.357mag Vs Wild hogs

3

357MagFan

Moderator
Next weekend Im going to go hunt some wild hogs and am going to use either my 6 inch 686 or my 18.5 inch Marlin. Some of the pigs can get over 300 lbs so my question would be if I should reconsider caliber or if the .357 can get the job done if I shoot it in the right place. And where should I aim for? If the .357 is way under par for these animals dont be afraid to say so I might reconsider if its that bad.
Oh I also plan on using Federal 180 grain Castcore ammo, got any other recomindations? If I walk up on the hog Ill use my revolver, If I spot about 20 yrds away or more ill use my Marlin.
 
Personally, I would not use less than a .44 mag if you are going to use a handgun, especially if you may encounter a 300 pounder. Piggies are tough critters. A .357 is what I use as a sidearm after I put the pig down with the .270 Winchester.
 
Several years ago, I loaded ammo for a hog hunt in GA. At the time the client wanted to use his 6" 686 (.357). I advised him to check wether .357 was allowed in a handgun on their ranch. He was advised that .357 was the LIGHTEST caliber they allowed. I developed loads of 158gr soft points running very close to 1400fps for his gun. A few days before the hunt the client decided to use his .44 mag. Ruger semi-auto carbine (as several people had previously advised him would be a better choice). I made up my favorite carbine loading of a 240gr soft point over 23 gr H110, CCI mag primer. These run in the low 1700's out of a carbine and have taken many animals over the years reliably. When I spoke with the client following his hunt, he told me that the first hog was so easy, he paid for a second, returning with two. Both were heart shots (he makes me look good with his shot placing ability :D ), and both animals ran less than 25 yds. before dropping. Neither bullet was recovered as they passed through both animals, leaving no heart to be found in either animal. Now here's the kicker. A man on their hunt DID use a .357 Ruger revolver and had to RELOAD to kill his animal. I'm told he had TWO head-shots as well. I don't know what ammo he was using, but my client was glad he used a .44 carbine with high-performance ammo (and so was I). 'Nuff said.
Josh
 
Your marlin shooting 180 grain bullets using some of the slow burning pistol powder may be able to take hogs at 50 yards. The only drawback is if you spot a 300 pounder at 75 yards you may get tempted to shoot it. If that's the only gun you have use it but know it's limitation, otherwise bring enough gun to take out a 300 pounder at 200 yards just to be sure. josh
 
Hello 357magfan. I have been hunting wild hogs here in texas for awhile now and here are some results. The federal cast core 180gr. shot into the head of a "face on" 225 lb. sow from a 4" ruger gp. exited the last rib, instant death. Snub nose taurus .38 with 125 gr. hollowpoints only penetrated one and one half inches of a 200 lb. plus boars "shield", that is the heavy cartilage protecting a boars rib,shoulder and neck area. Later "testing" on a boars shield found that at point blank range a .38 fmj. from the same taurus snubbie only penetrated 3 ins. of shield. This means that if hit in that area the .38 would not even reach the muscle, let alone the vitals.
30/30 win.mod. 94 150 gr. soft point shot into a 220 lb. boar at 100 yds. boar made it to the creek bluff 200 yds. away, was subsequently found in the dark with the aid of dogs and dispatched from approx.20ft with a load of 12 ga. 3 in. 000 buck, he still ran another 10 or 15 ft. after that. "Autopsy" later found that this hog was shot behind the shoulder but quartering toward, only destroyed one lung.
We had approx. 25 wild hogs in the pens at our farm at one time, and have found hard cast bullets from 44's and 357's will kill them with double lung shots, but not as quick as soft points from either caliber.
The 357 will do it under hunting conditions, 100 yds or less, use the marlin, cast cores through my 16" ported are extremely accurate, but the 180 gr. win. supreme partition puts them down quicker all things being equal.
Make sure shots on the "BIG-UNS" are quartering away if possible, definitely avoid long range double shoulder shots no matter what 357 round you use.
Also remember the vitals on hogs are farther forward on hogs than deer,
necessary to be protected from other boars teeth during fights. B
 

Attachments

  • hunting 04 004.jpg
    hunting 04 004.jpg
    78.8 KB · Views: 100
If the hogs are bailed by dogs the .357 is adequate, otherwise forget it. I used to own a Browning 92 and found the limited range and power problematic on pigs.
 
Having tramped Florida swamp and killed numerous hogs with Ruger Blackhawk 357, it is quite adequate. Sometimes they run with non-CNS shot. Just lung can mean some tracking. All part of the fun. Never have used dogs for hogs. Most shots 10 to 25 yards. daleltaylor@att.net
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top