mini 14 for hog and deer hunting

[jmorris]

I have killed animals larger than hogs and deer with a pickup somewhere around 88 FPS, also killed hogs with a .22 Lr pistol and watched a couple butchers when I was a kid drop 1500# animals with a single 22 short like a light switch.

Lots of stuff can kill, the older I get I tend to shy away from riding the edge, because I have never killed anything too dead. Well, if you don’t count the caged quail hunt I did back in the ‘90’s, with a 12 ga. Those were bean bags but I don’t think that was really “hunting” either.

 

[hps1]

Only use shoulder shots on javelina sized hogs (35-40#) w/the 223. It probably would be fine but the head shots put them down like the hammer of Thor, as do neck shots on whitetail.

I was a bit apprehensive on the first doe I shot with a 55gr. NBT in the 223, but she was only 40 yards away and didn't have a clue I was there. All I could see was about 6" of neck and head, so took the neck shot at base of head. She disappeared out of the scope so quickly, I thought I had missed but she was DRT.

I do generally load the 60 gr. NP if specifically hunting hogs, but sure won't pass a broadside head shot on a hog if hunting coyotes w/the 55 NBT's.

Regards,
hps