Which bullet for hogs?

[safarigene]

I will be going hog hunting using my 44 SBH soon. Really want to use some 300gr beartooths but dont have time to order them and work up a load. Just wondering which of the following bullets would be the best?

1. 200gr xtp
2. 240 Gold Dot HP
3. 240 Berry's HP
4. 240 cast SWC (not hard cast, just cheap gunshow bullets)
5. 300 gr Nosler JHP

Thanks,
Gene Cole III

[MS Hitman]

My opinion would be to go with either the 240 SWC or Nosler 300 JHP and I would lean towards the 240 cast loaded between 1000 to 1200 fps.  This should get you plenty of penetration on a hog to do a good job.

[Redhawk1]

240 to 300 gr. hard cast  

[swampthing]

If time is a major issue you might want to try; www.montanabulletworks.com as you should have them with in a week, probably less.  They use LBT molds and LBT lube. For your ruger I would order the 280g or 300g WFNGC sized to your cylinders throat diameter and use AccurateArms #5 powder and a WLP primer. You can get to 1185 fps easilly with the 280 in a 7.5" barrel. AA#9 will give you 1280fps also very easilly with that 280 WFN.  3 of us got back from a hog hunt in April with 3 180-200lb boar. Not a single recovered bullet and all hogs died within sight of the shooter, mine dropped in it's tracks from a double lung hit, it was charging us. All 3 of used the 280g WFNGC.
 If this is not possible for you Federal's "CAST CORE" are loaded with 300g WFNGC Hardcast bullets and are pretty accurate in Rugers, I have crony'ed them from a 7.5" barrel and got 1230fps on average.
I've seen hogs eat hollow points, can't say the same about hardcast bullets.
  Have a great hunt.

[Dusty Miller]

Hey, make it exciting, use a .22

[safarigene]

First off, thanks for all the info. I will be loading the SWC's and the 300 JHP's pretty soon and will see which one shoots the best. I am thinking of using a trick from hunting in africa and using the big JHP for the first round and then the rest of the cylinder with the SWC's for penetration if the JHP doesnt do the trick.  That is of course if they print close enough to the same point of aim.

As I said earlier, eventually I will be using exclusively 300 grain hard cast gas checked bullets.

Thanks again,
Gene Cole III

[crawfish]

BIG piggies are the reason I started using 250g cast from CPBT and BearTooth in my .41s. I just didn't like having the discuss with them that they were dead and should act it when I use a 210g Sierra Power Master. Had a butt puckering incident with a 318lbs sow that got me to looking for a bigger bullet. That sow was dead but she sure wanted to talk to me about it. With a 250g-265g hard cast at 1150-1250fps those BIG piggies are REAL DEAD, REAL QUICK. Go bigger if you can and your gun likes them. Piggies are fun and will sure get your heart pumping.

[Mikey]

Gene:  I don't quite understand your point.  You would like to use some 300 gn Beartooth Bullets but you don't have the time to work up a load for them(?).  

But friend, if you are willing to put your butt on the line with someone's 245 gn 'store-boughts', or a 300 gn jacketed slug out of a factory box, I'm thinkin' you should get yourself a supply of the Beartooth hard-cast 300 flat nosed slugs delivered overnight.  If you can work up one 300 gn slug load, you should be able to work up a load with the right 300 gn slug.  Those piggies do not take lightly to being shot and they are and can be very mean and if you choose the wrong slug and it doesn't work you will be the one winding up on the dinner table.  

Good luck, and let us know.....  Mikey.

[safarigene]

Mikey, guess I should have been more clear. I am going to summer school and working two jobs right now and dont have the credit card to order anything so I would have to wait for a money order to get there and then have them shipped back to me. I am hoping the hog hunt will take place this sunday. I am trying to get some 300 cast pills on the way but it is taking more time than I would like. Just thought I would see which one of the bullets I already have in at home you guys would recommend if I cant get the 300gr pills in time.  Thanks for the help and I will let you know when I work something out and hopefully test it out.

Gene Cole III

[Feldhege]

There is always the Federal Cast Core 300gr Hardcast. That is what I will be using this fall to get me some Pigs!

[safarigene]

When loading the 300 nolser JHP's I am trying to load them with 19.0 grains of H-110 but cannot get the bullet to seat deep enough to crimp the mouth of the case in the cannelure. Am I just trying to use to much powder, or can I seat the bullet long (short enough to fit in the cylinder) as long as I have a good crimp? I will probably just use 16.0 grains of Accurate #7 and crimp in the cannelure.

Thanks
Gene Cole III

[crawfish]

You can seat the bullet almost anywhere as long as you can get the crimp. 19g H110 in a .44RemMag with that long 300g bullet is a compressed load if you try to seat deep. All you really need is a COL short enough to fit in the cylinder.

[Lawful Larry]

I would recommend that you look at the Speer 270 grain SP.  I use to have a 240 gr. XTP for deer and then I also had the 300 gr. XTP.  I went to the 270 gr. originally for hog hunting.  I went with it due to the penetration qualities of the bullet.  But this bullet shot so well, I use it exclusively now for all large game. 

You would not go wrong with this fine bullet. 

[Racer X]

I'm new to this GBO and this is my first comminucation so hello to all.

I have a Super Blackhawk Hunter in 45 Colt that is getting a re-bored 44 Hunter barrel and re-bored SBH 44 cylinder by David Clements. I haven't hunted hogs with it yet but when I do it will be with cast bullets, probably some 280 grain WFN bullets I got from Beartooth.

Three years ago, I shot a not overly large hog (maybe 175 pounds) with my 45/70 Guide Gun and 300 grain factory loads. We found some blood but no hog. Since then, I've been shooting a 405 grain Cast Performance bullet at about 1500 FPS.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive shot a few hogs and have witnessed the shooting of many with a handgun and me personaly i wouldnt have any hp jacketed bullet in my gun. Id be leary of a soft cast swc too. If you dont have time to order some quality cast bullets look for some 300 grain soft points and load them to about 1100 fps. They should penetrate fine like that. Granted any of the bullets you listed would kill a hog if placed right. But theres just to many running shots taken with pig hunting and ive seen some miserable failures with jacketed bullets.

[nomosendero]

Basil, welcome to GBO!!!

[jd45]

You might investigate whether Corbon offers a load with a heavy hardcast bullet in .44 Mag. Might be pricey, but if it gets you your hog AND prevents injury to yourself by said hog in the process, IMHO, it'd be worth the price of the ammo. Just my 2 cents, & good luck, JD45

[TreyAzagthoth]

ive shot a few hogs and have witnessed the shooting of many with a handgun and me personaly i wouldnt have any hp jacketed bullet in my gun. Id be leary of a soft cast swc too. If you dont have time to order some quality cast bullets look for some 300 grain soft points and load them to about 1100 fps. They should penetrate fine like that. Granted any of the bullets you listed would kill a hog if placed right. But theres just to many running shots taken with pig hunting and ive seen some miserable failures with jacketed bullets.

agreed