Foolish to go hog hunting with a single-shot rifle?

[Limey46]

I love the Ruger #1, too, and I'm also partial to a nice Browning B78 or 1885, but I want a repeater for hog hunting. That's because the last pig I killed, a 170-pound male, was downright exciting. I didn't see him until he burst out of cover about thirty yards away and ran straight at me, fast, so he was only about ten yards from the muzzle when I fired. It wasn't a great shot -- low, through his left shoulder into his left ham -- but it changed his mind about running me down, and instead he started screaming and skipping around, jumping and zooming in circles right in front of me. My second shot just plain missed, and then he took off hell for leather into the trees and I had to run fast to catch him standing still for a second and put one into his neck and out his ear. So it ended okay, but it was pretty hairy, and I really don't know if it would have worked out if I'd had to hand-load each round. I was using a .308 bolt gun with a 1x-3x scope set on 1x.

 

[jbkebert]

A single shot rifle is just fine. I have hunted hogs, black bear, and everything in-between with my single shot Encore. I hunt from the ground and have hunted both hogs and bear with a bow. Shot placement and a good bullet or a sharp broadhead works everytime.

 

[deacon8]

Just make good shots and you'll be fine. You can still reload, it just takes a little longer. Seriously, I wouldn't worry about the number of rounds the gun holds too much. It's not like you're elephant hunting...Just make smart shooting decisions.

 

[shiftyer1]

I don't know about hogs running away after the first shot. On the 4th of july I had the chance to shoot at my first hogs. The distance was probably just under 100 yards using a 30-30. My first shot kicked dust at her feet and she just kinda ambled over to the rest of the herd. The 2nd shot ran them off. It did convince me I need to get a scoped rifle.

I should have gotten closer but after hearing so many stories of attack pigs I was leary of getting to close. Next time i'll remember to bring along my sidearm for insurance and get close enough to hit something.

 

[Olympus]

I've shot 3 hogs with a T/C Encore muzzleloader. I carry a sidearm for just in case.


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[JTH]

Unless your are in a tree blind, your are just asking for trouble. Why take a chance, I know there are lots of variables to consider. Like in south Texas w/Javelinas, nowhere near as big as feral hogs or Russian Boars but Javelinas run in packs and the trees down there generally can't support the weight of a man. I'd hate to have use my one shot and missed and have try to out run a pack of Javelina, they will catch you and cut you up. So have a sidearm for just in case.
JT

 

[gibson_es]

My uncles business partner used a black powder rifle to go bear hunting one time. So i think your good! Lol

Thw way he tells the story is it was just the rifle and his knife. But a hunting partner of his told me he had revolver with him as wel...lol!

 

[Justin Holder]

How do you think the mountain men felt traveling through grizzly country with nothing but a BP rifle? You'll do fine.

 

[Countryguy1982]

i have used a single shot H&R 45-70 for years hunting hogs. Does great. i hear alot of people say that hogs are mean , I am sure there are cases where they are. I have personaly never been charged by a hog and I've walked up on them within 15 yrds or so rooting. 8 out of the 10 hogs i see ,are so spooky that if they heard a mouse fart , they would take off running the other way. I would not hesitate to use a single shot rifle on them. most of the time if you are patient and grit your teeth a minute, you can line 2 of them up and double up with 1 shot. and there hasn't been but maybe 2 instances my whole life, hog hunting that i was even able to get a second shot on a hog in the woods. A scared pig can cove some ground quick. besides , if you practice a lil bit and learn how to hold a spare shell between your fingers, or on a shell holder on the side of your stock, you can learn to reload that single shot rather quickly.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, right now, I'm in love with a CVA wolf front loader. How's THAT for a single shot? I've been charged before, by a wounded hog, not by one I put down. I was blood trailing it, cornered it. Mostly, I hunt from tripod stands, anyway.

 

[oklahoma caveman]

Take a single shot. No problems.

 

[FLAvalanche]

I've never needed a second shot on a hog with a firearm. Do your job right and neither will you.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I do not consider hogs to be dangerous game. In fact to get hurt by a hog you'd either have to be very unlucky or pull off a very stupid stunt. Hog don't charge for the most part unless cornered. They will rush at you and scream sometimes but 99.9% of the time it's a bluff they are simply trying to get you to go away. I've killed hundreds and hundreds of hogs almost all either jump shot or spot and stalk on the ground and the only times I've ever had issue was when I got to close or inadvertently blocked their escape route. I've even had a big old boar brush me when he ran by once but it was my fault. I jumped him and he had nowhere to go but past me he could have bit or cut the crude out of me but he didn't he just wanted to run away. I shot him anyway mainly for being a coward.

Hogs get a bad rap because they can make some very loud scary noises and they don't see real well causing them to run in your direction sometimes when panicked. From a safety stand point you've got no issues with a single shot rifle at all. From a high body count standpoint the single shot isn't the best choice.

Get your number one limbered up and go kill some hogs.

 

[MCgunner]

I know a guy with a scar from his belly button to his left nipple from a hog. The hog got loose of the dogs just as he was going to stick him. Hunting with dogs, knives, IS a might risky. Shooting 'em even with a single shot is not a big deal. The one I wounded was shot too far back, my fault. I blood trailed him into cover and shot him in the head with a .357 magnum when he charged. It was too tight in there and too close to use a rifle. I got him, but if I had that to do over, I think I'd let him go. He'd have died. Now, you might think that unsportsmanlike, but the things are vermin down here. My wife's uncle shoots 'em with a .22 anywhere he can get a shot off. They're tearing up his pasture big time. Only firearm he has is an old Stevens .22 auto.

 

[Jeff F]

A single shot will do you just fine. Back in my younger days my cousin and I would go out at night with only a couple of dogs, flashlights and knifes. We even brought a few back hog tied and penned them up for a couple months, feeding them good and fatting them up. Then the BBQ was on. Damn I miss that.

 

[Maple_City_Woodsman]

Hogs are neither the bulldozers nor the man eaters they are painted to be in the popular fish tales. The people spinning these tales are the ones shooting corn fed domestic pigs and using forced perspective in attempts to become hillbilly legends.

That's a bit harsh, but I see it happening more and more as the 'pig craze' drivels on.

Real wild hogs don't get all that big - even a dominant boar is often lucky to reach 300lbs. Reality is that most of the heard is made up of small to middling sows with their babies, who could easily be done in with a .22mag. They spend most of their time trying to avoid people, and their fist instinct when they sense someone in their territory is to leave the vicinity and hole up.

 

[jgiehl]

You ask if hog hunting is FOOLISH to do with a single shot rifle.
People 100 years ago were hunting with single shot rifles.
People 200 years ago were hunting with single shot rifles
I could go on till the rifle was invented you know.

That about sums up my answer.

 

[H&Hhunter]

We've got a couple of gun writers nowadays who have no practical experience with any truly dangerous game trying to elevate the danger status of the hog simply because they want to sound brave and tough in their articles. And lets face it, danger sells magazine articles.

Hunting hogs with a rifle is exciting and definitely more edgy than hunting deer. But it's not dangerous if you use common sense. Sticking them with a knife as has been mentioned is exponentially more dangerous but few people are ever killed by a hog even when knife hunting. Lots of guys get cut and battered but killed just doesn't happen. I've stuck several dozen hogs and it's definitely a rush.

MCgunner said it perfectly above, I am just adding my $.02 to his already knowledgeable and totally correct post.

 

[Daniel]

I use my single shot, open sighted H&R .44 Magnum rifle; it replaced my 12 gauge coach gun in the role (slugs). I've never felt that the loss of one shot amounted to anything, nor that I needed to carry a magazine fed rifle/shotgun.

I've heard all of the stories (they're the same here on the other side of the world), but I've never seen them in action.

 

[Sav .250]

From your comments it looks like you`ve never been. Once you go and see what`s going on, I believe you may have a different mind-set. Maybe.

 

[41 Mag]

My only issue with a single shot, is it's a single shot. I have hunted with several flavors of TC in various calibers and I never quite got the shoot and reload down fast enough to suite me. While I did get my hogs, I had one that almost got me, and it was not the gun or caliber, simply wrong shot placement and a VERY pissed off boar hog.(long story)

That aside, what has been said is true almost to a tee, most of them will leave the vicinity and head for cover. But when I get into a bunch, it sure is nice to have 3 maybe more shots, to get on more of them before they get out of sight.

 

[baylorattorney]

I do it all the time. I'm hunting them, not warring them, tho there is a time for that too.

 

[kamagong]

I think I'll hold off on the single shot for now and go with a good old bolt action. Then I'll get the Ruger. I'm going to end up with these three rifles eventually.

CZ 550 Safari Magnum in .375 H&H

Winchester Featherweight in .308 Win

Ruger No. 1 in .30-06

 

[MCgunner]

My fav of those choices is the Winchester, but I'm really more of a Remington guy.

 

[plumberroy]

I have kills just 2 hogs(3 if you count the one I chased for an hour in 100 degree heat then pour a 5 gallon bucket of just drawn well water over to cool him down but that is another story) one was killed with a 41 mag blackhawk the last one I killed was with a 1858 remington cap and ball revolver. I lived in Florida for 8 years knew a lot of hog hunters I have never heard of any one hurt by a hog that weren't doing the dogs and knife or spear thing.
And for the record the ruger #1 international is the prettiest production rifle ever made in my opinion
Roy