Hog Hunting

[Jevyod]

I am looking at doing some hog hunting this summer. I have never shot a hog and need some advice. I was doing some research on the internet, and soon came to the conclusion that there is some disagreement on what the best method is. Some say behind the ear, some say through the shoulders. So I am not sure what to think. If I go through the shoulders, what gun should I take? I currently have a 260 rem with 140 grain Accubonds; 35 Rem with 200 grain FTX or possibly some RCBS 35-200-FN cast; and a 7mm mag with 160 grain Accubonds. I am a bit recoil sensitive, so I shoot the 260 and the 35 better than the 7 mag.
Or....Should I plan on taking them behind the ear? I was talking with somebody from where I was thinking of going, and she said her husband recommends that people shoot for just behind the ear. I then ask her what the average range is. She said 100-150 yards. I am thinking, wait a minute, I am not sure I am that good. So you all have any advice for this greenhorn?!

 

[Dc777]

You can either use the big boy 7mm mag, or get closer to the hogs and use buckshot. Hogs have somewhat of " body armor" and you need a big, fast, heavy projectile to crush through bone. I've shot them with a .300 mag through the shoulder and when using dogs I have shot them with 00 buck. ( they are a lot faster than they look). If 150 yards is too far for you to shoot accurately you certainly don't want to be shooting behind te ear. Remember.... Aim small,miss small.

 

[Chestnut Forge]

I took a 90 pound sow with a .260 with 129 SSTs at about 65-70 yards with no problem. It was a Florida pig. If it had been a big boar, I might not have dropped it so fast. I read on a Texas outfitters sight that he recommends a .22/250 loaded with FMJs and push them as fast as you can. The shoulder blade on a boar acts like armor. Given your choices in rifles, I'd go with the .35, if you are comfortable taking 100-150 yard shots with it. You really can't go wrong with a 200 grain slug. Plus, if your .35 is a lever gun, you can get a quicker follow up shot than with a bolt action. I also would take into consideration where the hunt is going to be. What kind of cover there is. Are you going to be in a tree stand or on the ground? A wounded hog is nothing to fool with. They can and will kill you. Just my two cents, There are others here with way more hog hunting experience than me. I await their input.

 

[Jevyod]

Ok here is a bit more info. It would be with an outfitter in South Carolina. The hunts would be primarily in tree stands. And yes, my 35 is a lever. It is also the one I am most comfortable in shooting. From a bench, I can do a .6 inch group at 100 yards. At 200, I can do a 1.3 inch group. Although at that distance it drops 8.5 inches. But I know the gun and that's got to count for something.

 

[Doyle]

I've killed many hogs - including several with a .260. Yes, a .260 is just fine even for the big hogs. They do have a shield but a good bonded bullet will punch through it. The shoulder is a very poor place to hit them. The vitals on a hog are lower and further forward than on a deer. Think behind the shoulder and somewhat low for a heart/lung shot. The spine runs different from a deer also. A good spine shot will drop them quickly too.

The behind-the-ear is always preferable if you can get it. It will drop them right where they stand and you won't mess up any meat like a body shot will. However, if you are not close enough for a clean shot at the ear then don't hesitate to take a lung shot.

 

[2damnold4this]

Ok here is a bit more info. It would be with an outfitter in South Carolina. The hunts would be primarily in tree stands. And yes, my 35 is a lever. It is also the one I am most comfortable in shooting. From a bench, I can do a .6 inch group at 100 yards. At 200, I can do a 1.3 inch group. Although at that distance it drops 8.5 inches. But I know the gun and that's got to count for something.

I think you should use your .35.


Edit to add: +1 on Doyle's advice.

 

[Hog Buster]

Anything you can kill a deer with will be fine on hogs. I’ve killed them with everything from a 17 HMR to a 45/70. A head shot with a small caliber bullet will put bacon on the table. Just about any shot from a large caliber will do the same. They ain’t that tough, but a Texas heart shot might have you tracking them a bit. So a good heart/ lung shot is preferable to a long walk in the woods. Texas heart shots also waste a lot of meat, head or heart/ lung shots don’t. The sows are better eatin’ than the boars, no matter the size.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

People are big on this "behind the ear" shot business, but it has a couple of problems. If the hog is sideways to you, you can literally shoot behind the ear and have the shot go through nothing but muscle. The ear marks the rear point of the skull. So if you shoot behind the ear and the hog is perpendicular to you or quartered toward you, then you will likely only get soft tissue and be relying on hydrostatic shock to drop it. With a sufficient caliber, that will often work, no doubt, but I have seen it fail as well. There just aren't any vitals "behind the ear."

If the hog is quartered away, behind the ear works well because the trajectory should have the round continuing into the skull.

If you are going to shoot "behind the ear" then do so, but 1-2" lower than the ear. That will put you MUCH closer to the spine. The spine is located more centrally in the neck that many expect.

Remember, it isn't just about placement, but placement, trajectory, and penetration. It isn't where the bullet impacts on the exterior of the body that is important, but what structures it damages while penetrating through. So trajectory really is critical.

Aim small, hit small is a much better motto to follow. Missing, small or large, can be bad.

 

[Tipsy Mcstagger]

I've killed many a large hog with fmj 223 and only ever had one run from me, still died within 50 yards. In all of the ones I have shot, I have yet to see the body armor be an issue. 223, 243, 308, 357 (and shots in traps with 9mm/40/45/357/38sup) I have personally killed with and never has one gotten away. Behind or in the ear is just fine if you can hit it or a little low and behind the shoulder is great too. Tell us how it goes.

 

[alex0535]

The .35 with a 200 grain bullet is a great brush gun. The 260 will probably be a better 150 yard rifle though. Both will do the job if you do yours in putting the bullet where it needs to go.

I don't know how the terrain is where your hunting. In this part of Georgia, I would take the .35 every day of the week any time of year. Hunting in the summer your not going to have a 100 yard shot unless your staking out a power line or looking out across a pasture or crop field. Way down in south Georgia the terrain opens up a lot, and the 260 might seem the better option.

 

[Buzzard Bait]

armored hogs

There are several web sights that show the anatomy of a hogs vital areas like the previous poster said the heart and lung area is very different from a deer. Shot placement that would be perfect on a deer is a gut shot on a hog. I think that is why so many people think they are so tough and armored up. Once you learn how to hit the vitals they will fall to shots from your 223 and 243 there is some interesting footage on line of people in south Texas shooting very large hogs from helicopters with a 223 which shows the hogs willingness to go down and die from 223 hits
bb

 

[Keg]

I like a rifle that allows quick back to back to back shots....Such as a semi- auto..pump..or lever action....I never take a single action or bolt action....For big pigs..I go for the neck shot..smaller pigs..behind the shoulder....

 

[Dirty_Harry]

From what you have said 35 hands down!

I have a marlin 35 and would love to take it on a hog hunt.

 

[ammo.crafter]

oink, oink

There are several outfitters in PA for hog hunting.

Of late I wait until I can get a solid head shot using Barnes TTSX bullets on a 7-30 waters.
If a clear head shot is not available, a shoulder shot using a large bore caliber. Personally I used a .444 Marlin, .308, 30-06, .357 Maximum.

Have fun.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

This is in the 'for-what-it's-worth' department, as I've never been hog hunting.

But just yesterday, ironically, was discussing this same issue with an 84 year-old gentleman who owns a rather large ranch in Texas. He noted that his ranch is plagued by hogs.

He stated that he's tried many different firearms, including shotguns, which he dismisses, and stated that his favorite hog gun was a lever-action .45-70.

He stated that it was the only round he'd ever used on the large hogs found on his ranch that was 100% effective. Just food for thought.

 

[Old Stony]

The whole concept of shooting hogs gets literally beaten to death with scenarios flying every which way. I hunt and trap hogs almost on a daily basis and can honestly say you can kill them with most of the centerfire cartridges. You hit one in a vital spot and they are going to die...just about like every other animal out there. You might have a little tougher areas on the shoulders, but it's not actually armored. No magic involved here, just shoot any cartridge within reason. I shoot them with whatever I happen to take with me in the mornings and have used calibers as small as 25/20 for closer shots to a .350 Rem. Mag for shots somewhat further out. Larger cartridges do more damage and offer quicker kills sometimes....but like I said no magic here.
I have killed 369 hogs from just one parcel of property that I manage and can honestly say I have never seen an instance of being afraid of a hog. People that are injured by them are generally the guys using dogs and trying to get close to them..vs..just shooting the buggers.

 

[603Country]

About an hour ago I shot a big boar (about 250 or a bit less) with my 260, using a 100 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. Shot him behind the shoulder, about 1/3 of the way down from top of the back. The first shot would have been fatal, but I plugged him again as he was steaming toward a briar patch. He almost made it. Range was about 125 yards. Good exit wound (for you BT naysayers).

So your 260 is good pig medicine.

The problem I have with the 'shoot em behind the ear' idea is that unless the pig is eating, he is moving. This one was at a fast walk on uneven ground for the first shot and he was hauling some serious pig butt when I tapped him again with shot number 3. Shot number 2 went somewhere other than pig.

 

[reynolds357]

A Hog is not that tough. I dont buy into the whole "hog armor" business. It definitely does not take a 7 Rem mag to kill them. Semi auto .223 and semi auto 7.62X39 are ideal for hog hunting.

 

[Keg]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ1Mg0a7Tpw

This is an arrow from a compound bow....It would have zipped thru a deer....
I have killed a large number of pigs and they are tough....Smallish pigs..not so tough..big ones..yes....

Never shoot a large boar pig the same spot U would a whitetail..cause he will be gone....He will die..but nowhere close..and probably not leave a blood trail....

I have heard of folks shooting a pig with a 270..30-06..300 mag...just to have them run off....I myself shot 2 large boars with standard velocity 45-70 factory loads..in the shield....They both fell..then jumped up and were gone....I learned my lesson....They don't leave if shot in the neck....And U can even use a 223....I have seen pigs shot a dozen times with a 223 in the body tho and still running....I shoot larger calibers and/or heavier bullets....It increases my chances....U can see the shield on this large boar....U best take the neck or head shot....

 

[Doyle]

Keg, in that video it was not just the shield that stopped the arrow. He hit that boar on the top of the scapula. Even without the shield, the scapula would have likely stopped the arrow. A proper shot into the vitals would have penetrated MUCH deeper.