Bring Enough Gun

[hoji]

Quick version of something that happened this past weekend.

Neck shot a 275+ Russian hybrid at about 125 yardswith a 150 gr core-lokt. Watched him flop twice and squealed for about 15 seconds then stopped. Watched him lay un moving for about 2 minutes.

Walked toward the kill site and the path to it is obscured by a clump of cedars. About 25 yards from the drop site, a 275+ neck shot pig charges through the cedars at me.{ I am glad I peed earlier} I dropped{and by dropped I mean tossed to the side} the .22 handgun I was holding to finish him off if he needed it and went straight to the LR308 and pumped two more into him from about 15 yards in his shoulder/rib area. DRT for real this time.

None of 150gr Core-lokt rounds exited.The neck shot turned in and got a lung, and the other two hit vitals and stopped.{ no it was not the "shield" just a very dense, thick pig}

Something to think about when "handgunning" hogs.

The best part of this is{ other than not getting neutered as a hogs last defiant act} is my lovely wife suggested that I get a more appropiate handgun to carry in the woods. I have a .44mag with a 3 inch barrel, but will be getting a Super Redhawk in .44mag with a 6.5-8 inch barrel She also sagely suggested that I leave the .22 for trapped hogs, advice I will take to heart.

 

[retrieverman]

Maybe it is just me, but I am having a hard time figuring out what the 150 gr Corelokt came out of. Was the first shot with the LR 308 or a handgun?

 

[hoji]

All three shots were from the LR308.

The first was from the stand at about 125 yards. The second two were after I dumped the .22 when he "came back from the dead" and charged. These were taken at about 15 yards.

 

[41 Mag]

I can absolutely relate to your experience. Been there done that several times.

I do find however that 9 out of 10 tijmes those plain ol core lokts get the job done in short order. I use a Ruger Compact in .308 for a lot of our hog disposal and have had a few that just didn't get the message the first time.

As to the sidearm, I would suggest looking for the standard Redhawk in 44 with the 7.5" barrel. It will carry easier, and is faster in times of need than the heavier Super model. I have shot the standard, in both 41 and 44 mag, for years and my friend had the super. He has now replaced it with a 686 in 41 mag due to the lighter weight and faster on target ability. If your in the thick stuff those few 1/10's of a second can make the difference.

In the 41 we use the 200gr Remington SJHP's, loaded to right at 1300fps, and in the 44, I am using the 240gr Rem. SJHP, as well as the Oregon Trail 200gr RNFP's. I just started with the OT bullets and haven't really developed a load I really like yet, but for the Rem, I run them to 1350fps and they hit with plenty of authority to stop anything up close or out a ways. My friend has just loaded up some of the Cast Performance 250gr. WFNGC and is hoping to test them out on something soon, but he is having a hard time keeping those Remingtons out of his cylinders. Loaded to the velocities we shoot them at thos Rem's work great. They punch through most everything we shoot leaving them DRT or stopped in their tracks for a quick follow up. They will just about completely roll a 200# hog out to 75yds, and anything closer well just hits the dirt.

For the most part we have simply been using the revolvers as of late and generally only reach for a rifle when the distances get out there a ways. I took a few a couple weeks back using my 454 and the CP 265's and they went length wise on them from chest to hams. I hit the second one about 2" from the end of the nose and it came out in front of the left ham, almost 3" of penetration through the middle.

Good luck on yours I know your having fun, even with the added excitement.

 

[MCgunner]

Neck shots are not wise on pigs. Bust him in the shoulder with a good bullet. You were using an adequate caliber. I like Barnes bullets over a healthy charge of W748. If you're going to pick on big hogs, you need a controlled expansion bullet for shoulder shots. He can't charge you with a broke shoulder even if he survives it for a few minutes, which ain't real likely. Shoot a little low in the shoulder and you'll catch the plumbing. Don't worry about lost meat, you'll be grinding anyway, and a big hog like that ain't too great anyway. I don't usually pick on the big ones.

 

[hoji]

Neck shots are not wise on pigs. Bust him in the shoulder with a good bullet. You were using an adequate caliber. I like Barnes bullets over a healthy charge of W748. If you're going to pick on big hogs, you need a controlled expansion bullet for shoulder shots. He can't charge you with a broke shoulder even if he survives it for a few minutes, which ain't real likely. Shoot a little low in the shoulder and you'll catch the plumbing. Don't worry about lost meat, you'll be grinding anyway, and a big hog like that ain't too great anyway. I don't usually pick on the big ones

.

I cannot use controlled expansion bullets for work. I also can not use rounds I load myself.

The neck shot has worked just fine over 100 times in the last year I agree with the through the shoulder shot and when I am shooting them for myself and not for work, I shoot a 150 gr Sierra Game King over 44.5 grains of IMR 4064. When targeting large pigs near or just after dark the neck shot is the DRT shot. I am VERY comfortable with it at any range under 200 yards, it is a large target, and almost 100% fatal right there. Makes it much easier for confirmation, as opposed to looking in deep cover 100 yard sinto the woods.

 

[TIMC]

I've been hunting pigs for many years and I have seen pigs get up from some pretty devistating neck shots mainly because the spine runs low on the neck and upper neck shots hit only meat. A 2 minute wait on any downed animal is not very long especially for pigs. I always wait about 20-30 minutes before going to bite range. I have seen pigs get up quite a few times after being down and motionless for 5-10 minutes.
My prefered bullet to use on pigs is the 150 grain Hornady SST in hand loads out of my AR-10. The SST bullet has proved to be a very good pig bullet for me.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Yikesamowsa! Good job on the follow up.

 

[WardenWolf]

I cannot use controlled expansion bullets for work. I also can not use rounds I load myself.

Your state disallows hunting with handloads?

 

[MCgunner]

Your state disallows hunting with handloads?

He says "work", not state law. Don't know why the rules, but then, I don't know the job, either. I'm hunting pigs on a WMA these next two months and the rules are buckshot only. Now, I'd sure the heck rather use a rifle, but thems the rules. Gotta follow the rules. I patterned the 10 gauge today, got 4 hits with 00 buck on an 8x11 paper with an 80 percent pattern on a 30" circle at 40 yards, three hits on that 8x11 paper at 50, so I guess I can handle out to 50 with it. If he's charging me, he's gonna catch bloody hell, I can tell ya that! LOL!

 

[3pairs12]

I shot a little back and high on a 175 pound sow this weekend. Paralized her backend. I shot her with a .243 and powerpoints 100gr. I walked up to about 5 yards to finish her with my 40cal with a shot to the head. I didn't change mags and ended up shooting her with a hollow point. Expanded way to fast probably didn't even fracture the skull. After realizing crap never switched to FMJ I shot her in the eye with the .243 to put her down.

 

[tango2echo]

Gunny......If I had to use buckshot on a hog I would look at some of the "Buck and Ball" home defense loads. They have a .69 cal round ball surrounded by a bunch of #1buckshot.

T2E

 

[Pokyman]

Never hunted hogs, but it sounds like there is no such thing as too much gun.

 

[MCgunner]

Gunny......If I had to use buckshot on a hog I would look at some of the "Buck and Ball" home defense loads. They have a .69 cal round ball surrounded by a bunch of #1buckshot.

I need to ask a game warden if that's buckshot before I use it. I do like the triball concept, 3 60 cal balls and they seem to all group in the black at 50 yards on that website ad. Of course, I'd have to see that first. LOL

Supposedly this was fired at 40 yards.....

 

[MCgunner]

Got in the mood and got on parks and wildlife's site to ask 'em if triball would be considered buckshot. It'll probably take 'em a while to answer me back. I'll post the results if anyone's interested. Of course, the regulations only apply to the WMA near my home, probably any other WMA in the state requiring buckshot.

 

[3pairs12]

I'd be interested in their answer. There is a couple of WMA's near me that are buckshot also.

 

[MCgunner]

Hmm, answered me today, pretty quick. My tax dollars at work. Here's what they said. I'll be stickin' with my 10 gauge.

The Dixie Triball is not buckshot and would be illegal. Buckshot
cartridges are labeled on the boxes they come in and is the only legal
cartridge that may be used on the Guadalupe Delta WMA (Hynes Bay Unit).