Has anyone ever shot a wild hog with a .380 or .22 mag?
- Thread starter Big Bill
- Start date
- Status
thunder173
Member
Don;t get me wrong,..I carry a .380 almost every day,..and use a .22 mag a lot as well,..But on a wild hog?? Point blank to the back of the skull,...while in the slaughter chute? Maybe okay. Charging you? Let us know how the ER visit goes. Suggest you get a bigger gun.
schlockinz
Member
There are a lot of people (or so it seems) that will go hoggin with a 22 mag, shoot them in the ear.
As for me, I'd prefer a little more gun, I've had pigs with both shoulders blown out from a 30.06 at 30 yds still try to come after me.
If you were to use the .22mag and not get a DRT head shot, I wouldn't trail the pig, you might get a lovely ambush from a pissed of wounded pig.
As for the .380, I'd use something with a little more punch, maybe a .357 or larger for my pistol, preferably a 41mag or larger. Then again, I carry a 45 acp with me when I go, not to shoot them, more of a SHTF situation, and I carry it cause I own it and do not own a more powerful revolver.
As for me, I'd prefer a little more gun, I've had pigs with both shoulders blown out from a 30.06 at 30 yds still try to come after me.
If you were to use the .22mag and not get a DRT head shot, I wouldn't trail the pig, you might get a lovely ambush from a pissed of wounded pig.
As for the .380, I'd use something with a little more punch, maybe a .357 or larger for my pistol, preferably a 41mag or larger. Then again, I carry a 45 acp with me when I go, not to shoot them, more of a SHTF situation, and I carry it cause I own it and do not own a more powerful revolver.
chas08
Member
Yes, I've killed hogs with both calibers. They were in a box trap, the range was three feet or less, and either will drop them instantly with a well placed shot behind the ear. But I wouldn't even think of using such a weak caliber on one that wasn't restrained or confined. Mostly for trapped hogs I use a 22 LR. I just used the .380 once and the 22mag a couple of times as a matter of curiosity.
dogrunner
Member
Yeah, I shot one in the head with my HK 300 some years back.........watched an about a 100 pounder cutting across a chopped area on my lease.........let him hit the road I was on & tried to put one in the ear from around 60 yards offhand...........either I was off or that rooter had a really hard head.......spun him, he ran into a canal and I thought for sure he was done........drove to the site of the hit & no pig!.........'bout that time I looked up that sandy roadway & about 200 yards away I saw that thing northbound at full velocity...........never tried to kill another pig with the thing......shoulda used the BAR '06...........I remain unimpressed with the caliber.........actually had far, far better results with LR's.
MCgunner
Member
I reckon a 100 lb hog would approximate a human. I've shot up to 150 lb hogs in the shoulder with the .38 +P JHP just to see and it left an impressive exit wound while breaking a leg on the off side on exit, in my trap, of course. I don't carry the .380 or I'd tried it, too. The 9 works about as well as the .38. I normally just pop 'em in the head with whatever I'm carrying and have done that from a .22 NAA mini revolver. Guess what, DRT with a head shot. Bullet didn't exit the head, though, not real impressive there. I've used .45 Colt and .357 magnum, but all where head shots. They died. I've yet to have a hog refuse to die with a good shot to the head regardless of caliber. The only calibers I've shot 'em in the shoulder with are .38 and 9x19 just to test 'em since they're my carries. My son-in-law shot a 50 lber in the shoulder with a hardball .45 from his PT145 the other night, but heck, I coulda done that with the .380 on a 50 lb hog. 
I will say, the .38 JHP left a more impressive exit wound than that ball round did.
I will say, the .38 JHP left a more impressive exit wound than that ball round did.
Last edited:
351 WINCHESTER
Member
For many years a winchester 9422m was my truck gun and it accounted for a lot of dead pigs. Some fell in their tracks and others took multiple hits. As the man says "it's all about shot placement".
R.W.Dale
Member
I once burnt up an entire box of cor-Bon 95g +p 380 rounds shooting armidillos at arms length from a bersa.
Not one was a clean kill that didn't make it back into it's burrow
Not one was a clean kill that didn't make it back into it's burrow
drayegon
Member
Hogs and the infamous 22LR
I have an old 10/22 Rugar that I slapped a Bushnell banner with a post 4X on it. I also sold Real Estate at one time.
Does the saying "Location Location Location" ring any bells?
I have found that there are many spots on a pig that will drop them before they can even take their next step. Problem is most of those spots are the size of a Quarter US or about a one inch Diameter circle. With Trusty Rusty I can nail them every time. Still I will not shoot for one of those spots if I am more than 50 ft away. I shoot Expert on the small bore range with the NRA. I shot and got that medal in 1959. I had passed the Hunter Safety Course and shot the required number of targets to get that medal all in the same month of Dec 1959. Yes I was only 9yrs old then. Still that and my years hunting every kind of game there is to hunt with every type of Weapon there is from a Bow to a spear to a trap to several types of firearm. So here is the way this type of Caliber works.
If you can not place your shot in that one inch circle. You do NOT pull the trigger. Period end of subject. I do not shoot bigger bullets to make up for poor marksmanship ever.
dray
"A traveler has no protection besides his fire-arms; and the constant habit
of carrying them is the main check to more frequent robberies"
--Charles Darwin from The Voyage Of The Beagle--
"The Second Amendment" "Our First Homeland Security Act"
I have an old 10/22 Rugar that I slapped a Bushnell banner with a post 4X on it. I also sold Real Estate at one time.
Does the saying "Location Location Location" ring any bells?
I have found that there are many spots on a pig that will drop them before they can even take their next step. Problem is most of those spots are the size of a Quarter US or about a one inch Diameter circle. With Trusty Rusty I can nail them every time. Still I will not shoot for one of those spots if I am more than 50 ft away. I shoot Expert on the small bore range with the NRA. I shot and got that medal in 1959. I had passed the Hunter Safety Course and shot the required number of targets to get that medal all in the same month of Dec 1959. Yes I was only 9yrs old then. Still that and my years hunting every kind of game there is to hunt with every type of Weapon there is from a Bow to a spear to a trap to several types of firearm. So here is the way this type of Caliber works.
If you can not place your shot in that one inch circle. You do NOT pull the trigger. Period end of subject. I do not shoot bigger bullets to make up for poor marksmanship ever.
dray
"A traveler has no protection besides his fire-arms; and the constant habit
of carrying them is the main check to more frequent robberies"
--Charles Darwin from The Voyage Of The Beagle--
"The Second Amendment" "Our First Homeland Security Act"
kyle1974
Member
I shot one in the front of the head with a 22 magnum and stoned him DRT...
I also used a 22 mag to kill them in a trap. I don't think it would be my "go to" hog gun though.
I also used a 22 mag to kill them in a trap. I don't think it would be my "go to" hog gun though.
MCgunner
Member
Rather odd. I've killed my share of dillers with a .22 LR. Wouldn't hog hunt with it, but dillers die pretty quick from it.
HydrostatiK
Member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2009
- Messages
- 41
I used to light up armadillos with an old marlin .22lr. None of em ever made it to a hole. Most of the time they'd curl up and it looks/sounds like ur shooting a basketball.
Goats ain't wild pigs, and you'll be shooting those at point-blank range, right against the forehead. Use a .22 on them, anything bigger and you're risking self-injury from the exiting bullet. Don't try to experiment when you're shooting something like that with the muzzle against its head.
And don't do it with any kids around! Not only the danger of an exiting bullet, even a .22, but spare the kids the trauma of seeing the kill/slaughter. Especially if they've known the goats as pets. Slaughtering pet goats ain't like hunting deer. Keep your family holiday safe and happy.
qajaq59
Member
I do know someone that shoots them over bait with a .22 mag. However, they are 10 feet from his blind and can't get at him because it's a wooden box. I've shot them with 30-30s and .308s and I'll stick with those. Those tusks are dirty and nasty.
I never shot a wild hog, but I have shot a chow that was attacking me years ago with a hi point .380. The result was the dog stopped in his tracks. It did not kill him I hit him square in the shoulder and the dog instantly stopped his attack and bellowed for some time as I made my escape. I have no fears of a .380 doing its job if you do yours.
alsaqr
Member
I often hunt hogs on a restricted 14,000 acre place during small game season. We are allowed to use rimfire rifles or shotguns with small shot. Have killed a lot of hogs on that place using my Savage .22 magnum. The round I use is the CCI 40 grain Total Metal Jacket.
Have killed over 40 hogs using the .22 magnum and have lost one wounded hog: A couple of those hogs weighed over 300 pounds on the hoof. Limit your range to 40 yards. Take broadside shots and put the bullet in the eye, in the ear or on a line between the ear and the eye.
I often hunt from a stand located on the dam of a pond: I am sitting about 15 feet higher than the hogs that come in. The hogs come in to drink at about 30 yards. When they lower their heads to drink I but the bullet at the back of the head: They usually die instantly. It does not matter how big the hog is, it is going to die if you shoot it in the right place with a .22 magnum round.
Have killed over 40 hogs using the .22 magnum and have lost one wounded hog: A couple of those hogs weighed over 300 pounds on the hoof. Limit your range to 40 yards. Take broadside shots and put the bullet in the eye, in the ear or on a line between the ear and the eye.
I often hunt from a stand located on the dam of a pond: I am sitting about 15 feet higher than the hogs that come in. The hogs come in to drink at about 30 yards. When they lower their heads to drink I but the bullet at the back of the head: They usually die instantly. It does not matter how big the hog is, it is going to die if you shoot it in the right place with a .22 magnum round.
moooose102
Member
i have not had a chance to shoot any wild hogs, but if i was going to, i certainly wouldnt use one of those, unless it was a true emergency! not enough gun-too little power for something with way to much bad attitude!
zombienerd
Member
I'm sure that quite a few people have shot wild boar with .380 or .22.... I'd imagine that probably most of them aren't around anymore to tell you though
Even if it's a good shot to the vitals, you've still got 200-300lbs of nasty coming at you until it asphyxiates or dies of blood loss. You need a large caliber to put a large hole in a boar, sometimes 2-3 of them... Headshots are preferred, but quite difficult
Even if it's a good shot to the vitals, you've still got 200-300lbs of nasty coming at you until it asphyxiates or dies of blood loss. You need a large caliber to put a large hole in a boar, sometimes 2-3 of them... Headshots are preferred, but quite difficult
Marlin 45 carbine
Member
back in the late '70's a buddy that had just moved to a place on the edge of the Nantahala NF called me up with an invite over and says 'bring a gun' so I brought my Ruger 10/22. didn't know we were going hog hunting.
went out in the morning and found my stand, about 10 a.m. I had to answer a call of nature. got to stomping around since I had got cold and here off the hill come one a'running. I popped him with 10 mini-mags in head/chest area before he went down for good. got him 4-5 times before he went down and rolled then I was able to get him in the head some more to put him down. had 1 slug left in my rifle. weighed 100 dressed and skinnned, we threw him on a half oil drum grill to roast.
won't try that again.
went out in the morning and found my stand, about 10 a.m. I had to answer a call of nature. got to stomping around since I had got cold and here off the hill come one a'running. I popped him with 10 mini-mags in head/chest area before he went down for good. got him 4-5 times before he went down and rolled then I was able to get him in the head some more to put him down. had 1 slug left in my rifle. weighed 100 dressed and skinnned, we threw him on a half oil drum grill to roast.
won't try that again.
29 years ago my father was a professional 'roo shooter, but he also hunted "tuskers" in his off time.
He used his one and only rifle, which was a "Bruno .22 Magnum with a Kahles scope" (BRNO/CZ); he took monster "tuskers" with a single shot behind the ear (he said the range was no more than 150 meters. He'd use his brother in laws .243 for the long shots, and he still took the same behind the ear shot, just past 200 meters and below 300). He shot many, many 'roos each night, and they were all head shots....
So, if you can put the round in its brain all of the time barring some freak circumstance, go for it.
I, being a fan of the shoulder shot, prefer something that'll punch right on through, like a .303 British or .308 Winchester from a rifle for example.
He used his one and only rifle, which was a "Bruno .22 Magnum with a Kahles scope" (BRNO/CZ); he took monster "tuskers" with a single shot behind the ear (he said the range was no more than 150 meters. He'd use his brother in laws .243 for the long shots, and he still took the same behind the ear shot, just past 200 meters and below 300). He shot many, many 'roos each night, and they were all head shots....
So, if you can put the round in its brain all of the time barring some freak circumstance, go for it.
I, being a fan of the shoulder shot, prefer something that'll punch right on through, like a .303 British or .308 Winchester from a rifle for example.
kanook
Member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2009
- Messages
- 2,004
At 50' the hog spotted us as we spotted him. He stared at us waiting for us to move again. Hours passed (maybe 35-40 seconds) before he decided we weren't a threat and put his head down to eat again.
My buddy pulled up his rifle and took aim. The hog looked at us again and then slowly went back to eating. As it lowered his head my buddy touched off the rifle and the hog fell DRT. I said man that was quite, Nelson laughed and said it should be it's one of the CB shorts I gave him.
My buddy pulled up his rifle and took aim. The hog looked at us again and then slowly went back to eating. As it lowered his head my buddy touched off the rifle and the hog fell DRT. I said man that was quite, Nelson laughed and said it should be it's one of the CB shorts I gave him.
Myles
Member
As a youth, a Winchester 9422 in .22WMR was my rifle of choice when hog hunting. On occasion, I would take a single shot bolt-action in .22LR.
Hogs are not big scary man-eating carnivores. You don't need the newest ultra-super-magnum. Draw a line on the side of the skull from the ear to the eye. Shoot on that line. DRT.
A wounded hog, or one backed into a palmetto thicket can be very nasty, however.
I generally prefer something larger, nowadays. .357 in handgun, or .375Win in a rifle.
Hogs are not big scary man-eating carnivores. You don't need the newest ultra-super-magnum. Draw a line on the side of the skull from the ear to the eye. Shoot on that line. DRT.
A wounded hog, or one backed into a palmetto thicket can be very nasty, however.
I generally prefer something larger, nowadays. .357 in handgun, or .375Win in a rifle.
- Status
