Hog Hunting 00 head shot?

mukjp22m · October 25, 2015, 05:10 PM

I went hog hunting with a smooth bore slug gun recently and I noticed several cases where I was not far from a bedded hog (20-40 yards), but because of the tall grass, all I could see was its ears and its tail. To make a shot on the body like that would take a lot of guess work. I felt like it would've been pretty easy to make a head shot with 00 buck though.

I recently patterned some magnum federal flight control 00 buck, and I'm confident that at 20-40 yards, I'd put several copper-plated pellets on its head. Is this a bad idea? I know they teach shooting at the vitals in hunting class, but I have a hard time imagining this idea NOT killing it cleanly. I don't have a lot of hunting experience though, so I'm not sure if head shots are as effective as the average Joe might think they are.

Creek Henry · October 25, 2015, 05:54 PM

A few .33 cal shot penetrating a brainpan should do it. Lots of deer have been taken at 40 yards with OO shot.

Virginian · October 25, 2015, 06:50 PM

A head shot that connects is darned effective.

erikk · October 25, 2015, 07:35 PM

I have killed many a hog with a .22 LR in the ear

Duster340 · October 25, 2015, 10:21 PM

Not sure I'd want to shoot at an obscurd target.

Double Naught Spy · October 25, 2015, 10:21 PM

I don't think penetration is the issue as much as possible deflection in the grass of non-rifled ball buckshot. I am not saying that it won't work fine, but that is something you might want to verify in high grass like you will be hunting in before shooting a hog that way.

Unimpeded by grass, you are getting all 9 pellets in a 6" group at 20 yards and so maybe a 12" group at 40 yards? (IIRC about Fed Flight Control 00) So is that going to open up much more to bigger groups when passing through the grass? Even in open terrain, it may be difficult to actually get a good CNS shot into the brain at 40 yards - your chance of hitting CNS with 1 pellet or more is more due to random chance at 40 yards is what I am implying.

Keep in mind that it isn't a matter of just hitting the head, but hitting CNS within the head, or CNS of the neck if from the side. So it is going to be fairly important that you can aim at least somewhat precisely at the head.

Hogs do not have the amazingly sturdy heads as is often claimed, but they do have a fairly small brain compared to similar sized animals and the back of the skull can be actually thick bone and the top and part of the sides can be thicker than deer, comprised of about as much bone as a deer or bear might have, but well gapped in larger hogs between the two layers of bone with a thick medullary cavity. This description is based on the cross sectioning of actual feral hog skulls. So you can shoot a hog in the head and still manage to miss the brain quite easily. Centerfire rifle calibers sometimes overcome this by hydrostatic shock to produce secondary damage, but that is not something I would want to count on from lower velocity shotgun buckshot, especially at distance through grass.

mukjp22m · October 29, 2015, 08:24 PM

Thanks for the response. It's not really a grassy terrain, it's the woods. But, there were a few instances where their bodies were behind something, like a small patch of grass, or leaves, or something. I felt a head shot would be possible with buckshot. I'd probably not go farther than 40 yards and preferably much closer. I've been patterning flight control magnum (12 pellets at 1350 fps). Yeah, I think that'd do the trick, but hopefully I get positioned to make a clean vitals shot with a slug instead.

BTW, I scoped this M2 and have noticed that the truball deep penetrators are not grouping well at 75 yards. The standard truball slugs group really well, like 2-3 inches. The DP's were all over the place. I was shocked. But I've gotta think the regular truball slug would do the trick too.

123kiwi · November 6, 2015, 01:48 AM

Dont forget to play around with chokes too to see what works...
I was using Mod with steel shot on ducks this season with 50/50 success then opened it up to IC and was dropping everything!
Have left it on for clays last month and didn't notice too much difference so might just leave it at that...

kcub · November 6, 2015, 02:29 AM

I've done it. With an 1897 Winchester pump OO buck about 50 yards or less, both dead before they hit the ground. I aimed straight at the head. Not big, coupla 100 lb. boars. Shells were not magnum, choke was full.

RMcL · November 22, 2015, 12:58 PM

Tight patterning small pellet (00 & 000) buckshot work reasonably well at short ranges with head shots on smaller hogs. The "00B" used in Flite Control loads measure in just over .32" and 50 grains by weight.

Large pellet buckshot such as Dixie TriBall* have the mass and hard cast construction needed for large hogs - with sufficient penetration for shoulder shots at shotgun ranges.

*.60", 315 grains @1100 FPS.

October 25, 2015, 05:10 PM	#1
mukjp22m Member Join Date: October 3, 2013 Posts: 44	Hog Hunting 00 head shot? I went hog hunting with a smooth bore slug gun recently and I noticed several cases where I was not far from a bedded hog (20-40 yards), but because of the tall grass, all I could see was its ears and its tail. To make a shot on the body like that would take a lot of guess work. I felt like it would've been pretty easy to make a head shot with 00 buck though. I recently patterned some magnum federal flight control 00 buck, and I'm confident that at 20-40 yards, I'd put several copper-plated pellets on its head. Is this a bad idea? I know they teach shooting at the vitals in hunting class, but I have a hard time imagining this idea NOT killing it cleanly. I don't have a lot of hunting experience though, so I'm not sure if head shots are as effective as the average Joe might think they are.

October 25, 2015, 06:50 PM	#3
Virginian Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2012 Location: Williamsburg, Va. Posts: 1,528	A head shot that connects is darned effective. __________________ What could have happened... did.

October 25, 2015, 10:21 PM	#6
Double Naught Spy Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX Posts: 12,717	I don't think penetration is the issue as much as possible deflection in the grass of non-rifled ball buckshot. I am not saying that it won't work fine, but that is something you might want to verify in high grass like you will be hunting in before shooting a hog that way. Unimpeded by grass, you are getting all 9 pellets in a 6" group at 20 yards and so maybe a 12" group at 40 yards? (IIRC about Fed Flight Control 00) So is that going to open up much more to bigger groups when passing through the grass? Even in open terrain, it may be difficult to actually get a good CNS shot into the brain at 40 yards - your chance of hitting CNS with 1 pellet or more is more due to random chance at 40 yards is what I am implying. Keep in mind that it isn't a matter of just hitting the head, but hitting CNS within the head, or CNS of the neck if from the side. So it is going to be fairly important that you can aim at least somewhat precisely at the head. Hogs do not have the amazingly sturdy heads as is often claimed, but they do have a fairly small brain compared to similar sized animals and the back of the skull can be actually thick bone and the top and part of the sides can be thicker than deer, comprised of about as much bone as a deer or bear might have, but well gapped in larger hogs between the two layers of bone with a thick medullary cavity. This description is based on the cross sectioning of actual feral hog skulls. So you can shoot a hog in the head and still manage to miss the brain quite easily. Centerfire rifle calibers sometimes overcome this by hydrostatic shock to produce secondary damage, but that is not something I would want to count on from lower velocity shotgun buckshot, especially at distance through grass. __________________ "If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011 My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

November 22, 2015, 12:58 PM	#10
RMcL Senior Member Join Date: May 7, 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 273	Tight patterning small pellet (00 & 000) buckshot work reasonably well at short ranges with head shots on smaller hogs. The "00B" used in Flite Control loads measure in just over .32" and 50 grains by weight. Large pellet buckshot such as Dixie TriBall* have the mass and hard cast construction needed for large hogs - with sufficient penetration for shoulder shots at shotgun ranges. .60", 315 grains @1100 FPS. Last edited by RMcL; November 22, 2015 at 01:05 PM.*

October 25, 2015, 05:54 PM	#2
Creek Henry Senior Member Join Date: October 23, 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 514	A few .33 cal shot penetrating a brainpan should do it. Lots of deer have been taken at 40 yards with OO shot.

October 25, 2015, 07:35 PM	#4
erikk Member Join Date: October 2, 2012 Posts: 42	I have killed many a hog with a .22 LR in the ear

October 25, 2015, 10:21 PM	#5
Duster340 Member Join Date: December 27, 2014 Location: Illinois Posts: 92	Not sure I'd want to shoot at an obscurd target.

October 29, 2015, 08:24 PM	#7
mukjp22m Member Join Date: October 3, 2013 Posts: 44	Thanks for the response. It's not really a grassy terrain, it's the woods. But, there were a few instances where their bodies were behind something, like a small patch of grass, or leaves, or something. I felt a head shot would be possible with buckshot. I'd probably not go farther than 40 yards and preferably much closer. I've been patterning flight control magnum (12 pellets at 1350 fps). Yeah, I think that'd do the trick, but hopefully I get positioned to make a clean vitals shot with a slug instead. BTW, I scoped this M2 and have noticed that the truball deep penetrators are not grouping well at 75 yards. The standard truball slugs group really well, like 2-3 inches. The DP's were all over the place. I was shocked. But I've gotta think the regular truball slug would do the trick too.

November 6, 2015, 01:48 AM	#8
123kiwi Member Join Date: March 23, 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 85	Dont forget to play around with chokes too to see what works... I was using Mod with steel shot on ducks this season with 50/50 success then opened it up to IC and was dropping everything! Have left it on for clays last month and didn't notice too much difference so might just leave it at that...

November 6, 2015, 02:29 AM	#9
kcub Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 3,318	I've done it. With an 1897 Winchester pump OO buck about 50 yards or less, both dead before they hit the ground. I aimed straight at the head. Not big, coupla 100 lb. boars. Shells were not magnum, choke was full.