs prior to small game, any firearm. Partner and I had been planning on the start of small game, so that messed up our planned trip dates inasmuch as getting into the unspooked hogs on opening week. We did a scouting trip prior to the opening and walked up to a couple of big hogs (under 40 yds). One looked like a breaking down hay roll (huge). The second smaller hog I'd guess was over 200.

I made it out a couple of times, but took the 308 win fal... No sense going undergunned since I wasnt being forced to it. I didn't see a thing.

Ended up putting a couple down in georgia, though.... It was a good night hunt. One boar about 150 pounds, one about sixty. The partner put down one sow around 150+.

Best regards,
DrB

[Lead Freak]

I was watching an outdoor channel the other day, and they were using a pellet gun (yes a pellet gun!) to bring down these 200-400 pounders. They would hit them just behind the ears and they would drop in their tracks as if hit with a tazer. I think I would want some heavy backup though if I was the one behind the pellet gun.

[MT Gianni]

Thanks for the update DrB.

[twotrees]

I have been following this thread and all I could hear the whole time was.


"Hey Y'all hold my beer and watch this spit"


The wife took a nice 100 lb sow last season, just 1" behind one ear hole and out the other, BUT she shot it with her 6.5X55. LOL

A night hunt has to be the most fun, until you turn on the light, you never know whats out there.

Friend was guiding a client on a night hunt for a "BIG" hog. Kevin turned on the light, at the sound of something close. No matter where he moved the light, all there was, was one big black hog, moving by. He whispered to the client, "Is that one big enough?" The client said "Turn off the light, maybe it'll go away"

Glad you had fun on you pig foray.

[DrB]

Thanks, all. :)

The night hunt was educational... Couple of brothers who guide hunts with gen 3 night vision on ar10s for hog control for peanut farmers in middle georgia, the stalk and shooting was all in about a quarter moon's light. Probably should have dropped a couple more after the first shot each stalk, but shooting running targets with a buddy popping off rounds a couple yards to your side looking just through the scope, which goes out with each shot.... Well, there was a learning curve. :roll:

The most remarkable thing was their sense of smell. We were watching a herd of about a dozen eight hundred yards across a field when the wind shifted... Less than a minute later a couple of the pigs heads raise to the breeze and they are off running full tilt for the wood line. If you had the wind on them though, walking up to less than seventy yards was no big deal at all.

[Edubya]

DrB. I have been entertained by this thread. Both by the replies that you received and by your replies to those that were being a little caustic. Your replies were always very mature, I appreciate that. Anyway, I happened onto a video that had nothing to do with guns or with shooting but it does show where the brain of a pig/hog is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FEUfkmJQuA&feature=related

I've been on a number of hunts but they were all with a .243, 260, 30-30 or larger.

EW

[Murphy]

First time I've seen this thread.

Killed numerous feral hogs at my work place with a single .22 LR round behind the ear. The key is distance. Much past 40-50 yards and you're pushing the limit.

Hey, if Lizzy on Swamp People can take out a 1,000 Lbs Gator with one shot from a .22 LR? It just strengthens the argument the .22 LR can do it.

Murphy

[DrB]

Edubya, kind of you to say so. Thank you for the link. Kind of ironic that after all the discussion DNR stole a march on me and had the special season. :)

Murphy, the wife and I just had dinner and a movie with a couple of other married friends. One of the wives was relating to us how her father used to always brandish his 22 LR squirrel gun and declaim as to how the 22 LR could take ANY North American game (period). :) She has a sparky, puckish sense of humor I imagine she inherited from her father.

Best regards,
DrB

[corvette8n]

try to get your hands on some Aquilia S.S.S Sniper sub sonic 60gr .22lr and keep the shots to 50 yards or less!

not all guns will shoot s.s.s., I have several rifles that will only keyhole them and that was at 10 yards.

[RMc]

Small game season hogs

Find a .36 TC muzzle loader and use .36 maxi balls - roughly 120 grains @ 2000 fps possible.

Use a .40 caliber muzzle loader with .390" lead/tin mix round balls - roughly 95 grains @ 2000 fps, (bonus - this is also legal to use during deer season.)

Check the Wildfowl season/early small game season overlap and use Dead Coyote "T" buckshot (.20 caliber pellets) - make sure you have the necessary duck stamps to make this option legal.

Wait until deer season to shoot hogs.

Oh yeah - always carry a side arm with hard cast WFN penetrator rounds!

Yes, I hunt Alabama WMA's.

[DrB]

not all guns will shoot s.s.s., I have several rifles that will only keyhole them and that was at 10 yards.

I had a fast twist barrel put on a marlin 25n in 22lr, just for the sss.
Got good velocity sds, but not the accuracy I was hoping for.

Finally got around to taking a chamber casting, and holy smokes!!! The chamber is longer than a saami sporting chamber with a very short sharp lede.

Not surprising it doesn't want to shoot.... Now I am eager to get the barrel set back and chamber fixed to something more like a match chamber. I'm pretty sure without the long loose freebore jump it will shoot much better.

[DLCTEX]

In my youth I was called on by neighbors to put down butcher hogs on several occasions. I used the Remington Golden Bullet 22 shorts. Range was mere inches. One shot one kill every time. Feral goats were dispatched with a shot at the butt of the ear, slight angle forward. Some were big old rams that had impressive horns that I wish I had kept. I had the unpleasant task of putting down sick cattle many times and found the frontal shot to be iffy. I once put down more than 40, a friend helped and we combined for a total of 73.. This was after a fire at a cattle auction that severely burned the cattle. The butt of the ear angled forward worked every time, my friend kept trying frontal shots and is the reason I put down many more than he did. And he was shooting a single shot and I was shooting a semi-auto. I would have no qualms shooting a hog of any size with a 22 rimfire, if I could pick my shot. In addition to the above, I worked on a ranch once that had a butcher shop and I dispatched many hogs and cattle for butchering, again preferring the ear shot for quick dispatch every time.

[DrB]

Tex, they were putting a steer down at the meat proccessor in georgia we had our hogs processed at.

They used a single shot 22 magnum to the forehead from about ten yards (steer didnt want to cooperate and backed across the pen). DRT. I wondered about the bone thickness in the forehead, but I suppose if a short sometimes works, a magnum will penetrate sufficiently... It did this time, anyway.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Jamesconn]

I wouldn't unless I had the mini 22 version of the BMG on full auto.
I guess you could hunt pigs with a 22 loaded with he hottest ammo available while your friend has a shotgun

[x101airborne]

Update...
I killed a butcher hog (domestic) last weekend. Shot it in a cattle trailer at about 5 ft. Used the old Revelation single shot 22 for the job. Also thought I would try the Aguila SSS 60 grainers to do the job. Now, I have killed THOUSANDS of hogs both domestic and wild in a trap with a 22. Mostly used copper jacketed solids and had one shot kills every time. The Aguila did not penetrated the skull on the first 3 shots and it was a slow, very poor death for a good animal. I was upset. Maybe it was just an isolated incident, but it shook my confidence.

[DrB]

Update...
I killed a butcher hog (domestic) last weekend. Shot it in a cattle trailer at about 5 ft. Used the old Revelation single shot 22 for the job. Also thought I would try the Aguila SSS 60 grainers to do the job. Now, I have killed THOUSANDS of hogs both domestic and wild in a trap with a 22. Mostly used copper jacketed solids and had one shot kills every time. The Aguila did not penetrated the skull on the first 3 shots and it was a slow, very poor death for a good animal. I was upset. Maybe it was just an isolated incident, but it shook my confidence.

Sorry to hear of the mishap... It is an interesting data point though. Was there anything else unusual about the performance, ie, did the 60 gr slugs hit sideways? I'm really surprised they wouldn't penetrate if they hit nose on. They are soft, but I don't know that they are softer than other copper washed solids (going 200 fps faster).

[lcclower]

Facing you, visualize a line from left ear hole to right eye and a line from right ear hole to left eye. X marks the spot with a .22 or a sledge hammer.

(I had a great-uncle who would not waste a short on a hog, and insisted on hitting them in the head with a sledge hammer right on the snout to stun them long enough to bleed & gut. After he missed one just a little bit he decided a .45 Colt was a more suitable solution.)

[x101airborne]

I am going to go get my camera. I was so peeved about the whole thing that I split the skin on the head and took pics to figure out what happened. I hit it right. Right where I have killed THOUSANDS of others. And I have used the aguila ammo in this rifle to quietly reduce the feral cat population around here. They shoot well if you can dope the drop. Those boolits were breaking up into tiny pieces as soon as they hit bone. I gotta find that camera.

[gwpercle]

My grandfather shot and killed feral hogs they released on thier property his entire life, I would go with him whenever I could. The only gun he used was an old single shot 22 LR. he used solid point ammo, got up close 15 t0 25 yards and put one shot into the ear hole such that it angled into the brain. They dropped dead in thier tracks and I never saw him shoot twice.

That dear old man told me the secrete to being a good hunter was to get close so you could make a sure killing shot and if you couldn't get the right shot don't shoot, pass it up. He said it wasn't what cartridge you used but where you placed the shot that counted. A 22 LR will take hogs but you have to do it right.

[DrB]

I am going to go get my camera. I was so peeved about the whole thing that I split the skin on the head and took pics to figure out what happened. I hit it right. Right where I have killed THOUSANDS of others. And I have used the aguila ammo in this rifle to quietly reduce the feral cat population around here. They shoot well if you can dope the drop. Those boolits were breaking up into tiny pieces as soon as they hit bone. I gotta find that camera.

Yeah, unless they hit sideways I dont know why they would be different, unless the hardness were a bunch different.

What brand/type do you usually use? Wouldn't be hard to test both if we knew.

[x101airborne]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754f672b967a403.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4492)

[x101airborne]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754f672cfdc6b6e.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4493)

[x101airborne]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754f672d4e15ee8.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4494)

[x101airborne]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754f672f1f48910.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4495)

[x101airborne]

I cant find my old box, but I ran out of my normal federal "Eagle" round nose jacketed. They are fairly low powered, tough, and penetrate well. Guess what I am going back to?

[LIMPINGJ]

x101 from your pics it looks like you appreciate the hatchet as an item for your butchering kit.

[x101airborne]

I never leave home without it. I have that hatchet that is knife sharp and a 10 inch cleaver that is RAZOR sharp. the hatchet is for removing the head, splitting the pelvis, etc. The cleaver is for removing the ribs, crowning the racks, cutting roasts out, etc. In the field I will have an animal probably 80% butchered before it ever goes in an icechest.

[DrB]

Thank you for the pictures!

I'm not sure if I am looking at a round hole or a sideways hole? Did you recover the bullets, and were they mushroomed, splattered, or hit sideways?

[1kshooter]

X101 I am sorry I sent you the direction of the SSS as I stated I have only shot varmint with them and read a ton about there use on deer and dogs my law enforcment...again sorry for sending you down that trail!
Jonathan

[DrB]

I was/am still considering them depending on what we figure out, so I am glad to hear about his experience, though I regret he had it. If this kind of failure is to be expected, I would rather learn of it second hand.

I have also come across the mentions of the sss for culling, though the biggest thing I've used them on is a ground hog length wise through the top of the head.

[x101airborne]

X101 I am sorry I sent you the direction of the SSS as I stated I have only shot varmint with them and read a ton about there use on deer and dogs my law enforcment...again sorry for sending you down that trail!
Jonathan

Shoot, dont sweat it. This is a learning experience and someone is going to have great results and someone is going to have cruddy results. That is just the way it is. Good thing is I am not that squirmish and was able to observe, process and react to minimize the animals experience of it all.

The hole you are seeing is a culmination of several shots that I used to put the animal down. After the first shot, the hog dropped, and I thought it was over. Then it stood up and started shaking it's head up and down, hence the vertical dispersion of the shots.

I have used these rounds on smaller animals quite a bit myself as stated already. I like em and I trust em for lots of uses, just not shooting hogs in a trailer.

[LIMPINGJ]

x101 where did you find a 10" cleaver? Is that a meat cleaver or the thin Chinese style used as a knife? I use a skinner similar to the one in your pic but mostly quarter in the field then ice down then finish processing with a meat saw and knives when I get home.

[x101airborne]

It is a cheaper "Tramontina" brand, I believe. Bought it at a garage sale for 3.00. I like it a lot. Holds a good edge, heavy enough to cut well, light enough to use without getting fatigued quick. It is a lot heavier than those Chinese knife cleavers but lighter than the "Deutscheslander" and a shorter handle than the "Chicago" styles.

If it is hot outside, I will field quarter and ice the meat as soon as possible. If it is cool, I like to break the cuts up at least to let them bleed better in the ice, then when I get to my bandsaw and cooler I already have my cuts seperated for the most part and 10 minutes on the saw and I am ready for the vacume packer. Just less of a pain to me.

[Haggway]

I have used the 60 grain ammo to great effect on small game and other critters. My 10-22 is set up with a 1 in 9 twist barrel and threaded for a can. Out to 50 yards its all good. Up close and personal never had a problem. I gave some to a friend that wanted to use them for his pigs. He tends to stick the muzzel into the piggs ear. He has not had any problems and they drop right there. He does prefer to use a stinger though and save the heavy ones for the quiet shots he needs for the feral cats and such.