Author Topic: What Weight for Hogs? (Read 1200 times)

bigvarmnt · « **on:** May 01, 2009, 06:39:47 AM »

What weight bullets do you Hog Hunters prefer in 44 mag Handi? Do you need more weight. I'm looking at ordering some diff. weight bullets cause I can't find locally. The 200 & 240 XTPs shoot good out of my barrel. Not sure how they penetrate. Always liked jacketed soft points. Thinking of trying 300 gr, Sierra jsp. Do Florida pigs need heavier slug? Also Indiana Whitetail deer? I was getting some 180 XTPs for chucks and maybe a coyote. Are they too light for Hog and Deer. If 200's would work I like shooting them. Never shot a Hog yet. Deer only with M.L. Think all of above may work for deer. Thanks for any help.

petemi · « **Reply #1 on:** May 01, 2009, 07:45:45 AM »

I guess I take a different tack on this. I like heavy bullets. I find what each of my rifles likes, sight it in for that and leave it alone. Every time you change loads, ya gotta change sights and I'm a lazy old coot. For example, my .308 is sighted in for 168 gr. boatails. I shoot bear, deer and chipmunks with that one bullet....never touch the sights. The '06 is sighted in for 180 gr., The .22-250 55 gr., the .357 158 gr. 7mm-08 140 gr. .45-70 is a meager 325 gr. Find a bullet that will do all you need, sight in and stay there. I used to bounce around with a bullet for this and a bullet for that, and all I was doing is improving the profit margins for the ammo manufacturers. Now, I just grab the rifle that is set up to do whatever I want to do at the time and go.

Another thing I do is record the load's trajectory on a 3X5 card, plastic laminate it and slide it up under the buttstock cartridge holder. When the rifle comes out to work, I pull the card and refresh my feeble brain.

When I lived in Florida and hunted hogs there, I always used heavy, deep penetrating bullets. You never knew if a hog busting out of the palmetto was gonna be a 50 lb piglet or a 500 lb plus boar. In scrub palmetto, ranges can be real short.

Pete

Graycg · « **Reply #2 on:** May 01, 2009, 10:18:20 AM »

Well you ask a good question,
I have to tell you, I used to futz around with different loads for different purposes with my 44 ruger carbine, what I found out was that if you use a 300 grain LBT WFN bullet loaded of max load of H110 it kills what ever it hits...try it, you will like it.

regards,
graycg

bigvarmnt · « **Reply #3 on:** May 01, 2009, 10:42:06 AM »

Thanks Pete, your brain aint too feeble, it came up with the idea of the card. And I like it. I will try that for my 22 hornets, 223s, and 22-250s. Seem to have bought two of each, I guess for both sons when I move on. My oldest son is living in Florida and we might get a chance for a Hog Hunt. I was just thinking of a light load for little critters until they get 357 barrels. Still plan to knock over a whistle pig with 44 but don't know if it will require a 300 grainer for that. If I have to order some I will get extras to find what it likes. Wanted to know how heavy I needed for Hogs so I can load some for my son /AND me if it works out. If they get 500 lbs. you probly want heaviest bullet. I heard they wear Kevlar. Just trying to plan ahead. Hunted Grouse in Mich once or as I called it shooting trees. Was used to hunting birds out west in the open fields. Couple more trees up there than I was expecting.

bigvarmnt · « **Reply #4 on:** May 01, 2009, 10:52:17 AM »

Graycg, Don't know the letters. Don't think they stand for Long Boat Tail With Flat Nose

Been mostly into 22 rifles past few years. Tried to use the lightest bullet that would get the job done with those. Not experienced at throwing big chunks of lead around yet.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #5 on:** May 01, 2009, 11:28:56 AM »

I have carried a 44 pistol with me hog hunting as well as a little Ruger carbine. I carried 240 grain bullets in each.
the only way i would go lower is if you go with a solid copper round. the copper being lighter has the same over all length as the jacked lead rounds. Most of the places here in CA have gone lead free to "save the Condor".

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 01, 2009, 11:30:16 AM »

IMHO you need a bullet that will penetrate. If you get into the shoulder blade (which is big for size), it can be tough to get through. I would prefer a 265 - 300 grain hard cast with a flat nose pushed as hard as you can. If you prefer a jacketed bullet the Hornady 265 interlock and the Speer 270 gold dots are hard to beat; again pushed as hard as you dare. Good Luck and Good Shooting

bigvarmnt · « **Reply #7 on:** May 01, 2009, 12:37:51 PM »

LaOtto222, Thanks neighbor, I had looked at those Gold Dots in the Speer catalog. Didn't run across them on sites I was looking to buy bullets and kinda forgot about them. Have to look again. Think I will go pretty heavy being a single shot, like to stop them before I have to reload. Do you get your shims at the Sittin Bull? I used to several years ago before I became a handiholic. I hope to get to Huntertown Gardens tomorrow I will listen for some shots. I may shoot a little in the morning instead, best weather here for a while.

mcwoodduck, wish I would have got one of those 44 carbines years ago. They were reasonably priced then. Those Condors don't taste good without lead do they? I think rifle twists are going to change so we all can (have to) use those non lead longer bullets. Prob within 4 years.

jeepmann1948 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 01, 2009, 02:09:04 PM »

Here in West Texas we use 223's or so on the little ones (like in the Picture) and save our Heavy bullets for the big ones

Default · « **Reply #9 on:** May 01, 2009, 03:24:01 PM »

Personal experience with big hogs tells me to let you know to stick with jacketed soft points of hard cast lead with a good flat point ..

I shoot a 44mag , 45 LC and 357mag and unless its defensive use i stick with the 240 in the 44 - 250 in the 45 and 180's in the 357 , either JSP or hard cast flat points... Did lose a real nice hog (200+ to a 45lc speer gold dot 250gr hp and no exit hole , even thou it smacked the snot out of it ... Hog still had enough left after jumping back up to run the blood trail dry on me.

I took a deer a number of years back with my Ruger 44 carbine ... Big fat doe busted out at a full run ( dogs running her and a little girlfriend) roughly about 50 yards or better ... Caught her just behind the shoulder with a 240 gr JSP remmie ... Upon checking her out ... Was hard to miss the baseball sized exit wound . Proof is always in the pudding

Hope that helps a little ,

Default

bigvarmnt · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2009, 03:42:51 PM »

Thanks, I have some 158 gr jsp, got them over 25 years ago. They seemed to have a good punch in 357. Don't seem to see many anymore. Mostly find jhps. or jhcs. may just have to look harder. Wasn't sure how much difference 300grs would make. Prob about 60grs. A friend went with a guy in Texas with a knife. Maybe I can duct tape a bayonet to my Handi. I don't have the stones for that.

Jeepman1, I hope you didn't let the rest of that litter get away. Not enough meat on that piglet for a good meal. Think we need a bigger gun! (JAWS)

jeepmann1948 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 02, 2009, 12:42:06 AM »

Reply to bigvarmint,
Fot the record I din't shoot this one but I did drop a 770 lb board with one shot from a 223 55gr Rem Factory load @ 177 steps. Hit 1 " under the ear > Big old hog hit the ground right there ! I will not shoot another one of them that size without a winch truck to load them. All the fun stopped after he hit the ground.Upon field dressing it took 4 stout men to load him in the back of a lifted 3/4 4X4 Pickup

jeepmann1948 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 02, 2009, 12:48:02 AM »

Ok Guys I will start proofing my posts better Should read 770lb Boar, as it is real hard to field dress a 770 lb board

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 02, 2009, 01:04:41 AM »

bigvarmnt - You are definitely in my neck of the woods. I have had a shim or two at the Set n Bull, but have not been there for years. My shim drinkin' days are not what they used to be.

I have a LaOtto address - about 4 miles as the crow flies to the North East. I go by the Huntertown Gardens on my way to Fort Wayne, I only live a mile off Lima Road. Good Luck to You.

kinslayer1965 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 02, 2009, 04:55:19 AM »

Jeep,

goin after a 770lb boar is getting pretty close to lowering your place on the food chain.

I understan why you want to plug him a long ways away.

petemi · « **Reply #15 on:** May 02, 2009, 07:16:41 AM »

Big Varmnt, I shoot mostly 158 gr. JSPs in both the Handi and the Blackhawk .357s. I get American Eagle when I can find them. I think if I were hunting Florida hogs again, the .357 would stay home and the .45-70 would be in my hand. I shot a rampaging 800 to 1000 lb domestic hog a while back at the farmer's request, and I was very happy I chose the .45-70 to take along.

Pete

tgriffin · « **Reply #16 on:** May 02, 2009, 09:04:49 AM »

I use a ruger nmbh in 41 mag with a 215 gr hcswc pushed as hard as the gun will handle. have killed quite a few hogs and a couple of deer with this load. DRT. Head, neck, and low & behindthe shoulder shots are the best.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #17 on:** May 03, 2009, 01:11:41 AM »

While I dont hunt hogs with the big 44, I do hunt allot and have shot a number of hogs with a 45Long Colt, loaded at or above 44 velocities. I prefer 300Gr hard-cast or soft points.

Here is a little clip of one that fell to my black hawk and a 300Gr Sierra.

CW

kinslayer1965 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 03, 2009, 06:14:32 AM »

Nice shootin CW.

CR

jmayton · « **Reply #19 on:** May 03, 2009, 07:28:11 PM »

55gr. Oh, wait, you guys were talking about a .44. My bad. The only hog I saw shot with a .44 got up and ran off before we got to it. In the mean time, I shot another one with my .223.

Seriously, you need penetration and controlled expansion...penetration alone doesn't do it, but it's got to get in there before it gets big. I crippled a boar one time and walked up to it to finish it with my 1911 and I happened to grab my practice mags that day with 200gr FMJ round nose in them. I thought I was missing because dust kept flying up on the other side of the pig. Those 200gr slugs were just passing on through.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #20 on:** May 04, 2009, 12:32:21 AM »

Quote from: jmayton on May 03, 2009, 07:28:11 PM

55gr. Oh, wait, you guys were talking about a .44. My bad. The only hog I saw shot with a .44 got up and ran off before we got to it. In the mean time, I shot another one with my .223.

The one in my video didn't run anywhere...

Two guys in camp that day lost hogs to the big 44. This of coarse is of NO FAULT of the 44. Many people simply cannot shoot, let alone shoot a heavy recoiling caliber like a 44 handgun. These same people NEVER put blame where it belongs, they blame the lousy performance on the gun or its caliber... I
I'll venture a guess that the lowly 22RF has killed every critter on the planet, this doesn't make it the best hunting, just easy and accurate. If the 223 is legal where you hunt and it works for you, more power to you. I subscribe to the big caliber club. I like big, heavy for caliber bullets with my hunting handguns. As you can see, I CAN shoot them.

even one handed! 25 years of bullseye competition seem to have benefit.

Jmayton, I know your just funning with your quoted post, no offence meant.

CW

gstewart44 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 04, 2009, 04:48:08 AM »

I have hunted hogs in FL for over 20 years now, and like Pete has said, you never know if the porker on the other side of the palmetto patch is going to be 50 lbs or 350+lbs. I use 240-300 gr jsp or hcswc. I did try the "light and fast" one time to "reach out and touch" some distant pigs. Only problem was after I recovered two 60 pounders, and big 300 lb boar came out and I popped him at 70 yds with a 200 gr jhp. It enter into the near shoulder, he squealed and stumbled but never hit the ground. We found a little bit of blood, but it wasn't until we brought out the hounds that we found him about 1/2 mile away. The bullet had broken the shoulder and splinters had punctured the lungs, but no exit.

that experience cured me on light bullets for hogs. You definately want them anchored because trailing a wounded boar in thick cover is a dicey adventure.

jmayton · « **Reply #22 on:** May 04, 2009, 05:23:21 AM »

cw, no offense taken. If I had the 45-70 I'd like to have, I'd take that with me sometimes as well. I've done the dog and knife thing, so having any firearm is a step up from that.

Bottom line, bullet construction and good placement will always trump bullet diameter. . . but a big bullet that penetrates then expands and is place well does quite an effective job.

petemi · « **Reply #23 on:** May 05, 2009, 03:26:45 PM »

I can tell ya about confronting a boar with a Knife in Florida. Thank God he decided to leave town.

Thats another story, another time. I've hunted hogs for a number of years in the south, and I was young and stupid when I started it. I soon grew up. Hog hunting, I want a big, heavy, deep penetrating bullet. You can take your .223s etc. and hang them on your tombstone when the boar is done with you. As gstewart44 agrees, knock them down dead where they stand. My .45-70 would be my choice were I to do it again. If any of you have hunted in palmetto, you'll understand what I'm talking about. A lot of shots are 25 yards or less, sometimes inside of 25 feet.

Pete

kevinsmith5 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 08, 2009, 04:51:03 PM »

I use a 45-70 with a 550 gr bullet. Every single one (6) has been DRT. Furthest one moved was 6 feet and that's cause he skidded to a stop.

Default · « **Reply #25 on:** May 08, 2009, 09:18:50 PM »

CW ...

Brother i watched that Video and could smell the adreneline HAHAHAHAaaaa.... You take er easy on that old heart of yours now

Kidding aside , good shooting ... What length was that super blackhawks barrel ? I have the 7.5 SBH 44 with the different trigger gaurd that i always hear people complianing about , still dont know what they are talking about .. Mine doesnt bite me

BUT it sure does bite

cwlongshot · « **Reply #26 on:** May 09, 2009, 01:02:49 AM »

Here she is:

Ruger Bisley 7.5" barrel. Reworked inside, with free spin pawl, over-sized cylinder pin, custom main spring and fancy grips. She is my favorite and a REALLY good shooter too. I have repeatedly shot 4" groups at 100yards.

CW