first hog hunt

[majkowskid]

as in my other topic, i recently won a free hog hunt. going in about a month.
i am going to start sighting in my guns and such, but have some questions.

first, my choices are an AR15 (very very accurate... bull barrel, scoped, etc etc)
.44 mag ruger blackhawk, also scoped
30-06 remington scoped
and my bow (which i am going to use anyways).

i would like to use my pistol, but some people told me i'd have to take the scope off... they said the pigs will be so close the scope will be useless. true?

as far as my AR15, i'm bringing it for varmints anyways... will a headshot with this drop a pig? i figured if i saw one a ways out, i could snipe it out with it. or should i use the 30-06 ( which hasn't been shot in about 5 yrs).

any advice appreciated!

 

[Speckmisser]

Congrats on winning that hunt. Hope it turns out better than your previous post made it sound.. sketchy, but always make the best of it.

Your .44mag and the 30-06 will be your best weapons. The .223 will kill a pig, and a lot of folks claim to have great success with them... but it's just not the best of your choices. I feel like a broken record saying this, but it's an honest answer that requires no qualification.

Go practice a little with the -06. Make sure the scope is still on and refamiliarize yourself with the functions and feel.

As far as the scope on the .44... I dunno that you need to remove it. If you're comfortable with it, I'd say leave it be. Just pick your shots and if the critter is too close to use the scope you're probably not gonna have to aim anyway... you'll be too busy getting the heck out of the way!

If you do choose to use the AR on a hog (opportunity comes up while shooting varmints), a shot behind the ear into the brain might be a good one...however, there's a lot of room for error there. Your best bet is the same shot an archer would take. Avoid a straight-on headshot unless it's a small pig. There's a pretty good write-up about shot placement on Texasboars.com

The most important thing? Have fun!

 

[180pilot]

Looking at that outfits topograghy on their website, that "pecan bottom" and "native grass" looks very heavy.

And did they tell you they will be using dogs or not?

Stay away from any .22 in those conditions, if your pistol scope is a 1.5 X you should be able to shoot it with both eyes open on close fast moving targets. If it's a 4X much more difficult. A red dot is best in heavy cover.

I've only had one hog in my cross hairs, and a failed Leupold Scope caused a miss, ( It was an early 2 power pistol scope that could'nt take the .44, Leupold replaced it.), however, I've taken Elk with my .44mag. I'm sure you will get other opinions, heres mine:

I've put 240 grain .44 mag. clear through Elk's chest at 70 yds. breaking ribs both sides. I'd have confidence in it, especially with 300 grain loads. Those loads really kick, if your Ruger's the long barrel, that helps. And six fast shots are hard to beat in close quarters. IF you don't have confidence in your pistol shooting, by all means use the .06. Hacking through heavy cover with a pistol in a good shoulder holster leaves both hands free to fight off brush or crawl through tough spots.

 

[Redneck75]

First off...congrats on the hog hunt...welcome to the club and warm up the credit cards...it's gonna be a wild ride!!

I know the feeling when it comes to trying to decide which weapon. I also hunt with a pistol, 30-06 and a bow. I have killed a pig each with a 44 and the bow but when it's been awhile and I really want to give myself the best chance to take one home, the -06 wins every time. You can punch a hole in one from 200 yards with ease and that's not going to happen with the pistol or bow. The AR is certainly a fun gun to shoot but leave it in the rack when it's time to chase the piggies...it would be one thing if it was the only rifle you owned but it's a poor choice for pigs when you compare it to an -06.

Good luck and be sure to post the pics after the hunt!

 

[tholihan]

First, Welcome to Jesses. Just a little info that I learned this year. This is also my first year hunting hogs and I have been successful taking four (4) hogs this year. Two in Arkansas, one in Texas, and one in Cali. (I travel a lot for business - and my travelling partner (Weaherby 30-06) always goes along for the ride. But, my experience has been that rarely can you get close enough (< 100 yds) unless you happen to walk up on some that are bedded during the day. All of mine have come from glassing (or night hunts in other states) where your only chance is a shot at 100-200 yds. Take this for what it's worth and best of luck.