Which buckshot for boars ?

C

christian812

New member
I normally post in the semi-auto handguns section, but here's the question…

My land is infested by wild boars and we have now the right to shoot them 365 days / year and 24 hrs / day > good new !

Till now, I was using slugs but I'm not a very good shooter with my Mosberg 500 and at the first shot > they all escape ! As they become more and more familiar, I plan to use buckshots at 30~40 yards > faster to point and a better chance for a hit, also more following shots. If not dead, last shot with my Sig 9 mm.

I think the classification of buckshots is not the same here in Europe than in the US.

- What would you use… 9 or 12 pellets ?
- Is magnum cartridge a définitive advantage ?

Thank's for answers
 
IME: Buckshot seldom works well on boars (here we call them feral hogs), especially large boars. They often escape to die a lingering death.

Trapping is a much better option for dealing with hogs.
 
For buckshot to be effective at that range you're gonna need to use something like federal flitecontrol to keep pattern tight enough to put several pellets in the vitals. Boar are tough critters hitting them with a random pellet or two is going to leave a wounded hog.

Bottom line you really need to learn to shoot if you can't put a slug in their vitals you can't center the pattern of buck on them either.
 
Unless the "boars" are fairly young and small, I doubt the effectiveness of buckshot @ 30-40 yards. Shooting the piglets doesn't work--you need to be killing the sows.
An experienced "hog trapper" might remove several pigs right away but the rest will be educated.
Once established, it becomes increasingly more difficult to control the pigs up to the point of requiring long range night shooting to even knock off a few.
 
"...we call them feral hogs..." A boar is a male pig. A feral hog is a domestic pig that escaped custody. snicker.
Buckshot is still not going to work well. Moreso if your shooting skills need improving. Your Mossberg have rifle sights? Much better for use with slugs than a bead. You must sight 'em in and practice with the ammo you intend using.
Magnum ammo will not help poor shooting either. Just make it worse due to the felt recoil.
"...last shot with my Sig 9mm..." Hunting with handguns legal in Belgium? Don't even think of using a 9mm either way.
 
I would recommend a mid-caliber semi-auto rifle with soft point bullet.
Something on the Kalashnikov pattern would be ideal especially if you can solidly install a low power scope on it.

Is that legal in Belgium?
 
If you are set on using a shotgun, I would recommend getting a red dot site or a low power scope. This will allow you to have maximum effectiveness with either a slug or buck shot. You will be able to know exactly where your hitting them.
 
ditch the scattergun and get a scoped rifle 223 or bigger.

It doesnt take a 300 WM to kill a hog. Ive killed more with 243 than anything.
I use cheapo PPU ammo and only take head shots.
Concentrate on the big sows. They will get smart quick once you start picking them off.
 
Buckshot is not for thick-hided boards. It's really only like firing a burst of .32 ACP submachine gun ammo at the hog.

A single, WELL PLACED round that can penetrate deep and cause a mortal blow to the hog with one WELL PLACED shot is what will win the day, and remember, Mr. Oinky is in a sense donating his life so that we may consume him (or at least to keep him from consuming our crops!) and he doesn't deserve to suffer.
 
I'm glad the hogs here in louisiana aren't as tough as the hogs yall have everywhere else. I don't care for buckshot as much as a rifle but back in high school I killed truck loads of hogs with 00 buckshot and a 22mag. At 30 to 40 yards with a good choke that's a give me. Out past 60 yards is where buckshot patterns falls apart. If you are hunting the truely large trophy boars then I would suggest rifle only but for chance encounters your shotgun will be fine. At 45 yards my browning shoots a 22 inch pattern. With 12 buckshot in a 22" pattern you won't lose many hogs.
 
pellet count

Nobody seems inclined to answer this guy's question, only to bash him over going to buckshot. Am I the only one who's seen the heli-hunt video's where they use a 12 ga to mow down hogs with buckshot?

I am not sure about Euro buckshot sizes either. But the 9 pellet/12 pellet question sounds like 00 buck, either a standard 2-3/4" shell, with 9 pellets, or "short mag" 2-3/4" shell with 12. Same pellet size, same cartridge length, difference in payload. I'm thinking a true 3" mag will have 15-00 buck pellets. And I'm thinking a 00 buck pellet is .33 of an inch.

I suppose the tech answer is to pattern the 9-12-15 pellet 00 buck loads and see which delivers a consistent, dense pattern at the distances you expect to shoot at hogs. You'll have to shoot a few rounds to see what your smooth bore prefers.

Were I inclined to use buckshot on hogs, I might lean towards 000 buck. Hogs are thick skinned tough critters, more so than a whitetail deer. The heavier pellets of 000 buck might serve one well on larger hogs. 000 buck is .36"

I googled buckshot and see there are UK sizes, LG (000 buck) and MG (.34") and SG (.32). LG or MG would be my choice then if the stuff patterns acceptably.
 
Thank's guys for all your answers.

Seems there is a consensus for not using buckshots ! The 9 mm was for the "coup de grace" in the head !
Come on guys, I'm not going to hunt hogs with a 9 mm !!!

Trapping is illegal in Belgium.

In fact, this Mosberg 500 is very old (but in prime shape) and my only sight is a gold bead.
Which probably explain the lack of good hits with slug !

I recently got a rail with adjustable rear ghost ring and front Trijicon blade > this should improve my slug shots.
Problem is that the Mosberg doesn't have drilled holes to fix the rail and till now, I haven't found someone to do the job !

So, once installed > will practice ! And regarding magnum, I guess my shoulder won't appreciate :eek:

Let's see if i can attach a picture of the new sigts !?
 

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Have you considered buying a new rifled slug barrel with rifle sights for your Mossberg? Based on what I read about their accuracy, I bought a Mossberg 500 combo 12 gauge Sunday with a 24" rifled slug barrel with rifle sights. Changing them is quick and easy.
 
Nobody seems inclined to answer this guy's question, only to bash him over going to buckshot. Am I the only one who's seen the heli-hunt video's where they use a 12 ga to mow down hogs with buckshot?
Click to expand...
The only correct answer is "none".

Shooting down on a hog from a helicopter gives you a great angle for a short range head shot, whereas real hunting situations are totally different.

Buckshot barely works on deer.
 
#1 or 00 will do fine at that range. I've killed them with #4 Hevishot at close range. It's a nasty, highly destructive pestilence and true vermin. I don't get bent out of shape if one gets away to feed buzzards later no more than I would a roach or fly. I've said before, I'd shoot one in the ass with a BB gun if I thought it'd get gangrene and die. Hogs aren't game animals, quit treating them like they are.
 
barely works

Well, a heli-shot and a shot from the ground are certainly not the same thing, I have to agree with Snyper about that. But there is little precision or predictability involved with a load of shot. I'd think basketball cluster of .33-.36 balls, that land on the chest/shoulder/neck/head would be about the same irregardless of the angle. On medium sized hogs, I'm betting the results would be the same. I suppose there'd be a big difference on a big boar.

I knew some guys who hunted hogs for the gov't. One of the things they did was walk trails with a shotgun, mounted light, and buckshot (at night). Those fellas killed a lot of hogs. They played the wind, there was alot of critters, and shots were close.

Buckshot barely works ......only when used beyond its effective range. Which most folks have a tendency to overestimate. My county is still a buckshot/hound legal area for deer. Folks blaze away at 50-60 yds and only get marginal hits on a deer running in front of dogs. Half that distance, centered ...no way a deer will shrug that off. Would I hunt deer with buckshot? No, not if I could use slugs. But a load of shot well centered on a deer will kill one deader than a hammer at 30 yds.
 
My wives uncle use to carry an old Winchester single shot 12ga with him on his tractor. I don't know about 40yds but he always shot them in the head with 2 3/4" 00buck, never complained about loosing any.
 
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