Hog hunt'n with a .45?

[Rex.]

I'm thinking that I want to hunt some pork. I know with out a doubt that a .45 saboted projectile from my smoke stick will get the job done. But I really want to go hogg'n with my 45ACP converted 58. My thinking is if a .451 230gr JHP do'n about 900 FPS will doom a human (100-250 lbs) It should do the same thing to swine of similar weight (Some have scoffed at the idea).

For any who might not be familiar with the hardware to be employed, it's not the typical 4" .45. Yep it's definatly ACP not LC.

Any thoughts or advisements?

 

[myfriendis410]

Not only is it not advisable, it's not legal in many states. It's also not ethical in my opinion. Hogs are NOT people, and anyone who has killed one can tell you they are tough animals, pound for pound some of the toughest game animals in North America.

Don't do it.

 

[Knock 'em Down]

This is a California DFG page I found that has a table of calibers that should/should not be used for pig. They do not reccomend any .45 caliber round for taking pig.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/pig/docs/pigguide.pdf

 

[Rex.]

Being as I've only taken one hog and that was with a muzzle loader in Louisiana like 15 years ago (he dropped like a sack). I'm not quite that good, brave nor stupid. My buddy had his 30-30 Marlin with him, just in case things went south.

So, I thought it a good idea to get some advice before I found my self either tracking down or running away from a wounded porker.

 

[k_rad]

Ten years ago I had a buddy go pig hunting with a 44 magnum. Luckey for him he had a guide with him that brought his shotgun as a backup. Well they find a big boar 300 lbs. My buddy hits the boar dead center between the eyes and the thing goes down. He starts hooting and hollering. They walk up to it and are poking it looking at it's tusks. Makeing plans to go back and get the truck, when a half hour after he first shot it the thing wakes up and starts to chase my buddy! He runs in a circle around the guide who shot the hog in the shoulder three times before it went down. After skinning the hog they saw that the 44 went in the skin but went up and over the skull and the slug ended up near his tail. never came back out of that tough hide. Back then we always used to talk about hunting boars with a spear and a side arm. Not any more...I just wish I could have been there to laugh my head off at him...

 

[larrysogla]

That 300 lb. hog my buddy shot with a 45-70 loaded with 420 grain hardcast Garrett Plus P ammo(it was a one shot kill, but the boar still managed to run about 25 yds. at a furious dead run before dropping dead) had a gristle plate(shoulder armor shield made of very tough 2" thick cartilage like material) that was so tough my 4" hunting knife will not go through but just gets stuck in the middle no matter how hard I tried to stab with the knife. We believe that a .45 ACP revolver will not be able to adequately penetrate that kind of tough armor like gristle plate. That gristle plate will probably stop the bullet or if it manages to penetrate.....will lose so much energy and velocity it will not be able to drop the hog, but will end up in a very long chase and most likely an escaped wounded hog. Thin skinned humans will succumb quickly to a .45 ACP hit, but a big 300 pound hog with thick, tough shoulder shield armor is a different ball game altogether.
I would just shoot called in coyotes at short range with that .45 ACP. A .45 ACP hit on a coyote torso at 25 yds. is good medicine.
'Nuff said
larrysogla

 

[Rex.]

Dang. My hog gun is a dog gun.

One insane home defender though.

 

[Fugaloo]

The energy of a .45 acp at it's most is around 500 foot pounds, and that's at the muzzle. Compared to a heavy deer rifle that is like a pee shooter. Those hogs are built tough and unless you drill one right into it's brain it would not likely do much damage. I have read stories of skinning hogs and finding 45 bullets lodged in the side. I would shy away from even using a 44 mag for hogs unless at very close range and only into the control room. A 44 mag at the muzzle shooting 300+ gr bullets has about 1500 foot pounds of energy, and that is almost not enough. You can read story after story about pistol calibers used on hogs, and each one will have different results. But if you look at the math, a 45acp is grossly mismatched for what you're trying to do. I think if you could use a FMJ bullet you could get the penetration needed to go through the armor plating, but then you would lose the expansion needed to create a fatal wound unless you were dead center on lungs or heart. But seeing as how you can't use FMJ's hunting I would look for another gun. If you got the money, Desert Eagle makes a 30-30 revolver which still keeps it at your side instead of slung on your shoulder. And if you could deal with a single shot the TC encore or Contender is a good bet as well and comes in just about any caliber you want.

 

[Rex.]

With the 12" pipe my .45 is basically a carbine. At 25 yards it can make squirrel mist every time, easy. While that would no doubt be some kind of serious overkill, I can live with it being a puppy plinker (ETC).

I have a TC Omega Z5 but I'll just go get me a howitzer for the ham hunts. As if anyone needs to twist my arm.

 

[Fugaloo]

Try something like this instead


Modern Firearms - RT-20 Antimateriel Sniper Rifle

 

[JTA6498]

When I was at Cedar Canyon a month or so ago, my brother-in-law unloaded 5, .45 ACP rounds at a hog running full speed 5 yards infront of us and missed every shot. To be honest, i am happy he did because if he had hit him, it would take hours to find him. That .45 will not put them down. they could easily go for a long time. I dont advise using a .45. Sorry cooky, I had to tell the story.

 

[myfriendis410]

Hey: your Omega will do just fine. It's all the howitzer you need.

 

[Rex.]

Hey: your Omega will do just fine. It's all the howitzer you need.

SHHHHHH......... My girlfriend might hear you.

Yea I know. But I really wanted to hand gun it. I was just wondering if I could get away with the biggest bore hand canon already in my inventory. Probably gonna have to wait a year or so before I can get away with another gun. Especially one that will likely clear four digits from my checking account.

I'm feel'n maybe a Smith 460 or 500.

 

[goldfinger]

or, if you have enough control to pass on a big pig. you could just shoot a small hog with the .45. i say that because you know the time you go out looking for a small pig to kill with a hand gun the boar of a lifetime will step out in front of you!

 

[Rex.]

Ya have a point Goldfinger. I've actually considered that. There's no way I'd take a crack at hogzilla with a 45 ACP unless life depended on it. I was actually thinking around 50 -100 lbs especially since I'd have to pack it out. Even quartered that's a chore if ya have more than 40 lbs of meat.

I'll probably just use my Z5 if I absolutely feel the need to go hog hunt'n any time soon. I know that will get the job done and then some.

Which brings me to another question. Some one told me that ya can't eat bore meat unless they've been castrated prior to death. My first thought was B.S. since we quartered the pig that I shot in Louisiana. But it ended up in my buddies freezer since I was living in the barracks at the time. The BBQ tasted plenty good though.

 

[myfriendis410]

Wild pork is just fine, whether from a sow or boar. What happens (IMO) is poor handling of the carcass i.e. getting the knife contaminated with feces or urine and continuing to process without cleaning the knife or, poorly shot and then inadequately cleaned out (read "gutshot") or, taken to the butcher and allowed to use a bandsaw; thus contaminating the meat with bone marrow or, all of the above.

If, while gutting a big boar you open the bladder and get boar piss in the body cavity you're in trouble. (Unless you LIKE the taste of ammonia)

I've seen things you could hardly credit a hunter doing and I've seen all of the above, more than once.

Hang the carcass. Age it for a few days. Treat it like it's going in your mouth at some point. Don't bandsaw: bone it out. Package it properly and eat it withing the expiration date. I use a bag sealer and the meat is uniformly excellent when it comes out of the freezer. If you have to use a butcher, don't give him the carcass with dirt or hair on it. Guess where that dirt and hair will end up?

 

[easymoney]

IMHO, absolutely not for hog hunting. I have found .45 bullets in the shield of wild pigs before. For self protection the spray and pray does work, but not for hunting purposes. Hogs are tough and warrant .30 cal rifle...

 

[Rex.]

That's what I was thinking 410. The person who told me about the castrating thing mentioned that the meat would foul and smell like piss. My first thought was "yeah if ya rupture the bladder" but since he's my girlfriends grandfather I kept my mouth shut and gave it credence out of respect of his wisdom.

I see your point Money, My Z5 is .50 cal (.45 with sabot). Packed with 100 grains of 777 it has some sick ballistic potential. I can even load as much as 150 grains of powder but feel that the four foot flame at the muzzle is an indication of wasted propellant.

 

[Fugaloo]

I use a small rubberband around the top of the bladder before I cut it out. Makes for a good piss balloon to throw at your buddies afterward. A small medical clamp wold do the same thing and be easier to apply. Taking a small rag to place around the top of it to soak up the few drops that escape is not a bad idea either. That hog piss is something else. Hard enough to wash off your own skin, impossible to get off the meat.

 

[Rex.]

PISS BALLOON!?! Oh yeah! My brother in-law is defiantly getting hit with one of those.