surprised !

[irold]

swampy

that would be an excellant idea......the 300 xtp......and iffin ya wanted a little more , the 300 XTP mag.  Believe the mag series has a thicker jacket to deal with the higher pressures of the 454 or 460.  OOps....don't think they make it a 44 cal.
Anyway , yes the 300 XTP would be a better choice.

regards ,  irold

[drdougrx]

I've always wondered about the XTP and the XTP-MAG.  There isn't an XTP MAG in 44cal listed.  I wonder whether the XTP in 44 has the same specs as the XTP mag in the other calibers.  I can understand a standard and a MAG version if 45 to account for lower pressure 45colt loads, but pretty much all 44magnum loads are high pressure.......

[mk454]

not remotely high as what is required for the .454 and .460.  the regular 300 grain xtp performs incredibly well and holds together very very well on large game.  for more proof, see lynn thompson's handgun hunting down under video.  hogs and waterbuff getting just destroyed by the .44 mag and that bullet.

[Daman]

I went on a Hog hunt in Sunflower, AL (about 40 miles past the end of the earth in AL, you could hear the tugboats on the Tombigbee River thru the trees).  My sponsor killed a nice pig in the AM, we paused for a long rain shower, and then after lunch I shot a large sow (200 lbs+) with an HK91 (.308) using 150 Fed SPs.  I saw the bullet impact and blood from about 75 yds, hitting her mid-chest just behind the front leg.  Bullet exitted but we still had to run her down (great blood trail) and finish her with a 45 ACP HP to the head. She was still on here feet almost a 100 yds from POI!  Note-while stalking earlier in the morning and checking the pig traps, we saw three alligator trails across muddy roads very near the river that bore tracks larger than our hands!

Ah, home sweet home! I love hunting the Tombigbee River. I live very close to Sunflower too. You are correct about the Gators, Seen some 12 footers up there!

Daman

[Larry Gibson]

Irold

How far was the penetration of that 1st XTP?

Would it have hit the vital area with farther penetration?

Swampthing

I learned many years that "immediately dropped" is wishfull thinking regardles of the cartridge used but especially so with handguns, even shotguns.

Larry Gibson.

[SwampThing762]

Larry,

They do go DRT as my current loads allow me to gelatinize the heart and lungs in one shot.  The last hog that I killed was an anomaly.  I pulled the shot up and right and destroyed the shoulder.  Lost a good ham but did not have to chase anything to recover.    I prefer the portable cannon to the pistol when dealing with Florida Hellporkers.

ST762

[SHOOTALL]

Ain't hams on the other end ? 

[SwampThing762]

Yes, brain fart on my part!   Guess I been hanging around GB!!

[Merle]

Ain't hams on the other end ? 

Depends on if you are a city boy - or not!

    

[irold]

Larry ,

I honestly can't answer that.  Was pouring down rain when the hogs were skinned and quartered by the guides.  My guide just gave me the recovered bullet ,saying it was recovered in the shoulder.  The only thing I can tell ya is the second one was the only one to come out on the off side.  In the pic ya can see both holes.  With the second shot it went down within 35 yards.

regards irold

[SHOOTALL]

Around here shoulders are used for BBQ and Hams for speical meals.

[Larry Gibson]

Larry,

They do go DRT as my current loads allow me to gelatinize the heart and lungs in one shot.  The last hog that I killed was an anomaly.  I pulled the shot up and right and destroyed the shoulder.  Lost a good ham but did not have to chase anything to recover.    I prefer the portable cannon to the pistol when dealing with Florida Hellporkers.

ST762

I can appreciate that as I use a 500 gr GC'd soft cast bullet at 2000 fps out of my Siamese Mause in 450-400-70 (ok, it's a 45-70 but allow me my hallucinations) and it DRTs pigs too!  However, the topic here is the .44 magnum in a revolver.

Larry Gibson

[Larry Gibson]

Larry ,

I honestly can't answer that.  Was pouring down rain when the hogs were skinned and quartered by the guides.  My guide just gave me the recovered bullet ,saying it was recovered in the shoulder.  The only thing I can tell ya is the second one was the only one to come out on the off side.  In the pic ya can see both holes.  With the second shot it went down within 35 yards.

regards irold

I guess we don't really know then.  Also begs the question "which shoulder"?  Was it a broadside shot on the shoulder or a quartering shot?  From the photo it looks like one shot hit right on the shoulder joint.  A bullet placed such on a broadside shot will hit very little of the front part of the lungs and none of the critical heart area.  Unless the pig was quartering toward you at 45 degrees or so the bullet could rake back into the offside lung lobe little real damge was done to the pig.  Would also be interesting to know if the shoulder bone was broken also.  The 2nd shot at 1 1/2" or so fartehr back obviously went through both lungs and the 35 yards or so of travel with such a shot is typical. 

FYI; the heart on a feral pig lays very low pretty much between the legs against the brisket on a broadside standing shot.  You have to hit within the lower 1/4 of the cheat cavity area to hit the heart.  The lungs are also a bit farther back so the "point of the shoulder" doesn't hit much lung on a broadside shot.  A "behind the shoulder" shot only hits lungs.  Thus most pigs can travel a distance when these shots are made with a handgun.  Most shoot too high and miss the heart entirely and with a hangun shot the pig can go a considerable distance.  This gives rise to the myth that pigs are "hard to kill".  I and many others, including you now, have found that putting the bullet in the right place kills them as quick as any other animal. 

Larry Gibson

[SwampThing762]

Larry,

I will allow your hallucinations if you return the courtesy.  I like to think of my Mossy 500 as my portable cannon.  In truth, my slug load is an almost direct parallel of the old 50-70 Govt round.  I use a .515 diameter 450 grain bullet loaded with Longshot powder to 1560 fps in a 2.75 inch load.    If your 45-70 load is similar to mine in performance, then I say long live the King of Siam (ie, you).

ST762

[irold]

Larry

Both shots were pretty much broadside.....straight on into the front shoulder area.   Again I put most of the blame on myself.....not being familar with the antomy of the pig.  As you said , and  I later found out , the vitals lay lower than the other game I've hunted.

As I was finalizing the details of our hunt, the guide ask me what type of handgun I was using and the load. When I told him.......44 mag with a 240 Xtp , etc, etc ......he said that was fine.  And I quote " some people come here with the biggest , baddest , pistol they can buy......don't need that , just be able to shoot what ya bring. "  He has been there for over 40 years....grew up on the original farm , started helping out at 14  and guiding at 18.  ( his story , I believe him , a really great guy )  I would bet he knows what he's talking about.

I have no regrets using the 240 XTP , I believe it will do the job when placed properly.  The only thing I might change....I may go to a 300 XTP for future hog hunts.

regards, irold

[mcwoodduck]

Larry

Both shots were pretty much broadside.....straight on into the front shoulder area.   Again I put most of the blame on myself.....not being familar with the antomy of the pig.  As you said , and  I later found out , the vitals lay lower than the other game I've hunted.

As I was finalizing the details of our hunt, the guide ask me what type of handgun I was using and the load. When I told him.......44 mag with a 240 Xtp , etc, etc ......he said that was fine.  And I quote " some people come here with the biggest , baddest , pistol they can buy......don't need that , just be able to shoot what ya bring. "  He has been there for over 40 years....grew up on the original farm , started helping out at 14  and guiding at 18.  ( his story , I believe him , a really great guy )  I would bet he knows what he's talking about.

I have no regrets using the 240 XTP , I believe it will do the job when placed properly.  The only thing I might change....I may go to a 300 XTP for future hog hunts.

regards, irold

I still think your first round was a fluke.  Light load or something that caused a speed failure.
I think if you hunt hogs fro the next 50 years and take that same shot you would not have a failure.
If your guide had problems with the JHP loads he would have told you.
As I said in the begining of this post I have had some bullets do strange things.  Rounds that normaly pop right out are stuck in the animal, rounds that made huge entrance holes and small exit.
If you are happy with the 240 grain XTP bullets and can shoot them well, shoot them mark this one as one of the anomoly bullets.
Just doule measure you powder, make sure there is no gunk in the flash hole of the hunting rounds.  Don't load on rainy or really humid days.  The humid air may have fouled your powder causing a slow round.
Good luck on your next pig hunt.

[mcwoodduck]

Ain't hams on the other end ? 

Depends on if you are a city boy - or not!

    

Pigs are strange the Butt is in the front.
Boston butt cuts are the front shoulders to the elbows.

[irold]

Woody .......you may be right.   

To all , good thoughts , appreciate all the feed back.

 Good Hunting

regards , irold

[SHOOTALL]

Ain't hams on the other end ? 

Depends on if you are a city boy - or not!

    

Looks like it would depend on the pigs location 

[pruhdlr]

For me....the 300gr Hornady XTP's have accounted for quite a few hogs. I shoot them outta my Desert Eagle and my Marlin 1894 both. My shots are very close and usually pretty rushed. Given even a simi-proper hit,the bullets have always preformed great.

Furtherest was a 190lb sow at 60yds with my 1894. Closest(remind me to tell the story sometimes)was with my DE at 5(five)feet.

Out of both guns these bullets are moved as fast as practicle. --- pruhdlr

[SwampThing762]

Prudhlr,

I got you beat on that count -- pig with Ka-Bar at arm's length.  The pig dragged me 75 yards through a brier patch before expiration.   Talk about lucky!!  I will never do that again!!

ST762