357 magnum hog kill

[rickt300]

A while back I loaded up some 200 gr. cast bullets from the RCBS 200 gr. cast flat nose rifle mould in some cases filled with a top load of IMR4227. These shot really well but I have been too busy in general to get out and shoot a hog with them but I had a short window to hunt this morning. I had gone out monday and put out a hog toy half filled with a mix of purina dog food and corn on top of which I poured strawberry jello powder and then some used cooking oil. One of my neighbors called and said he saw a big hog on it last night so I got in the truck and drove down there. I got there around 3am, parked way up the hill and walked in to my stand quietly. Just after I sat down I could here something moving toward the hog toy. I have a $10. solar light pointing at the hog toy and it lit up a black and white spotted hog which started rolling the hog toy around. She would roll it a ways and then stop to eat the bait that came out of the toy. The greenery that has recently grown greatly obscured her head and neck so I shot her in the spine at the top of the shoulder and down she went kicking a bit. Not a monster but weighing a bit less than 200 pounds the sow will make some good eating. Range 30 yards and the bullet exited leaving a quarter sized exit hole. I gutted her and dropped her off at the processor's night drop, too tired to want to butcher her myself. The gun is a ten inch barreled Contender. 

[streak]

rickt300,
 Good shooting!
 Was that contender with bare sights or scope?

[rickt300]

A 2x7 Bushnell trophy topped the Contender. I can't see well enough to use irons at night anymore.

[streak]

rickt300,
With that RCBS cast bullet, was it hard cast or what bhn hardness did it have. The reason I asked is that I have a TC carbine setup for the .357 Mag and was looking for a good hog and deer load for it.
 What part of Texas are you hunting? I have property in E.Texas and do alot of hunting on it during November. Every so often we get the hogs trying to "setup shop" in our area, so we try to organize a " welcoming committee"!!

[rickt300]

The metal is water quenched wheelweights. No gascheck. I used IMR 4227 but there are better choices out there like H110. In a carbine length barrel you shoud have a hard hitter.

[GH1]

Great job rickt! Have you got any pictures? I've gotten a couple of small hogs with my Marlin .357, so I know it'll do the job. I use a 158 gr RNFP, but I'm thinking about going to a heavier bullet. What's your OAL with the 200 gr bullet?
GH1    

[rickt300]

It's seated out pretty far. I crimped a bit past the lube groove. No pictures as the hog was killed cleaned and dropped off at the processor in the dark.

[GH1]

Well you're just going to have to kill another so we can have some pics!
GH1

[rickt300]

Went out last night and saw a huge hog but didn't get a shot. He jus would not come out into the light my 10$ solar spotlight puts out.

[GH1]

Hmm, I saw a lighting upgrade in your future. Is there a color you can use the pigs can't see?
GH1

[rickt300]

I could use a yellow majic marker or a red I suppose. Actually I am pretty happy with the 10$ solar light in general. He may have been suspicious as I was only 30 yards away. The bad thing about lighting is that it creates a dark area you can't see well into. My rifles all have scope mounted LED lights on them. He would have been a dead hog had I been carrying my 35 Whelen.

[streak]

I could use a yellow majic marker or a red I suppose. Actually I am pretty happy with the 10$ solar light in general. He may have been suspicious as I was only 30 yards away. The bad thing about lighting is that it creates a dark area you can't see well into. My rifles all have scope mounted LED lights on them. He would have been a dead hog had I been carrying my 35 Whelen.

Yeah rickt300!
 With the .35 Whelen,it would have been 'Lights out piggy"!! That is a slap`em down and stomp`n rifle round!!