I'm leaving for a feral hog hunt in SE Georgia next week. I've got some last-minute trepidations.
I'm planning on taking a few rifles, so I have a choice. One of them will be a Ruger Model 44 in 44 Mag, for the tighter venues where I'll be hunting them over bait and the range will be 40 yards or so. My question is in regards to this rifle and the loads I've currently got for it.
I'm currently shooting 240 grain Hornady XTP's over H110. These did well on deer. I drilled a nice buck with it a couple of weeks ago. However, a couple of times I've mentioned this load folks have turned up their noses-- bullet not strong enough, etc.
My question to y'all is this, do you see any problem launching 240 grain Hornady XTP's at the hogs? Do you see any problem with any particular shot, i.e. in the ear, between the eyes, or in the boiler room?
It will work fine. I routinely kill them with 40-77gr bullets in 223 with chest shots. This one succumbed to a 25gr Hornady out of the 17 Rem last week. Hog “shields” and double plated skulls are largely bullschit.
No problem at all. Hogs don't take much killing. My favorite aiming point is in the neck area in front of the shoulder and slightly behind and under the ear. Pretty big target and they normally just drop and paddle. Looks from the picture up above from The Kid that he shot that one where I normally try to shoot them. Their lungs sit a little further towards the front than a deer so if you are going to shoot them behind the shoulder make sure it is up very tight behind the shoulder.
You’ll have no issues at all with that setup. Head, neck, or chest will end with a dead hog. Like others have mentioned a forward shoulder shot is devastating. I’ve used the 240gr xtp with great results out of my S&W 629.
If it already works for you don't sweat it. Just shoot as precisely as you can. Good luck and Be Well. Rustyzipper.
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. Winston Churchill.
I don't kill as many pigs as some, but it generally exceeds 30 per year. I almost exclusively use a 7x57, but I've killed them with my .444, .30-30, a .30-06, .308, .270, .260, and probably a few more that I can't remember. I haven't shot any with a .44, although I've often thought how the 77/44 is probably as close to the perfect pig setup for shots within 125 yards as you can get. As has been said, just make sure you're careful about shot placement. No cartridge or caliber will compensate for a poorly placed shot, especially if you're going to be hunting terrain in which a wounded animal can disappear within fifteen or twenty feet of being hit. I mostly use a CNS shot or break the shoulders. Both will result in the classic drop-and-paddle.
Good hunting!
RM
"An archer sees how far he can be from a target and still hit it, a bowhunter sees how close he can get before he shoots." It is certainly easy to use that same line of thinking with firearms. -- Unknown
Nope, it will bounce off the shoulder shield. You'll need a solid, for sure.
"An archer sees how far he can be from a target and still hit it, a bowhunter sees how close he can get before he shoots." It is certainly easy to use that same line of thinking with firearms. -- Unknown
shot placement and penetration, not power, is the key to success. Anything with a TTSX works well. A .260 with a 100 gr TTSX, .308 with 130 TTSX, or .308 with 175 SMK are what I use most often and all work well.
The .243 with an 80 TTSX has worked well enough, but is the only Barnes bullet that has failed to exit.
The .44 Mag tends not to penetrate consistently on the larger pigs from personal experience.
What are your other options?
If you can reliably make the shot, aim for the base of ear, otherwise go for the base of the neck down 1/3 to 1/2 from the top of the back.
My question to y'all is this, do you see any problem launching 240 grain Hornady XTP's at the hogs? Do you see any problem with any particular shot, i.e. in the ear, between the eyes, or in the boiler room?
I dunno..Ive killed a couple dozen with a .223...only one with a .44
I think its cause I only used the .44 on one...
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
No problem at all. Hogs don't take much killing. My favorite aiming point is in the neck area in front of the shoulder and slightly behind and under the ear. Pretty big target and they normally just drop and paddle. Looks from the picture up above from The Kid that he shot that one where I normally try to shoot them. Their lungs sit a little further towards the front than a deer so if you are going to shoot them behind the shoulder make sure it is up very tight behind the shoulder.
What he said. Or between the eyes about 1" high if they're looking your way.
I am..........disturbed.
Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain
Don't sweat it. Shouldn't be an issue. Ive used all kinds of stuff before...lost some with some big bore stuff, dropped some in track with 22lr sub-sonics. All about shot placement. Slay them all!!