I got lost a couple times trying to find this place in the dark last Friday night. This hunting lodge is way back in the mountains south west of Breezewood, Pennsylvania headed toward the Mason-Dixon line. Plenty of curvy and steep roads with missing road signs. But once I arrived, I found the lodge to be fairly new and decorated with dozens of taxidermy mounts of exotic game animals. Several friendly hunters were present but I had my own room with comfortable bed.

Saturday morning breakfast was announced at 6:30AM. After a large breakfast we split into groups of 5 hunters and were driven to the 500 acre hunting preserve via Kawasaki Mules. We hiked quite a bit before finding any hogs. Some of it was very steep and tiring. I shot my hog at about 10:30AM. It was a 50 yard walking shot in timber. My 200 grain bullet (35 Remington core-lokt) tore through the chest and the animal rolled down the steep slope until a tree was struck. A huge exit hole was noted. It never knew what happened. We used a cable winch to pull it up the slope where the hog could be transported with the Kawasaki Mule. Estimated live weight: 185 lbs.

One of the guys hunted with a Ruger 44 MAG revolver shooting hollow tip bullets. He shot his hog 5 times to down it and once to finish the job. He was extremely disgusted with this bad performance. The bullets penetrated very poorly through the thick chest wall. I strongly recommend do not hunt hogs with hollow tip revolver bullets! Years ago, Elmer Keith said the same thing.

Later on, the guides took us back to the barn where our hogs were skinned and quartered by professional butchers. Then a big hot lunch was served. I was home by 5PM.

This is a high fence hunting operation named Whispering Hollows. It’s basically a “canned hunt” but I had a good time, met new friends, and came home with much meat. No criticism from me.

Sherwood

Meat in the freezer is meat in the freezer. Did the same in NC a few years ago. Great rifle. Hoping to add it's twin to my safe this year.

Works for me! Good looking rifle, sir!

that place is near my camp. i've been thinking about a hog hunt down there.

Having a great time is what it is all about!

Nice hog, and you took it with a rifle and caliber I like!

Congrats.

Congrats on the piggie! We hunted in TN for boars years ago; took my first one with a .44 mag revolver and Speer 240 grain SWC (Speer no longer makes these......pity). I took another hog with a cast 245 grain SWC; that hog (a big sow) didn't take more than three or four steps before collapsing. The bullet didn't penetrate all the way through (She had about 3" of fat on her).
My friend shot a large boar with a .30/30 Winchester...the first bullet didn't kill it, and when we skinned it out, we saw why. The "gristle plate" that is on the shoulder actually caused the bullet to break up!! Pieces got through, but the bullet (a Remington core-lokt, IIRC) was just little pieces of lead and copper. I have heard about the toughness of these "shields", but didn't believe it until I saw this. On this same hunt, I also saw a cross bow bolt BOUNCE OFF of the side of a boar (no penetration)!!! Thought I was seeing things until I looked at the videotape a friend of the hunter was using....we slowed it down and it was as if the bolt was shot into a brick wall.
Again.....congrats on the hog!

hand load a 300 grain cast bullet over 20 grains of H110 with a firm crimp, cast from 95% WW alloy and 5% pure tin and size and lube the projectiles to .431 in that 44 mag and you won,t have that issue come up again

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/51...0-diameter-310-grain-flat-nose-gas-check

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/50...rain-semi-wadcutter-gas-check?cm_vc=S014

http://www.handgunsmag.com/ammo/ammunition_44mag_081005/

Penn Bullets Thunderhead is a good hog bullet. Huge meplat. They don't bounce. Here's the .45 Colt version.

DF

Thunderhead link with discussion.

https://www.pennbullets.com/45/45270tndrhd-review.htm

DF

Say Sherwood, can you post the particulars of the place you hunted? we have a place about an hour north (near Petersburg, PA) and I thought to take my Father-in-Law hunting there. jorge

Must be some t ougher hogs up there for a 44 mag bullet not to work or for a cross bow bolt to bounce....

I've lived around pigs for many years, since the early 80s basically, and shot more than a couple needless to say, there is no magic about them.

Granted the largest we ever took only bottomed a 350 or appx scale, I know it was over 300 pound scale, shot wiht a 42 pound bow and a good head.. in the heart, and the tip actually penetrated the ribs on the off side though it did not make it out the hide. The "shield" which is only cartilage, was 2.5 inches thick at the thickest part.

22 Lr is all you really need if you have patience and know anatomy and shot placement.

quite a few years ago i was hunting a crossbreed feral hog strain on the dove creek ranch north of chico calif. These were a cross of a domestic hog gone feral and russian boar. Big tuskers.
Prior to going in the field we had to answer questions on the kind of gun to be used, and had to demonstrate our capability. Mine was a 30.06 pushing a nosler 150grain at about 3000fps.
I asked the guide about it, and he told stories about improper hits or weak calibers. The one i remember is a guy insisting on using a .44magnum pistol. He did hit a hog, it charged him and he was firing as it came to him. He tripped and was on his back when the hog dropped dead between his legs.
My hog i shot at about 35yards or so, he was sucking the guts out of a dead cow. I hit him good, knocked him over in fact when the bullet impacted. The sucker crawled on his belly back to the cow. I let off another one at point blank range and it still took him some time to die.
He got me again yesterday as the mount fell off the wall and hit me in the noggin, above my desk.
He was in the 300 pound plus range. Just from memory dressed weight was around 170 pounds. I would never underestimate them.
as to those lee 310grain 44 bullets, i put one through 7gallon filled milk jugs last month, going to do it again with about 15of them, curious to see where the bullet will stop.
as to the penn bullets i have loaded that whiskey barrel bullet with the big metplate in .357 and .38. Nasty bullet.
Love the .35caliber bullets, have a remington pump in .35rem, a 350rem mag, and a 358norma mag.
as to the hog i shot, he did have that russian strain in him, they liked to rub on pine trees and the sap in the hair was more armor. That could account for some of their tuffness.

Id point out that GETTING THE BULLET ALLOY correct with 95% WW alloy and 5% pure TIN BY WEIGHT (TRY NOT TO BE CHEAP ON THAT 5% TIN, IT DOES make a good bit of difference in the bullet retaining weight and yet expanding, yeah you can use some other alloy but you might not get the same consistent and dependable results

http://www.whisperinghollows.com/