[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Carry Enough Gun (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 2/4/2009 12:23:21 PM EDT
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Quick version of something that happened this past weekend.
Neck shot a 275+ Russian hybrid at about 125 yardswith a 150 gr core-lokt. Watched him flop twice and squealed for about 15 seconds then stopped. Watched him lay un moving for about 2 minutes. Walked toward the kill site and the path to it is obscured by a clump of cedars. About 25 yards from the drop site, a 275+ neck shot pig charges through the cedars at me.{ I am glad I peed earlier} I dropped{and by dropped I mean tossed to the side} the .22 handgun I was holding to finish him off if he needed it and went straight to the LR308 and pumped two more into him from about 15 yards in his shoulder/rib area. DRT for real this time. None of 150gr Core-lokt rounds exited.The neck shot turned in and got a lung, and the other two hit vitals and stopped.{ no it was not the "shield" just a very dense, thick pig} Something to think about when "handgunning" hogs. The best part of this is{ other than not getting neutered as a hogs last defiant act} is my lovely wife suggested that I get a more appropiate handgun to carry in the woods. I have a .44mag with a 3 inch barrel, but will be getting a Super Redhawk in .44mag with a 6.5-8 inch barrel  She also sagely suggested that I leave the .22 for trapped hogs, advice I will take to heart.
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Sounds to me like Remington's economy line 150gr Core-lokt was a bad choice for hogs.
I've used Federal's 180gr Nosler Partition for past several seasons with excellent results... damn accurate too. BTW. I always walk up to downed game with my Colt 1911A1 loaded with Hornady 45ACP +P with 230gr XTP ready. |
I can not use partition rounds at work. The core-lokts have performed great.{over 100 times this year} This is just an ancedote to make the point of sometimes they do not do what they are supposed to do I do not believe it was a case of bullet failure as much as it was a case of a very ornery boar.
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I can not use partition rounds at work. The core-lokts have performed great.{over 100 times this year} This is just an ancedote to make the point of sometimes they do not do what they are supposed to do I do not believe it was a case of bullet failure as much as it was a case of a very ornery boar.Wow, you get to shoot hogs for work?! Pretty sweet job. |
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I had a similar situation happen to me.
I got charged in October '07... heavy brush prevented the 00 buck from taking down this decent sized sow that I crossed paths with. An hour later I jumped her again, laying up under a cedar, wounded with a nasty gut/hind quarter wound. As I was emptying what was left of my Benelli into her, she turned toward me and charged. I drew down and it took a whole mag of .40 from my USP to stop her. Really should have been .357 or better - the .40, not so good. I was not even hunting at the time... just scouting some blind locations. My buddy at our hunting camp was wondering what the hell was going on. Shootout with a whole sounder? When I got back to camp he was gearing up to come find me. Very exciting and very educational - when they are wounded and you are standing where they want to go - big rounds count. The pic shows the trajectory of the .40 rounds as she was coming at me... her other side had some that walked up her jaw and neck. The big wound was the finisher with the Benelli. The skull still has a .40 slug rattling around in it. 
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I've never been "charged" by a hog but I did have few run by me.
I think a lot of "charges" are actually hogs just trying to run away and not knowing the hunter is standing there... maybe they just think the hunter is a tree. I know hogs have terrible sights so I think they just don't see the hunter when in hurry to run away. |
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I've never been "charged" by a hog but I did have few run by me. I think a lot of "charges" are actually hogs just trying to run away and not knowing the hunter is standing there... maybe they just think the hunter is a tree. I know hogs have terrible sights so I think they just don't see the hunter when in hurry to run away. Their eyesight is a WHOLE lot better than you think. Their night vision is pretty bad but in daylight or twilight they see just fine out to 100+ yards. This was a single ,mature boar, and the fact that as I was turning and shuffling to get a profile shot, he kept turning with me and advancing. This is the first one to charge me{ other than trapped boars, who will charge the cage at you} and I agree if it is a sounder full of juveniles and sows, they generally do not charge. Anyway , do not be fooled by the "bad eyesight" myth. |
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i took a shot at a pretty big sow with my 6.8 spc about a month ago. in my excitement, i waited about a min before tearing after her through the brush and following a heavy blood trail. turned in to about a 3 hr tracking extravaganza with me on my hands and knees crawling through switch cane so thick you couldn't see your feet if you stood up...
came in to a clearing and she "charged" me from like 15 yrs to my left. let me tell ya, scared me shitless.... i pulled the trigger, safety was on, screamed fuck as i flipped the safety off and took 5 shots as she was running at and by me... she was coming straight for me, the first shot was a miss and she side stepped a little and passed within 2 ft of my right leg. 2nd 3rd and 4th shots were misses. i finally snapped her neck with my 5th shot. good thing cuz it was my last round lol. i had 2 buddies with me that were helping me track her. we had lost the trail and were resorting to spreading out just a tad and walking through the brush to try and come up on her. she came from infront of where they were walking so i feel like she was merely running away from them, not charging me. i was in full camo too, so my outline was pretty broken up which backs up this idea too. but goddam was i scared though. |
| oh and fyi i was shooting hornady vmax's on that hunt. they didnt do shit. my first shot was a lung shot, barely made it in to the chest cavity. ive read stories of SSA pro hunters going through 2 hogs standing close to each other. so anybody with a 6.8 dont buy vmaxs for hogs, theyre ok on deer (so ive read) except for shoulder shots and dont work for hogs. |
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oh and fyi i was shooting hornady vmax's on that hunt. they didnt do shit. my first shot was a lung shot, barely made it in to the chest cavity. ive read stories of SSA pro hunters going through 2 hogs standing close to each other. so anybody with a 6.8 dont buy vmaxs for hogs, theyre ok on deer (so ive read) except for shoulder shots and dont work for hogs. They say the Barnes TSX bullets work well also you can get them already loaded from SSA or roll your own. |
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I've never been "charged" by a hog but I did have few run by me. I think a lot of "charges" are actually hogs just trying to run away and not knowing the hunter is standing there... maybe they just think the hunter is a tree. I know hogs have terrible sights so I think they just don't see the hunter when in hurry to run away. Their eyesight is a WHOLE lot better than you think. Their night vision is pretty bad but in daylight or twilight they see just fine out to 100+ yards. This was a single ,mature boar, and the fact that as I was turning and shuffling to get a profile shot, he kept turning with me and advancing. This is the first one to charge me{ other than trapped boars, who will charge the cage at you} and I agree if it is a sounder full of juveniles and sows, they generally do not charge. Anyway , do not be fooled by the "bad eyesight" myth. This is absolutely correct! Hogs have very good eyesight out to a certain distance. Night vision (from my experience) is not as good as some other animals (Deer, Coons, etc) that have a "tapetum" layer in the back of the eye...but they still manage to get around. IMO, a hogs sense of sight (for detecting danger) is number 3 on the list. Not that they don't see well....but owing to the fact they more often use their sense of smell (olfactory) and sense of hearing (excellent) to warn of possible danger. Hogs do see things just fine, but in my experience...it takes "movement" to attract their attention. Even when hogs do see something.....they will often try to "confirm" the suspected danger by "listening" or by "smelling" it too. A hog may see something and simply dismiss it...if it doesn't move. If you add in "noise"...you might still get away with it (if not an un-natural sound...or not too loud), BUT.... you let a hog smell you....and its GAME OVER! Hogs are "rooters" and often have their heads low to the ground rooting/searching for food. It is possible to approach them under these conditions without being detected for awhile, this is why many people think they can not see well. It is pure myth! |
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bigger the hole, the better. Thats why I shoot a .50
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg274/RUGrendel/2009_0125ftx0006.jpg |
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big +1 for the Silver tips... I run them in my m1a and bolt gun with good results. We jokingly refer to them as werewolf killers because of their appearance. I am amazed at their capability. Have shot in 243,270,30-06 and 308. have yet to try in my 300 ultra mag. I know this is a hog forum, but capped a doe this past Nov. at about 130 yards with my 243. Dropped right were she stood. When went to field dress, had a fist sized exit hole. I made a great shot and heart exploded. Not sure if dropped where stood from the heart shot, or the extreme trauma fist sized hole. Either way, I lIke. None of the deer I have shot, have went more than 15 yards at the farthest. Have done well on hogs and coyotes also. |
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MAN!!! All these stories really wanna make me go hog huntin!
I haven't had a critter try to eat me for a few years but I'm feelin the need these past few weeks. My last bit of excitement was with a very large bull shark, nipple deep on a flat, a shirt pocket full of shrimp and about 200yds from the beach. When your about a rod length away from a fish thats 2x the length of your rod, you tend to become a cephlapod and leave a inky cloud in your wake. |
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How/Where do you go hog hunting? I have never been hunting... mostly because the idea of sitting in a box for hours with a rifle with only 5 shots sounds incredibly boring. Hog hunting sounds more interesting though... Definitely more choices for weaponry. Has anyone tried 7.62x39mm Brown Bear Soft Points? I know it is cheap, Russian ammo... but I did some terminal ballistics experiments with it in ballistics gelatin and it seemed to have great penetration and expansion... If I were to go hog hunting, I would probably consider using that, with a backup being a 1911. |
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How/Where do you go hog hunting? I have never been hunting... mostly because the idea of sitting in a box for hours with a rifle with only 5 shots sounds incredibly boring. Hog hunting sounds more interesting though... Definitely more choices for weaponry.
Has anyone tried 7.62x39mm Brown Bear Soft Points? I know it is cheap, Russian ammo... but I did some terminal ballistics experiments with it in ballistics gelatin and it seemed to have great penetration and expansion... If I were to go hog hunting, I would probably consider using that, with a backup being a 1911. Pick something else as a back up. The 45ACP is fine ifyou are shooting one in a trap, but if you have a big one charge you want something that will penetrate through the side . |
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How/Where do you go hog hunting? I have never been hunting... mostly because the idea of sitting in a box for hours with a rifle with only 5 shots sounds incredibly boring. Hog hunting sounds more interesting though... Definitely more choices for weaponry.
Has anyone tried 7.62x39mm Brown Bear Soft Points? I know it is cheap, Russian ammo... but I did some terminal ballistics experiments with it in ballistics gelatin and it seemed to have great penetration and expansion... If I were to go hog hunting, I would probably consider using that, with a backup being a 1911. Pick something else as a back up. The 45ACP is fine ifyou are shooting one in a trap, but if you have a big one charge you want something that will penetrate through the side . because we all know feral hogs charge sideways........ 
of course if youre blading at 45 you might be able to get the side...
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: How/Where do you go hog hunting? I have never been hunting... mostly because the idea of sitting in a box for hours with a rifle with only 5 shots sounds incredibly boring. Hog hunting sounds more interesting though... Definitely more choices for weaponry. Has anyone tried 7.62x39mm Brown Bear Soft Points? I know it is cheap, Russian ammo... but I did some terminal ballistics experiments with it in ballistics gelatin and it seemed to have great penetration and expansion... If I were to go hog hunting, I would probably consider using that, with a backup being a 1911. Pick something else as a back up. The 45ACP is fine ifyou are shooting one in a trap, but if you have a big one charge you want something that will penetrate through the side . because we all know feral hogs charge sideways........ of course if youre blading at 45 you might be able to get the side... What this blading at 45 everyone speaks of? It seems to be a popular phrase... but I have no idea what it means. |
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How/Where do you go hog hunting? I have never been hunting... mostly because the idea of sitting in a box for hours with a rifle with only 5 shots sounds incredibly boring. Hog hunting sounds more interesting though... Definitely more choices for weaponry.
Has anyone tried 7.62x39mm Brown Bear Soft Points? I know it is cheap, Russian ammo... but I did some terminal ballistics experiments with it in ballistics gelatin and it seemed to have great penetration and expansion... If I were to go hog hunting, I would probably consider using that, with a backup being a 1911. Pick something else as a back up. The 45ACP is fine ifyou are shooting one in a trap, but if you have a big one charge you want something that will penetrate through the side . because we all know feral hogs charge sideways........
of course if youre blading at 45 you might be able to get the side...
Shoot many hogs? I do. I kill more in any given year than you will in your life. If a large boar is coming at you , the head is a very small target. You will want to shuffle and try for a profile shot. I have seen trapped hogs shot with a .45ACP{ not by me} 6 times in the side and neck and just go beserk in the trap.I finished this one with a .22 to the head. Just out of curiosity I opened this fairly small sow {150ish} and found that while the rib shots hit organs, they did not do enough damage to kill it very quickly. Bring enough gun. |
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How/Where do you go hog hunting? I have never been hunting... mostly because the idea of sitting in a box for hours with a rifle with only 5 shots sounds incredibly boring. Hog hunting sounds more interesting though... Definitely more choices for weaponry.
Has anyone tried 7.62x39mm Brown Bear Soft Points? I know it is cheap, Russian ammo... but I did some terminal ballistics experiments with it in ballistics gelatin and it seemed to have great penetration and expansion... If I were to go hog hunting, I would probably consider using that, with a backup being a 1911. Pick something else as a back up. The 45ACP is fine ifyou are shooting one in a trap, but if you have a big one charge you want something that will penetrate through the side . because we all know feral hogs charge sideways........
of course if youre blading at 45 you might be able to get the side...
Shoot many hogs? I do. I kill more in any given year than you will in your life. If a large boar is coming at you , the head is a very small target. You will want to shuffle and try for a profile shot. I have seen trapped hogs shot with a .45ACP{ not by me} 6 times in the side and neck and just go beserk in the trap.I finished this one with a .22 to the head. Just out of curiosity I opened this fairly small sow {150ish} and found that while the rib shots hit organs, they did not do enough damage to kill it very quickly. Bring enough gun. easy there killer...just making a funny..... But yes I have been charged once about 2 years ago, Glock .45 acp took 3 shots to put it down. I will continue to carry my 1911 as my backup, although i respect your opinion. |
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Sorry, not trying to be a dick. I posted this as a PSA type of post and noobs hunting hogs should not have the false sense of security a handgun designed for thin skinned people would give them against a 350lb thick skinned boar.
I kill plenty of hogs{big ones as well} with the .22 pistol I usually carry into the woods with me. These are in traps and you have plenty of time to get the shot between the eyes without having to avoid the buisness end of the pig. New hunters { and old hands as well} should carry enough gun to punch the hog through the vitals if it goes south on you. I REALLY did not expect a neck shot { with a 150gr .308 no less} hog to get up and charge. I am very LUCKY the little voice whispered "take the rifle" because while I am a good shot, and have killed many pigs with the .22 in my hand that day, it was most definately not enough gun. As a resule of that day my beautiful and smarter better half sagely suggested I get a more appropiate handgun. I will be getting a Super Redhawk 454Casul with the 7.5 inch barrel. Always bring enough gun
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So... unless you want to pack a Desert Eagle... You pretty much need to get into the revolver category for a hog-hunting handgun? Stuff like .357Mag, 44Mag, etc? That would be my suggestion. Go with hard cast bullets, not hollow points. You want penetration more than expansion. A 10mm with hard cast bullets would probably work. |
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Hoji....I think a few people here are not connecting with the point you have been trying to make.
I agree completely with "Use Enough Gun", especially when that weapon may be needed to STOP a hog. There is a huge difference between what is adequate to "kill" a hog (eventually) and what is required to STOP a hog (right here, right now)! (assuming decent shot placement) Day in and day out....simply having a tree or some other structure you can reach (before the hog reaches you) is your best bet. Generally speaking....a hog charge is not a protracted event. They will normally make a "pass" at you and leave it at that (unless they get you down). If you are unfortunate enough to be charged...with no where to go...then my best advice is to stand your ground (DO NOT RUN). Try to side step the animal once it is "committed" to the attack (at the last moment). Of course, any shots you can get on the animal prior that....is a desirable thing. The penalty for not having enough gun....or being caught out in the open can be severe. Most hogs will run if given a chance....but a Sow with piglets....or Boars attending estrous sows can be dangerous and unpredictable. Sows like to knock you down and "bite", they have very powerful jaws and can easily crush the bones in your arm. Boars don't need any explanation, we all know they stay "open for business". 
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You are absolutely correct Flintknapper. The other exception is a large boar that did not die llike he was supposed to and is wounded The one from my original post kept turning to me when I shuffled for a profile shot. There is no doubt in my mind that if I had waited 5 more minutes before checking the body, I would have found him dead 100 yards or so from where he originally fell, just as there is no doubt in my mind that he would have neutered me if I had started pumping .22s into him and stood my ground. Likewise if I had tried to run.{ I am recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and it is only about 60-70% good}
I am really glad that some people are getting my reason for this thread. 
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I have seen a hog with 5 .308 165gr. BTSP's in him get up and charge before with 3 of those shots being put in him from under 50 yards. That was one that more or less died at my feet. I enjoy hunting hogs with an AR, but there are definitely times when I am a little nervous about stopping one hell bent on getting to me, though my experience backs up what others have said. Most of the time, unless you are talking about a boar, they are just trying to get by you. I had a group run by me so close one time they stepped on the rifle I had dropped at my feet to switch to my AR and not a one actually touched me.
To comment on the original shot, never trust a neck shot. Unless the spinal cord is severed they arent going to be very incapacitated. They will go down due to the hydrostatic shock on the spine causing a temporary paralysis, but you had better believe they will be back up for more given some time. |
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I have seen a hog with 5 .308 165gr. BTSP's in him get up and charge before with 3 of those shots being put in him from under 50 yards. That was one that more or less died at my feet. I enjoy hunting hogs with an AR, but there are definitely times when I am a little nervous about stopping one hell bent on getting to me, though my experience backs up what others have said. Most of the time, unless you are talking about a boar, they are just trying to get by you. I had a group run by me so close one time they stepped on the rifle I had dropped at my feet to switch to my AR and not a one actually touched me.
To comment on the original shot, never trust a neck shot. Unless the spinal cord is severed they arent going to be very incapacitated. They will go down due to the hydrostatic shock on the spine causing a temporary paralysis, but you had better believe they will be back up for more given some time. Agreed! Had that happen to me early this Jan. Dark night with no ambient light out with the fog starting to move in. I couldn't get prone due to some bushes, so I leaned up against the legs of my deer stand and took a neck shot with a 60g NP (165yards). Hog dropped in his tracks, like putting one in his earhole. I hunted for maybe 15-20 min before returning to the hog. His ass was gone when I went back for him. A little uneasy feeling set in when I realized I frogot my white light, and couldn't really see shit with night vision due to the mist and fog. 2 days later ordered a .50 beowulf. 
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I don't trust anyshot That is why I approach all downed pigs with a handgun in hand. In this case it just was not enough{ soon to be rectified} This pig did give all indications of being dead{ I mentioned I kill hundreds per year} Shot in the neck, flopped twice, squealed for 20-30 seconds and abruptly stopped, and did not move for 2-3 minutes.
Since they are not being processed for consumption I may start putting a second round in them before I get out of the stand if they are really large. |
| I've been carrying my 1911, mainly because it is my regular carry gun, so I have more recent practice with getting it into action than my revolver. Loaded with 230 grain JHP, but this thread has me thinking that maybe some FMJ's might be a better idea. Any thoughts? |
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I've been carrying my 1911, mainly because it is my regular carry gun, so I have more recent practice with getting it into action than my revolver. Loaded with 230 grain JHP, but this thread has me thinking that maybe some FMJ's might be a better idea. Any thoughts? Bigger hand gun. If you are going to carry a .45 ACP, hot FMJs, but I would not trust it to put down a big one charging at you. Have a tree nearby ., |
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I carry a .480 Ruger as my backup gun. I give them plenty of time after the shot, if they run off. I’m not interested in getting filleted by an injured/angry boar. They can move through the thick under brush a hell of a lot faster than I can.
I was glad when this boy went down and stayed down 
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Nice boar 223! What did he tip the scales at? I wish I knew. He was bigger than me and I go about 210. 
That boar will go well North of 325lbs. and is sporting what looks to be 4" cutters. A very good Boar anywhere, good job Sir! A picture prior to field dressing would reveal his true size/girth, fine specimen...and not one you'd want to tangle with. |
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Nice boar 223! What did he tip the scales at? I wish I knew. He was bigger than me and I go about 210.
That boar will go well North of 325lbs. and is sporting what looks to be 4" cutters. A very good Boar anywhere, good job Sir! A picture prior to field dressing would reveal his true size/girth, fine specimen...and not one you'd want to tangle with. Thanks Flintknapper. He is the biggest so far. 
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The original post reminds me of a book written by a professional hunter in Africa back in the bad old days (1900-1940). Sometime in the early 20s he was on safari with a pair of British gentlemen, back when this meant going out by wagons (NOT cars) for a month plus.
He had warned one of them to make sure the animal was down several times over a few days, and the guy hadn't quite caught on yet. One of the bigger antelopes (Eland? Maybe kudu?) has extremely sharp hooves and horns, and he had shot one for meat (feeding all the servants and guides, etc). Ignoring the advice, he advanced on the animal with his double now unloaded. Walking up, he got close and the not quite dead antelope nearly gutted him with a sweep of it's hooves. He dove clear and they shot it several more times. After that, he would never get near any animal he shot without giving it a "one more for sure" BLAM! from his .600 Nitro, and even then, poking it with his rifle or a stick to make sure when he got close. Once was enough for him...... I've never gotten to pig hunt yet, though I'm going soon. Rifle will be a .44 Marlin and pistol a .45 Glock, because it's what I have available, and support fire will not be a problem. (Multiple other heavy caliber shooters around). And I won't trust any pig's dead till it's proven DEAD. |
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I've never been "charged" by a hog but I did have few run by me. I think a lot of "charges" are actually hogs just trying to run away and not knowing the hunter is standing there... maybe they just think the hunter is a tree. I know hogs have terrible sights so I think they just don't see the hunter when in hurry to run away. I was charged by a big sow in December 2007. How do I know it was a charge? My son had wounded it, and it was running along behind a small sounder, along a fence line. I was about 50 ft off the path of these hogs, hoping for clear shot. The wounded sow saw me, turned and charged. I only had time for one shot, and tried to put a 44 mag JSP between her eyes, I missed and hit the sow in the neck, about 2 inches off center, right behind the skull. It didn't phase her, and I thought I'd missed completely until later when we were skinning it. I jumped out of the way and the hog went past me and was turning when I put a second 44 slug into it's shoulder. That stopped the charging but didn't kill the hog, we tracked it into a thicket where my son killed it with his 30-30. I was using a S&W 629, shooting heavy handloads with a Speer 270gr Gold Dot JSP. I shot 4 rounds that day, all four connected, One was a shot thru the ribs of a 100# hog, and was a pass thru. The other 3 hit hogs in the head, neck, and shoulder. None of these 3 penetrated more than 3 or 4 inches. I have been shooting hard cast slugs since. The second hog from the left is the one that charged. 
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I carry a .480 Ruger as my backup gun. I give them plenty of time after the shot, if they run off. I’m not interested in getting filleted by an injured/angry boar. They can move through the thick under brush a hell of a lot faster than I can. I was glad when this boy went down and stayed down http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii166/223Pitbull/hog3.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii166/223Pitbull/hog1.jpg Awesome boar! I wish I could hunt them. |