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I've killed a lot of hogs over the years, with everything from a .22 LR to .300 Win Mag. I LIKE .300 Savage for hogs, but my favorite hog gun is a suppressed .44 "mag", shooting sub sonic 300-330gr hardcast lead bullets. I like shoulder shots, for a few reasons.

Mike Holmes

I kill the trapped pigs with a suppressed 308 load. 11 grain of trailboss with a 170 grain Nosler Partition made for a 30-30. Makes short work of piggies.

Me too. Remington Corlokt 150gr. Have used .22 magnum ( with solids) .44 mag Marlin carbine, 35 Whelen AI, .280 Remington, 22-250AI, .224 TTH. Head or base of skull ( head/neck junction)

A .223 AR is a great weapon for pig hunting when loaded with 62 grain Barnes bullets!

Same here. I’ve shot more with a 22lr than anything else. Always got an exIt with a 240g in a .44 special so don’t see why a 44mag wouldn’t be more of the same

I used the plain old Federal blue box 308 150 gr sp in an R25 and Steyr Scout. No escapees. Did finish one of the ten with my 45 ACP concealed carry as he was still alive as I walked up. Sprayed blood and gray matter everywhere. He still tasted good. Good luck and Be Well, Rustyzipper.

The 150 GameKing in a 308 does a fine job too.

I just now buttoned up the rifle cases for the trip. We're leaving Monday after I get off shift.

The final:

Ruger Model 44 Carbine w. 44 Mag 240 grain Hornady XTP
Ruger Super Blackhawk (same ammo as above)
Savage 99 in 308 Win w. 165 grain Hornady Interlock
Ruger Hawkeye in 30-06 w. 165 grain Hornady Interlock

I'll keep the Hawkeye in reserve as a backup, preferring to give the others a good airing.


Back in the early 80's, I did my first boar hunting trip with my buddy Jerry. Bob, the prior owner of my Model 44, was not feeling well and didn't go. Jerry picked a Super Blackhawk and his Model 44 for backup. I was a complete newbie. Jerry sold me a Rem 742 in 30-06 that I took on the trip.

Long story short: Jerry decided he didn't trust the scope on the 44 carbine and pulled it off the night before the hunt. He forgot to test the irons. Next morning, Jerry tried to take a boar with the pistol and forgot to put a lead on the trotting animal-- managed to shoot it in the ass. He now had a 3-legged boar trying to kill both him and the guide. Jerry put the pistol away and brought up his carbine. It took a few shots for him to realize the irons were shooting high and to the right by a foot.

Just before he ran out of ammo, Jerry managed to subdue the pig with a shot to the heart. Meanwhile, I was already out at the truck, listening to the firefight from a safe distance. Jerry and the guide came out a half-hour later amid pouring rain. Jerry was pale. The guide's poncho was shredded from where he'd made contact with the pig.

My hope is to take at least one animal with the Model 44 Carbine as both a tribute to Bob, and to prove to myself I can kill a hog with fewer shots than it took Jerry. The Super Blackhawk is Jerry's. I bought it off him the next year. I want bragging rights when I see him again. He died in '92.

Kill'em all!

Have fun doing it!

I've killed a bunch with factory Win 180 grain .30-06 Power Points. Your choices look fine to me.
Bob

Imagine, killing porkers with CB shorts. Your 44 ought'a work. Put the bullet where it counts, and best of luck to you. KILL 'EM ALL!

Dan,
what distance were those shot?
what is the maximum distance that you think a .22 will penetrate a large hog skull with 100% reliability?

I hope you kill a bunch of damn pigs.

Dan what make and model red dot is that?

That's the combo I like, .30-06 and 180 bullets. My favorite is the Speer Hot-Cor, but Sometimes I use my deer load, a 180 SST. When we are out exterminating hogs the 180 in a .30-06 will reliably kill if you take a Texas heart shot with your aim point being the opening directly under the tail.

Hard not to like a 30-06.

That is a Millett SP-1 on the short shooter. Longest shot I've taken was 38 yards, measured after the fact. Broadside through the neck and vertebrae with exit on the offside. Pig was about 75# as I recall.

I still hunt. Most shots have been between 15-25 yards. The boar pictured previously was the only one out of 125+ that required two shots. 1st was behind the ear and did not penetrate the skull. He hardly reacted to it, but after a few moments looked my way and caught one in the forehead. The bullet was found about 6" deep in neck muscle behind the skull.

I don't shoot them thru the neck when they get up much over 125#, at least not with shorts. I dunno what max range with a RF might be. I would be OK out to 50-60 yds I guess. The important thing is to wait for them to drop their snout to minimize the angle at impact.

I strongly suggest one not do this with HP rounds. Their terminal performance sucks when crashing thru heavy bone.

A minor followup on point of where to shoot 'em and where not.

Series of pics follow with intention of clarifying the experience related above on the big porker.

Shot #1: The upper aft quarter of a pig's skull has an exterior and interior structure. In this case the bullet penetrated two layers of bone and lightly fractured the boar's inner skull plate. He looked up, seeming somewhat puzzled and went back to rooting around.


Shot #2: Three views that are self explanatory.






The bullet after it's journey:


Pig anatomy 101:
:

bit of XTP users here. 180 xtp in 10mm Glocks. Have yet to have a deer or pig not die from them. Only been shooting em a few years but really impressed. Everything we shoot with 180 xtps dies and quickly usually.

So much so I've bought them in lots of other calibers since.

Pigs are not hard to kill. Just like deer. Put the bullet where it belongs, dead animal.

I once tested the damage of a 10mm on the heads of two dead hogs. Both were big, domesticated hogs my SIL & friend shot. I just went along for the trip. Both shots were with the hog on its side. First was 230gr HC Doubletap. Complete penetration, lost it in the hard ground. Second was the Doubletap 155 Barnes TAC-X. I found it just hanging in the offside ( one of the "x" petals had grabbed on. The entire skull was shattered inside! Glock 29 factory length aftermarket barrel. Nice!