Boar hunting caliber?

B

Birdhunter

New member
I received an offer to go boar hunting recently and was told I could use any gun I wanted. However he frowned on rifles, said it took the sport out of it. I imagine it will be fairly short range.

I use my shotguns enough for hunting, so would my S+W 686 with 6" barrel and a heavy .357mag load do?

I think they are Russian boars.
 
For "good-eats" hogs in the 60- to 100-pound size, I'd think a .357 would be plenty good. (20 to 40 yards, I'd guess, as a maximum distance.)

Now, if you're sitting in a tree stand, and a larger hog passes right beneath you, you probably could easily kill him with a head shot.

The deal is, big hogs are very tough, so I'd pass the shot if I only had a .357. It's not so much that you can't kill them with the .357 so much as the odds are against an ethical, clean kill.

$0.02, Art
 
Brennekes

Do you guys think that 3" brenneke slugs, 600 grains at 1400 fps (out of my 20" barrel), with over 2,600 ft/lbs of energy are enough power to reliably put down the big 400+ lb. boars?
 
Vang, lad, as has been said a zillion or so times here, it all hinges on your ability to hit a good, killing spot on that hog.

If you're sure you can do your part, the slug will do its part.

:), Art
 
Well, anyonehave a pic that shows the vital areas of a hog so that I may know where on the monsterous beast to place my shot? Or should I just go with magnum buckshot our of a vang comper? ;)
 
Shoot at the shoulder, that what makes the trick on European boar.

BTW brenneke slugs are ammo of choice on driven hunts. I don't know if it is the way you do it in US. But nothing beats a drilling or over/under rifle shotgun combos for this kind hunt. But I would feel very comfortable with say 870 with rifled barrel too.

Roman
 
Side view: There's always the eye as an aiming point, or right under the ear. The heart is low in the chest, and sorta just-behind the front leg. The heart is about fist-size. Since the vital areas for these aiming points are roughly centered in the head or body, any quartering shot needs to follow an imaginary line to that vital spot.

You can try for just below the top of the shoulder; this can break both the leg and the spine. A high heart-lung shot will have the animal running but bleeding out, massively, internally. They won't run far.

If a hog is coming toward you, don't go for a between-the-eyes shot because of the chance of a glancing, non-penetrating hit. Aim more toward the nose and let the slug go through the softer bone below the eyes and on into the body.

Whether squirrel, kitty-cat, deer, human or hog, mammalian organs are pretty much in the same relative position in the carcass. The primary difference is the density of the bone and the toughness of the hide.

Right now, we seem to have a surplus of both humans and hogs, but I'm told the former are out of season for ethical hunters in the U.S.--which sez sumpn for the State of the Nation.

:), Art
 
If you want to be different, try using a .54 or .58 caliber ML rifle or musket. :D


Thompsen/Center still make their famous Hawkins rifle.
Go with .54 caliber loaded with 80gr FFG & patched round ball. Smaller calibers like .50 or .45 should be used with Maxi balls (conical bullet).

http://www.nmlra.org/
 
Hey there Vang Comper, (Blain) is that you? I shoot for the middle of the shoulder when its presented and try to break both shoulders with a lung pass through. Many times this will get the spine as well ,drops em like a bad habbit. Head on I agree with Art and aim for the end of the nose or if at an angle take the point of the on shoulder. Many times my only shot is running straight away then I'll put a 270 Gr. X bullet to the base of the tail. Most of the time if when I recover the bullet its in the throat. A complete pass through. I once shot a little porker(About 100 LBS) at no more than 5 feet in a swamp with a 45-70 loaded with Buffalo Bore 405 Gr ammo at 2000 fps. Hit him a little far back he took off like nothing happened and ran several hundred yards. I definatley recomend breaking bone on the first shot.
 
Vangcomper,
Howdy from the world of Suresrtike enterprises. A word of warning, this web site is a little more mello than the other one. Not a threat just some friendly advice partner.

H&Hhunter.
 
Vang,

I don't know of too many creatures on the planet that a breneke slug will not take out.They are over 100 years old and still the
best design on the market.
 
A 12 Gauge Slug will do nicely!

.357? Not a good idea.

.30-06 Class works too.

Just don't use Coyote calibers on them!
 
Shoulder shot on hog?

Well, the shoulder's certainly a great reference point for a heart/lung shot. As to "breaking both shoulders". I think not. Hogs, unlike Cape Buff, have floating shoulders....that means it's all shoulder blade, no ball joint.

Not arguing the shot, just highlighting H&H's point that it's the spine damage that drops 'em quick, in cases where we're lucky enough get a piece of it.
Rich
 
Aye I just got the one you sent, very nice thank you. You get my response? Anyway, what is wrong with a neck shot on hogs? Target the spine but even if you're low you get the trachea.
 
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