.357 magnum and traditional muzzleloader on hogs.

[His lordship.]

I am thinking of trying a hog or two.  Can a .357 magnum with a 6" barrel work, is this a bad idea?  What area for shot placement works best on a hog?

How about a .50 caliber Hawkin muzzleloader?  I also have a 12 gauge shotgun if necessary, solid Foster slugs, or double odd buck? :-)

Thanks

[longshot]

Chris,

I've killed a few hogs in my day, and the best advise I can give is you can't go too big when selecting a gun to hog hunt with.  I would much rather be overgunned than undergunned when taking on a big boar.  As far as shot placement, that has alot to do with where you are hunting.  If you're hunting open country, the typical heart/lung combo will do the trick.  All of the hogs I've ever shot have been in the South Georgia swamp.  I'm a personal fan of the head shot, because I don't want to track the suckers into the swamp, where they can ball up and get ya. The last hog I shot digested a 117 gr. SST from my 25-06, didn't go 2 feet.  Handgun wise, I wouldn't go smaller than .357.  Muzzleloader and shotgun will do the trick too.  This is just my two cents worth, but I hope it helps!! Good Luck!!! :grin:

[les hemby]

the only thing i can add is stay away from buckshot, you will be disappointed

[shooter444002]

The 357 will work fine as long as you keep the range close. place your shot carefully and use the heavier bullets. I prefer the 180gr and they do well out of my 6" DW as well as doing even better out of a Marlin 1894. You will not be disappointed with the muzzleloader with either roundball or maxi. The heavier the better but the roundball will work fine. I use 80gr of FFF with 490 ball and home cut ticking patch with either moosemilk or spit for lube.

[markc]

I would say stay away from JHP bullets in the .357.  GO with the heavier bullets say begin with 158 gr and go up from there, JSP's or hard Cast bullets would be best.  Stay off of the shoulder itself on bigger hogs.  You will have penetration problems.  Quartering away, aim behind the shoulder for a lung shot.  Broadside, if you can hit what you aim at, go for the neck, ear back towards the shoulder.  With the ML, 45 or 50 cal, loaded with a stiff load, and a heavy weight bullet, you could take any shot that would work with the 6" .357 and then some.  

Since you are talking basically single shot with the ML, be sure you are sighted in, practice, and take care placing your shot.  A wounded hog can be quite viscious.
markc   :-)

[coug2wolfs]

As a rule, I like hittin hawgs with something big as pretty much everybody knows. Couple of reasons for this.  They get meaner than snakes if you wound em (Hell, they're mean WITHOUT woundin em!), and the second reason is them suckers HURT when they hit ya  :wink:

I've killed em square with 30-06, 35 Whellen, 45-70, 444 Marlin, 300 Wby, 378 Wby, 460 Wby, 44 mag handgun, 45 Long Colt handgun, 454 Casull, and 475 Linebaugh.  Lit one up at close range with a 12 bore an 00 buck, quite effective.

I have been present and seen them killed very dead with 12 ga slugs, 243 rifles, 270, 30-30, 300 winnie mags, 7 mags, 7-08, 308 and 338 Winnie Mag.  50, 54, and 58 cal mzl loaders almost always drop em like a bad habbit.  But then they oughta, lookie the chunk a lead ya'll are throwin at em!

Thin skinned smallish hogs can be knocked off with a well pplaced hit from a 357 I would think, but I have not seen this trick performed, nor have I tried it myself.

The hairy Russians that will go 350 pounds and up will pretty much laugh off a 357 slug IMO.  You get one of them boys riled up and get yourself in a spot where you gotta break em down I reckon you are gonna be in some deep sheeeet :wink:

Don't cha remember when Dirty Harry dumped the 357 for the 44 mag saying that the 357 just bounced off windshields?  Big pigs are a LOT tougher than windshields.

Me I'm old and not big on temptin fate anymore than I have to.  But I reckon if you're lookin for an adrenalin rush, might be a good way to get one  :grin: