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Thread: hog hunting advise needed

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    hog hunting advise needed

    I’m heading to Florida sometime in the first quarter of 2014 and will be taking a side trip looking to take my first hog, hopefully more than one. I would like to use a revolver, crossbow and/or lever gun. I have a Bisley Super Blackhawk Hunter in .44 magnum and a Lyman 429421 mold and would like to cast up some boolits with an appropriate alloy. I have straight lino & pure lead right now to work with.

    I also have some Missouri Bullet “Elmers” (advertised B.H. ~18) that I’ve been loading over 10.0 grains of Unique. These are shooting real nicely at 25 and 50 yards, and are traveling 1190 fps thru the chrono placed about 10’ from the muzzle. They are not brutal recoil wise either which is another plus.

    Assuming good shot placement my questions are: Is a 240 to 250 grain bullet at 1200 fps suitable for pigs? I'm guessing it would be fine. What kind of B.H. hardness should I looking to get from my alloy? What proportion of Lead, Tin, and Antimony would be good?

    Also, if anyone has a guide they highly recommend, I’m all ears.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Lefty SRH's Avatar
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    My opinion, the alloy, boolit, gun, and load you have now will do just fine. Only one other thing you must do AFTER the hunt....POST PICTURES HERE! LOL, Good luck!
    "In GOD We Trust"

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
    Cosmiceyes's Avatar
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    The type boolit you are using(Kieth Style) is right on.Shoot the big target.(lungs) Easiest to hit,and quickest cleanest kills.This type boolit cuts this perfect hole going in,and out.It lets a huge amount of blood go into the lungs,and on the ground. Easy tracking.
    Most guides have stands off of farmers fields there.
    Sometimes you can ask a farmer,and save the guide cost.Remember proper etiquette if you do. Announce your comings,and goings.Close gates behind you.If the farmer takes you in his vehicle to a spot. Jump out at every gate to open,and close. If he needs a quick helping hand give it. You are in their home even though it is land. Taking sows will do the most good. All these things considered he made put you on a heard ,and you can get all your allowed if they have such a thing.
    Only Peccary and Javelina are native to America. What you are hunting is a large varmint!
    Knowledge shall forever govern ignorance!

    I see what I am hunting just coming off the "GRILL"!

    It is not a measure of moral health to be well adjusted in a sick society!
    Jules

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    Come on guys.....we all know the 44 magnum is minimally effective on pigs unless you have a full case of super nitro express high velocity gonna kill everything in it's path powder under a 300+ gr bullet cast of a tungsten and depleted uranium alloy..........better yet is a "larger" cartridge that uses a pound plus of that powder under a bullet the size of a small car..........if you don't use that we all just know the bullet will just bounce off that "bristle" plate.........

    Am I ....well in a way I suppose I am..........

    Me on the other hand wouldn't hesitate to use the 429421s cast of 70/30 lino/lead or the "Elmer's" over 22 gr of 2400 or 23.5 gr H110 to hunt them "hogs".........and truth be known I also wouldn't hesitate to hunt with that Unique load........but that's just me 'cause I've been there and done that.......

    Larry Gibson

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy GH1's Avatar
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    Talking

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Be sure to familiarize yourself with swine anatomy. If one is facing you a headshot is good, if broadside the ear is a good target, or just behind.
    Most importantly though, have fun!
    GH1

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

    Hogtamer's Avatar
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    Don't shoot them in the head. Don't shoot them in the head. Don't shoot them in the head.
    Low behind the shoulder and you've got plenty of load. Get close. A pig can take a lot of punishment. BTW, I've killed about 250 with a recurve bow and wooden arrows blazing along @ 175 fps over the last 40 years. Oh yeah, don't shoot them in the head....

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy GH1's Avatar
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    Forgive my ignorance, but why not a head shot?
    GH1

  8. #8
    Boolit Master

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    I have seen 3 occasions where hogs were shot in the head that on most animals would have been instant death. One was from a Ruger 44 rifle from less than 10 yds. He was " dead" foe about 10 minutes as we chugged up the Savannah River in a john boat. We beached on a sand bar and got out and so did he! That was about a 100 pounder. My son shot one with a .30-.30 in the head from 25 yds and didn't knock him down the first shot. That got a little hairy as he was a 300
    pound boar. The third was a 9mm from 5 yds a guy shot when his dogs bayed him. It was about a 90 pounder and I don't think the hog even knew it. Bottom line is a really thick angled skull makes it a dicey shot, especially in thick cover and in close proximity.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
    Cosmiceyes's Avatar
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    Think we could get some let loose in the hills east of you? Maybe even in the reeds on the river? Their more fun than deer.
    Here's a picture of a big one from Northern California.
    Attachment 75285
    Knowledge shall forever govern ignorance!

    I see what I am hunting just coming off the "GRILL"!

    It is not a measure of moral health to be well adjusted in a sick society!
    Jules

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

    Hogtamer's Avatar
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    Hah! I've got to learn that photoshop thing.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy GH1's Avatar
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    Interesting, I've not heard of this happening. Good to know.
    The one on my avatar was shot in the head at about 25 yards with a 357 levergun. I used a commercially cast RNFP with a BH of 16 or so, and the bullet went in just under the left eye, through the skull, and broke the neck. He was 120 lbs.
    GH1

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Your 240 or 250gr boolit at 1200 fps will do nicely out to at least 50yds, and probably a lot farther. I use Water quenched WW's at 1150 fps out of my 45 Blackhawk, and haven't gotten any complaints from the local pigs. In my 45 Colt Blackhawks I normally use the the Lee 255 RNFP for loads up to 1150 fps. For heavier loads I have an old 454190 that drops boolits at about 263 grs which I load over H110 for some hot loads. I have never recovered a boolit that weighed 250 gr or heavier with a muzzle velocity of 1100 fps or faster. I have a Rossi M92 in 44 Mag, but have never shot a hog with it yet. My 44 Mag load in my Rossi, uses the Ranch Dog 260 gr FP at 1600 Fps using either 2400 or H110. I shot one pig at about 25 yds with my 1911 using the old 452389 dropping at 184 grs using wq ww's. I THOUGHT I had a mag full of these little button nose WC's running at approx 1000fps. When I touched off the round I knew I had my short range target loads running between 700 and 750 fps. The pig was about 95lbs and was quartering towards me from my left at approx 25 yds. I hit the pig in his front right shoulder, and the boolit traveled through his shoulder blade lungs and the full length of his body and was under the skin in his right hindquarter. The boolit punched a nice hole in the shoulder blade went through the lungs and traveled underneath the spine and struck the hip joint totally shattering it and stopped underneath the skin. The pig ran about 30 yds and expired. Your 44 Mag loads will work fine on large pigs.

    G

  13. #13
    Boolit Bub


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    For GH1, or someone who knows.
    Can you confirm that a hogs lungs, as shown in the picture, only fill the forward half of the rib cage?
    What other organs are in there?
    That seems very different from other animals I've dressed out.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master


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    Pic is spot on, pig's diaphragm is angled forward @ about 45 degrees as it drops from spine to base of rib cage. Just behind the lungs is the liver, stomach and intestines (NOT a good shot placement area). You need to shoot a bit higher & forward of where you'd normally aim on deer. Your load will do OK, I've killed a cr@pload of pigs with a .44...Lee 200 RNFP over 12.8gr unique scooting around 1360fps. Good luck & take plenty of piggy pics!
    An old Cherokee was teaching his grandson about life. "Inside me two wolves fight," he told the boy.
    "One is evil - he is anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, lies, false pride, and ego. The other is good - he is joy, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, generosity, truth and faith. The same fight is inside you - and every other person, too."
    The grandson thought for a minute and asked,"Which wolf will win?"
    The old Cherokee replied, "The one you feed."

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cosmiceyes View Post
    Think we could get some let loose in the hills east of you? Maybe even in the reeds on the river? Their more fun than deer.
    Here's a picture of a big one from Northern California.
    Attachment 75285
    that pic is a classic "giant hog" fake. the trick is to stand behind the hog a ways and take the pic with the camera close to the hog. this give the illusion of a giant hog, but you see how the person is out of focus while the hog is not... dead give away.

    -matt

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy Fenring's Avatar
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    I have shot a few in the head with the .44 and they were dead as mackerels right on the spot. That said, the brain does not fill the entire "head.".

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
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    Post 9 picture is from Alabama, Fox story is here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/05...than-hogzilla/

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Two weeks ago, I shot a eighty pounder in the shine from 175 yards with 223. Hog went down instantly. Went to finish with 357 cast at point blank range. I shot that hog 3 times with RCBS 158 SWC at 5 foot range before I had s kill shot. I was very surprised how small the brain and location (from the side) the brain is. I agree, don't shoot them in the head. Go for the boiler room.

  19. #19
    Boolit Bub
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    Happy Independence Day! Thanks all for the advise & comments.

    Off to the range later today to get some more practice with the .44 mag. I'll definatly take lots of pictures and post a few when we get back.

  20. #20
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    DougGuy's Avatar
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    skeeter, if you have time and want to tinker with it, a lot of the serious pig hunters here favor a wide meplat boolit for hogs, and just in the posts on this forum I have seen some rather devastating results from such boolits.

    This is a 310gr GC from Oregon Trail, I will be developing a load for my .44 with this boolit:


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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check