Originally Posted by Dirtfarmer
Originally Posted by Mikewriter

Dirt Farmer - .22 mag is a little light for much hog hunting, but probably a good choice with dogs. Too many times a .44 mag will go through the hog and kill or injure dogs. O course, most of the dog guys now want to just use a knife. (Not me!)

Mike

Mike,

This isn't my main hog gun. But for handy, light packing, it's good. I've killed and have seen killed numerous hogs with a .17 HMR using FMJ's. You gotta hit'em right, but it's amazing what that little round will do.

My .17 HMR is a serious rifle, an Annie 1717. My buddy's .17 HMR is a plastic Salvage that we use on hogs. I'll take this plastic T bolt places where Annie shouldn't go... blush

I just sighted it in using a makeshift bench, an aluminum patio table. The W/W 40 gr. FMJ, grouped slightly under 2" at 75 yds. The Fed 40 gr. FMJ grouped .8", so no surprise which ammo I'm using.

With (2) 10 shot mags, one in the gun, one in the butt stock, I'm ready to declare hog jihad... laugh



I take it both of yall are in a blind, or have the hogs already penned up or something. Surely you aren't going after them on foot with rimfires?

I wanted to do some ballistics testing yesterday and I put a round from my .338 Federal in a hogs right hind quarter trying to angle through his whole body to come out the opposite side front quarter (if it exited at all) hoping to see how much penetration it would give. He did hit the groud like a ton of bricks, popped up, did the tornado death dance for a Few seconds and then started to limp off when I put another one near his neck... he sped up on his escape and kept on going. Blood everywhere at the site of the little tornado dance, but none beyond that, when tracking him another 2 hogs jumped out from my left. And I dropped one of them with a quartering vitals shot with the .338 Federal. He hit the groud and tried to get up squealing but never could. Guts hanging out one side of him, in a puddle of pink blood. Then I went to the house to get the Pistol because it looked like #1 was either in cedar or shin oak thickets, and it was obvious that the area was crawling with the nasty basards. Came back, and while looking for #1, 2 more pigs flushed from the same general area as #2 came from. They were running off and I dropped a 200gr. Fusion in the slow ones noggin at 40-60 yards. Never found the first one, but got ugly enough looking for it to pick up 2 ticks... the more I use it the more I love that 1.2-5x 36 Zeiss Duralyt scope. When tracking I have it so low I can see the end of the barrel through it... Never found #1 but no doubt he's on the property dead somewhere, but the ranch hands can get $50 for the other 2 tails from the county.



Moral of the story, Hogs are tough. Placement is key. Bigger BB's help, but they can't make up for bad placement... eyeball and ear shots are great, but not always possible offhand at a running animal in thick cover. Its all a compromise.