Wild Boar/Pig hunting... which sidearm to carry? - Page 2

zjeepgozweeln · November 23, 2008, 10:44 PM

If I take a shot on a hog, I'm pretty sure I'll take it down. I'm a pretty good shot. I'm not worried as much about wounding the hog and getting charged. I'm just saying I know of friends that have been charged by unwounded hogs.

Now that I'm really thinking about it, I'm also going to be hunting other game in areas with mountain lions. I could even come across bears if I take a trip to northern California. I don't plan on killing lions or bears, just want to be prepared to defend myself if necessary. You know the old boy scout "be prepared" tag line.

I'm leaning more and more to the .357 Ruger. Plus 38 specials are cheap for some range fun. I'm still torn though. I'd really like a semi auto like the 1911. I mean 8-10 consecutive rounds of 45 ACP should stop a boar, bear or mountain lion.... right?

Jeez, I'm probably going to end up with both of them before I know it.

Swampghost · November 23, 2008, 11:07 PM

.44 mag! Been carrying one for 35 yrs. Also good for pesky gators, snakes and a handy backup for deer and hogs. I can go pistol if the shot's too close for a rifle, it also shares cartridges with a 1894 Marlin.

hogdogs · November 24, 2008, 08:39 AM

ZJEEP, If'n you haven't put down hogs yet... don't think it is like a deer. Bullet placement is much different on hogs than deer. The heart lays lower in the chest, and IIRC the gut room is further forward leaving a smaller target. The shoulder shield on a "warrior" boar is up to and possibly beyond 2 1/2 inches thick. I have found broadheads and FMJ bullets in the shield of hogs that were fully healed and fighting off my dogs just fine. Some of the meanest fighters I have seen were "tri-pod" hogs with a bum front leg from previous gun shots. One of the nicest mounts I have seen was a hog that had abscess all over his face from a full load count of 00 buck so distance was not excessive and he not only survived the shooting but healed up enough to live on and when he got bayed by dogs, was able to kill one and cut up the rest. They are not un-stoppable but they are much hardier than many shooters give them credit.
Brent

GERONIMO · November 24, 2008, 12:01 PM

I use to hunt hogs on the Great Pee Dee River in S.C. before I moved here a couple of years back and I always carried my Ruger NM 30 Carbine w/me..It stops them in their tracks..Don't get to hunt them here;well because I haven't seen any wild hogs in Va.;Think the ol' farmers around here would get upset if I shot their lose pigs..LOL!!!But think of getting rid of it;if ur interested in it let me know..(see pics.)She might be a little worse for wear; but bad to the bone!!!

zjeepgozweeln · November 24, 2008, 06:36 PM

hogdogs, I'll be hunting with other friends that have taken many a hog. I also took the time to learn the anatomy of a properly placed hog shot. I found a sweet website that showed pictures of a pig layer by layer down to the vitals.

Thanks for the offer on the .30 carbine, Geronimo. It's just not quite as versatile as my other choices.

hogdogs · November 24, 2008, 07:14 PM

Z, was it the "texasboars" site? they have tons of info too! Ya'll keep in mind i have never shot a hog on a hunt... Just point blank .22 or pellet gun to the head in a pen. I started trapping just to get "trainer pigs" to start the hog doggin' thing. But I was amazed at how much they deviate from deer anatomy. I have butchered with a guy beside me who had shot one hog and never found it and his jaw dropped when we opened 'er up. He said that thing is so lazy the heart is resting on the floor...

Brent

wpcexpert · November 24, 2008, 11:44 PM

HOGDOGS, me and you would get along famously. I was in SC for 4 years. While the pigs don't get the tusks yall have down there, they can grow em big. A buddy and I took his 80 pound black lab down to the state forrest one night. It was 2 weeks before deployment and we were looking for some action before we left. Anyway, we went down to the swamp, drove the roads with the dog in the back, looking for hogs with the Q-beams. Well we saw a pack and stopped the truck. That dog played bay and catch. Seperated a 150 lb sow from the herd, and bayed. Long story short, went to the dog and hog, 200yds with knives and surefires. Got to them, they took back off back towards the road. Went back and Champ (dog) had that sow by the tail going round and round. Flew and stuck her thru the shoulder blades then behind the shoulder.

That was by far the hugest adrenaline rush ever, ever. When we got to the hog my buddy didn't have but a 4 inch lock blade, I had the Rambo first blood knife. She grabbed him by the pant leg and shook her head like a pitbull. Then I closed her down.

Backstraps were 30 minutes from field to the grill. We killed another before we left.

Killed pleanty more with the bow. I love to shoot hogs with a bow. The squeal they make after an arrow goes thru the shoulder is priceless.

zjeepgozweeln :
As far as a side arm, Don't worry about the extra weight. Put the .308 where it needs to be and call it a day.

hogdogs · November 25, 2008, 12:02 AM

WP, I bet that lab was givin' that hog heck! For a real deal seal the deal do or die you gotta see a solo bay dog bayed up in a meadow and send in one 54 pound bulldog to catch on the ear of a 200 pound hog. When that white dog is being shook it looks like the pig is waving a surrender flag but you never know which shake is gonna ruin that dog or worse.
Cutters are as genetic as antlers... One spot we hunt has a gob of pure black hogs that get real big (200+ is common) but they have little teeth and not terrible fighters... Then a mile or 2 away we get on Duroc (red hogs) or spotted pigs that will be 125-145 with 2 full inches and a mean-ness for fight... just dog wrecking slobs! It is weird hor much variation we get in little distance.
Brent

lt dan · November 25, 2008, 02:30 AM

zjeep,

i hunt wart-hogs about twice a week. i often carry a side arm and a knive and hope i never have to use them. any of the hand guns you mentioned will do the job. just remember the best option(when charged) is still your hunting rifle the handgun is a distant second option and i dont even want to talk about the knive.remember the old rule when charged is go down on one knee so that you are the same hight as the hog. this will improve your chances for a chest/head shot.

i am glad so many hunters here see hogs as dangerous animals. the hogs over here tend to charge when they have piglets and i have no doubt that such a charge will be a fight to the death.

let us know what you bougt in the end.

hogdogs · November 25, 2008, 02:34 AM

Dan, I do not doubt your remarks at all but it takes a certain mindset (not sure I have it) to get on a knee when they are charging but I rarely have any firearm... just a 3.75 inch Buck 110 lock blade in my hip pocket...

My first thought is SIDE STEP SIDE STEP SIDE STEP.... Second thought is "Where the heck is a tree when you need one....

Brent

lt dan · November 25, 2008, 02:52 AM

aint that the truth!!

troy_mclure · November 25, 2008, 03:33 AM

first hog i ever shot was from a ground blind over bait at 20m . the boar (150#) came at the bait head on to me and started munching. i shot dead in the head with a .357 mag. he went down for about 5 seconds and was up and running. which of course was right tword me. i got 3 more rushed shots before i finaly dropped him for good at 15'.

November 23, 2008, 11:07 PM	#27
Swampghost Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: Florida, east coast Posts: 2,106	.44 mag! Been carrying one for 35 yrs. Also good for pesky gators, snakes and a handy backup for deer and hogs. I can go pistol if the shot's too close for a rifle, it also shares cartridges with a 1894 Marlin. __________________ NRA Patron Member

November 24, 2008, 12:01 PM	#29
GERONIMO Member Join Date: March 12, 2006 Location: Wytheville,Va. Posts: 32	I use to hunt hogs on the Great Pee Dee River in S.C. before I moved here a couple of years back and I always carried my Ruger NM 30 Carbine w/me..It stops them in their tracks..Don't get to hunt them here;well because I haven't seen any wild hogs in Va.;Think the ol' farmers around here would get upset if I shot their lose pigs..LOL!!!But think of getting rid of it;if ur interested in it let me know..(see pics.)She might be a little worse for wear; but bad to the bone!!! __________________ I Have Opinions Of My Own--STRONG OPINIONS--But I Don't Always Agree With Them!!

November 24, 2008, 11:44 PM	#32
wpcexpert Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 791	HOGDOGS, me and you would get along famously. I was in SC for 4 years. While the pigs don't get the tusks yall have down there, they can grow em big. A buddy and I took his 80 pound black lab down to the state forrest one night. It was 2 weeks before deployment and we were looking for some action before we left. Anyway, we went down to the swamp, drove the roads with the dog in the back, looking for hogs with the Q-beams. Well we saw a pack and stopped the truck. That dog played bay and catch. Seperated a 150 lb sow from the herd, and bayed. Long story short, went to the dog and hog, 200yds with knives and surefires. Got to them, they took back off back towards the road. Went back and Champ (dog) had that sow by the tail going round and round. Flew and stuck her thru the shoulder blades then behind the shoulder. That was by far the hugest adrenaline rush ever, ever. When we got to the hog my buddy didn't have but a 4 inch lock blade, I had the Rambo first blood knife. She grabbed him by the pant leg and shook her head like a pitbull. Then I closed her down. Backstraps were 30 minutes from field to the grill. We killed another before we left. Killed pleanty more with the bow. I love to shoot hogs with a bow. The squeal they make after an arrow goes thru the shoulder is priceless. zjeepgozweeln : As far as a side arm, Don't worry about the extra weight. Put the .308 where it needs to be and call it a day. __________________ When once a republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil. - Thomas Jefferson

November 25, 2008, 02:30 AM	#34
lt dan Senior Member Join Date: March 4, 2008 Location: south africa Posts: 328	zjeep, i hunt wart-hogs about twice a week. i often carry a side arm and a knive and hope i never have to use them. any of the hand guns you mentioned will do the job. just remember the best option(when charged) is still your hunting rifle the handgun is a distant second option and i dont even want to talk about the knive.remember the old rule when charged is go down on one knee so that you are the same hight as the hog. this will improve your chances for a chest/head shot. i am glad so many hunters here see hogs as dangerous animals. the hogs over here tend to charge when they have piglets and i have no doubt that such a charge will be a fight to the death. let us know what you bougt in the end. __________________ If youth is wasted on the young, then Africa is wasted on the Africans

November 25, 2008, 02:52 AM	#36
lt dan Senior Member Join Date: March 4, 2008 Location: south africa Posts: 328	aint that the truth!! __________________ If youth is wasted on the young, then Africa is wasted on the Africans

November 23, 2008, 10:44 PM	#26
zjeepgozweeln Junior Member Join Date: September 26, 2008 Posts: 13	If I take a shot on a hog, I'm pretty sure I'll take it down. I'm a pretty good shot. I'm not worried as much about wounding the hog and getting charged. I'm just saying I know of friends that have been charged by unwounded hogs. Now that I'm really thinking about it, I'm also going to be hunting other game in areas with mountain lions. I could even come across bears if I take a trip to northern California. I don't plan on killing lions or bears, just want to be prepared to defend myself if necessary. You know the old boy scout "be prepared" tag line. I'm leaning more and more to the .357 Ruger. Plus 38 specials are cheap for some range fun. I'm still torn though. I'd really like a semi auto like the 1911. I mean 8-10 consecutive rounds of 45 ACP should stop a boar, bear or mountain lion.... right? Jeez, I'm probably going to end up with both of them before I know it.

November 24, 2008, 08:39 AM	#28
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	ZJEEP, If'n you haven't put down hogs yet... don't think it is like a deer. Bullet placement is much different on hogs than deer. The heart lays lower in the chest, and IIRC the gut room is further forward leaving a smaller target. The shoulder shield on a "warrior" boar is up to and possibly beyond 2 1/2 inches thick. I have found broadheads and FMJ bullets in the shield of hogs that were fully healed and fighting off my dogs just fine. Some of the meanest fighters I have seen were "tri-pod" hogs with a bum front leg from previous gun shots. One of the nicest mounts I have seen was a hog that had abscess all over his face from a full load count of 00 buck so distance was not excessive and he not only survived the shooting but healed up enough to live on and when he got bayed by dogs, was able to kill one and cut up the rest. They are not un-stoppable but they are much hardier than many shooters give them credit. Brent

November 24, 2008, 06:36 PM	#30
zjeepgozweeln Junior Member Join Date: September 26, 2008 Posts: 13	hogdogs, I'll be hunting with other friends that have taken many a hog. I also took the time to learn the anatomy of a properly placed hog shot. I found a sweet website that showed pictures of a pig layer by layer down to the vitals. Thanks for the offer on the .30 carbine, Geronimo. It's just not quite as versatile as my other choices.

November 24, 2008, 07:14 PM	#31
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Z, was it the "texasboars" site? they have tons of info too! Ya'll keep in mind i have never shot a hog on a hunt... Just point blank .22 or pellet gun to the head in a pen. I started trapping just to get "trainer pigs" to start the hog doggin' thing. But I was amazed at how much they deviate from deer anatomy. I have butchered with a guy beside me who had shot one hog and never found it and his jaw dropped when we opened 'er up. He said that thing is so lazy the heart is resting on the floor... Brent

November 25, 2008, 12:02 AM	#33
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	WP, I bet that lab was givin' that hog heck! For a real deal seal the deal do or die you gotta see a solo bay dog bayed up in a meadow and send in one 54 pound bulldog to catch on the ear of a 200 pound hog. When that white dog is being shook it looks like the pig is waving a surrender flag but you never know which shake is gonna ruin that dog or worse. Cutters are as genetic as antlers... One spot we hunt has a gob of pure black hogs that get real big (200+ is common) but they have little teeth and not terrible fighters... Then a mile or 2 away we get on Duroc (red hogs) or spotted pigs that will be 125-145 with 2 full inches and a mean-ness for fight... just dog wrecking slobs! It is weird hor much variation we get in little distance. Brent

November 25, 2008, 02:34 AM	#35
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Dan, I do not doubt your remarks at all but it takes a certain mindset (not sure I have it) to get on a knee when they are charging but I rarely have any firearm... just a 3.75 inch Buck 110 lock blade in my hip pocket... My first thought is SIDE STEP SIDE STEP SIDE STEP.... Second thought is "Where the heck is a tree when you need one.... Brent

November 25, 2008, 03:33 AM	#37
troy_mclure Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: gulf of mexico Posts: 2,716	first hog i ever shot was from a ground blind over bait at 20m . the boar (150#) came at the bait head on to me and started munching. i shot dead in the head with a .357 mag. he went down for about 5 seconds and was up and running. which of course was right tword me. i got 3 more rushed shots before i finaly dropped him for good at 15'. __________________ There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."