Head Shot Hog Review

[Zen Archery]

Quick review on one tough hog.
I know bullets are weird once hitting its target but this pig didn't want to die.
I was using a 7.62x39 SP @ roughly 50 yards.
Click Here For Video

If you don't want to watch video here is a quick pic. info.
In the picture below taxidermist stated hog was shot in the head but bullet skimmed and failed to penetrate the skull. Dang hard-headed hog!

On a nearly 300# hog this is the killing radius you have to nail them in the cranium taking a side shot. This use to be my primary shot placement.

If you are going to take a forward headshot this is your killing radius. But note one person attempted this shot and the bullet skimmed off and hog survived. I used to favor this shot.

Don't get me wrong I still favor head shots but with bigger pigs just know what you are up against. I still aim for the head 7/10. The 3 times that I don't is when I am:
a). trying to get a double
b). shooting a big pigs over 200#
c). or when they are running.

Good luck. Stack the bacon!

 

[Sarge]

Bad hit at an oblique angle; it's hard to say if another round or an FMJ of the same caliber would have dug in and wrecked the skull. If you hunt much and take a lot of head shots, you're simply going to have some of those.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

I got to agree with Sarge. Bad shot is the problem, not a super tough skull.

I've seen the same thing with 22LR Hyper-velocity bullets on woodchuck skulls. 99 times out of 100, brain splatter, that other 1 time, ricochet. It's just the coming together of the variables.

 

[Saltydog235]

I killed a big old nasty boar on December 31st at the club. He was 300lbs easy. When he came out, he didn't stay still long enough to line up a headshot so I opted for a spine shot. Killed it dead at 120yds with a 165grn BT from my .308. Upon skinning the pig we found 2 .243 bullets fully mushroomed and 5 00 buckshot pellets in his shields, those shields were fully 1 1/2" thick or more. My bullet had penetrated the shield and hit the spine but didn't go any further. I would have taken the headshot over that shoulder shot any day of the week, just glad I had opted for the heavier bullet that evening. That was one rank pig.

 

[Rmart30]

Upon skinning the pig we found 2 .243 bullets fully mushroomed and 5 00 buckshot pellets in his shields, those shields were fully 1 1/2" thick or more

Most people have never seen the shields on a full grown boar and have no idea what they can stop.
We took the shields off a 300+ # boar and hung them up and first tried with a arrow at 50 yards. it had penetration but not a pass thru.
then we backed out to 150 yards and then 250 and hit it with a 243 and 30-06.

At 150 they both penetrated but at 250 it almost stopped the 243 from passing thru.

A front on head shot is my go to shot on a large boar if possible.