hog hunting advise needed

[skeeter1911]

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.

[Lefty SRH]

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!

[Cosmiceyes]

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!

[Larry Gibson]

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 :kidding:....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

[GH1]

7526975270

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:mrgreen:

[Hogtamer]

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....

[GH1]

Forgive my ignorance, but why not a head shot?
GH1:mrgreen:

[Hogtamer]

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.

[Cosmiceyes]

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.
75285

[Hogtamer]

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

[GH1]

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:mrgreen:

[Gee_Wizz01]

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

[Lon246]

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.

[RoyEllis]

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!

[Matt85]

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.
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

[Fenring]

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.".

[Jeffrey]

Post 9 picture is from Alabama, Fox story is here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/05/26/alabama-boy-kills-1051-pound-monster-pig-bigger-than-hogzilla/

[dg31872]

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.

[skeeter1911]

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.

[DougGuy]

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:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/index_zps2ef62169.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/index_zps2ef62169.jpg.html)

[Victor N TN]

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....

When we were raising and killing Hampshire hogs on my parents farm, a single 22lr from a single shot rifle would do the trick. But ONLY if you can be directly in front of the hog and aim for a sunken spot directly between his eyes or slightly above. I have been told that an ear shot directed straight through would do the same thing. My 44 mag Winchester '94 has been on many wild hog hunts with me. I have never had one I shot get away. The straight on head shot has never failed me. Most don't even squeal more than once. The smaller the hog the easier the shot and the more tender the meat.

Edited to add:
If you use the straight on head shot. After the hog goes down, if he / she is laying on his side still kicking like he's trying to run away leave him alone. That's a natural nervous reaction.

Good luck.

[TXGunNut]

I've had issues with the head shot; well-aimed hits with a 45 Colt and a 30-06 did not work well for me. The 45 Colt was a pretty mild load and a second well-aimed shot to the same point did the trick. The 30-06 was a very close up and personal shot with a j-word so it was likely a bullet failure. Take a look at a big boar's skull sometime. Its hard and slanted like the windshield of a sports car. Some boolits will punch thru, some won't. I'll avoid that shot in the future.
There's more than a grain of truth to the stories about big boars with thick gristle plates and aggressive attitudes, it's not just a story we tell the tourists. I have it on good authority that hogs in the southeast are meaner than our TX hogs.
Your choice of weapons sounds good to me but I know next to nothing about flinging sticks. Boolits and loads for your 44 should serve you well, I'm going just a little hotter in my 45 Colt but that's just because it's load that works for that gun & boolit. If you haven't chosen your levergun yet I can recommend the Guide Gun in 45-70 or a 336 in 35 Rem.

[bikerbeans]

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:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Reloading/index_zps2ef62169.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Reloading/index_zps2ef62169.jpg.html)

I shot a 125 pound feral hog with that boolit, Oregon Trail True Cast, and it was DRT. About a 50 yard shot with a 44 cal Wildcat rifle (44 Bodeen) with an MZ of 2,200 FPS.

BB

[skeeter1911]

The lever gun I have is an older Marlin 336 in .30-30. Not sure what I'll stoke it with yet as far as factory or reloads. I have some lead boolits ~165 grain something or others in .30. Can't recall the brand or mold # at this time. It was recommended to me here when I first signed up for this site and was looking for something for hunting deer. Pretty sure it would work fine on pigs too. I'd like to add a levergun in .44 mag (already have dies & mold) or .45-70 (would need tooling to load), but it's down on the wish list right now, unless I stumble across something cheap somewhere.

[TXGunNut]

Your Marlin sounds like a good choice, looking for one like it for my next project.

[Cosmiceyes]

When I "BING"ed California pigs images this was there. I don't know his person or pig. Just thought it was a big pig shot with a pistol.

[Cosmiceyes]

See post #26

Post 9 picture is from Alabama, Fox story is here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/05/26/alabama-boy-kills-1051-pound-monster-pig-bigger-than-hogzilla/

[Changeling]

Victor N TN, It's really nice to see someone tell it exactly how it is. I was raised on a farm also and did all the killing of the hogs we butchered. I shot them between the eyes or in the ear with .22 LR solids. They usually just dropped right there! The average weight of these hogs was about 250 lb give or take. That was the size my dad wanted us to buttcher at.

Now I'll say right up front that I have never killed a wild hog yet, maybe there is a difference, but I really doubt it very much.

[Griz44mag]

The hog from post 9 is real, the hog was that big. The hog was not "wild" though. It had been purchased from a farm where it was considered a pet.
Farm raised hogs get that size with lots of food and not a lot of exercise.

Check it out on SNOPES .

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/hogzilla.asp

The boys father took the website down which showed pics and had the story of the hunt when it was confirmed that the hog was not a wild hog.

[helice]

When you fill your hog tag and the butchering is done, saw inside the skull of your hog. Under that exterior armor plate bone is a bunch of spongy bone. That spongy bone acts like a shock absorber for the hog's brain. If the boolit misses the brain the critter has a good chance of coming back to life on you and they are usually not in a very good mood when they do, probably because they have a migraine.

[Changeling]

Is that supposed to be in farm raised hogs also? Not knocking what you are saying, just never experienced it. Like I said maybe wild ones are different, maybe!

[Digital Dan]

Had no idea shootin' hogs in the head was a bad idea. Amazed...

[DougGuy]

They sure don't get back up from a close range head shot with a 1911 I can tell you that much from experience.

[TXGunNut]

Had no idea shootin' hogs in the head was a bad idea. Amazed...

I've had poor luck trying to penetrate the skull between the eyes. Some bullets do better, an ear shot is definitely a better "head shot". I've had a couple where that was the only shot presented, up close and personal, just not a shot I consider optimal.

[JesterGrin_1]

Personally I try and hit the lower shoulder so I have a good chance of a lung/heart shot and if I am lucky take out either one or both front legs so they do not run. As for some reason they always run into the thickest and thorniest stuff there is. And in South TEXAS there are LOTS of thorns lol. Not to mention having to look out for those pesky little Rattle Snakes of 6' or more lol.

Sorry to say I have never hit one with a pistol of any kind. But I am sure a good 255Gr-310 Gr will work well. If you hit them correctly.

I have only used a .35 Whelen once and my Trusty Wheezer Marlin 1895GS in 45-70 with the 350Gr Ranch Dog or the Hornady 350Gr RN. When I used the 45-70 Forget about it. The game is all over but the cleaning. :)

Sorry I have also used a 30-06 with the Sierra 165Gr HP/BT of which AMAZED ME. I hit the 300 pounder at about 40 yards and Blew part of its heart and lungs out of the other side and yet it still ran for about 50 yards. It was not fun to retrieve lol. And I will never go through what I did with that Hog again lol. I will back strap it and maybe take the hams and leave the rest for the Buzzards and Coyote's lol. Ok yes I would set up to maybe take a Coyote or two or?

[kweidner]

[QUOTE=Cosmiceyes;2288421]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.


That hog was killed in Alabama in a high fence IIRC. Quite the stink for awhile if it was legit. It is. I found the fox news coverage on it. http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/05/26/alabama-boy-kills-1051-pound-monster-pig-bigger-than-hogzilla/

[kweidner]

Oops should of read whole thread someone beat me to it.

[303Guy]

What is being discussed here is a well placed shot failing to penetrate into the brain. My main concern is the margin of error. There is none. A wound is one thing if it heals but a broken jaw (and there's a lot of jaw there), is a killing shot but not the same day. I used to be able shoot a tick of a hair and I've done those stunts on running animals but I sure wouldn't bet on it. I stopped taking head shots after I jaw shot an animal. The shot went just a little low because I didn't make proper allowance for bullet rise and fall from line of sight I saw where it went so I was able to find it and shoot it in the shoulders. It would have starved to death.

[Indybear]

Lee 310 GC (.431) + H110 21.5 + CCI 350 + SRH = several 50 yard plus very dead Florida pigs for me. More accurate and much faster kills than the classic 240-250 SWC load..... As others have stated heart or lung are the way to go and stay away from head shots unless you can put it in the ear.

[2wheelDuke]

I didn't know any better about head shots. I hope reading this doesn't change my luck.

On my first hog trip, I bagged my 1st sow with a 12ga slug in the side of her head. She dropped like a rock. I saw a boar bedded down later on, drew my .44 and put a factory JSP between his eyes since he was facing me. He was DRT.

I did have a .44 to the side of the head fail to kill instantly on a boar that I spined with an arrow. I wasn't sure if it was just nerves, so I gave him a follow up shot.

I hit a sow in the head with a 10mm on the next one that I dropped with an arrow, and that quickly put her out of her misery, but she was pretty much done for with a broadhead through both lungs.

[Digital Dan]

I've had poor luck trying to penetrate the skull between the eyes. Some bullets do better, an ear shot is definitely a better "head shot". I've had a couple where that was the only shot presented, up close and personal, just not a shot I consider optimal.

Was sort of being sarcastic but not intended to be personal.

I like the frontal brain shot on hogs a lot and have been dropping them regular with CBs since around 2006-7. .22 CB shorts that is. Yes I'm close when I shoot and it is not a high risk shot. If one has the patience to wait for a hog to drop it's snout so the aspect of the frontal skull plate in near 90* it is a pop'n flop proposition. Shooting them in or behind the ear is riskier with low powered rounds due to the complex bone structure around the ear. Hogs have an inner and outer skull structure of sorts, particularly present in the aft hemisphere. Another shot I like is the vertebrae betwixt skull and shoulders. Either will present in every case if one is patient. Otherwise conventional theory is best supported by a larger bore gun.

[303Guy]

Something I haven't taken into account is that although the jaws and snout take up an overwhelmingly large portion of the head, the head is in fact pretty large so a close-up brain shot is not really all that small a target. My critter was a hare. But I would be expecting a pig on the move or ready to move in a instant so no time for careful shots. The only pigs I've shot were African bushpigs in the dark. One was with a 223, presumably through the heart - it ran about 40 paces and wasn't found soon enough to dissect. Another was through the shoulder and heart and out behind the diaphragm. The anatomy of the bushpig is a little different.:roll: That one didn't even twitch. That was with a 175gr Hornady RNSP.

[olafhardt]

I have been on exactly one hog hunt. I shot two with frontal head shots. One with a22 WMR and one with a 22 lr. Both just took off running apparently not seriously hurt. Years later I had the chance to examine a hog skull. Where I hit those hogs was a chunk of thick bone angled perfectly to deflect my boolits. My hunting partner shot one from the front with a 16 ga promotional load of #6 bird shot. He hit the head slightly to the left. When we cleaned the hog the head rattled like a sack of gravel and the left shoulder was torn up. I can't say that I learned a whole lot day about hog hunting but I learned a few things:
1. Rimfires aren't good hog rifles
2. People who down play bird shot for self defence probably never cleaned a hog shot in the nose with it.
3. I have shot lots of critters with a 22 and they all ran of or dropped. Therefore, while I can defend the homestead with a 22 I prefer a load of bird shot. High brass 4's or 5's are my pick.

[skeeter1911]

Thanks to everyone who replied. This is a fantastic resource to glean information from those who get far more experience (shooting pigs in this case) in one season than that I will get in a lifetime. You guys have shortened my learning curve, confirmed my initial thoughts on my load, helped me on where to hit 'em, and given me some confidence that when the moment of truth arrives it will be lights out piggy.

[trauma1]

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.

sounds like a decent load and plan. go for the "behind the shoulder" shot at <50yds and you should be fine. Try Westshoreoutfitters.com
Have hunted with them a couple of times and they are great guys. Close to the beach too! Matt is a stand up straight and honest guy.

[303Guy]

go for the "behind the shoulder" shot at <50yds and you should be fine.Not for pig. The anatomy is different to a deer. The heart is above the front leg/chest confluence.

76345

See how small the brain is? Behind the shoulder is a gut shot or maybe just clipping the lungs.

[Fenring]

.17HMR for hawgs. FTW. :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/Fenring/Shooting/Ridge%202010/Picture066.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fenring/media/Shooting/Ridge%202010/Picture066.jpg.html)

[gofastman]

^ wow, really? I would have bet money a .17 cal anything would more or less bounce off a hog!

What do you guys think of 000 buck for hogs?

[Wayne Smith]

^ wow, really? I would have bet money a .17 cal anything would more or less bounce off a hog!

What do you guys think of 000 buck for hogs?


Range??

[gofastman]

Range??
I guess thats part of what I want to know, whats reasonable?
lets say im using this load:
http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/shotshell.aspx?id=456

[trauma1]

I guess thats part of what I want to know, whats reasonable?
lets say im using this load:
http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/shotshell.aspx?id=456

Now you go and throw that word reasonable in there and screw it all up. I think your original thought of the 44mag in a handgun is just fine as long as your shot is within 50yds and broadside. In a rifle you could stretch it out a little more. However, you can never be overgunned when it comes to a hog. Take something you are comfortable and accurate shooting because at the end of the day a well placed 250 gr 44mag at 1100 fps is deadlier than a poorly placed .500 SW. You want DEEP penetration, preferably through and through because down here in Fla. they like the thickest, nastiest stuff to run into when shot. I have taken them with 257 Roberts and 3006. I shot one last year with a bow. Through and through lung shot, ran 40 yds and it took 3 of us an hour to find it in the palmettos. I plan on using a 41mag and a 375 H&H with cast bullets this year. I would not recommend buck shot at all . While they will probably die eventually, your range is going to be limited to 30-40yds max with buck shot. Stick with your original plan and practice, practice, practice. While they are tuff critters they ain't elephants.

[303Guy]

Welcome aboard, trauma1 :drinks:

I've seen a pushpig shot in the rear with SSG. Broke both upper leg bones and it ran off! That was the one I shot with my 44mag. My boolit went through the flesh above its skull penitrating about a foot, going through neck muscle and nicking the topped of a neck vertebra and annoyed the pig. I finished it off with SSG. The first shot hit the neck at an angle and skidded off. The second shot penetrated and killed it outright. Funny thing is there was no fatal pellet hit. One pellet came to rest against a kidney, that was all. The others just made random holes through flesh, no lung punctures and no heart hits but the pellets hit the frontal chest area and angled into the critter.

[Fenring]

^ wow, really? I would have bet money a .17 cal anything would more or less bounce off a hog!

Yep, really. I went out one night expecting to find foxes, and I found a mob of small pigs feeding off a sheep carcass. One was shot below the ear at about 50 yards and was DRT. Another ran past me at maybe 20 yards and I shot it twice as it passed - one shot hit a bit far back behind the ribcage. The other hit it behind the shoulder and dropped it. Hornady Vmax. Pic was taken the next morning, hence why there's still a torch on the rifle in the daylight. :)


What do you guys think of 000 buck for hogs?

IMO the range has to be real close - I have seen solid pigs hit well and just run off squealing, even at close range. Not enough penetration and no bone breaking power. IMO you are better off with a carbine like a .30/30. .44Mag, .45/70 etc. Pigs can run out of shotgun range real quick.

[gofastman]

Its too bad no one makes 000 or 0000 buck loads with a flitecontrol/versatite wad!

[Firebricker]

Skeeter, I didn't read the whole thread but thought I would share some advise I was given. A few of us were going to go to the Big South Fork on the TN side for hogs with bows. So I was talking to a local guy and asked you got any advise. His answer was "You boys better learn to climb trees" he was a real good guy after a laugh he told me some areas to scout. Well this does nothing to answer your question but thought you might get a laugh out of that. FB

[Digital Dan]

^ wow, really? I would have bet money a .17 cal anything would more or less bounce off a hog!

What do you guys think of 000 buck for hogs?

There's folks out there killing smaller hogs with .177 air rifles, dunno why a powder propelled .17 wouldn't work given a proper bullet.

000 buck generally patterns poorly and would be my very last choice for shooting hogs. There is an Ithaca 37 20 bore in my locker that has over 70 hogs to its credit, all save one taken with #3 buck via a modified choke. The exception fell to a Forster slug, whop'n flop.

The misconceptions about the use of buckshot irritates me a fair bit because they are usually driven by ignorance. I doubt one can find 1 in 10 that actually test buckshot loads in their guns to determine which patterns best with a given choke. The second mistake is shooting long. Both lead to disappointment more often than not, but if one will test loads and keep their shots inside a range that puts 75% of the pattern in a 14-18" circle buck will hit like Thor's hammer and there won't be any tracking involved.

Buckshot should not be compared to rifle bullets in evaluating its effectiveness. The balls, regardless of diameter will penetrate quite effectively. The ability of a given load to kill is based on the large number of wound channels it delivers, not FPE or other conventional metrics.

[trauma1]

There's folks out there killing smaller hogs with .177 air rifles, dunno why a powder propelled .17 wouldn't work given a proper bullet.

000 buck generally patterns poorly and would be my very last choice for shooting hogs. There is an Ithaca 37 20 bore in my locker that has over 70 hogs to its credit, all save one taken with #3 buck via a modified choke. The exception fell to a Forster slug, whop'n flop.

The misconceptions about the use of buckshot irritates me a fair bit because they are usually driven by ignorance. I doubt one can find 1 in 10 that actually test buckshot loads in their guns to determine which patterns best with a given choke. The second mistake is shooting long. Both lead to disappointment more often than not, but if one will test loads and keep their shots inside a range that puts 75% of the pattern in a 14-18" circle buck will hit like Thor's hammer and there won't be any tracking involved.

Buckshot should not be compared to rifle bullets in evaluating its effectiveness. The balls, regardless of diameter will penetrate quite effectively. The ability of a given load to kill is based on the large number of wound channels it delivers, not FPE or other conventional metrics.

and that is why I did not recommend buck shot. most people will not spend the time or money to test buckshot loads. they just grab whatever is on the shelf at wally's and throw a full choke in the shotgun. while it can/has been effective it is based on testing the most "accurate" load and distance is still a problem.

[TXGunNut]

Buckshot is an awesome killer of medium sized, thin skinned game and sometimes 2-and 4-legged varmints but it has a very limited range and shot placement is still important. Chokes help but round balls, especially unstable round balls, lose energy and direction quickly.

[Cosmiceyes]

The only reason I came back to see latest post,and to see if ya'll had talked the hog to death! :coffeecom

[olafhardt]

I had an uncle that was an emergency room doctor. He started using buck shot after he had to remove several from a patient. Obviously the recipient of these little round dudes was not dead right there, but he was hurt real bad.

[jmort]

"The only reason I came back to see latest post,and to see if ya'll had talked the hog to death!"

Very funny. Got a good laugh out of that.

[300savage]

00 buck in three inch 12 gauge is freekn deadly out to about 35 yards.. I have shot many hogs with it and while a few desired a followup, all the rest instantly acquired a deep felt respect.

[skeeter1911]

Now you go and throw that word reasonable in there and screw it all up. I think your original thought of the 44mag in a handgun is just fine as long as your shot is within 50yds and broadside. In a rifle you could stretch it out a little more. However, you can never be overgunned when it comes to a hog. Take something you are comfortable and accurate shooting because at the end of the day a well placed 250 gr 44mag at 1100 fps is deadlier than a poorly placed .500 SW. You want DEEP penetration, preferably through and through because down here in Fla. they like the thickest, nastiest stuff to run into when shot. I have taken them with 257 Roberts and 3006. I shot one last year with a bow. Through and through lung shot, ran 40 yds and it took 3 of us an hour to find it in the palmettos. I plan on using a 41mag and a 375 H&H with cast bullets this year. I would not recommend buck shot at all . While they will probably die eventually, your range is going to be limited to 30-40yds max with buck shot. Stick with your original plan and practice, practice, practice. While they are tuff critters they ain't elephants.

Original Poster here. I never brought shotguns into the conversation, that thought brought into the thread by another poster. Interesting side conversation though.

[skeeter1911]

...His answer was "You boys better learn to climb trees"...


The only reason I came back to see latest post,and to see if ya'll had talked the hog to death! :coffeecom

Spit coffee all over my desk. Thanks for the laugh.

[Digital Dan]

Well, totally off topic, but since we're laughin', what do squirrels and cigarettes have in common?

They're both harmless until put in your mouth and lit.

Back on topic: Hogs aren't that hard to kill if a bullet is put in the vitals. It doesn't matter a lot what bullet, cartridge, caliber or much of anything else. Hit 'em where it hurts and they die easy. I say that after a string of over 200 hogs shot with everything from #8 bird shot to slugs, buck, CF rifles and rimfires. Fact is I've killed more with rimfires than the rest put together. Almost forgot, a S&W .38 snubby. Build your load and aim small.

[gofastman]

Original Poster here. I never brought shotguns into the conversation, that thought brought into the thread by another poster. Interesting side conversation though.

sorry about that, I kinda hijacked this one :hijack:

[skeeter1911]

sorry about that, I kinda hijacked this one :hijack:

No worries. Interesting points were made.

[trauma1]

"The only reason I came back to see latest post,and to see if ya'll had talked the hog to death!"

Very funny. Got a good laugh out of that.

It is beyond dead. I think we are at digestion level!

Shoot it with whatever you want. Learn to climb a tree. Hopefully you can run really fast in a zig-zag motion already. Just have fun though. That is what this is all about.