Best bullet for Hogs in 45 acp or auto rim??

[Mike45]

Wanted to get some suggestions. Looked at Keith bullet wondered if there were others out there. Want something that will penetrate on a shoulder shot on a 300-500 lb. boar. Don't think jacketed will handle that, and don't want to have to carry a rifle.

[x101airborne]

For a 300 to 500 pound boar, you are already undergunned for a DRT shot on an animal that size. I can tell you that they have been killed in a trap with a 22, but you have to be one cool customer even close with a 243. If you are looking for a 45 auto / ar load, I would maybe try a 230 TC style. This will give you some flat point for shock and a slimmer profile for penetration. I would also probably use water dropped WW's so no expansion was evident. If a 45 is what you have, great. I would certainly take it over a 32 auto. If you have a 44 mag, or a ruger 45 colt, or anything bigger, I would go for that.

[aarolar]

What platform are you working with?

[W.R.Buchanan]

I'm thinking a nice 425 gr solid, oops you said .45 ACP not .45-70?

Best just stay in the truck!

Randy

[Tatume]

Wanted to get some suggestions. Looked at Keith bullet wondered if there were others out there. Want something that will penetrate on a shoulder shot on a 300-500 lb. boar. Don't think jacketed will handle that, and don't want to have to carry a rifle.

Don't be surprised if they stick out his shoulder like the pins in Frankenstein's neck.

http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad311/greathorror/frankenstein.jpg

[x101airborne]

May I ask...... is 300 to 500 pounds what you will POSSIBLY run into? or is it what you will PROBABLY run into?

[runfiverun]

i like the idea of the truncated cone.
you could also seat them out of the case a bit further and gain some room for some powder.
i'd go with the AR case,seat out as far as possible, use a good taper crimp, and work on the loads.
you can load to the gun some also.
i use a 250 rnfp over 7 grs herco in AR cases in my 625 when out riding the wheeler.
wouldn't hesitate to shoot a deer or blackbear within 50 yds with it.
but a hog is a bit different, you want penetration.

[Bret4207]

I've owned and butchered hogs that went over 600. Thats a huge hog. Do boar get that big or are you hunting ferals or crosses? If you want to use a 45 ACP/AR then I'd try and find a GB 45BD mould. That sucker was designed for hunting and feeding in an auto. If you really think you'll get a 500 lbs hog then I'd be taking pains to learn the anatomy well and weighing my option between trying to bust the shoulder or a heart/lung shot. Hogs are just built so heavy, I'm sure a 45 will kill them but how far you'll have to track them is the question. I'd put a hog well over a black bear as far as needed killing power goes.

[blademasterii]

If you are planning to use a .45 to hunt hogs.. I would recommend it be this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NQWEXMb7p4&feature=related

[MtGun44]

Lyman 452423 loaded hot. About 6.5 gr of Unique or whatever you are comfortable with. If the
platform is a 1911, stay about there, if the platform is a BH convertible, you can push it
up quite a bit. I think if you put a couple of these in the heart lung area, you'll have
one dead real quick.

I killed two warthogs with the .44 mag, 250 Keith at about 1250 fps, look at the
pic on the left. That one was shot about 3" higher than I wanted at 75 yds and he
swapped ends in a heartbeat and ran about 30 yds at max warp speed and was dead
before we could get to him. They run about 120-180 lbs or so, not really sure what
that one weighed.

Never shot a regular American hog with a handgun, but I put a load of 1 buck into one
and it dropped right there, cut the spinal cord, and put multiple holes in the lungs. Didn't
seem too bulletproof to me, but that was a long time ago. Maybe they have grown kevlar
over the years. Seems like a side shot into the heartlung with a Keith SWC at about 900 or
1000 fps should do real well. Texas heart shot. . . . . not so much.

Bill

[Mike45]

Thanks for all the good info so far. I might run in to them that big, there have been some in the area. Most of the hogs seem well under 200. Looking to load them in to a 1917 and an inexpensive 1911.

Yeah that thompson should do it!

what about a .357 mag? Such tiny bullets.

[Lefty SRH]

Thanks for all the good info so far. I might run in to them that big, there have been some in the area. Most of the hogs seem well under 200. Looking to load them in to a 1917 and an inexpensive 1911.

Yeah that thompson should do it!

what about a .357 mag? Such tiny bullets.

If you go with a .357 go with a HEAVY LBT style solid like the 185 Bear Tooth bullet or the 187gr Cast Performance and load them HOT with either Herc. 2400 of H110. I recommend you plenty of testing before you hunt!

[Mike45]

Maybe I'll have to take the 45-70. oh well. most of the hogs seem small and you could probably shoot those with a 38, even in the chest, maybe a 22. But now and then............

That 452423 looks interesting. What is the GB 45 BD?

[cbrick]

Pigs can be tough to kill. I shot one about 250 pounds at about 40 yards with a Ruger 44 mag & 300 Gr RCBS HP's. Perfectly placed shot right behind the shoulder that knocked her off her feet and landed on her back, all four feet straight up in the air & looked like she was trying to run upside down. Didn't stop her, she flapped over and took off running. Two more shots on the run, both hit her in the neck and didn't even slow her down. She was holed up in a hollow under some trees and brush when I caught up to her, the same 300 gr RCBS bullet only in FP into the top of her head at about 10 feet made her decide that instead of a fighter she should be pork loins.

Would I shoot a wild pig with a 45 ACP . . . Not in this life time.

Rick

[x101airborne]

Well, all good advice. And I would agree that some have killed em quick, some not so much. Lots of factors. Adrenaline levels.... yours and the pigs. Running.... Broadside..... COMING STRAIGHT AT YOU BEARING TEETH....

I have never hunted bear, so I have no input. But I hunt pigs. Under 200 pounds, I would carry a standard 45 acp all day long. Under 200 they are not boolit or bullet proof and come down quite easily. They also have more flight response than other animals. A hog cannot hardly see and will run from a threat rather than fight. It is the big, slow, and old ones that want to fight. I have even gotten in a trap with a 250 pound sow and 5 piglets. Wrestled her down, tied her up and took her to the wild hog buyer 20 miles down the road. When you look into the eyes of a 550 pounder, the 338 win mag seems small. This is no place for an excited shot with a handgun in the wild. Now if you just want to make em leave, that is another situation.

[aarolar]

Pigs can be tough to kill. I shot one about 250 pounds at about 40 yards with a Ruger 44 mag & 300 Gr RCBS HP's. Perfectly placed shot right behind the shoulder that knocked her off her feet and landed on her back, all four feet straight up in the air & looked like she was trying to run upside down. Didn't stop her, she flapped over and took off running. Two more shots on the run, both hit her in the neck and didn't even slow her down. She was holed up in a hollow under some trees and brush when I caught up to her, the same 300 gr RCBS bullet only in FP into the top of her head at about 10 feet made her decide that instead of a fighter she should be pork loins.

Would I shoot a wild pig with a 45 ACP . . . Not in this life time.

Rick

This reminds me of the story of the cop who shot a perp 22 times with 17 COM hits and still lived for 4 mins after the last shot was fired. Extremely rare and unsual....[smilie=f:

Back to the discussion, I don't know what you call an inexpensive 1911 but you may want to look at loading or purchasing some 45 Super loads. You would need to upgrade your gun with a new recoil spring but other that that you should be good to go. I definately wouldn't advise shooting tonns of supers but enough to verify accuracy and then only for hog shooting purposes.

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=215

[x101airborne]

Not to hijack the thread, but

AAAAWWWWW YEAH!!!!! post number 1000. CHICKA CHICKA WHA!!!!!! And I did it on your thread!!!! I feel special, do you?

[Mike45]

Very Special! haha Could you post a touchdown dance? haha

I guess it is a cheap gun but quite happy with it which is why I swapped for it. made in late nineties spanish Llama.

Shot two about the same size, maybe 125, with 30/06, both got up. I think it was 180 win. power points. So they are fairly tough.

Behind the shoulder might be a bit far back, I think I'll try to knock out a shoulder, seems like that would slow them down. I think the 255 keith would do that. Maybe even punch through both? Looked at a 75-100lb. hog road kill today and those I'd use 230 xtp's I think. 223 would work. The expansion should slow down the bullet there are quite a few houses around, though I don't shoot towards them.

Will my pistol handle 45 super? what about +p? if i could get up to 900 fps in that should be good with 255.

[x101airborne]

Anyone remember the "Icky Shuffle"?

Those common sizes are great table fare and fall pretty easily to any standard caliber. Even in rifles, the two that Dustin shot this weekend on my place with HP'd 7.62x39's required several shots and a finisher from Trevor's 9mm. With pigs of that size I would stay with a standard loading. No need to push em. If it is a bigun, aim for the ear or the middle of the neck. You are sure to succeed. At least that is where I shoot em with my Ladysmith 38!

[aarolar]

Very Special! haha Could you post a touchdown dance? haha

I guess it is a cheap gun but quite happy with it which is why I swapped for it. made in late nineties spanish Llama.

Shot two about the same size, maybe 125, with 30/06, both got up. I think it was 180 win. power points. So they are fairly tough.

Behind the shoulder might be a bit far back, I think I'll try to knock out a shoulder, seems like that would slow them down. I think the 255 keith would do that. Maybe even punch through both? Looked at a 75-100lb. hog road kill today and those I'd use 230 xtp's I think. 223 would work. The expansion should slow down the bullet there are quite a few houses around, though I don't shoot towards them.

Will my pistol handle 45 super? what about +p? if i could get up to 900 fps in that should be good with 255.

I don't know anything about Llama guns so I am reluctant to say yes or no but if it's all steel I would imagine it could handle them fine. Me personally I would be looking for something in 230grn at +p or super velocitys to get alitte more speed out of it. No doubt a 255 @ 900 would work but a 230 @ 1100 just sounds more appealing to me personally.

[aarolar]

Anyone remember the "Icky Shuffle"?

Those common sizes are great table fare and fall pretty easily to any standard caliber. Even in rifles, the two that Dustin shot this weekend on my place with HP'd 7.62x39's required several shots and a finisher from Trevor's 9mm. With pigs of that size I would stay with a standard loading. No need to push em. If it is a bigun, aim for the ear or the middle of the neck. You are sure to succeed. At least that is where I shoot em with my Ladysmith 38!

This would be my preferred shot as well, another thing worth noting is a pigs anatomy is different from a deer. The vitals are much lower in the chest cavity and what would be a good shot on a deer is not on a hog. I personally belive this is the reason for so many "invencible piggy" stories.

[x101airborne]

aarolar has obviously shot a couple!! LOL

Yes. The heart lies almost directly behind the front leg at the bottom of the shoulder. The rest is lungs. And even they are low! If you were to try to blow a whitetails front legs off at the bottom of the chest, this is where the piggys heart is. A hog will run a heck of a long way with a round through the lungs.

[Mike45]

yeah if I can hit under the ear could probably use a .22. wanted something that would do some damage if they charged. 45 super is probably a bit much with the unsupported chamber but a few +p's might be ok. The 230's would be fine probably but I like the heavier bullets since I'm under gunned anyway. Or maybe I'll just use the 230's and back it up with a rifle. The 230's made a lot stuff fly when I tested expansion.

Ickey Woods! Yes I remember! You gotta do better than that, man!

[Mike45]

Yeah on a pig the shoulder is about perfect, heart right between legs. Low prob better than high.