Author Topic: Pigs N Pistols  (Read 1998 times)

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Offline tonygrz

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Pigs N Pistols
« on: December 21, 2007, 08:42:51 PM »
Hi,

New to this forum.  We haven't seen any ferel hogs on our place but this morning we saw a sow and piglet dead by the side of the road and less than 75 yards from our front gate.  THis the third time we've seen dead hogs near out gate.  I was told that I probably already have hogs on my place I just haven't seen them yet.

So this is the dilemma - I only have shotguns and pistols.  No center fire rifles.  I do have two 357's and one 44 mag.  Will any of these work on feral hogs???  How close do I have to get to the hogs.  I have a 12 inch steel plate on my range and at 25 yards, I can hit all my shots on steel with either gun.  But  back to 50 yards, I'm only effective about 50% of the time.  I really think it's the shooter and not the gun.

If I can get within 50 yards, I'll be able to at least scare them away or even put one in the freezer. 

What are your thoughts on my situation.  Do I need a center fire rifle??  Or can I save my money and use one of the pistols???

Thanks for your responses.

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Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2007, 11:36:54 PM »
44mag is a fine pig gun
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Offline Mikey

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2007, 02:17:00 AM »
tony - Lloyd is quite right, the 44 mag is great for hogs.  The 357 is good for closer shots with heavy slugs.  Save your $ and keep practicing.  Mikey.

Offline rockbilly

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2007, 02:33:08 AM »
Over the years I have taken several hogs with a pistol ranging from a .22 Hornet to the .44 Mag.  My hunting is mostly with a Scoped Contender,  The hog that was taken with the Hornet was a head shot from about 35 yards, a very clean kill with no meat loss. 

I think either gun will do the trick if you can place the bullet in a vital area, or make a head shot.


Offline blhof

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2007, 02:53:57 AM »
One thing to remember is the vital area on a pig is fairly small, so practice and shoot at the distance that you practice.

Offline coop2564

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2007, 04:01:30 AM »
Hogs are very nocturnal you may have them on your property and never see them. As the other have said the 44 is great hog medicine but that shotgun with a load of 000 buckshot is deadly as well at about 35yds and closer or get u some cheap fiber opitic sights and some rifled slugs and probably turn that shotgun into a 75yd hog killing machine.
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Offline ccoker

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2007, 04:49:22 AM »
some good reading:
www.texasboars.com

Offline kennisondan

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2007, 08:08:00 AM »
I agree with all the responses and would add that you can also trap them with a large metal screen trap like a hav a hart trap on steroids.... it could be legal to shoot them at nite in your state, as well .. it is not in La. ... I would thin them out as much as possible, as the compete with and run off most deer herds according to local beleifs...
dk

Offline S.B.

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2007, 09:49:24 AM »
ccoker, great illustration. I assume Russian bore has the same anatomy?
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Offline roger460xvr

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2007, 03:27:38 AM »
THe 44mag will do just Fine..

Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #10 on: December 26, 2007, 03:38:14 AM »
the 44 may be fine but shot placement is everything , while hog hunting saw one shot 7 times ( all in shoulder head area , but none in the Right spot ! I shot mine with the 300 WM and although it never moved it stood for awhile before falling , i had hit the spine or close enough to anchor him . My point is a good shot with a 22RF will drop one where a bad shot from a mag. won't !
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Offline Ken ONeill

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #11 on: December 26, 2007, 11:33:20 AM »
Both the .357 Mag. and .44 Mag. can work well. I much prefer the .44 Mag., and will go so far as to say that nothing is really any better on hogs.

Offline Racer X

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #12 on: December 28, 2007, 05:44:21 AM »
Buy a trail camera and a 50 lb bag of corn. You should also buy a bag of "Hog Wild" attactant to mix with the corn initially. On your land, look for hog sign (tracks, rooted areas). Dump a bucket of corn mixed with the hog wild on the ground and set the camera up nearby. Check corn daily to see if they are eating it. If so, check camera to see what time they are visiting bait site.

After you have patterned the hogs, get there about an hour before you expect them to show up. Get a shotgun loaded with buckshot and duct-tape a flashlight to the barrel. Some pipe insulation on the barrel is good to protect the guns finish from the flashlight during recoil. When you hear them feeding, hit em' with light and be ready to fire quickly.

You might also want to bring a buddy with you to shine a spotlight for improved illumination. Also, hunting hogs at night alone can be "spooky" so the company is reassuring.

After they have been shot at, they will alter their pattern by coming in at different times. Keep baiting and taking date/time stamped photos to keep up with when they are visiting the site.
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Offline blhof

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2007, 06:15:16 AM »
Pigs are pretty smart, even the traps have to be cleaned and moved after one or two catches as they will avoid a trap after a catch is made.  I've seen trappers use a variety of natural and artificial camo and even cover scents on traps with limited success after the first catch, they usually have to leave for a week or two and reset in a different location. Russian boars have the same vital area as feral pigs only somewhat larger, as are the pigs.  In Louisiana years ago I was teased by my fellow hunters, as I usually shot small to medium pigs, until one of them shot a large old boar, great tusks, smelly and hard to clean and meat had to be ground as it was tough and gamey; my pigs were easy to clean, tender and except for less fat, tasted like commercial pork.  Some states have minimum size; if not go for the small to med pigs, unless you are trophy hunting.  I've shot pigs in Florida for developers; in new subdivisions where they will totally destroy a landscaping job in a night, with a crossbow; I could get a second pig as the first pig would run and with no shot, the others froze for a few seconds, like above; one days kill required a relocation or two week wait to try again.

Offline no guns here

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #14 on: January 03, 2008, 02:38:10 AM »
12 gauge slugs... and shoot them all.  Kill the piglets if legal and and then the sows.  Don't worry about the boars.  If you can get rid of the sows, the boars will go elsewhere.  Bait 'em, trap 'em, shoot 'em.  As long as it's legal get them all.  They are a pox and a menace to the native wildlife.  Unfortunately, you will notice (IMO only) that in the future, the hog will become a predominant game animal in the US.  Hogs can and will kill and eat fawns, eggs, chicks, etc...  They can breed at all times of the year and will hav 2-3 litters a year in the right circumstances.  We have seen their range expand dramatically over the past 20 years or so.  Winter doesn't bother the big ones too much.  The summer heat doesn't either if they have water and shade.  Deer hunting is already going the route of the Europeans with pay hunts, pay by the rack hunts and intense management in many areas.  Deer hunting is quickly becoming a "rich man's sport" just like here in Europe.  You have to pay more to shoot a bigger set of antlers.  See the article in the newest North American Hunter.  Hog's, with their proclivity for reproduction and their wide range of suitable habitats will continue their spread.  Eventually they will become a major factor in many more farming and ranching areas.  They will be regarded as a varmint or non-game animal if they aren't already just so more people will kill more of them.  I hunt them as often as I can...  A .308 put's them down nicely.  A .45-70 makes a most satisfying double whack!  Bullet hitting pig, pig hitting ground...  My .376 Steyr will hopefully meet up with one in the next week or two.  I'm thinking a near .375 H&H load will pretty much flatten a sow. I can't afford to kill a keiler (big boar) here, so I have to shoot young ones and sows.  Oh well, they eat good...
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Offline doncisler

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #15 on: January 09, 2008, 11:51:34 AM »
right bullet is as important as calibur.  shot a big feral hog in the gristle shield with .44 and 240gr xtp's.  hit solid three times without effect.  pig turned and i got a shot at angle from rear that put it down.  ones from side were in pieces that really didn't  penetrate.
put em where you want em

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Offline terry

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Re: Pigs N Pistols
« Reply #16 on: January 09, 2008, 01:26:57 PM »
 The right bullet is very important and more so with 357mag. I normally use 180/187gr cast performance loads with my 357mag guns. I have killed many hogs  with this load including one huge boar that was near 300lbs and that's huge around these parts. The normal wild hog around here is 100 to 225lbs live weight unless they are eating on a crop field or someones cattle feeder which does happen time to time. I am going to test out some 255gr and 260gr hard cast loads in my 44mag this weekend hopefully on a wild hog if I get a chance! here is a picture of a beast killed with my 357mag blackhawk at 40 yards. The wild pig topped the scales out around 30 lbs. Sure ate well though and was easy to carry back to the truck.