Hogs with .357 - thoughts on bullets?

[Quoheleth]

Drive out to someplace like Leander, Georgetown, Taylor, or Granger and hang around the hardware store or feed store. Ask if any farmer/rancher is being overrun by piggies. Who knows...you might find someone who's willing to give you a crack at 'em.

Q

 

[Majic]

We took on some hogs here in Va. 3 of us had big bores using cast bullets and one had a .357 with those 180 grain XTP. Since he was shooting a mid bore we were giving him first shot when possible. He did manage to drop one hog but the other 2 had to be finished off with one of the big bores. So yes I've seen the .357 180 gr. XTP in action. It succeeded and failed and that is why I say a big bore with hard cast bullets because hogs come in all sizes and temperments.

 

[Quoheleth]

Majic - Can you elaborate on size of hogs? Also, bullet placement?

As you can imagine, my curiosity is piqued...

Q

 

[Bluehawk]

Here's the advise I read from a man who runs the show on an outfit where pigs are hunted (he uses a .357 magnum to dispatch wounded pigs).
No matter what caliber you use always try and shoot them in the neck for a good kill! (between the jawline and body)
Sounds like good advice to me!
If I were doing the hunting with a .357 magnum revolver I would make up 158-grain hard cast lead semi-wadcutters at near maximum velocity and use the above advise.
Since I don't use a handgun for hunting though I would use my Marlin 1894C in .357 magnum and feel comfortable hunting pigs with it!

 

[Jeff F]

Any of the 158 grain Sp .357 loads will work. I have even used the 158 lead semi wad cutters when that was all I had. Back when I lived in hog heaven I killed a hog every other day or so.
If I was hunting the really big ones or in an area where the chance of running into a really big one then I would use a 180 grain hard cast GC bullet, like whats available from BB.

 

[Majic]

Biggest hog was maybe 275 lb. but most were around 175 to 200 lb. One hog was first shot in the chest then killed with a shoulder shot. This was the big boar and he seem aggressive and didn't appreciate us being there. Since all he would do is face us the chest shot was taken. It sat him back on his hunches but he quickly got back up. As he turned he was hit with a shoulder shot that put him down for good. One was shot behind the shoulder quartering away and had to be tracked. The rest were shoulder shots to anchor them so not to have to do a lot of tracking.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Get someone with a Lyman 358429 to send you some. 170g from wheel weights and a true Keith. These will do the work.

Load them over W296/H110 - somewhere @ 15g, check loading data and work up.

You'll find these to be very hard hitting and penetrating, perfect for hogs.