44 mag loads for hogs?

[Gemsbok]

Anyone have a pet load for a 12" Encore, shooting 44 mag, that is devastating on hogs?

[sweetwyominghome]

For me, the search begins and ends with two bullets and one powder: Nosler 250 grain Partition, Cast Performance 320 grain WFC-GC and H-110 powder.

Find a book load that shoots well in your gun, and you are ready for any hog that ever walked. You will have no problem finding a load with either bullet that gives you around 1400 fps, and that's all you really need.

Extra care is required with the heat-treated solid, however, as it will shoot stem-to-stern on even large hogs and keep going. Thanks to its wide, flat meplat, it leaves a nice 1.5" wide wound channel in its wake, and anything hit with it loses interest in worldly matters in a hurry...

[swampthing]

Montana bullet works or Beartooth bullets's 280g WFN GC over some AA#5. Approximately 1250fps, controllable recoil, same hole groups from my 12" Encore and G2. Will go clean through most any pig, distance to recoveries have been basically 0 yards. AA#9 will give you a touch more speed, I have found it irrelevant and unnecessary.

[Clodhopper]

I've taken several hogs using the Lyman 429421 (cast wheel weights) over a just under maximum load of H110.  Most were medium sized eating hogs but a couple were large boars that wanted to fight the dogs.  All were one shot kills as I usually try to get head shots.  One large boar that wouldn't cooperate was shot from about 15 yards while he was quartering away facing the dogs.  The bullet entered just behind the near shoulder and exited just in front of the off shoulder.  That was the best shot that I could get without endangering the dogs.  He went down kicking.

[Gemsbok]

Thanks for the tips, fellas. Now the fun begins experimenting with your recipes.

I'd hoped to get some tests done by this wknd's trip to the boar brush, but will
have to settle with the 7/08, as it's dialed in already.

[kennisondan]

The 7mm 08 will do the trick but I feel your pain..
good shooting.
dk

[sk330lc]

240 and 300gr Hornady XTP's over 2400 or H110 is a good place to start to. As states above find a book load your barrel likes.

[magman]

I ain't by no means a hog hunting expert but I killed mine with a 240 grain XTP and a good charge of 296 powder. This loads works in all my 44 mag revolvers. I don't see why it wouldn't work in the Encore barrel also.

[sweetwyominghome]

While the 240 grain XTP can and will work, I have seen them fail to penetrate the thick hide, gristle plate and shoulder of a large boar and have even seen the 300 grain version fail to make it all the way through the chest of a 175 pound fallow deer (though it did damage the lungs enough to slow it for a quick follow-up shot, which did not exit, either). Upon hard impact, the XTPs have a tendency to shed their cores and give minimal penetration.

They are a bit soft if you happen to run into a large hog.

[BubbaNColo]

I use 300 grain XTPs over 20.0 of H110 or 20.0 W296, also try Sierra's 220 grain Metalic bullet for penetration. Shot a Mule Deer with the 300 XTP round went all the way through with some expansion and broke her spine, not my best shooting, was aiming at heart....but she really dropped fast.

[daddyof4]

healthy load of 296 or h110 with a 250 keith, or a generous amount of 296 with a 240 xtp or sierra 300