Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Best place (anatomically) to shoot a wild hog?

Rost, I agree, if you don't have a head shot, take the shot that is offered. I was just mentioning how seemingly everyone on here is an expert head shooter, yet seldom hit them in the head. That was all I was saying. Flinch

Guys if he is hunting at night I would assume he is getting close. A head shot wouldn't be hard and it is instant death. That said as long as you stay in front of the crease in the rear of the front shoulder death should come very quickly. I have made and seen shots ranging from one so square in the ear hole there was no entrance wound, to quartering away right in front of the hip bullet stopping at the base of the neck opposite side that were DRT. This is the earhole

sorry the pic is small it was a cell phone pic, didn't have a camera.

head shot 192yds half way up the snout centered between the eyes

Back when I was a poor grad student, we regularly shot a hog or two on the ranches on which we worked to have meat in the freezer. There was a Mexican family on one of the ranches who liked to eat feral hogs and I used to shoot one for them two or three times a year. I used only head shots to avoid ruining good meat. After the first two or three, the father approached me and asked, "Could you shoot them somewhere besides in the head? You're ruining all of our tamale meat!"

After that, I used neck shots on the hogs for the Villareal family.

I prefer to shoot the young ones in the head as a gut shot porker is pretty vile to clean...And I like the eat the young ones.

Otherwise I will shoot them anywhere thats a killing shot as we are trying to get rid of them, but its impossible. even trapping doesn't work..The only way it works is if all your neighbors work on them also...I hunt on my sisters ranch in Texas and you will see 50 to a 100 every morning and evening. I'll be tuning them up in May this year as I have to go to my grandsons graduation, so will stop for some days of hog shoot'en.

My favorite gun is a 6x45, but in one pasture I use my 300 H&H as I can reach way out yonder and tap them..In another pasture thats bottom land and thick brush so I use my 25-35 most of the time...