.44 Magnum Hog Hunting

[BigSwad]

Well a friend of mine has a .44magnum Marlin lever action for sale. I had been looking at a 45/70 or .444 but this seems interesting enough. If I use it say under 75 yards, hogs only about 150 pounds or so, would it be enough gun?

Lots of hogs on new deer lease, but havent seen any big ones, biggest ones so far only about 125 lbs or smaller. I am sure there are probably a few bigger, only havent seen them yet. But we have seen their mud rubs so we know they are there.

 

[BDB]

I have never taken hogs with a .44 but have read about 50 threads in the last 2 years on this question. The answer is almost always, yes you can. Use a good quality bullet and keep the shots to under 100 yards and you should be fine. This info was posted before from experienced hog hunters many who only use handguns now. Good luck !

 

[Speckmisser]

It'll work, but you need to know your limitations. Keep it close, and make sure you can put the pill where you need it.

Personally... well, I know you didn't ask for opinion, but I'd still look at the 45-70 or .444 over the .44mag.

 

[mstan99999]

I love the .44 Mag. I have a Marlin 1894 in .44 that I would trust for just about anything in Texas within 60 or 70 yards. Load heavy with penetrating bullets and I don't see why not!!

 

[crodog]

Work really well...slaps the snot out of them.

 

[Rancho Loco]

Within reason, I'd say go for it.

If you reload, even better.

 

[Uncle Ji]

ALOHA from Maui.
My wild boar rifle of choice for almost 30 years has been my Marlin 1894 .44 magnum. It has never failed to drop a pig with one shot in all these years with no tracking necesary. Here's a pictures of me, and my son with one of 2 pigs I shot one morning on the lower slopes of Haleakala. This guy went over 300 lbs. (shot at 125 yards), the second pig was 200 lbs. (shot at 75 yards as it ran towards me). I use a pretty standard reload consisting of 240 grain JSP Speers behind 25 grains of H110 (caution reloading your own a tad on hot side).
I prefer to aim for the boiler room behind the front shoulders, this shot never failed me yet. Know your pig anatomy.

I have full confidence in my .44 mag and feel anything bigger (444, 45-70) is a tad overkill on pigs. My 2 cents.

 

[larrysogla]

Unclel Ji,
Thanks for those lovely Hawaiian hunt pics.

 

[beastslayer]

Uncle Ji,

Take pity on your son. He is lugging an M1 and you're carrying a carbine!

What kind of a father are you (lol)?

 

[larrysogla]

Those young teenagers can outlast us old folks. When I was 19 years old, I would hunt 6 foot long monitor lizards all day in our salt water fishfarm pushing & paddling a dug out canoe thru the mud & shallow waters from early in the morning till sundown & then still have boundless energy left after dinner for some lively chat with the farm employees who come from all corners of the Philippines & engage them in their experiences hunting & fishing in their regional/local areas. I was tireless in my years till I was 50 yrs. old. Now I need a little snooze in some grassy hillside after a long hike hunting wild boar & after a bag lunch in the hunt area. 'Nuff said.

 

[Uncle Ji]

Originally posted by beastslayer@Jun 28 2005, 04:29 PM
Uncle Ji,

Take pity on your son. He is lugging an M1 and you're carrying a carbine!

What kind of a father are you (lol)?

Pretty observant, it does look like an M1 don't it. It's actually a 1913 Spanish Mauser rebarreled to .308 Win. It's like a cavalry carbine with 20" barrel so actually quite light. It was a gift from his grandad. He also has a 20 gauge H&R single shot (maybe a pound lighter) that he is quite proficient with but wanted to try his present out. He's quite the dead-eye with this gun as well even with the less than ideal military sights. He'd carry that present from grandad 100 miles up a mountain if he had to.

 

[Gyopo]

My buddy killed a couple hogs in Florida w/a 44 rifle.
I think it is a Ruger semi-auto.
The shots were not really long and the hogs were decent size, not too small, not too big.
He shot the pigs in the goodies and they went down.
I think he put a bullet in the head of one to speed things up.
I wasn't there, but as he told me.

 

[beastslayer]

uncle ji,

being able to shoot well a spanish made gun and an ancient 1913 model seems like double handicapping (lol). your son must really be a good shot.

larrysogla,

are you Pinoy?

did you eat the monitor lizards you've shot? hunted a lot of them too up in the mountains but i had to give them out to the neighbours. they say it taste like chicken. i kept the mourning and the green doves though which is good eating and tender meat. i can call mourning doves during their mating season.

i read in other threads you are into wild pigs. i've tried that in los padres, sta ynez mountains near sta barbara and upper cottonwood. so far unsucessful.

you must be up north recalling your other postings. me, i stayed awhile in fremont then monrovia and now in fontana.

 

[larrysogla]

beastslayer,
Yuppp!!! Born in the Philippines & came to the USA in 1973. Our saltwater fishfarm had thick stands of mangrove trees. Lots of 5-6 ft. monitor lizards. Those suckers eat a lot of crabs & the smaller monitor lizards are good eating. The bigger ones are like eating shoe leather, too tough. I live in Los Angeles. I hunt wild boar & deer(will probably get my first deer this year, very unlucky with deer all these years). Getting back to this post, I don't have a .44 mag. rifle, but I have a .44 mag. Ruger Redhawk. It is more of a decoration as I just bring only a rifle when hog hunting. If I need to put in a "coup de grace" to a hog, I just put the finishing shot with my rifle. Less weight humping those Calif. hills the better. God Bless.

 

[BigSwad]

Well as the finale I traded in a couple of rifles on a Marlin 45/70 and some PMC cowboy ammo. I will take it out in the next couple of weeks and see how she shoots. Thanks again for all the information and input.

 

[larrysogla]

BigSwad,
Congratulations, smart move. I also have a Marlin 45-70. The ammo selection on factory loads alone range from the mild(cowboy loads) for plinking to the monster loads(Garrett, Buffalo Bore, Cor-bon??) that will topple a buffalo, brown bears and other man eaters/man chasers. That Marlin will handle those shoulder whompin' loads without a whimper like a bank vault stong lock up. You will be ready from whitetails to bears & buffalos & Alaska. Incredibly versatile performer for big game. Those monster loads will punch thru the shoulders of a 300 lb. Texas wild boar & dig deep holes in the ground after exiting. Those 300 lb. boars are flattened on the ground, still breathing but cannot get up. Awesome power you have there. Good choice. Use a Sims recoil pad if shooting those monster loads on the bench, it will work wonders for your flinch(it may develop from the whompin') & shoulder. I use a Sims slip on recoil pad(cheap, no gunsmithing, handy). God Bless.

 

[BigSwad]

Thanks for the advice Larry. I am pretty sure I will get one of those slip-on recoil pads, even though I never used one before.

Also, what factory ammo that doesnt have much "shoulder hurt" would be good for pigs up to about 300 pounds? I have this PMC 405 grain cowboy load with lead bullets, would that work on hogs? Just wondering, I havent checked out the reloading stuff on this one yet.

 

[EvBouret]

I find that if I'm actually shooting at game I dont really mind the kick. At the bench is when you really should use one when you're shooting a box of ammo. Hunting you only make 1 or 2 shots usually and usually my adrenaline is so high it doesn't even bother me

 

[larrysogla]

EvBouret is correct. I shoot .300 WM, .338 WM & 45-70 Buffalo loads when hog hunting. To date I cannot recall having felt or remembered the recoil when shooting at hogs. The shot just happens & somehow my brain is so focused on the hog I am trying to whomp that the recoil does not register & even the gunshot is muted, sounds like it is coming from 4-5 blocks away. On the bench is an entirely different matter. I wear a PAST Magnum shoulder pad or I will develop a flinch from shooting the Magnums & the 45-70 Buffalo loads. With the Garrett 420 gr. 45-70 Buff Buster loads, in addition to the PAST Mag. shoulder pad, I have to slip on the Sims jello rubber recoil pad or else I will develop double vision & a creak in my neck after 3 rounds. Coming back to BigSwad's question, the Remington, Winchester, Federal soft point(NOT hollow points) 45-70 hunting loads have mild & pleasant recoil & is good for 250 lb. hogs, which is plenty. Even the 300 lb. hogs should fold their legs when smacked by these mild loads. BUT NO hollow points, the reason is poor penetration & on those big hogs, you want penetration, preferably all the way thru with a .458 cal. hole. Those Marlin 45-70s are fun, FUN guns. It gives supreme confidence when fed with the Buff Buster loads that it will flatten even a 500 lb. Houston wild boar when you touch off one of those monster rounds. You sit in those Houston tree stands or rush those San Antonio tangled creek bottoms with a mischievous smirk on your face knowing there is ample ARTILLERY on your fingertips. God Bless.