Going to kill a farm pig, what to use?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

In the past I've used a .22 LR rifle to the forehead (HV RN, didn't look for the bullets), 44 mag 270 Ranch Dog ACCOWW over a mild dose of Red Dot to the side of the head (full penetration) and 44 mag 200 Lee ACCOWW over a mild dose of Red Dot behind the ear angling forward (recovered inside skull). All worked just fine with no problems, but I figure as long as I am at it I might as well try something new. All are certainly overkill, but for the sake of research...

Options include:

44 mag .432 270 Ranch Dog ACCOWW over a stiff load of MP-300 out of a rifle or 6" revolver

357 mag .358 Lee SWC w/gas check ACCOWW over a mid range load of Herco or MP-300 out of a 6" revolver

223 FMJ out of a 16" barrel

My only concern is keeping fracturing to a minimum as the chickens will get the head to pick at after I get what I want off of it.

[salpal48]

Why not Give the poor animal a Break . and just buy your Pork from The supermarket like most people

[BrentD]

I'd stick with the .22. I've killed many that way. The less mess, the better. The less bullet fragments flying around and bouncing off of stuff, the better.

Lead might be something to keep far away from your chickens. Exactly the wrong thing for them to be pecking at.

[geezer56]

357. Dare to be different. I've killed several thousand with a .22, but I always thought a 38 Special in the side of the noggin worked better. Never needed but one shot with that. I always used a 158 gr SWC with that one. It worked well on cattle too.

[Mica_Hiebert]

That 357 load behind the ear will work

[JWFilips]

Why not Give the poor animal a Break . and just buy your Pork from The supermarket like most people
Or you can sell your pig to the suppliers of the supermarkets It is a loose / loose for the pig!
Then you can buy it back!:violin:

[GabbyM]

I'd avoid the 223 FMJ. It would likely fragment apart. Making a mess.

[725]

Check out the article by Glenn Fryxell on the LASC thing. It's right here on the Castboolits Home page banner. Scroll down to the article on "A Bullet for all Seasons". He mentions butchering pigs and the use of a .358 boolit.

[leeggen]

Use anything you want just as long as you don't tell us we should all get our meat from the super market cause that is where it is made.
CD

[DougGuy]

Any sub sonic pistol round will do. 38spl in a .357, 45acp, etc.. Higher powered rounds stand a GOOD chance they might ricochet and injure whoever is holding the pig or the gun...

[JWFilips]

Smacks of Liberalism: Send it to them and the people will pay for it's up keep!
The man want's to butcher his hog: As Americans have done for Years....Is this now politically incorrect?
I did not see any smiling emojis!

[BrentD]

Any sub sonic pistol round will do. 38spl in a .357, 45acp, etc.. Higher powered rounds stand a GOOD chance they might ricochet and injure whoever is holding the pig or the gun...

Or a bystander, or a nearby truck, etc.

last week, I shot 3 lambs with .22 subsonic hollow points to the back of the skull. works every time with less mess, less risk, and less noise.

I suppose one could use a 12 gauge, but why?

[michael.birdsley]

Or you can sell your pig to the suppliers of the supermarkets It is a loose / loose for the pig!
Then you can buy it back!:violin:

And while it is at the pig supplier God knows what happens to it also. I hope the salpal is trolling or being sarcastic. His profile says he is a endowment NRA lifer. I'm only 30 but, everyday slaughtering fresh seems the only safe way to do it.

[GhostHawk]

Salpal just where do you think food comes from?

In order for you to eat, somewhere, something has to die.
If you want to play the Vegan card I'd respond by saying it is proven that plants have feelings also.

Eggs you don't have to kill the chicken, just keep it locked in a cage inside a very large metal building for 2 years and once its production of eggs slows down it is sold to big company's like Cambell's to make soup out of. Or in another way of putting it, slavery then the soup pot.

More or less the same for dairy except the cows are treated a bit better. Except for forced breeding so they have a calf every year or there is no milk. No calf and chances are that cow goes to get slaughtered. But its ok, she'll be used to make burgers at your favorite fast food place.

People make cracks about hunters and farmers killing their own food. To my way of thinking it is more honest by far.
You know what you are going to use that animal for when you get it. You face the facts squarely, and in my experience most people in that situation show more true remorse for the deed than the average person who goes to the store.

Now I'm not jumping down your throat. Just trying to expose you to an alternative viewpoint.
I'm not calling you names or calling you anything.

I'm just saying in the future rather than remark about a subject that it appears you know little about. You might want to think twice, or educate yourself a bit.

As for me I've killed and butchered a pig, I missed and it suffered, and I felt terrible. Eventually the pig calmed down, second shot I got the angle right and it went into the brain. Until you have walked in those shoes, please, think twice before hitting the post reply button.

[DougGuy]

You know I have had the DAMNDEST time trying to talk Bambi into the freezer just never could come up with the right words!

Ended up having to kill every dang one of them first!

[Silvercreek Farmer]

After 10 inches of rain over the last week, I'm pretty sure nothing is going to ricochet out of that mudpit!

[Markbo]

.22 between the eyes a little high. End of story.

[John Allen]

We have a hog coming up right now for slaughter. I use a 32 hr magnum between the eyes.

[country gent]

Back in Grandpas day they seldom used a gun to buther but a 4LB hand sledge or gross peen hammer. Family buthered many hogs and cattle with just the sledge to stun and heavy sharp knife to cut throat. We also used the 22 rimfire with whatever ammo was hand behind close ear to opposite eye works great.

[MrWolf]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/webkit-fake-url://e6bdacc6-4c35-42b9-96b4-761146d2d444/imagejpeg156867

Think Salpal just forgot to use purple font as I think he was referring to this which had been posted before.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Why is this even being asked?

.22 LR between the eyes has worked for decades.

Some of the previous posts seem weird.
Dispatch the animal with a minimal of fuss and suffering.
Then put them into the freezer.

[John Allen]

After 10 inches of rain over the last week, I'm pretty sure nothing is going to ricochet out of that mudpit!

Silvercreek, we have the same thing gong on here. Our pen is so thick in mud right now.

[Don Fischer]

I drove road truck's for a lot of years. Lot of meat, boxed and suspended. Went into Cleveland, Ohio one time and was down town delivering curb side. This little old lady stood there through the whole thing watching. Just before getting done she came over and asked me what it was! Beef, had a load of suspended beef on. Then she asked me where it came from. Greeley, Colo I told her. So she asked what it was made from! Now I figure she hasn't a clue what thee stuff was. So I asked her where she get's her meat from, the butcher store she said! True story, if someone had told me that and it had never happened to me I wouldn't have believed it. Old girl must have been late 70's but had lived in Cleveland all her life and never left the city.

[Mumblypeg]

Draw an imaginary line from one eye to the opposite ear and then the other. Where the lines cross, place a .22 LR boolit. End of pig, start of work. I have a Marlin 39a that has killed many pigs that way. As for SalPal..... I thought he was kidding..... still do....

[Jeff Michel]

I'd suggest a .22 if you plan on boning the head. Lead particles aren't the concern, bone fragments are a problem. You smack it with a big caliber, that head will explode, driving bone, dirt and dander from the exterior of the head quite possibly into the the carcass itself That is why commercial producers use electricity or Carbon Dioxide to stun the hog prior to sticking. Able to save more and better quality of meat. At worst with a big caliber, you'll lose the jowls, cheek meat and tongue. The brains are a given. Good luck with your project.

[Screwbolts]

Why not Give the poor animal a Break . and just buy your Pork from The supermarket like most people

ROFLMAO: As if the Pork in the supermarket didn't die from a rod being hammered/driven into its forehead. LMAO

Ken

[Hickok]

Why is this even being asked?

.22 LR between the eyes has worked for decades.

Some of the previous posts seem weird.
Dispatch the animal with a minimal of fuss and suffering.
Then put them into the freezer.Yep, it was always an old Stevens .22 single shot rifle.

[fryboy]

back in the day before 22 lr became almost unobtanium i would have suggested that , a lil corn in a 55 gallon barrel in goes the poor victim for a well deserved last meal and a quick painless end
for many years the 22 was all we used on critters that we couldnt just dress with a columbian necktie too ( eg; why waste a bullet when you didnt have too ? ) in the end i think i'd suggest anything but that 223 fmj , whatever's cheap and handy

[opos]

"Smoked ham"..that's a pig killed by the Mafia with a 22 behind the ear...works all the time.

[Digital Dan]

Don't over think this endeavor, it's not all that complicated.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/muddler/pig%20pen/DSCN2953_zps5684c330.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/muddler/media/pig%20pen/DSCN2953_zps5684c330.jpg.html)

[newton]

I shoot my butcher hogs with my 30-30. I've done the .22, but I prefer my 30-30. I use my plinking load which is a 170 grain bullet pushed with 8 or so grains of Unique. It runs right around 1250 fps. I've found that the heavier bullet gives the pigs a harder "knock", and it does not blow up any meat or cause any damage. I shoot them while they are eating a pile of corn, center of an X between eyes and ears. No noise, doesnt bother the other pigs, etc. In the past, I have noticed the hogs have a little more "life" left in them when using the .22 even though it does kill them. I've even had them try to get back up. I know that shot placement is key, but I've not had one issue with the bigger boolit. I believe the 170 grain bullet just gives more of a shock factor all around. Also, at todays prices, its cheaper to shoot the 30-30 load.

I have thought about using a pistol before, but I find it too easy to just reach the barrel down - press it against the head - and pull the trigger. I could with a pistol too, but then I'd have to bend over and such.

When I butcher a hog I like to do things quick in order to cut the throat as soon as possible. The 30-30 load has hands down performed the job.

[owejia]

Used a 22 Remington single shot, between the eyes , shorts or what ever was available, rolled them on their side and stuck the jugular vein to bleed out scauled, scraped and hung up to gut and cut out. A lot of hard work.

[geezer56]

I will never ever scald and scrape another hog. Skin the beast. Hang it, wash it down good, and remove the skin. Almost like a deer or cow but with a LOT more fat. I can skin one while you run a tub full of water to heat. Not to mention how long it takes to heat the tub.

[flyingmonkey35]

Go old school and use a black powder rifle.

As for the comment I'm sure he meant it to be sarcastic. Jeesh.


I just stocked my freezer with half of a cow. Free range rasied in southern Idaho. Best cow I have ever had.

It amazes me that the city folk who turn vegan have no idea what meat is our where it comes from.


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20151231/42a06d15752b1043456c5e3a52465d9c.jpg

[NavyVet1959]

I've had to put down a few cows over the years and originally, we just used a .38 or .357, but I found that a standard velocity .22 LR aimed into the forehead and toward the brain stem works like a light switch on them.

[MBTcustom]

Why not Give the poor animal a Break . and just buy your Pork from The supermarket like most people
That's got to be the funniest post I've seen this year. LOL!!!
I hope you were kidding, but even if you were not,
Wow. Just WOW.
LOL!

[waksupi]

Salpal just where do you think food comes from?


Eggs you don't have to kill the chicken, just keep it locked in a cage inside a very large metal building for 2 years and once its production of eggs slows down it is sold to big company's like Cambell's to make soup out of. Or in another way of putting it, slavery then the soup pot.



Not all of them go to the packers. I lived next to a chicken farm about 35 years ago. They would load all the laid out hens in the back of a truck, and run the exhaust through the box to gas them. They would haul them to the dump to get rid of them.
One time things didn't go as they planned. The chickens weren't gassed enough to be dead, only unconscious. They got them to the dump, and unloaded thousands of chickens in a pile to be buried, and left.
In a short time, the fresh air started reviving the chickens, and they were wandering all over the dump and surrounding area. I don't recall how they dealt with the situation.

[BrentD]

I'm still waiting to find my first person who does not know that beef comes from a cow or pork from a pig. Where do you find these folks?

[NavyVet1959]

I'm still waiting to find my first person who does not know that beef comes from a cow or pork from a pig. Where do you find these folks?

Well, I was at a Taco Bell a few years back and they had something called a "steak burrito". I asked the worker what type of meat was in it. They said, "steak". So, I asked them what kind of meat -- beef, pork, or whatever. They just said "steak". So, I was getting a bit flustered at this point and I asked what kind of animal did it come from -- cow, pig, chicken, dog, or something else. The worker just looked confused and said, "steak".

I told them that if they couldn't tell me whether the meat came from a cow or a dog, I would find somewhere else to eat and I left...

[BrentD]

He was probably confused because the "steak" came from none of those animals. Probably just synthetic or soy based.

[45-70bpcr]

Not all of them go to the packers. I lived next to a chicken farm about 35 years ago. They would load all the laid out hens in the back of a truck, and run the exhaust through the box to gas them. They would haul them to the dump to get rid of them.
One time things didn't go as they planned. The chickens weren't gassed enough to be dead, only unconscious. They got them to the dump, and unloaded thousands of chickens in a pile to be buried, and left.
In a short time, the fresh air started reviving the chickens, and they were wandering all over the dump and surrounding area. I don't recall how they dealt with the situation.

Reminds me of my neighbor that raised 50 broilers this summer. When they were rounded up to go to the processor one escaped but didn't go far. She is now very large from sharing dog food and best buddies with their big coon hound. They even sleep in the box together.

156884

[Outpost75]

Where online can I buy 1000 or so of those "magic meat pills" that they plant on the nutrient gauze under the cellophane covering the styrofoam meat trays in the Food Lion? Is it true they are genetically engineered from DNA recovered from recycled McDonald's hamburger grease?

Star Trek replicator meat pills... Synthesized protein from outer space!

[haynk]

When I was a boy we raised a couple of hogs as part of the survival plan. Some men would go around and kill and partly dress the hogs for a fee and we used them. One year the hog's head was on the kitchen table to be processed(I liked fresh hog's brains with scrambled eggs) I found a 22 slug in the bone between the eyes. I assume the hog was stunned and died in the next step which was to cut the throat and hang the hog up by the rear legs to drain the blood. Anyway, the 22 did not penetrate the thick skull.

haynk

[Seeker]

This may sound a little different and ruffle some feathers.. but here goes. I've worked on farm and butchered plenty of animals. From rabbits to Bulls. I've ate plenty of gun shot deer. I am also a archery hunter at heart. Of all the deer I've processed and eaten, the arrow killed ones always taste the best. Why?...here's my opinion, for what it's worth. An arrow kills by hemorrhaging. I always try to get a double lung shot so that the animal bleeds out and dies because of lack of blood. When you process an arrow killed deer, you don't have a bloody mess you do when you process a gun shot deer. A gun shot animal may bleed, but doesn't bleed out because a lot of what causes it's death is shock from the bullets energy. If it were me, I'd let the air out of both lungs with a well placed arrow.

[MBTcustom]

This may sound a little different and ruffle some feathers.. but here goes. I've worked on farm and butchered plenty of animals. From rabbits to Bulls. I've ate plenty of gun shot deer. I am also a archery hunter at heart. Of all the deer I've processed and eaten, the arrow killed ones always taste the best. Why?...here's my opinion, for what it's worth. An arrow kills by hemorrhaging. I always try to get a double lung shot so that the animal bleeds out and dies because of lack of blood. When you process an arrow killed deer, you don't have a bloody mess you do when you process a gun shot deer. A gun shot animal may bleed, but doesn't bleed out because a lot of what causes it's death is shock from the bullets energy. If it were me, I'd let the air out of both lungs with a well placed arrow.

I agree.

[BrentD]

You guys should have been there to help break down my moose this year. You would rethink that idea that guns don't cause bleed out - depends on the gun (and bullet and bullet placement). But for the life of me, I don't think it matters worth a damn. They all that the same to me, head shot and hardly a drop of blood shed or a shredded aortic arch, it doesn't matter. The running before they die thing doesn't work for me either.

[vzerone]

That makes a lot of sense about you said on deer harvested with a bow and arrow, but one should let their deer hang for a certain amount of time as that does let the blood drain from the body. Grant you I get what you're saying the deer's heart is pumping blood and it's going out of the arrow wound. May make a difference.

[Seeker]

I agree 100%. I always let the deer hang and age...weather permitting. Low to mid 40s is perfect for a week.

[waksupi]

This may sound a little different and ruffle some feathers.. but here goes. I've worked on farm and butchered plenty of animals. From rabbits to Bulls. I've ate plenty of gun shot deer. I am also a archery hunter at heart. Of all the deer I've processed and eaten, the arrow killed ones always taste the best. Why?...here's my opinion, for what it's worth. An arrow kills by hemorrhaging. I always try to get a double lung shot so that the animal bleeds out and dies because of lack of blood. When you process an arrow killed deer, you don't have a bloody mess you do when you process a gun shot deer. A gun shot animal may bleed, but doesn't bleed out because a lot of what causes it's death is shock from the bullets energy. If it were me, I'd let the air out of both lungs with a well placed arrow.

I know where you are coming from on deer shot with jacketed bullets that cause a lot of trauma. With proper cast bullets, I find the internal bleeding is much like an arrow, and bleeds them fairly completely into the chest cavity.

[trapper9260]

When I kill a hog I always shot them behind the ear with what ever i feel like usen from 38spl to 357 or 9mm then use the knife to bleed good. as for a cow just use a hammer between the eye and then the knife and done.I done up other farm animals and birds also.But did not shoot them nomally goats I shot.

[MT Gianni]

This may sound a little different and ruffle some feathers.. but here goes. I've worked on farm and butchered plenty of animals. From rabbits to Bulls. I've ate plenty of gun shot deer. I am also a archery hunter at heart. Of all the deer I've processed and eaten, the arrow killed ones always taste the best. Why?...here's my opinion, for what it's worth. An arrow kills by hemorrhaging. I always try to get a double lung shot so that the animal bleeds out and dies because of lack of blood. When you process an arrow killed deer, you don't have a bloody mess you do when you process a gun shot deer. A gun shot animal may bleed, but doesn't bleed out because a lot of what causes it's death is shock from the bullets energy. If it were me, I'd let the air out of both lungs with a well placed arrow.
get the pig between your legs, 2 lb hammer to the head raise the back legs and slit the throat. Clean and easy to deal with.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Never eaten a bow shot critter, but every farm critter I have shot in the head has bled with vigor when I cut the throat within seconds of the shot and occasionally from the wound itself.

Right now I am leaning towards the hot (1400+ fps) 158 gr SWC out of the 6" 357. Interested to see what type of wound channel I get...

[TXGunNut]

45-70. Go big or go home!

[DIRT Farmer]

There is an old thread Molly started discussing the 32 pistols. I used the 93 grain boolet in the 32 S&W long for the hogs we butchered. worked well.
I would have liked to see the dump covered with C2O2 hungover chickens. They would have found plenty to eat.

[fatnhappy]

splitting maul.

YMMV

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

This has become an interesting thread, but all had the same theme: Quick and humane dispatch. Nothing less is acceptable. And, everyone here shared their experiences. Not on all sites do we feel safe to do so. When I killed my deer this year, I knelt beside it and gave thanks. I feel most here likely do the same.

I would like to know the "rest of the story" on how they dealt with hundreds of chickens running around the disposal site. I can't stop laughing about this one.

[victorfox]

When i was a farm boy we used a sledge as some suggested for both cattle and pigs but we used a sharp pointed knife for a heart stab. Very fast kills. Only used a .22 rifle if it were a very big hog or some reluctant bull which also dropped on the spot. Aimpoint was ever between eyes.

[yukondog]

I always use a .22 or .38 spl.

[bubba.50]

my grampaw wouldn't use anything larger than a .22 short as in his words "anything else boogered up too much meat". as a poster above said, "right between the eyes just a bit high" will do it every time.

[Mk42gunner]

Anything from a .22 Short on up will work to stun or kill a hog, with good bullet placement. I have even seen pigs hoisted by their back legs and the throat cut while I was stationed in the Philippines.

The important part is to have a sharp knife to cut the throat so the animal bleeds out, especially if you use one of the smaller calibers that may just stun it.

Robert

[Fishman]

I dispatched three wild hogs in a trap this spring with 158 gr .38 specials loaded with 3.6 gr of bullseye. Used my Handi rifle. All three slugs went between the eyes, down into the chest and into the dirt. Very effective. I don't think you would need or want a full bore .357.

A couple years ago my young son dispatched a 250 lb bore he had downed with a .32 mag to the back of the head from about 25 feet. Lights out. He learned a good lesson about having a secondary gun that day.

[Friends call me Pac]

You mean meat really doesn't get made at the store? Now I'm really grossed out. Please tell me at least fish gets made there so I can still eat.

[billyb]

Grew up raising hogs and cattle. Fed & watered them, hauled them to the custom butcher, later when in high school went to work for the custom butcher and learned the meat cutting craft. Then cut up the critters that I helped raise. We used a single shot 22 rifle like Bubba said between the eyes an inch or so high and they dropped right there, then cut the throat and let them hang for a while and leak out. I found more than one bullet in the shoulder of hags that I cut up! the 22 is good enough . P.S. Worked in meat markets the first eight of my marred life, fed the wife kids and myself. Bill

[jpen]

We always used a 22 short tween the eyes. It is sad to see the way the world has gone. I live in NC and a few years back a farmer wanted to have a old fashion hog killing. He wanted to let people who had never seen such to come by and see how it was done. Before he knew it the media had got involved and had him shut down. I think it is a lot safer and healthier to raise and kill your own. They have chickens that from hatch to sell is 6 weeks. They pump them full of steroids to grow them faster. You kill your hog however you want but why waste a big bullet when a 22 will work.

[pmer]

Not all of them go to the packers. I lived next to a chicken farm about 35 years ago. They would load all the laid out hens in the back of a truck, and run the exhaust through the box to gas them. They would haul them to the dump to get rid of them.
One time things didn't go as they planned. The chickens weren't gassed enough to be dead, only unconscious. They got them to the dump, and unloaded thousands of chickens in a pile to be buried, and left.
In a short time, the fresh air started reviving the chickens, and they were wandering all over the dump and surrounding area. I don't recall how they dealt with the situation.

I'm picturing a bunch of angry hens with a terrible headache! God save any rooster that came around... What would the rooster say - Sheesch what a tuff crowd, I'm getting the cluck out of here!

[smkummer]

20 years ago I had the opportunity to help butcher trapped wild hogs in TX. 22LR worked on all of them, 5 or 6 I believe. I used a 38 special on the biggest boar as he was loose in the big pen and was concerned 22LR would have bounced off of his skull. The 38 dropped him like a hammer in the skull but he kept kicking for some time. When we dress him out, the 38 slug fell to the ground.

[MT Gianni]

You mean meat really doesn't get made at the store? Now I'm really grossed out. Please tell me at least fish gets made there so I can still eat.
Stores don't make meat, their distributors do.

[Markbo]

We always used a 22 short tween the eyes. It is sad to see the way the world has gone. I live in NC and a few years back a farmer wanted to have a old fashion hog killing. He wanted to let people who had never seen such to come by and see how it was done. Before he knew it the media had got involved and had him shut down. I think it is a lot safer and healthier to raise and kill your own. They have chickens that from hatch to sell is 6 weeks. They pump them full of steroids to grow them faster. You kill your hog however you want but why waste a big bullet when a 22 will work.

Political correctness.run amok! How did the media get him"shut down"? Private property doing what farmers have done for 1000s of years and what happened???

[criswelg]

We just killed 2 that we caught in our trap. 22 LR HP worked just fine one shot in the brain.
157027157028

[JWFilips]

That's got to be the funniest post I've seen this year. LOL!!!
I hope you were kidding, but even if you were not,
Wow. Just WOW.
LOL!

Goodsteel: Yes, WOW! That is why I chimed in early!

[jpen]

I'm not real sure how they shut him down. But it was a messed up situation. I remember hearing about it and would have been glad to have helped him out. I really miss the days when we did it.

[Blanket]

for Christ sakes if you are shooting a wild hog use what you want. If you are butchering either run them into a head stall and whack them with a hammer or shoot them with a 22. My Grandma always wanted to make head cheese so that meaned sticking a few

[Fishman]

We just killed 2 that we caught in our trap. 22 LR HP worked just fine one shot in the brain.
157027157028

The most useful item on a small farm . . . The Front End Loader! Best way I've found to lift a deer or hog for cutting up. Those look like perfect pigs.

[GabbyM]

We just killed 2 that we caught in our trap. 22 LR HP worked just fine one shot in the brain.
157027157028

Last year I hauled in three big hogs for my neighbor. Amish do not drive English roads. He and his two brothers. All carpenters. Had there Sky Track fork lift handy. I operated the high lift. there was some leg snare and a propane powered under battery framing nail gun involved along with knife. They own guns. Have hay equipment for lifting. But when you are a carpenter the nail gun is what you know and have hundreds of dollars invested in. No air hose as these things use a gas cylinder. Which BTW will bleed of in a month or so with no use. AKA high price piece of equipment. They got the snares on the hind legs of all tree. Six snares. Took about forty five second if not half minute. Then they signaled me the thumbs up. Away went the hogs on the Sky Track lift. Man hit them with the nail gun on the lift signal. Others stuck them. Seriously think they did all three in under two seconds. My neighbor is the older brother. His two younger are under thirty years of age.
After I mentioned the efficiency . He replied, We've been doing this since before any of us can remember. While I never queried. Nail gun before the stick may of been just to keep them from squealing. Since the house was just thirty yards away. Children and such. 3 1/4 inch nail from a framing gun is very safe compared to other options. Then these men punch a truck load of these things every year. It's what they use. Those gas cylinders are IIRC $20 each. They will drive many nails but if you leave the gun set for a couple months the gas leaks out. Of course these things have only been around for fifteen years or so. Pace they work at is just like how they lay down lumber and roofing. I built as a carpenter myself when I was young. These boys are smooth and fast.
Temperature that day was in the low 20's. Hogs were skinned and swinging bare in short order.

These boys are just as impressive when you watch them do there construction jobs. Short of it is. Sometimes run into ugly undesirable types. But my day to day life. Surrounds me with wonderful people. Since I can chose who to end up being around .

[nicodiesel]

any caliber will do from a .22lr to bigger. we always use are good ol' 44-40

[TXGunNut]

We just killed 2 that we caught in our trap. 22 LR HP worked just fine one shot in the brain.
157027157028

Good job and a couple of good looking pigs! Welcome to the forum.

[HiVelocity]

Why not a cast .224 in .223 with 6.5gr of Unique? I powder coat these and I'm sure they'd do the trick behind the ear. Not sure what penetration would do.

HV

[shaner]

I'm still waiting to find my first person who does not know that beef comes from a cow or pork from a pig. Where do you find these folks?
I've run into a few over the years, iam in Ohio lots of females really don't know, especially things like bacon ham, hamburger, sausage. Things that aren't really named after the animal.

[daniel lawecki]

All this chatter he'll die of natural causes.

[BrentD]

All this chatter he'll die of natural causes.

I was just going to ask, "is the pig dead yet?"

[Markbo]

Well now Im considering it. :p

[starmac]

I will never ever scald and scrape another hog. Skin the beast. Hang it, wash it down good, and remove the skin. Almost like a deer or cow but with a LOT more fat. I can skin one while you run a tub full of water to heat. Not to mention how long it takes to heat the tub.

We always heated the scalding water, before killing the hog, never the other way around.
I bet you will have a hard time skinning one first. lol
We liked our cracklins too much to skin them.

[starmac]

I'm still waiting to find my first person who does not know that beef comes from a cow or pork from a pig. Where do you find these folks?

I ordered a chicken fried steak once, the waitress delivered a piece of boneless chicken (I am not a huge chicken fan) Anyway, I ask her what it was and she came back with a chicken fried steak, so depending on your location, you have to be specific when ordering off of a menu.

[Markbo]

Well I can guarantee that wasnt in Texas!

[M-Tecs]

I prefer to hang and stick without shooting.

I recommend the Morton Salt Complete Guide to Home Meat Curing 1941. It's is a great book. The older Morton books detail how to stick the hog correctly. They recommend to get a loop around a hind foot, hoist the hog up in the air, then stick it. They don't recommend shooting first, they want the heart to pump with the full brain signals coming to it.

You use a hog sticking knife and go in through the thorax stopping just short of the heart and you angle the knife up until you hit the artery under the spine. The hog bleeds out in seconds. If you shoot it the quicker you stick it or cut its throat the better bleed out. With the 22 the heart keeps pumping for a while. I have never used anything larger so I can not comment. After I learned how to properly stick hogs I not have shot one since.

I currently use the F Dick 8" pig sticking knife http://www.startfoodtech.com.au/startcatalogue/knife_cat/pages/sticking.htm They are getting hard to find in the US but depending on the size of the hog a 6" to 8" boning knife works fine.

[NavyVet1959]

Well I can guarantee that wasnt in Texas!

But here in the South, we might also call it a "veal cutlet" even though the cow that it came from was so old that it nearly died from old age. :)

[Electric88]

Not all of them go to the packers. I lived next to a chicken farm about 35 years ago. They would load all the laid out hens in the back of a truck, and run the exhaust through the box to gas them. They would haul them to the dump to get rid of them.
One time things didn't go as they planned. The chickens weren't gassed enough to be dead, only unconscious. They got them to the dump, and unloaded thousands of chickens in a pile to be buried, and left.
In a short time, the fresh air started reviving the chickens, and they were wandering all over the dump and surrounding area. I don't recall how they dealt with the situation.

This is awesome! I can't imagine what it would look like to drive up to the dump unsuspecting and find thousands of chickens just roaming and squawking lol

[NavyVet1959]

This is awesome! I can't imagine what it would look like to drive up to the dump unsuspecting and find thousands of chickens just roaming and squawking lol

I would think I was in the Dominican Republic. For some reason, I noticed quite a few chickens running around when I was there. Maybe not *thousands*, but a lot more loose chickens than I've ever seen in Texas...

[TCLouis]

357 Mag and Herco load

[Bulldogger]

20 years ago I had the opportunity to help butcher trapped wild hogs in TX. 22LR worked on all of them, 5 or 6 I believe. I used a 38 special on the biggest boar as he was loose in the big pen and was concerned 22LR would have bounced off of his skull. The 38 dropped him like a hammer in the skull but he kept kicking for some time. When we dress him out, the 38 slug fell to the ground.

Have a friend who shot a wild boar in Northern VA with a Winchester 94 clone in .44 Mag and he discovered as he was finishing gutting it that the slug hadn't penetrated the skull, much like yours. Gut 'em fast, just in case!

BDGR

[Boondocker]

Pop used the 22 when we were kids on the farm, he used everything but the squeal. Love the scrapple .

[cattleskinner]

The entire time I worked in meat plants, we used a .22 lr or a bolt gun on hogs and beef, unless there was a large bull(close to a ton), in which case something larger was used. I just butchered two hogs in December and followed my roots using a 22 rifle. Two shots, two hogs, no fuss.

[KCSO]

The brain on a hog is between and above the eyes.

Now for the rest of the story... Mid 1930's and not every farmer had a gun for hog killing, but Uncle Norman Rann had his 45-90 sharps that he brought back from the Alaska gold rush and he loaded it with a round ball and a few grains of black power for hog killings. One fine day the neighbour came over to borrow the hog gun and Mrs. Rann who knew no better gave him the Sharps and a couple rounds of... 45-90 450 bullets. The neighbour not knowing the difference put the Sharps up the hogs head one handed as he has seen Norman do and pulled the trigger. When the smoke cleared there were TWO dead hogs, one sprained wrist and very little gutting to do on hog # 1.

The moral of this story is USE the right load!

[cattleskinner]

Now that is a great story!!

[michiganmike]

I was raised on a farm and we ate our own beef and chicken. The chickens were dispatched with a meat cleaver to the neck. Worked every time.

The steer we slaughtered received a .22 between the eyes and a little high. We got our pork from a neighbor. He used a .22. Neither steer nor hog required more than one .22 in the noggin. And it all tasted great when cooked by my mother.

She also raised all the vegetables we ate. They were yummy as well. Finally we drank the milk that our herd of Jersey's produced. And no, we didn't slaughter a Jersey for meat. We raised a beef animal for that purpose. And my mother, grandmothers, great aunts and uncles cooked with lard and lived into the 90's. Hard work and a clear conscience is a better determinant of a long healthy life than any other formula I know.

[luvtn]

I ordered a chicken fried steak once, the waitress delivered a piece of boneless chicken (I am not a huge chicken fan) Anyway, I ask her what it was and she came back with a chicken fried steak, so depending on your location, you have to be specific when ordering off of a menu.
Here in the South we ask for "country fried steak", which is one of my favorites. I have butchered a few sheep. Tied by back feet, throat cut, then hung for about 15 minutes. Skin and head removed, evicerated, then cut up for roasts, ribs, and lamb chops. :)
luvtn

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I was just going to ask, "is the pig dead yet?"

He gets it this Saturday. I'll be sure to report.

[4719dave]

PICS or it don't count lol

[Silvercreek Farmer]

PICS or it don't count lol

Here is the one that got the .44 mag 270 grain Ranch Dog over 6 grains of Red Dot, clean pass through.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/mlindsay527/Sept2012071.jpg (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/mlindsay527/media/Sept2012071.jpg.html)

[SavageMan2506]

I've heard ball peen hammers work in a pinch, but we always use .22 lr solids. I agree that the 357 would be good because of the rrlative speed and knockdown power, without fragmenting too badly. Good luck, and have fun.

[flyingmonkey35]

Here is the one that got the .44 mag 270 grain Ranch Dog over 6 grains of Red Dot, clean pass through.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/mlindsay527/Sept2012071.jpg (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/mlindsay527/media/Sept2012071.jpg.html)
Wow the 90s called and want their shirt back.


Lol Bacon

[daniel lawecki]

Are we killing T-Ret or just a pig? Killed a few pigs in my time never wrote my brother about it why here.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

All went well. I went with the Lee .358 158 grain SWC GC cast out of ACWW over a moderate dose of Herco out of the 6" Taurus 66. Haven't chronoed it but it was probaby between 1100-1200 fps. Dropped some corn on the ground and shot him behind the ear angling towards the brain. He dropped instantly and bled well from the stick. The boolit passed clean through with no evidence of break up and no excessive gore. Upon examination, the skull had several large cracks. The Berkshire x Hampshire pig weighed in at 325 lbs. and yielded a gracious plenty of fine pork and frying lard. Pics to follow...

[Blanket]

when you are butchering you want to stun the animal so the heart pumps out as much blood as possible after you open the throat. A 22 works well

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Have a few more pics but nothing is cooperating...

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/mlindsay527/P1160068_zpswdgehule.jpg (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/mlindsay527/media/P1160068_zpswdgehule.jpg.html)

[JWFilips]

kill the pig clean the pig eat the pig Pretty simple eint'it Hope you enjoy your labors

[flounderman]

I have to pass this one on. It was told to me by someone that saw it. Local bunch that ran around together and drank bought a hog they were going to butcher. Nobody had a gun so one of them gets the chain saw out and a couple of them grab the hog by the ears and cut its throat with the chainsaw.

[NavyVet1959]

I have to pass this one on. It was told to me by someone that saw it. Local bunch that ran around together and drank bought a hog they were going to butcher. Nobody had a gun so one of them gets the chain saw out and a couple of them grab the hog by the ears and cut its throat with the chainsaw.

Nawh, couldn't happen... Obviously they were rednecks and there's no way that a bunch of rednecks wouldn't have at least ONE gun...

[Lance Boyle]

Reminds me of my neighbor that raised 50 broilers this summer. When they were rounded up to go to the processor one escaped but didn't go far. She is now very large from sharing dog food and best buddies with their big coon hound. They even sleep in the box together.

156884



Ha, tonights dinner was a turkey that showed up at my house that way. City farmer is up during the summer and raises veggies for his wife's NYC hoi palloi restaurant. The also raised about 80 turkeys. About a week before Christmas one walks behind the house and I assumed it was a wild turkey until I looked again an hour later. Anyhow I go looking for city farmer and his place is all closed up and all the turkeys were gone. Figured he butchered them for holiday meals at the restaurant. Look for him for two weeks while feeding the guy my chicken feed. He was a bit of a bother harassing my chickens but I liked him. Well between it getting too cold for him and the fact he started flying up to my roof and picking at my shingles I put him down and dressed him for dinner. BTW since he was awful hawky I couldn't get close to him. I shot him with the marlin 39a. I would have rather coned and cut but I can't run fast enough.

[54bore]

22 magnum gets my vote, my dad slaughtered for a living and that's all he used, from sheep, goats, hogs, beef, to buffalo. One shot between the Running lights

[BAGTIC]

If he has raised a pig he probably lives in a rural area where there is little danger from ricochets. A .22 LR to the forehead has always done it for my family for three generations. My wife's family does not have a gun so they hold the pig down while one of them sticks a knife in its neck cutting the carotid artery. Both ways are quick with no suffering.

[BAGTIC]

You don't need to be a redneck to own either a gun or a pig.

[NLS1]

.22 between the eyes a little high. End of story.


Yep, this. Sure works on my hogs just great. Keep em relaxed and pull the trigger and they hit the dirt without hardly a twitch.

Congrats on that nice looking hog too by the way, they are sure good eating! Love the difference from store bought, to the animals that we raised, much better. Not only that but they had a great life too, really able to enjoy their pigness, and brought to a quick and humane end.

[NLS1]

I've heard ball peen hammers work in a pinch, but we always use .22 lr solids. I agree that the 357 would be good because of the rrlative speed and knockdown power, without fragmenting too badly. Good luck, and have fun.

The ball peen hammer works great on our goats, drop like a sack of potatoes, and then allows you to slit their jugular, and I will tell ya, there is hardly a drop of blood left after doing it that way. Haven't tried it with the hogs, pretty big animal to have that go poorly, so I use the .22 :)

[Blanket]

The ball peen hammer works great on our goats, drop like a sack of potatoes, and then allows you to slit their jugular, and I will tell ya, there is hardly a drop of blood left after doing it that way. Haven't tried it with the hogs, pretty big animal to have that go poorly, so I use the .22 :)When I was younger we had a killing time on the farm. Most of the hogs were shot with a 22, then stuck. Some were picked out for head cheese and got stuck only. Steers were killed with a ball hammer then stuck

[NavyVet1959]

You don't need to be a redneck to own either a gun or a pig.

OK... You failed to understand the logical reasoning of my post... I'm not saying that if you own a gun or a pig you are a redneck. I'm saying that if you consider a chainsaw as an acceptable method of killing a pig, then you are probably a redneck. I'm also saying that it is unlikely that you will find a "bunch" of them and that not a single one of them owned a gun.

Nothing wrong with being a redneck. Hell, my wife accuses me of being one. I suspect that she's just mistaking "obnoxious S-O-B" with "redneck" though. :)

[Aimstraight]

I think that the best tasting and best for you meat is either something you raised yourself, meaning farmer with chicken, cattle, sheep.... or something you shot yourself. Wild game is guaranteed not to have any added hormones or anything else like these giant meat producers. Not saying they are bad companies, I just like to know what my food has been and most likely lived through.

[35remington]

Nothing prevents your deer from munching on GMO crops. All natural? Maybe should rethink that.

[sparky45]

Nothing prevents your deer from munching on GMO crops. All natural? Maybe should rethink that.

If you would put a little thought to it, you'd realize Mother Nature has been doing Genetic Modification since time began. Nothing wrong with GMO'd products, period. You're thinking just like a brainless Liberal if you think GMO is bad.

[tygar]

Why not Give the poor animal a Break . and just buy your Pork from The supermarket like most people

Well it's obvious that you've never raised your own, grained that sucker until you had 2-3" minimum of back fat (I like a 300 pounder), had your hams & bacon cured & smoked, without "water added BS" & had chops you could cut with a fork & actually tasted like pork should!

I've killed them with 22s & 44s. Hit them in the right place & anything works. Lot less mess with a 22.

[sparky45]

Now you're making me hungry. When I was a child dad and my brother and I had a small lot of Pigs we raised to eat and sell as a 4-H project. I was able to buy my first Remington .22 semiauto rifle from that project.

[Victor N TN]

I was actually raised on a farm. Only thing we ever used for hogs was a 22 LR, bolt action action Winchester rifle. Look for the "X" on his forehead. Be straight in line with him. Never used more than 1 shot per hog. Most times, if they aren't excited, they never jump or even squeal.

Be humane. Good luck,
Victor

[Tailhunter]

The .22 will work and has forever but its so boring.
.44 mag with hardcast, so much more interesting.

[BAGTIC]

You are killing a penned domestic pig and you are concerned about it not being sporting. Our values sure have changed during my lifetime and it isn't for the better.

[Victor N TN]

We were always just worried about meat in the smoke house / freezer. If I ruined any meat I would end up on Momma's bad side.

[Ricochet]

OK, what boolit lube leaves the best flavor? :razz:

[NavyVet1959]

OK, what boolit lube leaves the best flavor? :razz:

Lard, probably...

[white eagle]

OK, what boolit lube leaves the best flavor? :razz:

may want to try maple syrup/beeswax [smilie=w:

[w5pv]

22 of any kind in the bud of the ear and a good sticking knife,like what they use to call an Arkansas Toothpick.

[victorfox]

As far as I remember we used a sledgehammer to stun and sticked a thin long knife in the armpit cutting the heart. Anything bigger than 300lbs got a .22lr in the forehead.