You won't believe me when I tell you I took that rifle hog hunting on purpose. It is a stainless synthetic Remington Model 7, which I bedded and free floated. It shoots consistent 3/4 inch groups with those Bulk BTHP cartridges from Cabela's. Its main purpose is to shoot coyotes.
I took it hog hunting because it is a light and handy joy to pack around, and I know that I have the skill to put a bullet right between the back of a hogs eye and the base of its ear all the way out to 150 yds. Right now I'm taking a full load of night classes to make up for my misspent youth, and I found myself pennyless when it came time to go hog hunting. My two friends were counting on me because I had made the contacts in TX, and knew all the people, and how to get around in that area. So my best friend loaned me enough money to go. It would have taken 40.00 dollars or so to buy ammo for my .308, and I was just too cheap, so I took my coyote rifle that was already sighted in and ready to go.
I was worried that my decision might cost me an opportunity if the type of close range shot I needed wasn't presented,but I was confident in my ability to get the shot I wanted.
It did cost me one hog. The first two nights of hunting my buddies had five hogs on the ground, out of about two dozen that came out in front of them. I ran a video camera the first evening when the hogs were still calm enough to come out just before the sun set, so I didn't hunt until the second night. That night I had 3 very nervous young boars come out and I didn't want to chance hitting them with the spotlight, they were very jumpy. I tried to use my laser to get a reflection glare off of one of their eyeballs, but the second they saw the red dot bouncing around near them they all sprinted off into the brush. Well then I was pretty discouraged. I sat quietly and waited, hoping they would come back out. It took about a half an hour but they finally came out again. This time I waited until I could clearly distinguish one of their heads while he was feeding broadside and tried to shoot him in the base of the ear but I missed! In the moonlight it was hard to place my black crosshairs on the black pigs head, it was easy to see them right behind his shoulder though. If I had been using my .308 I could have made the shot easily.
Nice short concise answer huh. The last night we had to hunt I got another opportunity. With 2 hours left in the hunt I had another group of pigs step out and start feeding on the corn I had scattered at about 40 yds from my stand. I had my head laying on the window half sleeping and half listening when I noticed them. As I sat upright in the darkened blind the lead hog snorted and crashed off through the swamp. I was really low at this point because I figured I just blew my last chance. But somehow as he was running off, two more stepped out and started feeding. No more screwing around. I eased my rifle into position, got the hogs lined up in the scope, and hit the red spotlight. There were two hogs munching corn in the center of my spotlight beam. The one in the back started moveing off so I put the crosshairs on the other. Crosshairs, earhole, eyeball, BOOM it all happened so fast, the next thing I new, there was a hog laying there on the ground. I watched him for a few minutes to make sure he was down for good. He never wiggled. We guessed his live weight at 120lbs. The entrance wound was centered exactly between the back of the eye and the base of the ear, and about an inch lower than I would have liked, but it worked. The last 5 hogs I've shot have been with this rifle, its nickname is sweet pea , It is so easy to carry and shoot. I just gamble on my ability to get a clean head shot.
I promise to learn how to answer a question more directly in the future.
