Hog hunting question.

[nunnya]

Looks as if I'll be going on my first wild hog hunt this January.
I plan on bringing my Marlin carbine and Ruger Redhawk both in .44mag.
Both guns shoot the Hornady 240gr. XTP very accurately.
The pistol chrono's at 1475fps. and the rifle at 1750fps. is this bullet
good for a 300lb. wild boar at 20 to 50yds. max?

     Thanks,
      nunnya

[mikemayberry]

While I have not shot and killed a hog yet I am convinced that the load you are using will work if the shot placement is correct.  You will need to view the following website that shows a hog's anatomy and that its vitals are not where we all think they will be.  See http://www.texasboars.com/

Many will tell you to go with hard cast bullets or the 300 XTP which I am sure is good advice if you can get them to shoot in your two guns.  I guess it depends if you are intending to shoot 200 lb. hogs or the larger trophy hogs.

My experience is that the small to mid-size hogs will go down fine with the 240 grainer if you hit them right.  

Be sure to check that anatomy page because it will shock you when you see where the spine is and where the heart/lungs are located.

Good luck!

Mike

[Redhawk1]

I am sure the 240 gr XTP will work, when I hunt hogs, I do use the 300 gr. cast bullets. I am a shoulder shot guy.  

[jro45]

I shot my boar with a 160 gr bullet and it killed him dead. The 240 XTP will work very well. Shot placement is all you need to know.

[Redhawk1]

I shot my boar with a 160 gr bullet and it killed him dead. The 240 XTP will work very well. Shot placement is all you need to know.

What 160 gr. bullet? We are talking handguns here not rifles. Totally different concept.

[palgeno]

If you hunt in areas where you don't want to look for your hog after it finally dies----(thick brush, swamp, mud, snakes, etc.)--- a shoulder or cns shot is good. If you are doing the behind the ear cns shot, anything accurate enough will work---maybe even a 22lr if close enough----but don't count on the opportunity for that type of shot. They mill around a lot and the heads are rarely still. An accurate 300 gr hardcast  load is a good choice in 44mag. :grin:

[Graybeard]

I'd personally not trust it on a hog hunt especially at those velocities. I love the XTPs on deer but they are too soft for hogs. I have only used one on a hog and it went in between the eyes and stuck in the ham on the hog's right side and lost the jacket. That was a 300 grain XTP in .44 mag not pushed nearly as fast as you're pushing the 240. Hit bone and that's the end of that bullet in a hog at that velocity.

You'd do better with a heavier and more heavily constructed bullet and better yet a hard cast of 300 grains or more. If you use it I'd suggest a head or neck shot only aimed at the brain/spine.

If you're hunting smaller hogs only it might do fine but on over 200 pounders I want more bullet than that.

[Jaydub in Wi]

I think the 240 xtps would be a bit too soft. I used 300 gr speer plated soft points in my 44. 2 of 3 exited , and the one that didn't weighed 198 grains after breaking both shoulders. Next time I'll probably go with 280/300 LBT style WFN bullets with a healthy dose of H110. Hogs are tough. Good luck

[Zachary]

In a .44Mag, I would strongly recommend the Federal Premium 300 grain HardCast (if they still make them).  Not only were they accurate in my friend's .44Mag, but they also penetrated the grisle plate on a 200+ pound hog.  I can personally recommend it 100% on a 300 pound hog just because I haven't seen it, but if I were a betting man, then I would say go for it.

I have used XTPs on deer and it's my favorite bullet.  Specifically, I used a .480 Ruger with 325 XTPs.  Great performance on a 110 pound doe at about 35 yards.  I used the same loads on a small hog (under 50 pounds) but, even though it is a .480 Ruger, I still would not like using that bullet on a 300+ pound hog.

Zachary

[Lawful Larry]

I have turned to the Speer 270 gr. GDSP for hogs.  It has more penetrations for such hard skinned animals like a ferral hog.  I have yet to hunt with it, but will in the near future.

But then again this is my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.   :wink:

[Questor]

I recommend a hard bullet instead of the XTP. 300 grain hard cast bullets are in vogue today, but any good hard cast 240 grain bullet will work fine too.

[doncisler]

i wouldn't use the 240xtp's. i did out of a desert eagle .44 and it took four shots to finish a very large pig (feral boar held at bay with dogs). their shields are tough to get thru and those bullets are made to open up fast.

i havn't tried any other .44 on hogs since but have taken others with .45-70 bfr revolver. 300gr remington jhp at 1700fps stop them right now, no questions asked when you put 'em where you should.

[Brian T]

I shot an approx 200 pound boar with the 240 XTP, ifwas out of my contender and chronograpjed at 1500 fps.  It hit behind the ribs going away  up hill and came to rest under the sternum fully expanded and weighed over 230 grains when recovered.  The hog dropped like a box of rocks