Would you use a 9mm to hunt hogs?

[Hog Buster]

Well, I'll try again.....

OK, it didn't work......make believe you saw the picture........

See it here:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...7&d=1256880721

[2rugers]

I see the picture and that's some good shooting Hog Buster.

[hogdogs]

HB, Feral hogs with no interaction with humans will try to run you down and muck up your day! TEE-RUST MEEE!!! Been there done that far too many times to give them any leeway.

No piglets need be involved... I have had hogs come back that were run off by the dogs approach... Soon as they heard the one bayed up squealing when the catch dog got to it... BAM!!! They come back to help their buddy out of a jam... Far too many dogs with layed open hamstrings to convince me they are so fearful.

As for vitals... the area that a 9mm could penetrate on a fully sheilded boar is very small. Shoulder? NOPE!!! The bullet will penetrate maybe 1/2 inch of the 2-3 inch thick shoulder shield.
Found too many bullets and buck pellets as well as a few broadheads that failed to enter the torso to buy into the "easy as deer" game.

Head shots are easy to understand as tuff to make once you skin a few skulls and realize how small the brain pocket is compared to overall skull size.
Brent

[robhof]

The Warthogs; A-10 tank killers used to kill wild hogs with their 30mm out at the Clayborne range near Alex, La. in the early 80's. The pigs liked to feed near the target sails. We figured they were going for the pigs, because their hit scores dropped when pigs were present. Never saw any hits run away, all bang flops or bang bang poof. Was a popular place for buzzards too.

[dromaeosaur]

rofl. You hear a buuuuuuuuuuurp and then you can smell some bbq

[Hog Buster]

Hogdogs

I don't doubt you, but I don't hunt with dogs and think that may add to the confusion of hog hunting. In the tumble of dogs and hogs you could just as easily be dog bit as hog bit.

I haven't experienced any attacks over the years. My shots are almost always head or spine shots. That doesn't leave much room for wounding them and have them thrashing around and squealing before they die. There's no doubt that a squealing hog will attract other hogs, but after seeing that a human was around they have always headed for the hills in my case.

I've found a few with birdshot or buckshot in 'em, but there's no telling the distance they were shot at. With some of the nimrods that are in the woods today God only knows what you might find stuck in game.

Shot placement is the key. If you shoot one in the ass you've created a problem. Hence the statement about hitting them in the right spot. Most times I still hunt them with my deer rifles, but have killed my share with various pistols. Including a couple of quick lung shots with a 9MM on occasion. They took off and bled out, but the 9MM did them in.

Still hogs are not rhinos and I find killing them just about as easy as deer.

As an after thought: Last fall I got 37, this fall only 22, maybe I'm making a dent?

[hogdogs]

Well if you want to see the dogs on hogs, I have at least 2 productive doggers in the southern half of La. might could show you a run.

Bite wounds from dogs compared to wounds from hogs are easy to discern. i have been chomped a time or several by the hogs but I always watched the sumbuck latch on.

Brent

[Atroxus]

I saw a tv show where iirc the hosts were shooting hogs with a beretta CX4 Storm. I would think that coming from a 16.6 inch barrel a 9mm would have plenty of accuracy and velocity to take down a hog within reasonable ranges. Granted I don't have any specific numbers to back that up, but doesn't longer barrel generally=higher velocity and better accuracy?

[2rugers]

Like HogDogs said, a 9mm will not even penetrate the shield of a heavy boar.

The cartilage that grows there has the consistency of tire rubber and can be over 3"s thick.

[Daryl]

Here we go again. Because of the fabled capability of wild/feral hogs they can only be killed with a silver bullet fired from a .50 cal or larger crew served weapon. Not true. Hogs are, at best, just slightly harder to kill than deer.

Ok, I can agree with that to some extent.

But to reinforce what I said before, I wouldn't use a 9mm for hunting deer, either.

The question was, "Would I use a 9mm to hunt hogs?"

No, I would not. I have far better options for the task.

But that doesn't mean that others shouldn't try it for themselves. By all means, if someone feels froggy...

Daryl

[Atroxus]

Here is an interesting link I found on hog anatomy and shot placement.

***WARNING*** It does have graphic photos of a "pig autopsy".

http://www.texasboars.com/anatomy.html

[wyobohunter]

The 35 remington is a tad over 9mm (9.0932 to be exact) but I think it'd be fine Couldn't resist.

doesn't longer barrel generally=higher velocity and better accuracy?

Higher velocity, yes. Better accuracy, depends. You'll have a longer sight radius for open sights but a lengthy bbl can actually be detrimental to accuracy because it'll tend to be more "whippy".

[Art Eatman]

"...a lengthy bbl can actually be detrimental to accuracy because it'll tend to be more "whippy".

In the context of Gale McMillan benchrest competition, I might--maybe--not respond. Trouble is, I've been getting sub-MOA accuracy out of 24" and 26" barrels for some sixty years, come July. And that includes shooting on my 500-yard range.

There's no way on God's green earth that a 9mm will see any degradation in group size in going from a pistol-length barrel to a carbine-length barrel.

And I was having a pretty good morning, before reading that...

[Cremon]

I would NOT use a 9mm to hunt hogs. I carried a 9mm semi auto pistol 20+ years ago as a backup gun when I went hunting pigs and used a 12 gauge with 0-0-0 buckshot as my primary hunting weapon. I remember hitting a boar with the buckshot at about 30 yards and it ROYALLY teed him off. The thing shivered with the impact and started to bleed profusely from its wounds. It then charged me at full speed and forced me up a tree. I dropped my shotgun to climb and it took several shots from that 9mm to finally kill that beast.

Now I haven't hunted hogs in years now but I would use my 30-06 or 300 magnum if I were to want to do that again today (I stopped because field dressing and transporting deer is much less stinky and messy than messing with feral pigs).

Deer are one thing but a boar? You can go from hunter to quarry in an instant as I did 20 years back and I was lucky that tree with big low branches was close by. A boar will tear you up! Shot placement is king but I would NOT want a 9mm to be my sole means of dispatching one of those things.

No way!!

[jimbob86]

But bubba, That limits a 7 round rifle to a 2 shot...

How so? I have a box of Nosler Partition .30 cal 170 gr. round nosed bullets (part #16333). Those would work just fine in a lever gun.

[2rugers]

I know I have posted this somewhere before but for those who have not seen, this is what the shield looks like on 300 lb. plus boars. It has the consistency of heavy tire rubber.
One slab of this shield, (from the neck back to the last rib, top of spine to the elbow weighed 75 lbs.)
So the shield cut away from both sides of the hog would weigh 150 lbs!

My wife killed this hog over dogs with a knife (not the one pictured).

The knife pictured has a blade 3 1/4"s long.

For giggles I layed this shield down flat on the ground and shot it point blank with a 2" .38 loaded with 110 gr. jacketed hollows and 130 gr. fmj.

110 gr. only went 1 1/2"'s into one slab. The fmj. went through all 3"s of the first slab and about 1/2" of the second. Tough Stuff.

If you are going to use a pistol you had better choose a caliber with enough energy to penetrate, (at range), and a good bullet up to the task of plowing through this ARMOR.

Minimum I would choose at handgun velocities would be a .357 loaded with hardcast 180's.

Under 100 lbs. 9mm would not be a problem out to 50 yds. or so if you do your part.

[wyobohunter]

In the context of Gale McMillan benchrest competition, I might--maybe--not respond. Trouble is, I've been getting sub-MOA accuracy out of 24" and 26" barrels for some sixty years, come July. And that includes shooting on my 500-yard range.

There's no way on God's green earth that a 9mm will see any degradation in group size in going from a pistol-length barrel to a carbine-length barrel.

And I was having a pretty good morning, before reading that...

Notice in the question I answered he asked

doesn't longer barrel generally=higher velocity and better accuracy?

I think you are taking my statement out of context because I was responding to a generalized assumption (longer bbl=better accuracy) or I didn't make myself clear. At least one study has shown that... All else bieng equal, a shorter (more stiff) bbl will tend to have a smaller resonation pattern (if I'm wording that correctly) resulting in tighter groups. That doesn't take into account the two distinct advantages of a longer bbl, 1: longer sight radius and 2: higher velocity, both contribute to reducing shooter aim point error on shots taken from field positions at estimated ranges. I did not suggest that a longish bbl can not be accurate. My 26" bbl .338 RUM is plenty accurate. It has a fairly thin bbl, it may gain some consistency if I were to lop off a few inches; sight radius isn't a factor because the rifle is scoped but the loss in velocity wouldn't be worth it to me.

[K8vf]

How about a 9mm like a high point carbine for coyotes to 50 yrds?

[themusgrat]

I know this has been answered to death, but I've shot a 300 lbs sow with a 300 winmag at 100 yards, using a Hornady 165gn BTSP, and it barely penetrated. She ran about 30 yards before giving up, and once I got a look at it, there was hardly any blood, so I'm pretty much just lucky that the bullet penetrated and hit a vital organ. There was no exit. A few inches in any direction and she would have run off. This was in a pack of about 20 hogs, so if they had seen me and charged, that could have been bad. Do I carry a .45 when I look for hogs? Yes. But if I ever end up having to use it, I might just be dead.

[jgcoastie]

I don't have nearly the hog hunting experience that Brent brings to the table, but I've been charged by a couple boars...

The most memorable was when I was 16, hunting with a buddy. I figured it would be a good idea to bring along my old man's Glock 17 for "just in case"... Shoulda grabbed something bigger.

We were tracking a boar and we suddenly became the hunted. I was standing in the middle of a trail with nowhere to go when that dang thing charged. I drew, took aim, and started lettin loose. Shortly after that bas***d split my leg into three pieces, my buddy finally got around to putting a 12ga slug into it.

9mm is not enough.

When there is the distinct possibility of being injured, why limit yourself.

I carried a 10mm from then on out. I still carry a 10mm today in fact....

[Art Eatman]

Sorta back to the ancient deal of killing vs. stopping. Most anything will kill any critter--eventually. What's more important is the Gitter Done before the problem gets up close and personal.

I don't know about y'all, but hitting a walking or running target with a rifle seems a bunch easier than it is with a handgun...

[Fat White Boy]

My son tried to coup a 130 pound hog with a 9mm... As soon as he shot it, It jumped to its feet. I was laughing too hard to use my .357 mag on it....

[barnetmill]

2rugers
Senior Member

Join Date: August 21, 2005
Location: texas
Posts: 668

I know I have posted this somewhere before but for those who have not seen, this is what the shield looks like on 300 lb. plus boars. It has the consistency of heavy tire rubber.
One slab of this shield, (from the neck back to the last rib, top of spine to the elbow weighed 75 lbs.)
So the shield cut away from both sides of the hog would weigh 150 lbs!
.......
For giggles I layed this shield down flat on the ground and shot it point blank with a 2" .38 loaded with 110 gr. jacketed hollows and 130 gr. fmj.

110 gr. only went 1 1/2"'s into one slab. The fmj. went through all 3"s of the first slab and about 1/2" of the second. Tough Stuf

I agree that the 9 mm is not the best caliber for hog hunting, but in all fairness a 9mm nato fmj will out penetrate most other pistol calibers in yellow pine such as the .38 spl., .45 ACP fmj and 44 mag mid range loads. So comparing a 9mm luger round to a .38 spl is not a good comparison. If the 9 was fire straight on so it did not glance off there is a very good chance it would penetrate to do some damage. It is just that the hole is very small and compared to a center fire rifle the energy is very low.

[2rugers]

I am curious Barnet.
How much further does the 9mm 115 gr. fmj. penetrate ballistic gell when compared to the .38 130 gr. fmj?

My test was done at point blank range with a 2" Taurus snubbie.
By point blank I mean I held the muzzle less than a foot from the shield.

Once you get into the field and stretch the range 25 to 30 yds. that 9mm will act just like the .38 did point blank.

Add in some dried and caked mud and the 9mm will fail too often to make it a viable hog hunting round.

Yes, you can use it behind dogs with a good degree of success, and yes you can easily use it for dispatching hogs in traps, but to tote it as a viable round for hunting is way off the mark.

As further evidence of this whole 9mm vs. hogs http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...tfl+pistol+hog

[waterfowler]

If they are causing disruption id say shoot it with anything you can get your hands on.