Hog Huntn'

[frosty]

Anybody on this forum like to pig hunt? I would like to take a big hog from aways of with my 45-70 black powder ctg gun, or maybe up close with say a magnum handgun...any comments?

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, I like to hunt 'em, but don't get to enough. I've shot 'em with .357, just a small one. I've taken one with a .30-30 Contender if that counts as a handgun. Most were taken with rifles. I don't get to go enough, though. I have hogs on my place when it's wet down there, but they're quite nocturnal. I'm working on getting or building a sleep in blind/stand I can put down there so I can bait 'em in. That should be fun. I'll use a rifle or maybe the contender, something with a scope so I can see the thing with a spot light.

I'm currently planning a trip to east Texas with my black powder smoke pole, . 50 cal Hawkin. That's a step backwards from the .45-70, I reckon. This is a public area and is legal for hog year around, but only with archery, shotgun, or black powder. I've been looking for a reason to use this smoke pole for a while now. It's an accurate rifle and the .50 cal 385 grain Minie looks rather lethal. Sure makes a WHACK when it hits the back stop at the range. I plan to back it up with a Ruger Old Army revolver. It hits pretty hard and it's six extra shots if I need. I've been practicing out to 100 yards with the rifle and 50 with the revolver just for this hunt. Planning on May so I can hunt squirrels with my contender pistol, too. May is the east Texas spring squirrel season.

 

[peanutlover]

M1 Garand for hog hunt?

Hello all. I've been trying to make time for a hog hunt here in Southern California. There are a few places where you can pay to hunt without a license. My friend also hunts up in Central California for hogs.

I've got an M1 Garand in 30-06 and a crate of M2 Ball ammo. I may be out of luck with this ammo, as California regulations may require hollowpoint or soft nose bullets. The M2 Ball ammo is probably not legal for hunting (not sure.)

Anyone who knows for sure whether I can use my M1 Garand with the ball ammo is welcome to enlighten me.

Thanks.

 

[MCgunner]

Don't use ball. You'll lose game that way. The bullet needs to expand and dissipate energy to be effective, that's why they make soft point stuff and that's why, if it's illegal, it's illegal.

The Garand will be fine with hunting ammo, just go buy some and try it out, make sure where it hits. On heavy hogs, I like controlled expansion bullets, but you'll probably be fine with 162-180 grain soft point spitzers. I think the gun should handle such loads just fine.

 

[Matt G]

Anybody on this forum like to pig hunt?

Use the Search feature, and type in "Hog" for the title line of threads in the Hunting Forum.

You'll see more Hawg Tawk than you ever thought that you wanted to...

 

[hoghunting]

Your 45-70 or mag handgun will work just fine. Have too many hogs in all different sizes and they are hunted 8 months a year. It's just too hot in TX during the summer months. For the handgun, if you can't get a head shot, then get close for a broadside shot and have an exit planned.

MCgunner,
Be careful with a Minnie ball. Had a 300 lb hog shot in the chest cavity from 50 yds with a .50 Minnie. The hog looked up and ran towards my buddy. Two 30/30s and 4 44mags later(not all were hits), he was down about 15 yds away. I am not a big fan of muzzleloaders when your a$$ is on the line.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Used to hunt hogs in Georgia when I was stationed there. Now all I have to hunt is overgrown rats (Javalina).

I plan on putting in for a HAM (handgun, archery, muzzleloader) hunt in the spring of 07.

 

[MCgunner]

MCgunner,
Be careful with a Minnie ball. Had a 300 lb hog shot in the chest cavity from 50 yds with a .50 Minnie. The hog looked up and ran towards my buddy. Two 30/30s and 4 44mags later(not all were hits), he was down about 15 yds away. I am not a big fan of muzzleloaders when your a$$ is on the line.

Hmm, you reckon a .44 caliber 240 grain JHP sabot at 1400 fps would be better than the 385 grain minie at 1200 fps???? Maybe more penetration through thick stuff? That's a pretty good .44 mag revolver load, after all. The thing is accurate with either. Since this area is only legal for archery, shotgun, or BP, I figured I'd BP it. I can't shoot with a stick and a string worth a flip, eye dominance problem. I shoot left handed because of that though I'm naturally right handed. I wouldn't think a stick and string would top the smoke pole for stopping power anyway. Don't have a slug gun and don't really want one.

I intend to back the rifle up with six rounds from my Old Army. It hits pretty hard with a 220 grain conical at about 950 fps, though it's not a .44 mag by any means. It's a muzzle loader, though, so it's legal there. And, perhaps I won't pick on any 300 lbs boars. I'm out for an eatin' hog anyway. Couple hundred pound sow would be nice. Just getting out in the woods with that smoke pole will be fun, though, pretty much what I'm after here.

 

[belton-deer-hunter]

i ahve been waiting to turn myself loose after one for a while but havent got to yet they are all around but nobody wants to let you hunt them or if they do it is really high.
if they tear up corn fields how come they want 200 dollars a day to kill them? i jsut cant figure people out

 

[MCgunner]

if they tear up corn fields how come they want 200 dollars a day to kill them?

Because in Texas they can get away with charging that and get their hog populations controlled at the same time...

Actually, though, hunting is a poor way to control hogs. If you really have a hog problem, get some guys with dogs to come in after 'em and/or trap 'em. But, Texas land owners ain't gonna turn down good money for a resource like that. The only reason they can't get $3500 for a big hog is they ain't got horns.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

The same BS goes on in Northern Missouri with deer. The farmers are the ones who complain to the state that there are too many deer and get compensated for the damage they cause. But will ANY of them let you hunt their property? Not many. There is no National Forest land in the whole Northern part of the state so the public land is limited to the State CA's and Corp land. Hunting on those is like going into combat.

Is there any compensation to landowners for hog damage in Texas?

 

[ARTiger]

I don't hunt hogs, but will occasionally kill one if it wanders close enough. Have killed 6 lifetime, 4 while deer hunting, 1 while turkey hunting and one in self-defense. It's that last one that convinced me to always have something capable of multiple hard-hitting shots quickly when in hog country. It's real hard to convince them to play dead sometimes.

 

[frosty]

I am glad for the amount of responces to thi thread...I hear about a lot of hogs taking a great deal of punishing from even heavy ordinance...Perhaps a shoulder shot is in order. If you strike a critter in the shoulder near the spine, it usaully changes any attitude problems they might have As for the Old Army, I'd carry mine for backup.

 

[MCgunner]

A really big boar has a large, thick grissle plate over the shoulders, like armor. This is the source of the legends. I don't like big hogs anyway, for eating. And, I don't really consider a feral hog a trophy animal. Never was much of a trophy hunter anyway no matter the game.

One thing, don't shoot behind the shoulder, nothing but guts there. The diaphram is located farther in behind the shoulder than is in a deer. Break the shoulder with a big rifle and you'll have your hog. Or, shoot the head if he's close enough.

 

[frosty]

I'll use a 538gr creedmoore bullet That will surely anchor him-or heaven help me

 

[frosty]

I'll use a 538gr creedmoore bullet That will surely anchor him-or heaven help me

 

[Poppy270]

I hunt hogs all year,but when it' hot I slow down some,unless someone just wants them killed off there place.I've used the .270,30-30,303,.300mag,.44mag,22LR,and my bow.Shooting through the armor on a big boar can be a little tricky,but a fairly heavy well constructed bullet should work ok.Light high speed stuff may not penetrate that armor.I've killed big hogs that had bullets and buck shot embedded in the rib cage.Big boars can be hard to bring down,so it's best to be prepared for follow up shots,especially if your hunting on the ground.Hogs are usually in a group and when you fire at them ,they will go everywhere.If you're pretty good you may get 2or 3 out of a bunch.I got 3 one time with a Marlin 30-30,with 5 shots,the first one at about 30 yards ,the last one at 5.I like to hunt in the evening,but sometimes they will go nocturnal.It's true a lot of people make money on there hogs,but I know a lot of them that just want then gone,period.Thats where I hunt.Good luck with your hunt frosty and you to gunner.