Some have asked about my choices, in firearms and ammo, for hog hunting. I am a rifle hunter, although on my one trip to Africa, I used a muzzleloader. All rifle hunting is a compromise. One must decide the size, distance, and angle that shots are to be taken and what shots the hunter is willing to make or not make. My hunting is mainly over feeders or ?fed? senderos(similar to pipeline or highline right-of-way). It is all thick chaparral, mesquite, or shin-oak and juniper. The senderos are scouted and corn is spread to keep passing hogs in the open long enough to shoot. The shots can be long, but my max, to date, is around 300yds. That, I suppose, is my first compromise. I mainly hunt for meat pigs. These pigs are 150-200lb fat, non-lactating sows or boars that don?t appear to be the dominant breading boar. While I am not hunting them, if I see a big boar with good ivory, I will shoot one. I want to kill a hog, where he stands, if possible. To date, most all my hogs, shot correctly, have DRT. A few, unfortunately, have run off. Most all of these were shot behind the shoulder. Some were shot there, on purpose, before I learned a hog?s anatomy, and some were just hunting mistakes. I try for an ear/eye/brain/spine shot if they are within 100yds or so. Anything farther than that, I shoot for the ?crease? between the neck and the shoulder. Pigs tend to ?scoot? around, but seldom back up. Any pig shot through the shoulder will generally die within a few feet. If it?s shot 2/3 the way up it will hit the spine. If 1/3 up it will cut the heart/plumbing. I do not think hogs are all that tough or hard to kill. I don?t think that pigs leave a reliable blood trail if they are wounded. The fat and hide cover the holes. If you shoot at a hog, and it runs off, cover the ground for ay least 100yds or so in that direction. I have learned the hard way that a mortally wounded hog can run off and die without it being obvious that it was hit. I think that most hogs that are wounded are shot too high or too far back. The spine of a hog is generally lower in the neck than that of a deer. The vitals of a pig are basically between the shoulders. A deer?s vitals extend considerably behind the shoulders. I do not usually shoot at uninjured hogs running, at extreme angles or THS.
I believe that a hog rifle should deliver around 1300ft/lbs of energy when it hits the pig. This is about the energy of a 20? barrel 30-30 at around 75yds. Some say it takes 1000ft/lbs to kill a deer, some say 1500ftlbs. Some want a minimum of 1500 to kill an elk, some want 2000. Most deer are between deer and elk in size. Although it is truly arbitrary, 1300 is about what I think should be minimum. Because I use my guns to hunt exotic and whitetail deer I use Nosler Partitions. I have found that they are soft enough to open on behind the shoulder shots on deer and will also penetrate both shoulders of a big pig. To be as effective as they are, they destroy a relatively small amount of meat, compared to the standard soft/polytipped bullets. While I use to hunt with a 25-06, I consider the 25s and smaller to be two small for an all around pig gun. They are fine for eye/ear/brain shots; I consider them too small if you?re looking at a big pig in the brush at 150yds. I think that a 260/6.5x55 shooting a 140gn bullet around 2700fps to be a good place to start. The 270 using 140-150s is good as is my favorite the 7x57 Mauser or its twin the 7-08. Mine shoot the 150gn around 2700fps. The 280 is a small step up. The 308, 165s at 2650 or the 30-06, 165s at 2750 are also excellent. My 7x57, 308 and ?06 all carry 1300ftlbs to well over 300yds and are only 7-10? low at that range. The smaller magnums 264, 270,7mm, and 30s, are ok, but not really needed unless your shots are well over 300yds. As for the bigger and slower lever guns 30-30, 35, 375, 444 and 45-70 these are great, if the shots are kept within reasonable ranges. These are my observations and opinions, you may agree or disagree. I would love to hear yours. capt david:shootin-rifle:
I believe that a hog rifle should deliver around 1300ft/lbs of energy when it hits the pig. This is about the energy of a 20? barrel 30-30 at around 75yds. Some say it takes 1000ft/lbs to kill a deer, some say 1500ftlbs. Some want a minimum of 1500 to kill an elk, some want 2000. Most deer are between deer and elk in size. Although it is truly arbitrary, 1300 is about what I think should be minimum. Because I use my guns to hunt exotic and whitetail deer I use Nosler Partitions. I have found that they are soft enough to open on behind the shoulder shots on deer and will also penetrate both shoulders of a big pig. To be as effective as they are, they destroy a relatively small amount of meat, compared to the standard soft/polytipped bullets. While I use to hunt with a 25-06, I consider the 25s and smaller to be two small for an all around pig gun. They are fine for eye/ear/brain shots; I consider them too small if you?re looking at a big pig in the brush at 150yds. I think that a 260/6.5x55 shooting a 140gn bullet around 2700fps to be a good place to start. The 270 using 140-150s is good as is my favorite the 7x57 Mauser or its twin the 7-08. Mine shoot the 150gn around 2700fps. The 280 is a small step up. The 308, 165s at 2650 or the 30-06, 165s at 2750 are also excellent. My 7x57, 308 and ?06 all carry 1300ftlbs to well over 300yds and are only 7-10? low at that range. The smaller magnums 264, 270,7mm, and 30s, are ok, but not really needed unless your shots are well over 300yds. As for the bigger and slower lever guns 30-30, 35, 375, 444 and 45-70 these are great, if the shots are kept within reasonable ranges. These are my observations and opinions, you may agree or disagree. I would love to hear yours. capt david:shootin-rifle:
