will it kill a wild hog ?

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rmart30

Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Messages
282
Location
Birmingham
Friend and I were talking about hunting on the local WMA and the possibility of seeing a hog while there. During deer season centerfires and slugs are allowed so thats not a problem, but during squirrel and rabbit season your limited to rimfires or shotguns with #2 or smaller shot.
The pigs around here arent huge, most ive seen have been under 75-80#.
At distances between 20 and 50 yards max with a rimfire or #2 or smaller shot is it even worth taking a shot at one for a humane kill?
 
Will it work, you bet. Should you use it? No.

I've seen a 30-06 fail to penatrait a pigs skull. When I say seen, I mean i was the guy shooting.
 
what they all said. use buckshot of 00 or 000 (you MIGHT get away with #1 or 4 if you are close enough to smell him).
 
Will it work, you bet. Should you use it? No.

I've seen a 30-06 fail to penatrait a pigs skull. When I say seen, I mean i was the guy shooting.
Click to expand...

Well, thats just one of those things though. I have personally put down a few hundred hogs with my marlin 22. It really all depends on where that bullet goes really. Pigs skulls are a unique design.

That being said, would I go hunting wild hogs with my marlin? No. Definately not.
 
no. use slugs or buckshot. if you wound a wild hog and there close enough you might have a serious problem on your hands, one of my friends brothers thought it would be funny to shoot a wild hog with a slingshot. he was in the hospital with a nasty looking leg for a few days.
 
Here in Ga., we have the same situation outside of deer season. When I was living in E. GA, I hunted pigs a LOTon state wma's.

I started out by trying the .22mag as I'd heard a lot of anectodal info that it would work.

NOT !!!

After hitting 5 at various shot placements, Head, behind ear, between ear and eye, behind forleg to heart with solid, ect. After switching to a Rem. 597m, I hit one 7 times (could see the bullet impact through scope!), and still lost it due to lack of blood trail.
I did kill two, but at ~20lbs, they don't really count! It was "momma" I wanted. (see 7 hits above). I even tried the CCI 50gr "Gold Dot" load, but even it didn't have the penetration you need for an adult pig.

If you do chose to try the .22mag, I suggest a semi-auto, and extra magazines. Piss off a good size boar, and you become the "hunted". He's not "restricted" by WMA regulations, either !!!

After switching to a front-loader (muzzle loader), and being "cheap", and using a 50/45 sabot and a 200gr SWC (Hensley & Gibbs #68 style- Lee version), and 70-90gr of powder, Voila!

Puts them down solidly !
 
Frankly NO...... I wouldn't do it. With a perfect shot it might work. But when's the last time you had a perfect shot in the field?
Just keep looking for a place to hunt on private land where you can use an appropriate caliber. And yeah, I know it is tough to find land to hunt on. I have gone thru that looking stage too, and it can be very discouraging at times.
 
Thats what we had figured. We had talked to a cpl of farmers the other day and they said they always used 22 mags. Thought that with a scope and a well placed shot under 20 yards in the ear might work on them with that.

Finding land to hunt hogs on unrestricted would be best but id like to eliminate any hog I see no matter where Im hunting.
Those things are growing in #'s fast around here and have very little hunting pressure on them at all.

Thanks for the replies :)
 
but during squirrel and rabbit season your limited to rimfires or shotguns with #2 or smaller shot.
Click to expand...


OK has a rule like that for some of their WMAs. Do not shoot a hog with #2 shot at a distance more than about 10 yards. Some OK WMAs do allow rimfire rifles. A .22 magnum works well on hogs at close range. Killed a lot of hogs with the .22 magnum. If hit in the ear or on a line between the ear and the eye, the hog will go down. Keep shooting it in the head as long as the hog kicks. I use the 40 grain CCI Total Metal Jacket round in my .22 Magnum.
 
another no vote here. i saw a tv show, where they used an air rifle to take a boar with. i was outraged! this is extremely irresponsible. if you are being charged by one, then you have to do what you have to do. that is called self defense. in that case, go for it. but i would not set out to kills one with a 22 rimfire or small shot, unlesss it was a nesessity.
 
We have been butchering pigs for years and only use a 22LR to kill them. Usually its point blank and between the eyes, and it not uncommon to have to give them a few more. Once and a while we have shot them at a distance running but you have to hit them behind the ear or nothing is stopping them. So unless your used to killing lots of pigs I wouldn't use a 22, Pigs are tough!!
 
Depends on how far you are from your target........First wild hog I ever shot, as a teenager, was about ten feet away. Hit it with a full charge of 6s from a .16 ga. Remington pump and broke its back. Pig turned around and began to drag itself toward me popping its tusks and I put it out with a direct head shot with that same load.

.22'l do it too. Had a fellow I knew that used to hunt them with his Jack Russel terriers and an autoloading .22 LR....funny thing was that he claimed that the LR round was actually a better killer for his purposes than the .22 mag.....go figure.......anyway, he took only head shots and ALWAYS killed his game!

I'll edit this to suggest that you could always 'ring' your shot loads to effectively create a solid column of shot that'd duplicate a slug or buck loading in terms of terminal effectiveness.....it's an antique approach, but it does work.
 
Absolutely not. (IMO).

The way to do that in the states with those (idiotic) rules are to use a .22 mag, 50 gr federal, right at the base of the ear, into the brain. Or a bow & arrow. Or take 1 slug and some BB shot, and if you see the warden throw the slug into the woods.
 
Very few folks are inclined to hunt hogs with a .22 unless that is the only gun that is allowed. i hunt hogs 12 months of the year. Most of that hunting is done on 14,000 acres of property where a shotgun or .22 rimfire are the only guns allowed outside of deer season and a special hig season.

Have killed a few dozen wild hogs with the .22 LR and the .22 magnum. Never had a wounded hog get away. i did have to blood trail one about a kilometer before i got it. That big sow was looking at me at from about 25 yards away. Meant to hit her between the eyes but i pulled the shot and the .22 LR solid point bullet hit her just to the left of the right eye. There was a good blood trail.

The CCI 40 grain total metal jacket round in .22 magnum works well for me. Have killed hogs weighing 125 pounds with heart/lung shots with that round.

A .22 rimfire is not a proper hog killing round unless it is in the hands of a person who knows its limitations and capabilities.
 
Hogs and Such

I have a good friend who is a wildlife officer. A lot of the management areas he works has had some problems with wild hogs (too many). When thining them down, the gun of choice is a 22 rifle.
 
a .22LR or .22Mag ? I say do it.

But also make sure there is a tree you can climb
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birdshot#Birdshot

#2 shot would work fine on a hog. I am a little surprised that they want you to have to go that far down, but in all honestly it would work. Meat destruction would be an issue... No difference really than using BB, which is only a little smaller than #4 buck.

I do not advocate using #2, I would prefer #4 buck and larger, but that being said, the Wildlife Department seems to have limited you. It will work. Shooting #2, you want to aim at the ear. The hog will go down and then cover it for another shot if needs be. Keep the range close, I say 50 yards max. Make sure you are using a tight choke too. 16gauge +, but I think 20gauge may work well as well, but range 45 yards or less.

Regards to using a .22 mag. Javelina gets to be (on the large size) 70 lbs and .22 mag is legal for those.

Hogs are tough, yes, but at 80lbs, they are not as tough as legends would tell you. The are slightly tougher than deer at that size. When they get 150lbs plus, they get a lot tougher.

EDIT

WHEN I SAY MAX RANGE, I MEAN ABSOLUTE MAX RANGE (prefer closer). Tight choke, right on the ear, practice judging with a laser range finder and BOOM. Bacon anyone?

EDIT AGAIN:

Of the two, I would prefer to .22 mag. Range say 75 yards. Study hog anatomy and no problem: The ear shot is the best option, as it will hit the spinal cord / brain / air way and or circulatory system / stun for follow up (assuming you are a little left / right / low / high). Don't be though. ;)

Hog_Vitals.jpg
 
I have killed lot's of hogs with a .22 mag. I never lost one either, but I never took any distance shots. Some feel with 1 shot. I remember one that took 7 or 8 rounds. For many years the .22 mag. was my truck gun and it has the scars to prove it. It has killed a lot of game.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
What are the DUMBEST hunting regs in your state?
2 3 4 5
Replies
100
Views
5K
FLAvalanche
F
DMK
  • Locked
What's a good gun to kill a Wild Pig?
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
patentnonsense
P
H
  • Locked
Hogs Gone Wild
2
Replies
32
Views
2K
Leatherman-Cowboy
L
D
  • Locked
1,000 Pound wild hog
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
Stand_Watie
S
J
  • Locked
ok...its tv but why is there a hog problem!
2 3 4
Replies
80
Views
4K
Art Eatman
A
Back
Top