Texas Hogs with a 4" Ruger Redhawk .44?

[Porter_Rockwell]

I know this is a brand new gun, so I am wondering if anyone has had the chance to blast something yet? I use a .44 primarily as a backup for elk hunting. I have run ins with Blackies and Large Moose on a regular basis while Bowhunting here in Utah. Real scary experience with a blackie last year. I left the .44 in the truck. I will never do that again!

However, I will be in the Houston and Austin areas this summer and fall and thought I might give this piggie idea a whirl. I know a longer barrel would give me better chances, but I sold the 7.5 SRH. So.......

1) Anyone else downed piggies with a four inch .44? (Smith, DW and Taurus welcomed responses here)

2) Open sights or did you have your handgun scoped?

3) If scoped, with what? (Mounted with rigs, Bsquare etc)

4) Where did you do your hunting and would you recommend me going there (Bow or handgun, but primarily the handgun with Shooting sticks this time around).

Thanks in advance and God Bless,

Porter

 

[bigmike45]

Porter Rockwell,

I have been huntin' Texas Piggies for many years with a handgun. The shortest barrel I have taken a piggie with is my 5.5" Redhawk in .41mag. That will change this fall. I took another 5.5" Redhawk in .41mag that had a 5.5" barrel and cut it off to 4" myself. I plan to have it strapped to my hip come hunting season. I have rolled a very large coyote recently with the gun, and I do mean rolled him. He was crossing in front of me at about 45 yards at a slow gait with his nose to the ground. I shot him broadside with one of my 215gr. handloads. When the slug hit him it rolled him over twice & pretty much took out the heart & ribs opposite side.

Just about any daylease in Texas will let you hunt hogs. I also suggest that you talk with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Office in Austin. They can help you immensely. There is a big hunt that happens during archery season, at the Aransas Wildlife Refuge that includes hog hunting.Check the classifieds of the Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Light & Austin American Statesman, in the hunting sections. There are generally places that cater to Hog Hunting.

bigmike45

Here is what I killed the hog I speak of with:

 

[Porter_Rockwell]

One nice .41!

Nice piece of stainless you have there! Looks exactly like the new .44 except for my black hogue grips. I think I saw you post that on a another thread as well. You took them open sights I take it? I would love to roll a coyote with a .44! Again, nice looking gun. I'll check the newspapers and ask around (My wife is from Houston and we may move to Austin area).

God Bless,

Porter

 

[huntershooter]

I shoot a lot of Oklahoma hogs, never tried Texas. Feral hogs are feral hogs though. I shoot a 4" 629 S&W (.44 mag.). Largest hog to date was over 450#'s. I'm a fan of hardcast lead-wide flat nose gas check (WFNGC)-at moderate velocity-1150/1200 fps. Your Ruger should work great. Oh, I don't use optics-just iron sights. We "still hunt" in heavy cover, shots will be fairly close and fast. I have gone with a fiber optic front. It is MUCH easier to pick up in dim light/shadows.

 

[Shawn Michael]

BigMike

That thing looks tough, love it!!

 

[azredhawk44]

Porter:

I own one of the 4" redhawks that just came out, and I gotta say that they are exceptional handguns. They just flat-out excel.

The grips are perfect yet unobtrusive on the belt when holstered. The finger grooves are actually in the right place (at least for me).

Soda cans stood no chance last weekend at all, out to about 30 yards or so... At fifty yards I had to lower my personal standards to targets the size of basketballs, but that is a lot more my problem than the gun's problem. Iron sights, no scope.

No hunting with it yet, but it is going with me out hiking/camping/scouting this weekend in the same region where I got drawn for elk. I don't expect to drop the hammer on anything out there, but I might try an opportunistic shot on a coyote or jackrabbit just to see how this gun holds up for me with the "thrill of the hunt" running through me and all that jazz. We'll see. Javelina aren't varmints here and require a tag to hunt, so no piggy shooting with it scheduled any time soon.

 

[ARTiger]

I've taken many with my 6" S&W 629 and two with my 4" Ruger GP100 .357 using 180 grain hardcast solids. Iron sights all around . . . longest shot was maybe 40 yards. In my experience either a .44 or .357 with a well placed shot drops them like a hammer. Do use a good heavy solid bullet though.