- Joined
- Jan 28, 2003
- Messages
- 13,332
Well I just got back from Korea a couple of days ago so I'm a bit bleary eyed, please excuse any mistakes, the week before last I was hunting in Texas . I had a bit of an interesting experience with equipment failure that some of you guys might find interesting. I know that I sure learned a few things on this outing!
The first day was great weather 85 degrees and sunny. I got in late and didn't get moving until about 0800 the next morning. The first place I checked showed some promise so I grabbed a rifle and my dog Nitro and headed out for a nice 6 mile loop which takes us through some very juicy swamps that hogs love to lay up in during the heat of the day.
The first swamp was a zero but several miles later Nitro and I hit pay dirt. As I crested a small rise Nitro charged into some thickets on the edge of a swamp and the circus began with the dog growling and barking and the hogs grunting and sticks snapping, dirt flying and general mayhem all about.
I rushed to crest just in time to see a nice hog break cover and turn to challenge Nitro who was just breaking cover as well to engage the enraged piggy. The hog had murder in her heart but she never got the chance to act on it as her time was cut short by a 270 gr .375 caliber Tripe Shock bullet through the heart. Nitro immediately took advantage of the now much subdued dead hog and commenced to attack it viciously just in case it decided to spontaneously reincarnate.
At the shot another hog broke cover and I was just able to swing and snap a shot off as it disappeared in some cover. From the sound of the bullet and the scream I knew that we had a hit but I also knew it wasn't a very solid one.
I walked down to the dead hog and congratulated Nitro on a fine kill. He was quite pleased with himself. I then leashed him and brought him over to where the second hog had disappeared into the brush. He immediately got scenty ran in big circle and once again viciously attacked the first big dead hog. Just to make sure it hadn't started any trouble since he last attacked it. We repeated this procedure 3 times.
On the fourth try I walked Nitro about 100 yards from the dead hog in the direction I thought the wounded one went and tried again. This time Nitro hit the scent and went off at a trot. About 30 seconds later it was show time again. Dog barking hog screaming etc etc. I ran to the scene and was able to put an end to the proceedings before Nitro suffered any serious injury. He once again viciously attacked the carcass of the dead hog. He becomes quite vicious after he hears a gun shot. It really pumps him up!
The second day dawned dreary and cold with a nasty freezing drizzle falling just to brighten the day a bit.
To make a long story short Nitro and I had been walking in this lovely misty weather for about an hour when he flushed a group of about 10 hogs out of some brush along a ridge line in thick cedars.
The dog was fighting with a hog to my right when I got to the scene and I was able to snap shoot a pretty decent boar as he broke cover killing him on the spot. I immediately cycled the bolt with a quick flick of the wrist in anticipation of more hogs breaking cover and remember feeling that it was a really light bolt stroke.
On picking up the next round the rifle jammed. Just about this time here comes Nitro chasing a big boar up the cut through the cedars. I put my trusty, jammed solid, .375 on the ground and grabbed my trusty SW 329 PD from it's holster, as I cleared the cedar break Nitro had the boar stopped in a grassy field about 100 yards away. I sprinted to the action Nitro was harrying the boar who was so mad at the small black hairy dog that was harassing him that he didn't even know I was there. I stood at about 10 yards and waited for the dog to clear. As soon as he did I tried to pull the hammer back and shoot the boar.
Much to my consternation to pistol was frozen solid! No matter what I tried it wouldn't budge! By now the dog and the boar are at each other and the fight is getting serious. I reached into my pocket for my knife which is now my last resort and guess what IT'S GONE!!
I know that if that hog holds his ground much longer the dog is going to get whacked because he's too amped up to quit at this point. Thinking quick I grab an old mequite log off the ground and run up to the hog and smack him with all my might on the rear. The hog spins to confront his new attacker and Nitro takes that opportunity to nip the hog's flank as he turns. This totally confuses the hog and he takes off. Nitro in hot pursuit.
I take a moment to try and figure out what is wrong with my revolver. A quick once over and it becomes obvious what the deal is. I had two rounds of snake shot in the gun. Earlier in the day I had spun them out of battery and had fired a shot at a rock then re holstered the pistol. The shock of that shot had partially unseated the snake shot capsule and it was protruding out the front of the cylinder locking the gun up. Mistake numero uno.
I then walked back to where I left my .375H&H a quick once over found that I had a case head separation which left the case body in the chamber and had ejected the case head into outer space. I had reloaded this group of cases to many times. Once again a clear cut case of stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. In a real life DG situation that could have been round that cost somebody a life. Don’t reload a case to many times. Mistake numero dos.
A recon of the area found my knife about ten feet from the rifle where I drew my pistol. The knife evidently feel out of my pocket when I drew the pistol. And is a good thing too. Going after a big boar hog with a 4” drop point hunting knife and an 18 pound terrier wouldn’t have been the smartest thing I’ve done this year. In fact it probably would have been BAD.
About this time Nitro came back to me tongue hanging with a dejected , disgusted expression on his face. He looked at me like only a true hunting partner can when you scrub an easy shot or spook a critter at the critical moment. If he could talk I’m sure he’d have said something like. “Yo dude, I had him stopped, I weigh 18 lbs he weighs like 10 times that much! SO what’s your deal chubby? To much action for a fat old man? Next time just stay at home with the kids and save us all the trouble!”
I quartered the boar hung him in a tree and Nitro and I started the trek back to the jeep. Fortunately the sky opened up with some first class Texas freezing rain making the walk all that much more enjoyable with a busted rifle on my shoulder and a dejected dog at my side. It was a long walk.
The first day was great weather 85 degrees and sunny. I got in late and didn't get moving until about 0800 the next morning. The first place I checked showed some promise so I grabbed a rifle and my dog Nitro and headed out for a nice 6 mile loop which takes us through some very juicy swamps that hogs love to lay up in during the heat of the day.
The first swamp was a zero but several miles later Nitro and I hit pay dirt. As I crested a small rise Nitro charged into some thickets on the edge of a swamp and the circus began with the dog growling and barking and the hogs grunting and sticks snapping, dirt flying and general mayhem all about.
I rushed to crest just in time to see a nice hog break cover and turn to challenge Nitro who was just breaking cover as well to engage the enraged piggy. The hog had murder in her heart but she never got the chance to act on it as her time was cut short by a 270 gr .375 caliber Tripe Shock bullet through the heart. Nitro immediately took advantage of the now much subdued dead hog and commenced to attack it viciously just in case it decided to spontaneously reincarnate.
At the shot another hog broke cover and I was just able to swing and snap a shot off as it disappeared in some cover. From the sound of the bullet and the scream I knew that we had a hit but I also knew it wasn't a very solid one.
I walked down to the dead hog and congratulated Nitro on a fine kill. He was quite pleased with himself. I then leashed him and brought him over to where the second hog had disappeared into the brush. He immediately got scenty ran in big circle and once again viciously attacked the first big dead hog. Just to make sure it hadn't started any trouble since he last attacked it. We repeated this procedure 3 times.
On the fourth try I walked Nitro about 100 yards from the dead hog in the direction I thought the wounded one went and tried again. This time Nitro hit the scent and went off at a trot. About 30 seconds later it was show time again. Dog barking hog screaming etc etc. I ran to the scene and was able to put an end to the proceedings before Nitro suffered any serious injury. He once again viciously attacked the carcass of the dead hog. He becomes quite vicious after he hears a gun shot. It really pumps him up!
The second day dawned dreary and cold with a nasty freezing drizzle falling just to brighten the day a bit.
To make a long story short Nitro and I had been walking in this lovely misty weather for about an hour when he flushed a group of about 10 hogs out of some brush along a ridge line in thick cedars.
The dog was fighting with a hog to my right when I got to the scene and I was able to snap shoot a pretty decent boar as he broke cover killing him on the spot. I immediately cycled the bolt with a quick flick of the wrist in anticipation of more hogs breaking cover and remember feeling that it was a really light bolt stroke.
On picking up the next round the rifle jammed. Just about this time here comes Nitro chasing a big boar up the cut through the cedars. I put my trusty, jammed solid, .375 on the ground and grabbed my trusty SW 329 PD from it's holster, as I cleared the cedar break Nitro had the boar stopped in a grassy field about 100 yards away. I sprinted to the action Nitro was harrying the boar who was so mad at the small black hairy dog that was harassing him that he didn't even know I was there. I stood at about 10 yards and waited for the dog to clear. As soon as he did I tried to pull the hammer back and shoot the boar.
Much to my consternation to pistol was frozen solid! No matter what I tried it wouldn't budge! By now the dog and the boar are at each other and the fight is getting serious. I reached into my pocket for my knife which is now my last resort and guess what IT'S GONE!!
I know that if that hog holds his ground much longer the dog is going to get whacked because he's too amped up to quit at this point. Thinking quick I grab an old mequite log off the ground and run up to the hog and smack him with all my might on the rear. The hog spins to confront his new attacker and Nitro takes that opportunity to nip the hog's flank as he turns. This totally confuses the hog and he takes off. Nitro in hot pursuit.
I take a moment to try and figure out what is wrong with my revolver. A quick once over and it becomes obvious what the deal is. I had two rounds of snake shot in the gun. Earlier in the day I had spun them out of battery and had fired a shot at a rock then re holstered the pistol. The shock of that shot had partially unseated the snake shot capsule and it was protruding out the front of the cylinder locking the gun up. Mistake numero uno.
I then walked back to where I left my .375H&H a quick once over found that I had a case head separation which left the case body in the chamber and had ejected the case head into outer space. I had reloaded this group of cases to many times. Once again a clear cut case of stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. In a real life DG situation that could have been round that cost somebody a life. Don’t reload a case to many times. Mistake numero dos.
A recon of the area found my knife about ten feet from the rifle where I drew my pistol. The knife evidently feel out of my pocket when I drew the pistol. And is a good thing too. Going after a big boar hog with a 4” drop point hunting knife and an 18 pound terrier wouldn’t have been the smartest thing I’ve done this year. In fact it probably would have been BAD.
About this time Nitro came back to me tongue hanging with a dejected , disgusted expression on his face. He looked at me like only a true hunting partner can when you scrub an easy shot or spook a critter at the critical moment. If he could talk I’m sure he’d have said something like. “Yo dude, I had him stopped, I weigh 18 lbs he weighs like 10 times that much! SO what’s your deal chubby? To much action for a fat old man? Next time just stay at home with the kids and save us all the trouble!”
I quartered the boar hung him in a tree and Nitro and I started the trek back to the jeep. Fortunately the sky opened up with some first class Texas freezing rain making the walk all that much more enjoyable with a busted rifle on my shoulder and a dejected dog at my side. It was a long walk.
