Every hog I have walked up to in a trap charges at you to kill you and them smashing into the cage doesn't seem to phase their determination. I have seen my brother use a .22LR to dispatch them and I tell him to hold off while I stand on the other side of the truck. A .22LR will ricoshay off of bone if not hit squarely and no telling where it will end up, especially with all the wire from the cage.
Feral Hogs
- Thread starter cliffy
- Start date
You guys are opening my eyes regarding .30 caliber prowess, and while I TRUST my .243 Winnie Pooh with 100 grain premium bullets to perform against feral hogs, I have started loading 165 grain .308 Winchester fare. Soon I may buy a rifle to handle such loadings, but to date I must trust in my .243 Winchester to produce pork. Cliffy, and remember I am recoil shy due to heart problems. Hopefully, with more power, my aim won't get sloppier.
Cliffy, if you have a heart condition, than please buy a really good recoil pad and a padded vest or shoulder pad. I would hate to see anything happen to you. Also, a 30BR will provide similar ballistics to the 30-30 with much less recoil than a .308, and so will a 7.62x39. More frontal area will result in more kinetic energy transferred to the target. Also, a larger diameter bullet will have more material available for expansion, which will also transfer more energy. It doesn't have to have a ton of recoil to be effective, it just has to expend it's energy in the target. There are many ways to skin a cat, just find the one that is right for you. And if you are only going to use it for hogs at short distance (150yds or less) a Marlin 45/70 with the right load will be super effective without excessive recoil.
Good luck
Kenny
Good luck
Kenny
Cliffie, An AR-15 is an acceptable hog gun. Accurate, fast follow-up shots (very low recoil), and thrives in really crappy weather. As I said, though, I never dropped a hog in his tracks with one. I never shot them in the head either. My AR liked the 62gr Nato ball ammo well enough to hold 1 to 1.5 moa at 100 yds, and every hog I shot with them had exit wounds. Most of them had 2 hits and one took 4 hits. They all ran 75 - 100yds with multiple holes in their chests and bodies.
One I shot with a M1-A (.308 Win) ran over 300 yds. I didn't find him. I went looking on my 4-wheeler, but I never got off of it.. It was getting too dark to go walking around on foot. The ranch owner found him the next day and told me where he was. We estimated he didn't weigh much over 100 lbs. He was ruined of course. I had shot 3 of them in that barrage, and he later found another one of them. We never found the 3rd one. I wasn't sure I had hit either one of the last 2.
I hope you don't think I piled on about the .22 belt gun, but I strongly recommend you carry as big a caliber handgun as you can hit with in a hurry. And if you're tracking a hog that's been shot, keep it in your hand with a round in the chamber. I won't carry one in a holster with a round in it, but in my hand, it's safer and it's ready to use. I've been close enough to a couple of hogs that I smelled them before I ever saw them. That's too close. Both were still warm.
I took a stab at posting a couple of pictures, but I suck at computers, and never got it to work. No telling what's floating around out there in space. If anybody would like to post them for me, P/M me. I can email pictures.
Tom
One I shot with a M1-A (.308 Win) ran over 300 yds. I didn't find him. I went looking on my 4-wheeler, but I never got off of it.. It was getting too dark to go walking around on foot. The ranch owner found him the next day and told me where he was. We estimated he didn't weigh much over 100 lbs. He was ruined of course. I had shot 3 of them in that barrage, and he later found another one of them. We never found the 3rd one. I wasn't sure I had hit either one of the last 2.
I hope you don't think I piled on about the .22 belt gun, but I strongly recommend you carry as big a caliber handgun as you can hit with in a hurry. And if you're tracking a hog that's been shot, keep it in your hand with a round in the chamber. I won't carry one in a holster with a round in it, but in my hand, it's safer and it's ready to use. I've been close enough to a couple of hogs that I smelled them before I ever saw them. That's too close. Both were still warm.
I took a stab at posting a couple of pictures, but I suck at computers, and never got it to work. No telling what's floating around out there in space. If anybody would like to post them for me, P/M me. I can email pictures.
Tom
Cliff,
There is nothing wrong with a 243 when hunting open area where you have plenty of space between you and them. Also if you want to kill one to eat then you will want the smaller ones 125 lbs or less. Again 243 is fine. The place I hunt I can catch them grazing in pastures and know there escape routes to the nearest cover and set up off of them, but sometimes they alter their routes and may head toward you. Thats when you feel better having something that will stop a adrinaline charged pig running towards you. Most of the time I find them in large groups 20 or so is the norm with herds up to 75. This is a reason semi-autos are a favorite among several hunters.
Gary
There is nothing wrong with a 243 when hunting open area where you have plenty of space between you and them. Also if you want to kill one to eat then you will want the smaller ones 125 lbs or less. Again 243 is fine. The place I hunt I can catch them grazing in pastures and know there escape routes to the nearest cover and set up off of them, but sometimes they alter their routes and may head toward you. Thats when you feel better having something that will stop a adrinaline charged pig running towards you. Most of the time I find them in large groups 20 or so is the norm with herds up to 75. This is a reason semi-autos are a favorite among several hunters.
Gary
Kenny474 said:
I beg to differ. 308cal bullet has 60% more frontal area than 243cal bullet.
That said, I hunt Russian wild boar few times a year. Penetration and shot placement is the key. CNS shots are the only way for DRT, but most of the time you're better of with heart/lung shot (more marginal for error). They'll run 30-50y or more with double lung or heart shot.
243Win might be on the light side b/c of bullet selection, but I feel comfortable with my 260Rem and 160gr Woodleigh bullets. FAL semiauto in 308Win (165gr Woodleigh) is also nice. If using bolt action in drive hunting, 9.3x62 (appr. same as 35 Whelen) is nice since you got only one shot most of the time. I'm just a bit shy with the 9.3x62 since shooting position may be a bit awkward and I'm afraid of the "shooter's eye brow".
I've seen too many people who say they're not afraid of recoil. Almost all the time they cannot hit shit at 100y even on shooting range, let alone while hunting. And that's with any rifle. You have to get them shoot few boxes of 22LR (trigger time), then advance to something moderately recoiling (308Win in light rifle is oftentimes too much) and in the end they'll be amazed on the accuracy they're capable of from practical shooting positions.
I don't dress any of the wild pigs unless they're the little ones (with milk still on their lips) and are killed in cold weather (after the 1st frost). I was raised in East Texas. In late October/November we started trapping piney woods rooters (they looked like razorbacks) and penning them for at least 2 wks feeding them corn to clean them out before butchering them.
Some slaughter houses will still buy live wild hogs. I don't know if they feed them out or not.
Hogs are worse than humans about eating anything. They are carrion eaters and cannibals. I may be too picky, but I just don't have to eat them (yet). I kill them because they compete with game animals for forage, they kill fawns when they can, they raid turkey nests, they destroy crops, and they multiply like flies. Even cows avoid them.
When I got off my last lease in Central Texas, the rancher was occasionally sighting groups of 15 - 20 of all sizes, always with little ones in the group. After they've been shot at, they go nocturnal. Game cams pick them up on feeders at all times of the night. Ranch owners tell you to kill every one you see, and leave them if you don't want them.
Bottom line, they are multiplying faster than we can trap or kill them. We're losing the war.
Kill what you can, whether you eat them or not.
Good hunting, Tom
Some slaughter houses will still buy live wild hogs. I don't know if they feed them out or not.
Hogs are worse than humans about eating anything. They are carrion eaters and cannibals. I may be too picky, but I just don't have to eat them (yet). I kill them because they compete with game animals for forage, they kill fawns when they can, they raid turkey nests, they destroy crops, and they multiply like flies. Even cows avoid them.
When I got off my last lease in Central Texas, the rancher was occasionally sighting groups of 15 - 20 of all sizes, always with little ones in the group. After they've been shot at, they go nocturnal. Game cams pick them up on feeders at all times of the night. Ranch owners tell you to kill every one you see, and leave them if you don't want them.
Bottom line, they are multiplying faster than we can trap or kill them. We're losing the war.
Kill what you can, whether you eat them or not.
Good hunting, Tom
Cliffy - about 25 years ago when I was a young fellow, my pard and I went on our first hog hunt. We figured we were well armed, he had a .44 mag Super Blackhawk and I had a .357 mag Colt. Almost as an afterthought I tossed a .300 mag Ruger 77 rifle in the truck too.
My buddy took the first shot at a fair-size boar (I'm guessing around 180 - 200 pounds), with that .44 mag at about 30 yards. He was a fine shot and had practiced often. The bullet smacked that hog a little high on the shoulder! Dirt & caked mud flew. We were startled to see the boar then beat the snot out of a smaller pig nearby, and resume rooting and eating...
What now my buddy asked? I whispered some sage advice "Shoot him again." Real bright eh? So he did. This time ol' Mr Boar figured something wasn't right and exited the area. With two hits from the .44 apparently not slowing him down in the least. Since we were enthusiastic, fit young fellows we gave chase. About a quarter or half mile later we came up on him in a clearing. He was waiting for us... Suddenly my .357 mag didn't feel like a very big revolver. The rifle was back in the truck. My buddy shot the hog again, but made his only poor shot, and the bullet sliced along the edge of the head, hit an ear, and showered the boar with blood.
Mr Boar decided he'd had enough and came at us. I had my "mighty" .357 out, and my buddy was yelling at me to not shoot, he wanted to finish the pig himself. Finish? I thought the pig was doing just fine and we were in deep trouble, but okay... So, he pops the hog with a fourth .44 mag, and the pig turns hard, and continues running. My bud is then able to trigger a 5th .44 mag into him. This one slips through the ribcage and ranges forward into the heart/lung area and Mr Boar piles up. It was pretty exciting to us deer hunters.
What we found out was that the warm-loaded 210 gr JHC Sierras were flattening out and barely penetrating on the mud, hide, muscle & gristle plate. Had he loaded 300 gr hard-cast or something similar, the hunt would have been over quickly. Back then, 25 years ago, we didn't know that and placed our faith in the powerful .44 & .357 mag revolvers we were carrying, with "average" bullets.
We field dressed the hog, pulled him out of there. Had lunch. I did some thinking and went to the truck and got my .300 Win mag, and a box of 180 gr Nosler Partitions. That did the trick on a smaller pig later in the day, one shot through the heart. No muss no fuss. Not saying a .300 is required for pigs, not at all, but they can take some killing. And they can dish out some pain if they take a mind to fight.
Dad laughed at our story. He always hunted them with a .308 Win or a .30-06 and found a good 165 grain deer bullet worked very well, head or chest.
Enjoy your hunt, but I think the .22 is best reserved for squirrel shooting...
Regards, Guy
My buddy took the first shot at a fair-size boar (I'm guessing around 180 - 200 pounds), with that .44 mag at about 30 yards. He was a fine shot and had practiced often. The bullet smacked that hog a little high on the shoulder! Dirt & caked mud flew. We were startled to see the boar then beat the snot out of a smaller pig nearby, and resume rooting and eating...
What now my buddy asked? I whispered some sage advice "Shoot him again." Real bright eh? So he did. This time ol' Mr Boar figured something wasn't right and exited the area. With two hits from the .44 apparently not slowing him down in the least. Since we were enthusiastic, fit young fellows we gave chase. About a quarter or half mile later we came up on him in a clearing. He was waiting for us... Suddenly my .357 mag didn't feel like a very big revolver. The rifle was back in the truck. My buddy shot the hog again, but made his only poor shot, and the bullet sliced along the edge of the head, hit an ear, and showered the boar with blood.
Mr Boar decided he'd had enough and came at us. I had my "mighty" .357 out, and my buddy was yelling at me to not shoot, he wanted to finish the pig himself. Finish? I thought the pig was doing just fine and we were in deep trouble, but okay... So, he pops the hog with a fourth .44 mag, and the pig turns hard, and continues running. My bud is then able to trigger a 5th .44 mag into him. This one slips through the ribcage and ranges forward into the heart/lung area and Mr Boar piles up. It was pretty exciting to us deer hunters.
What we found out was that the warm-loaded 210 gr JHC Sierras were flattening out and barely penetrating on the mud, hide, muscle & gristle plate. Had he loaded 300 gr hard-cast or something similar, the hunt would have been over quickly. Back then, 25 years ago, we didn't know that and placed our faith in the powerful .44 & .357 mag revolvers we were carrying, with "average" bullets.
We field dressed the hog, pulled him out of there. Had lunch. I did some thinking and went to the truck and got my .300 Win mag, and a box of 180 gr Nosler Partitions. That did the trick on a smaller pig later in the day, one shot through the heart. No muss no fuss. Not saying a .300 is required for pigs, not at all, but they can take some killing. And they can dish out some pain if they take a mind to fight.
Dad laughed at our story. He always hunted them with a .308 Win or a .30-06 and found a good 165 grain deer bullet worked very well, head or chest.
Enjoy your hunt, but I think the .22 is best reserved for squirrel shooting...
Regards, Guy
Cliffie's getting his money's worth out of this thread! So am I.
M700, I've never shot a hog with a pistol except for a couple of coup de grace's. Until your post, I never had any doubt that a good centerfire pistol or revolver might not do the job. The 2 pistol shots I made (not counting several misses on running piglets) were from behind on downed hogs, angling into the base of the skull. Lights out.
I've got a Super Redhawk in .454 Casull that's too big and kicks too hard to be very handy, but I'm 72 yrs old and can't run or climb worth spit, so???
Maybe I just need to stay on the 4-wheeler.
Tom
M700, I've never shot a hog with a pistol except for a couple of coup de grace's. Until your post, I never had any doubt that a good centerfire pistol or revolver might not do the job. The 2 pistol shots I made (not counting several misses on running piglets) were from behind on downed hogs, angling into the base of the skull. Lights out.
I've got a Super Redhawk in .454 Casull that's too big and kicks too hard to be very handy, but I'm 72 yrs old and can't run or climb worth spit, so???
Maybe I just need to stay on the 4-wheeler.
Tom
The only pig I shot was an average 170 pounder. I was using my Ruger Bisley 45 Colt loaded with a stiff charge of W296 and the great Speer 300 jsp at about 1300fps. I was about 40 yards and quartering away. I hit him a little high behind the shoulder and the bullet exited behind the opposite ear. BOOM flop. I have it on video, I am warning the guy taking the video about the noise, he said it wouldn't bother him, I touched it off and he said "what the #$%& was that" I told you it was loud!
Mike
PS bring enough gun
Mike
PS bring enough gun
I am new to this site but love reading these hog stories. On the farm I have used a 22 rifle to put down 200 LB feeder pigs. At a perpendicular angle shoot right in the middle between the eyes and ears and they would fall over. But out in the field you'll never get a 2 foot shot on one, hopefully.
I used my 338-06 with a Barnes 225 grain X on a stray pig that got out of a neighbors pen. It was a solid hit and it didn't take a step. It was a while ago but I still remeber the damage that bullet did to that 100 LB pig. It was facing me at about 100 yards with its nose on the ground. The bullet went in above the eyes, came out through the neck and almost took its right front leg off.
I would like to see a picture of a hog trap, they must be pretty strong to take a charging pig and not break.
I used my 338-06 with a Barnes 225 grain X on a stray pig that got out of a neighbors pen. It was a solid hit and it didn't take a step. It was a while ago but I still remeber the damage that bullet did to that 100 LB pig. It was facing me at about 100 yards with its nose on the ground. The bullet went in above the eyes, came out through the neck and almost took its right front leg off.
I would like to see a picture of a hog trap, they must be pretty strong to take a charging pig and not break.
Here is a picture and link to the story of a 720 pounder shot this month down here in Texas just a few miles from me. How would you like to run across this one while deer hunting like the hunter in this story did? I have a few big ones on my place, but haven't seen one like this yet. The story states he was shooting a 6mm with an 80Gr bullet.
Story:
http://americancowboy.com/blogs/south-texas-cowboy/hunt-el-cerdo-monstruo
Story:
http://americancowboy.com/blogs/south-texas-cowboy/hunt-el-cerdo-monstruo
Attachments
Hog hunting stories are interesting to be sure. I'm going to Texas in December for my first and we're bringing a .243 and my 6.5 Creedmoor for long range work as there are areas where we're going that offer longer shots.
For long range work I don't see the .243 as being under powered at all versus a .308 which everybody seems to consider to be enough. My basis of this opinion is this:
(1000 Ft AGL, 30 degrees temp.)
168 SMK @ 2600 FPS (.253 sectional density) = 2520 Ft Lbs at muzzle, 1540 ft lbs at 300 yards
105 VLD @ 3200 fps (.254 sectional density) = 2390 ft lbs at muzzle, 1696 ft lbs at 300 yards
As you can see with my particular .243/loads it only has 5% less muzzle energy than the .308 at muzzle but has 9% more energy than the .308 at 300 yards and the sectional densities are the same. The 6.5 Creedmoor smokes either obviously with a 140 VLD @ 2950 FPS.
We're going only with VLDs for the longer range shots with bolt rifles because I've read so many good reviews about how well they perform for hunting.
For short range work we're bringing an SKS with 150 grain (.311" for .303) SSTs at 2400 FPS and my AR in 6.5 Grendel with 129 SSTs at 2500 FPS. We'll have backup handguns as well but I'd certainly reload one of the rifles before going for one of the handguns.
I'll certainly post any pictures and a review of how things perform if we get lucky out there.
Wayne
For long range work I don't see the .243 as being under powered at all versus a .308 which everybody seems to consider to be enough. My basis of this opinion is this:
(1000 Ft AGL, 30 degrees temp.)
168 SMK @ 2600 FPS (.253 sectional density) = 2520 Ft Lbs at muzzle, 1540 ft lbs at 300 yards
105 VLD @ 3200 fps (.254 sectional density) = 2390 ft lbs at muzzle, 1696 ft lbs at 300 yards
As you can see with my particular .243/loads it only has 5% less muzzle energy than the .308 at muzzle but has 9% more energy than the .308 at 300 yards and the sectional densities are the same. The 6.5 Creedmoor smokes either obviously with a 140 VLD @ 2950 FPS.
We're going only with VLDs for the longer range shots with bolt rifles because I've read so many good reviews about how well they perform for hunting.
For short range work we're bringing an SKS with 150 grain (.311" for .303) SSTs at 2400 FPS and my AR in 6.5 Grendel with 129 SSTs at 2500 FPS. We'll have backup handguns as well but I'd certainly reload one of the rifles before going for one of the handguns.
I'll certainly post any pictures and a review of how things perform if we get lucky out there.
Wayne
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.