250# boar vs. a T/C Omega and Barnes Expander MZ bullet

[White Smoke]

I just got back from a three-day hunt near Paso Robles (north of Los Angeles). I was shooting my T/C Omega and using a 250-grain Barnes Expander MZ bullet in an HPH-24 sabot pushed with 100 grains of Pyrodex RS. On the third day of the hunt, I found a 250# boar asleep against a tree at 59 yards. He was almost broadside to me and I put the slug right behind his left shoulder. Due to his sleeping position, the bullet exited (almost) slightly lower and to the rear on his right side. It was a perfect double-lung shot. He ran about 200 yards and piled up against another tree. When we skinned him out, we found the bullet just under the hide on his right side. The bullet cut through the skin on the right side so there was an exit hole for blood to pour out, but the bullet stayed inside the skin. It expanded perfectly! You couldn't have asked for better performance.

[roverboy]

Can't ask for more than that. I've never killed a hog, but there are some about 10 miles from where I live.

[White Smoke]

Go for it! Just be carefull where you shoot them. The lungs and heart, especially the heart, are protected by the shoulders. They are further forward than most other animals. I slipped the bullet in right behind the shoulder and got both lungs, but only the rear part of them. The bullet was nowhere near the heart. You can't get at the heart without going through both shoulders (on a broadside shot). The best shot on a hog is one where it is quartering away from you so a shot behind one shoulder will take out both lungs, the heart and the far side shoulder. When we skinned out this hog, the cartilege protecting its chest area was over 1" thick. I got a picture of a plug we cut from the chest and will attach it here. Good luck.

[JJC]

Nice work. I recovered a 300 gr X from a hog, lost two petals. Shot a sow on the same hunt blew right through broad side and left one heck of a blood spray in the snow. Happy eatin.

[GabbyM]

Any bullet you recover fom an animal has failed.

[RugerFan]

Any bullet you recover fom an animal has failed.

Nonsense. I've recovered bullets from animals that dropped in their tracks. Explain how the bullets "failed."

[GabbyM]

Nonsense. I've recovered bullets from animals that dropped in their tracks. Explain how the bullets "failed."

It didn't go all the way through.
Suppose you could say it didn't fail if that's all you expect from a bullet.
I'm no fan of the Barnes X bullets. Not saying they wont make a hole. Just not my cup of tea. This report here of a 250 grain bullet over one hundred grains of powder not even penetrating a hog broadside does nothing to endear me to them. I’ll stick with my TC Maxi Ball. Then I’ve a hollow based Minnie that drops down the bore for fast reloads.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=32&pictureid=939

[home in oz]

Neat story!

[southpaw]

Any bullet you recover fom an animal has failed.

The bullet didn't fail (in this case). It made it all the way through the vitals, expanded nicly and killed the pig. Going all the way through would have been nice but not necessary. I too prefer pass throughs but they do not mean that the animal is going to die. Knowing your limitations and Shot placement are key.

Had the bullet blown apart or not opened at all I would say that it failed but it didn't. It did all that could have been asked of it. Some say that it is better to have the bullet/boolit stop in the animal just under the hide on the off side so that all of the energy is transferred into the animal.

GOOD JOB!! and let us know how he tastes!

Jerry Jr.

[RugerFan]

It didn't go all the way through.
Suppose you could say it didn't fail if that's all you expect from a bullet.
I'm no fan of the Barnes X bullets. Not saying they wont make a hole. Just not my cup of tea. This report here of a 250 grain bullet over one hundred grains of powder not even penetrating a hog broadside does nothing to endear me to them. I’ll stick with my TC Maxi Ball. Then I’ve a hollow based Minnie that drops down the bore for fast reloads.

The point of my reply was to refute how you started your post; "Any bullet you recover fom an animal has failed." That's a blanket statement that I completely disagree with. Southpaw's post pretty much sums up my view as well. (And personally I would use a Maxiball too)


The bullet didn't fail (in this case). It made it all the way through the vitals, expanded nicly and killed the pig. Going all the way through would have been nice but not necessary. I too prefer pass throughs but they do not mean that the animal is going to die. Knowing your limitations and Shot placement are key.

Had the bullet blown apart or not opened at all I would say that it failed but it didn't. It did all that could have been asked of it. Some say that it is better to have the bullet/boolit stop in the animal just under the hide on the off side so that all of the energy is transferred into the animal.

GOOD JOB!! and let us know how he tastes!

Jerry Jr.

[White Smoke]

My bullet DID make a full pass-through. It blew a hole in the far side that opened the hide for the blood to blow out but, after opening up the hole in the skin, stayed inside the hide. I don't know how it did it, maybe skin stretch or a really tough hide, but it had both entrance and exit holes on the carcass. I really love the T/C Maxi-Hunters but couldn't use them in this area. It's within the "Condor Zone" and you have to use a no-lead bullet.

[RugerFan]

I really love the T/C Maxi-Hunters but couldn't use them in this area. It's within the "Condor Zone" and you have to use a no-lead bullet.

That's a shame. I think I'd have to try and cast zink boolits or something.

[White Smoke]

I had some of the sausage for breakfast the other morning. It was outstanding! The hog was processed by Tip Top Meats in Carlsbad, CA for $1.00 a pound. The sausage was their German-style Breakfast Sausage with the heat at about a "7". I had some chops last night and they were also great...slightly "chewier" than store-bought pork and a slightly different flavor but, all in all, really good.