Pistol caliber for feral pig kill

You have a better chance of being killed in a car wreck, killed by another human, or a million other things then being mauled to death by a wild boar or bear. Carry what you shoot best. A good hit from 9mm underwood penatrators beats a bad hit from a S&W 500.

FL-NC said:

I carry a Glock 23 (40) in the woods. Hit a pig in the vital plumbing with that and its going down.

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I was thinking the same .. Underwood makes a few very interesting rounds in 40 S&W including a 200gr Hardcast

Jim Watson said:

...where it is real hunting,

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LOL

Well, he tramps around in the woods with a guide and his dogs. It sure FEELS and LOOKS like real hunting.
I am suspicious enough to think that maybe they lead him around in pig free areas for a while and only "discover" the hogs after long enough to make him feel the pukka sahib.

Thank you, Jim, for the introduction!

I have killed a bunch of Russian Boar with a handgun. And the key is penetration.

Even a 9mm will do the job, if that is what you have available.

I successfully used 9mm once. On that occasion, the guide suggested I try a handful of Extreme Shock sintered bullets in lieu of my Magnum Research 45/70. The owner of Extreme Shock apparently tests his ammo on hogs, and was convinced that the bullet would work satisfactorily. I was game.

Long story short, a single shot at about 20 yards, and the hog (approximately 300 pounds) dropped about 10 or 15 or 20 feet after being shot. Visually inspecting the hog before field dressing, we determined the hog died of heart attack, because we could not find an entry or an exit wound. But once he was opened up...holy heck. Looked like a weed eater had shredded his internal organs....it was a mess. The sintered bullet penetrated and then "exploded" as intended.

In any event, we were ultimately able to locate the entry wound from the inside (hog hit in forward point of side), so heart attack was ruled out as the cause of death!

The moral of the story...if a 9 is what you have, carry it with ammo that penetrates.

BOARHUNTER

And another relevant story, but with less-satisfactory results....

My very first Russian ever is coming my direction down a steep wooded hill. I hit him in the chest with a 405 grain soft point 45/70 round out of a Marlin Guide Gun (I believe it is called).

The hog tumbles down the hill in my direction. I am not sure the extent of damage, but I went full-blown "cowboy" nonetheless. I dropped the Marlin, drew a 44 special revolver from my hip and rushed the hog. I threw my leg over the downed hog and put 3 rounds of hollow-point bullets into the side of his neck.

And it was then I realized just how foolish I had been, but fortunately without disastrous consequences. The hog was dead, but my "vitals" were directly over its head/tusks, and worse yet...the self-defense hollow-point 44 special bullets failed to penetrate the hog's thick gristle neck.... I could literally see the base of the bullets flush with the hog's neck.

So had the original rifle shot not done the trick, I would be singing a higher note today.

Lesson learned: Penetration is key.

BOARHUNTER

There was a guy, then advertised by his employer as "The Shoals Handloading Consultant" who had Ruger revolvers tricked out by Magnaport. For reasons known only to his expertise, he loaded the .45 UP and the .44 DOWN. When required by guide policy to bring a Magnum handgun, all he had was underloaded .44 Magnums that led to disappointment on the hogs.

I think I'd go for a long-barreled 10 mm auto. Since you're talking about hunting, maybe a 1911, for that crisp SA trigger.

They pack a punch on the recoil end too, though.

Lots of people talking about shooting through shoulders. That's one way to make sure you need a ton of power. Go for the boiler room shots, behind the shoulder and through the lungs. I'd probably want a red dot sight.

Too bad you don't like revolvers; they're not bad as long as you don't try to stiff-arm them as if they were an auto.

My rather down to earth relatives who are farmers won’t turn their backs on domesticated farm pigs, as they will attack you, so if I were anticipating encountering feral pigs I would pick a gun I could shoot well and a caliber that would put down a feral pig quickly.

CapnMac said:

Dunno, they are kind of gamey, and on the "awful" side of gamey, in unpredictable ways. This, no doubt, reflects their omnivorous diet in the wild.


Be careful what you wish for.
The Feral pig census is hotly debated in Texas, and doubly so by our Wildlife agencies (who insist o splitting out "wild" and "russian" boars, from "intrusive ferals." Low end numbers for Texas are around 20 million, upper end numbers are running to 26-28 million. Or nearly as many pigs as Texans.

And, that's separate from the various naturally-occurring peccaries and javelina (neither of which is likely to be seen in PA).

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I used to shoot them in Louisiana, many yrs ago, got kidded by my fellow hunters as I took small ones or sows, both are much better eating than the boars, which are very gamey due to their glands and raging hormones...

My BiL used to shoot them often. There is or was a bounty on them in his county. He always kept a 44 magnum carbine in his truck in case he saw one on his way to or from work or wherever he was going.

One poster talked about that shoulder. I have seen a round that had to be in that shoulder a long time just stuck in that bone. Those things are mean and tough.

I think the best caliber and this goes double if I am on the ground is 20mm and above. If I am in a stand, I want a rifle.

I have also had people tell me stories, and I do believe them of 44mag bouncing off the skull of them.

Nope if I am going to war with those things I want center fire rifle and something larger then 223.

I have killed lots of hogs with .22 lr and 9mm, all except one we’re in traps though.

They can be killed with just about anything, more powder and better bullets give you more opportunity to kill one with less than ideal placement. In the right spot even a 40 grain standard velocity will work, the guy didn’t take a step.





That said, if I were picking a pistol caliber to go after them. I would prefer one of my XP-100/contender pistols in a rifle caliber. After than would be one of my 44 magnums, then follow down the list as they loose power. It’s easy to get ideal shots in a trap, if you don’t like it, walk around to the other side. Hunting doesn’t afford that luxury very often for me.

Coyotes seem to be more vulnerable. I use my 9mm minor load on them here at the house, a 147 RN @ 950fps.



Any JHP and movement up in powder would just make it more effective. Maybe I should bring an extra set of plugs and one of my open pistols and see how my “major” 9mm loads work of the next sounder we trap.

In Florida some believe that we have a wild pig problem because they eat roots and several pigs can uproot or "plow" significant areas where food for other species like deer and domestic cattle grows. To me they are an inconvenience instead of a problem when compared to the truly harmful invasive species that have been brought to Florida like pythons, monitor lizards, snakeheads and lion fish. In fact wild pigs eat the eggs and young of some of the much more harmful invasive species and provide food for native carnivores like Florida Panthers, alligators and bobcats. I wouldn't intentionally bring them into other areas but there are much worse invasive species to worry about than the wild pig.

Having been to public and private wild areas all over the state sometimes hunting (wild hogs and deer) others just hiking with my dog and I have often heard them crashing through the undergrowth as they run away but I have never been attacked or even threatened. Perhaps in other areas they are "dangerous" but in my experience here in Florida they are far from it.

For "protection" purposes a 45 ACP, 38 Super or even a 9mm pistol should be more than adequate. However if you are actively hunting them you probably want something that will knock them out as quickly as possible so the 10 mm caliber would be better.

To the OP. As I read your question you are carrying for more than one reason, Hogs are just on the list. You carry a 9mm that you are comfortable with but are not sure it is enough. I am by far an expert on Feral hogs but I would say if you are carrying a decent defensive round in your 9mm you have the human threat, K9 threat and probably the hog threat covered. Keep practicing with your 9mm. You should be fine.

wcwhitey said:

Keep practicing with your 9mm. You should be fine.

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Agreed.

Many people seem to want rifle level protection from a pistol in a feral hog attack crisis. However, against hogs when a pistol with that sort of performance is going to have massive recoil and few folks are going to be able to shooting them well in a dynamic crisis of an attack against the giant monster killer that they so fear. Otherwise, as you intimate, hogs generally people sized and smaller and what is suited for people will work for virtually all of your defense against hog situations. Nobody seems to be being attacked by 800-1500 lb hogzillas, which usually turn out to be nothing more than geriatric farm-raised, hand fed hogs that got loose or somebody turned out. On top of that, so long as you don't try to go hands on with a hog being chewed on by catch dogs or trying to knife a penned or snared hog, you can reduce your chances of being attacked by a hog to nearly zero while hunting.

Even if attacked in the wild, most engagements are short duration and as you can see in several hunting videos, if a hog charges and hits a hunter, the hog usually attempts a quick hit or combination of hits and then runs away. Hogs don't typically engage in prolonged attacks when they have the option to get away.

Here are hunters going after one of these super dangerous hogzilla hogs, nearly 1200 lbs. Thank God there was a guide team to help this poor hunter deal with this seriously intense situation.


Otherwise, the average adult hog most people will encounter is 150-180 lbs.

Of course, the most famous 'attack' happened to the 59 year old caretaker outside of Houston that was found dead between her car and the home where she was going to be working for the day. It is classified as an attack, but was completely unwitnessed with no known circumstances for how things unfolded. All that is known for certain is that the woman was chomped on by hogs sufficiently to cause her death by blood loss, but the circumstances leading up to that and how he got the impact head injury just aren't known. Hogs are not known to carry blunt force objects to wield against humans. She had a head injury consistent with a fall. Maybe she was attacked and brought down. Maybe the hogs were the aggressor or maybe she was (not out of malice, but fright). Maybe she got dizzy or tripped and fell, hitting her head, and was scavenged by hogs. Nobody knows. They only know that she bled out as a result of being repeatedly bitten multiple times and apparently by multiple hogs of different sizes. Hogs don't generally attack as a group, but they will feed as a group. Despite happening in a neighborhood and right next to the house, there were no reports of screams. She suffered lots of bites, but apparently in silence, which would indicate that maybe she wasn't able to scream or was already unconscious when she was "attacked." Of course, this isn't a hunting situation, but the event seems to have sparked many fears among hunters and non-hunters, alike. https://www.12newsnow.com/article/n...huac/502-5b79ae7b-0841-40a6-8fd7-0795303b4b27

Nuclear said:

My rather down to earth relatives who are farmers won’t turn their backs on domesticated farm pigs, as they will attack you, ...

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Absolutely, some, not all, will. Penned, cornered, often overpopulated hog farm situations do not lend themselves to the rearing of loving hogs with an endearment to their human overloads, sort of like with keeping people in similar circumstances. This doesn't really equate with the hunting circumstances of the thread, but you are correct, there are definitely very real dangers is raising pigs.

Seems like hogs attack more than bears, but it's rarely fatal.

Here's a story from my friend's dad. I'm not sure he is credible as I don't know him well. Let me know what you think.

He said he was hog hunting down in FL with a 338 Win Mag rifle. Shot a hog in the chest at maybe 25 yards and the hog went down. He got up, agitated and charged the guy. Shot him again, went down again. Got up and charged again, was shot again. Went down and stayed down less than 10 yards from him.

I'm thinking bad shots and didn't hit the vitals? for instance, maybe the first shot got the lungs, second shot got a leg and the third shot missed but the hog drowned from the lung shot.

I do know he's a handloader, uses the best components and his ammo is accurate, as I've shot his Sako 243.

There's also a lot of talk that hogs have tough shoulders and heads, and of course we (as Americans tend to do) want enough power for the worst-case scenario, rather that enough power to kill with proper shot placement. Shoulder shots are good to anchor an animal and minimize tracking, but if a hog has tougher shoulders than a deer, why are we taking shoulder shots with big guns instead of a 22 in the ear or just a 357 through the lungs? (with proper ammo)

A Glock 10mm is about the softest shooting gun ive big game hunted with. I have 1911s in 10 and the are just a bit more to hold. 10mm 1911 is noticeably heavier compared to military 45 using 230 gr ball. No worse than a small 365 or something with +p 9mm though. They can get snappy. Ive killed cattle with 10mm through the flat of the skull. Seen what it will do. I trust it. Probably with cheapish 200 GR xtp bullets. If I didn't want to buy the high dollar super duper penetrating anti terrorist bunker buster boutique rounds. Ive killed many whitetail and other critter with the lowly xtp. The consistenly lackluster expansion of the xtp makes it a darn good penetrating bullet for a hollow point. And they are sold everywhere.

I once shot a wild rooster solidly in the body with a 230 grain 45 ACP at less than 15 yards. I was as surprised as my buddy when the rooster started running and it took another second shot to kill it. Then you hear about the stopping power of the 45 ACP on people and you wonder what the heck is going on.
You just never know how an animal or a person will react after being shot with anything.

I have taken a few hogs with a tc encore 44 mag. I prefer hunting hogs with a rifle, It just depends where your hunting,

At the current price of bacon, they would certainly be worth checking out! They’ve probably had access to plenty of good stuff to eat this Summer, so they might be more like domestic hogs than say, in the dead of Winter.
Froggie

Feral hogs have a complex anatomy regarding penetration and vitals--they are not like deer. They have a kind of armor-like protection up front. See this website:https://1source.basspro.com/news-ti...ifle hunting for hogs,spot behind a hog's ear.

If you hit the right spot, you are ok. I've hog hunted in Texas on a ranch, and they require rifles with at least 30-30 power. I took down two hogs with my .44 Ruger redhawk, but it took several shots. One just go up and ran away after receiving a fairly direct hit.

bltmonty said:

Feral hogs have a complex anatomy regarding penetration and vitals--they are not like deer. They have a kind of armor-like protection up front. See this website:https://1source.basspro.com/news-tips/wild-hogs-boar/7770/hog-hunting-shot-placement-dont-make-common-deer-hunters-mistake#:~:text=When rifle hunting for hogs,spot behind a hog's ear.

If you hit the right spot, you are ok. I've hog hunted in Texas on a ranch, and they require rifles with at least 30-30 power. I took down two hogs with my .44 Ruger redhawk, but it took several shots. One just go up and ran away after receiving a fairly direct hit.

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I've never killed feral hog. Killed and butchered many farm ones. I went to that article you linked for curiosity since someday the hogs will be here. They are getting closer.

I see very little difference in the two in that article even though it says the vitals are lower and farther forward. But idk. Again no experience with them. I shoot whitetail in the heart with a rifle. Never lost one. Back when I bow hunted whitetail I did err a bit high and aim for a lung since aiming for the heart and botching the distance would be a miss altogether. I still never lost one though. Spent many an hour going from blood drip to blood drip.

For farm raised we always shot them in the head with a 22 mag. I see what you mean by penetration though with the larger bone from a facing shot

I'm afraid I've NO real good choice for a Hog pistol ,IF a 1911 is gonna be too much to handle . Hopped up .40 or 10mm ISN'T gonna be any kinder on your hands . Problem with Boar is they come in a variety of sizes ,from piglets to HOGZILLA'S . In MY particular case when I'm one gunning in the woods pistol packing ,I carry the .44 Mag hand cannon . Don't care about recoil or hand shock ,as I generally only have to pull the trigger once . I've always been like that , flinch ah hell NO make the shot count and you've eliminated hand throb and additional punishment from follow up shots . Probably why I still shoot Magnum rifles a little more versatile power and range wise ,gives one an edge , sometimes

Rubberized Grips such as Pachmayr go a long way in reducing felt recoil ,IMO . I liked the first fellows advice a .45 with 185 or 200 gr. load has excellent stopping power under 75 yd. . Yes a 10mm is slightly more powerful but SNAPPY recoil from velocity of 1K FPS .
A 200 gr. slug at 850 FPS is pretty devastating upon impact at closer ranges .

Here's a useful link about the 1-2 inch thick "shield" on the sides of feral pigs: https://feralhogs.extension.org/shoulder-shields-in-feral-hogs/
I just know the guides at the Texas hunting ranches would talk about how tough this shield is on bullets. That's, I guess, what makes the feral hogs a bit different than just pure domesticated hogs. I am guessing others with more experience can elaborate.