Hog hunting: choosing between two bullets

[aerobat]

Not sure if us feral hogs are as "tough" as european wild boars but if yes i would be careful with hollow points in .44mag

They might stuck before getting into vitals and in optimum case you want an exit woubd for quick collapse of the lung and blood stream .

If in .44 mag i would go with sp , not jhp and make sure to do it from an elevated stand if the hog runs and tries to charge you .

[Philipl]

We hog hunt in Texas 2-3 times a year for 3 days each. usually 5-7 of us per hunt and been doing it for about 12 years. Most of us now shoot 300 grain .458 S0com Underwood ballistic tip 1900 FPS 2400 ftlbs energy or 450 Bushmaster 250 grain FTX 2200 FPS and 2700 ftlbs of energy at 100 yards and less and pretty much always head shoot them. We generally have a dead hog right there.

Have not had such impressive results with 223 / 556 1250 ftlbs, 300 BO 1400 ftlbs and 350 legend 1800 ftlbs

Your .44 is going to have around 800-900 ftlbs so a well placed brain shot might be best





Longer range shots 200-400 are generally with 6.5 creedmoor or 300 win mag

[aerobat]

We hog hunt in Texas 2-3 times a year for 3 days each. usually 5-7 of us per hunt and been doing it for about 12 years. Most of us now shoot 300 grain .458 S0com Underwood ballistic tip 1900 FPS 2400 ftlbs energy or 450 Bushmaster 250 grain FTX 2200 FPS and 2700 ftlbs of energy at 100 yards and less and pretty much always head shoot them. We generally have a dead hog right there.

Have not had such impressive results with 223 / 556 1250 ft-lbs, 300 BO 1400 ft-lbs and 350 legend 1800 ft-lbs

Your .44 is going to have around 800-900 ft-lbs so a well placed brain shot might be best.

Longer range shots 200-400 are generally with 6.5 Creedmoor or 300 win mag

Yes . I hunt mostly for wild boar at night as pest control ( have a permission for a thermal scope ) and we do it boring - with modern bolt action rifles in the .308 / 3006 / 8x57 class .

As a backup , should one charge me at night , i hope for luck with my p226 in 9mm ( and hard bullets , no jhp ) or a taurus raging bull in .44mag .

A wild boar is no polar bear of course but i saw wild boars going Rambo attack mode after a good hit from a .308 before they dropped seconds later, that's why i recommended to be careful hunting them with a revolver cartridge , even a very powerful one like the .44mag .

[crosstimbers]

I hunt hogs on a regular basis. Anything suitable for deer is suitable for hogs, though I would add that my opinion of what is suitable for deer doesn't include some chamberings that other people seem to like. Wild Hogs do require different shot placement than deer, and I prefer head shots.

They don't seem to stand still as long as deer do, or maybe the hogs near me are just hyper.

[RSR]

I hunt hogs on a regular basis. Anything suitable for deer is suitable for hogs, though I would add that my opinion of what is suitable for deer doesn't include some chamberings that other people seem to like. Wild Hogs do require different shot placement than deer, and I prefer head shots.

They don't seem to stand still as long as deer do, or maybe the hogs near me are just hyper.

So you're German?  Y'all's manicured/highly managed forests and pushed wild hog/boar hunts are EXTREMELY different from the states...  From vids I've seen, I'd place it more in the realm of duck hunting than standard red blooded game hunting I'm used to in the states...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ob0fgc0I7A 

[crosstimbers]

I hunt hogs on a regular basis. Anything suitable for deer is suitable for hogs, though I would add that my opinion of what is suitable for deer doesn't include some chamberings that other people seem to like. Wild Hogs do require different shot placement than deer, and I prefer head shots.

They don't seem to stand still as long as deer do, or maybe the hogs near me are just hyper.

So you're German?  Y'all's manicured/highly managed forests and pushed wild hog/boar hunts are EXTREMELY different from the states...  From vids I've seen, I'd place it more in the realm of duck hunting than standard red blooded game hunting I'm used to in the states...

Uh, I think the other poster may be German....I'm not.

Regarding Wild Boar/Feral Hogs- and whether there is a difference between the two. I am of the opinion that there is in fact a difference, though I've seen spirited debate on other forums. Generally here in Texas, most hunters seem to agree that there are "Russians", Feral Hogs and the results of the two mixing. The only wildlife biologist I have ever talked to did agree this is the case. My understanding is the "Russians" or wild boar were imports for sport hunting- maybe Arkansas way, and Feral Hogs are simply farm pig stock.

I've seen the black, usually ridge-backed swine that the head makes up at least a quarter of the overall length, and the multi-colored variety with the typical face and body structure, all running together. We have them in my area in herds of a dozen or so, up to several dozen or more. The farmers and ranchers hate them, but I love hunting them.

[RSR]

I hunt hogs on a regular basis. Anything suitable for deer is suitable for hogs, though I would add that my opinion of what is suitable for deer doesn't include some chamberings that other people seem to like. Wild Hogs do require different shot placement than deer, and I prefer head shots.

They don't seem to stand still as long as deer do, or maybe the hogs near me are just hyper.

So you're German?  Y'all's manicured/highly managed forests and pushed wild hog/boar hunts are EXTREMELY different from the states...  From vids I've seen, I'd place it more in the realm of duck hunting than standard red blooded game hunting I'm used to in the states...

Uh, I think the other poster may be German....I'm not.

Regarding Wild Boar/Feral Hogs- and whether there is a difference between the two. I am of the opinion that there is in fact a difference, though I've seen spirited debate on other forums. Generally here in Texas, most hunters seem to agree that there are "Russians", Feral Hogs and the results of the two mixing. The only wildlife biologist I have ever talked to did agree this is the case. My understanding is the "Russians" or wild boar were imports for sport hunting- maybe Arkansas way, and Feral Hogs are simply farm pig stock.

I've seen the black, usually ridge-backed swine that the head makes up at least a quarter of the overall length, and the multi-colored variety with the typical face and body structure, all running together. We have them in my area in herds of a dozen or so, up to several dozen or more. The farmers and ranchers hate them, but I love hunting them.

That quote was apparently a misfire...  And yes, intended for aerobat.

Regardless to your reply, my understanding is that there were wild pigs from Spanish stock and later domestic getaways, and then Russian wild boar that were introduced later for hunting purposes...  I look at it a bit like a domesticated dog vs. a wolf -- something like husky w/ a fair bit of wolf dna vs. wolf might be a better comparison (us wild pigs vs proper russian boars) than just random wild domestic dogs.  And my understanding is that both wolves and domestic dogs are considered subspecies the same species, and can interbreed fertile offspring just like domestic pigs and russian wild boars are/can also do.
(And this discussion is also confused in that "boar" is an intact male hog in farmer parlance, so there's all sorts of potential confusion if you don't specifically clarify...)

[crosstimbers]

Yep. I was present once when a couple of guys spent over an hour debating the things mountain lions were called. It was hilarious. I finally talked them into going to bed by reminding them that not a lot of deer got killed from the bedroll.

[aerobat]

That quote was apparently a misfire...  And yes, intended for aerobat.

Regardless to your reply, my understanding is that there were wild pigs from Spanish stock and later domestic getaways, and then Russian wild boar that were introduced later for hunting purposes...  I look at it a bit like a domesticated dog vs. a wolf -- something like husky w/ a fair bit of wolf dna vs. wolf might be a better comparison (us wild pigs vs proper russian boars) than just random wild domestic dogs.  And my understanding is that both wolves and domestic dogs are considered subspecies the same species, and can interbreed fertile offspring just like domestic pigs and russian wild boars are/can also do.
(And this discussion is also confused in that "boar" is an intact male hog in farmer parlance, so there's all sorts of potential confusion if you don't specifically clarify...)

Hi ! Yes ,  i,m german . We do not have feral hogs , just wild boar .

Afaik the difference between the two : a wild boar is a true wild swine while a feral hog is a wildered but originally domestic swine .

Wild boar is gender neutral . In german a male is a 'keiler' while a female a 'bache' .

Hunting in germany is highly regulated and ( as well the gun laws ) subject to very strict laws .

You e.g are allowed to hunt wild boar with a minimum calibre of 6.5mm and a impact energy ( not muzzle energy ) of ar least 2000 joules . So e.g hunting them with a .223 / .243 would not be legal while i,m sure effective . Any handgun calibre only for self defense against charging animals so finally i do not have first hand experience how effective a .44mag would be . I can tell that a 9mm fmj on an immobilized / wounded wild boar in the head
Is deadly .

The hunt is usually not like in the video . Its from an elevated stand at night since wild boar here is night active . Germany is pretty densly populated so you always must expect people walking in the woods , and just empty a magazine into a dense wood area without knowing whats behind the hog is a big no no .

[RSR]

Hi ! Yes ,  i,m german . We do not have feral hogs , just wild boar .

Afaik the difference between the two : a wild boar is a true wild swine while a feral hog is a wildered but originally domestic swine .

Wild boar is gender neutral . In german a male is a 'keiler' while a female a 'bache' .

Hunting in germany is highly regulated and ( as well the gun laws ) subject to very strict laws .

You e.g are allowed to hunt wild boar with a minimum calibre of 6.5mm and a impact energy ( not muzzle energy ) of ar least 2000 joules . So e.g hunting them with a .223 / .243 would not be legal while i,m sure effective . Any handgun calibre only for self defense against charging animals so finally i do not have first hand experience how effective a .44mag would be . I can tell that a 9mm fmj on an immobilized / wounded wild boar in the head
Is deadly .

The hunt is usually not like in the video . Its from an elevated stand at night since wild boar here is night active . Germany is pretty densly populated so you always must expect people walking in the woods , and just empty a magazine into a dense wood area without knowing whats behind the hog is a big no no .

Thank you for your insights -- all, or nearly so, of the German wild boar hunting vids I've seen are from driven hunts like I shared...  In the US, there are driven deer hunts, which are generally considered less sporting than stalking or sitting in a stand/blind NOT on a bait/feed station.  Generally, I'd say the sporting in the US is stalking>stand/blind on game trails and/or food plots>driven hunts>feed/bait stations...  And while I understand the increased marksmanship requirements of driven hunts, most of those who end up taking shots here pay the highest dollar and categorically are not the best marksmen, which leads to a lot of wounded animals and miles long blood trails, including in shotgun-only states (i.e., primarily shooting sabot slugs)...

To the point -- what's your thoughts on the driven hunts we've been exposed to in the US?  Are they sporting, or not?  And are they just showmanship vs. how hunts are typically conducted in your AO?

[aerobat]

To the point -- what's your thoughts on the driven hunts we've been exposed to in the US?  Are they sporting, or not?  And are they just showmanship vs. how hunts are typically conducted in your AO?

We perform driven hunts but barely on wild boar and surely not 'john wayne'  style like in the video , but it might differ from reservee to reservee .

They are done at the end of the year since every reservee has a yearly harvesting goal for e g deer ( mandated by hunting authority ) and if you have not still reached it a driven hunt is organized to push the quote .

It all depends on the people who participate and safety should always be priority . I participated in many and from my experience hunters who tend to be brain lazy but trigger happy are not allowed .

The hazards for external walkers are high and the risk of just wounding a fleeing animal too  . Nobody is able to perform a clean shot on a highly fleeing animal free hand out of 100 yrads .

If its done ethical and clean it might be a great adventure . Ethical means you need to wait until the wild calms down and you can perform a clean shot . If not possible keep you finger out of the trigger guard .

I,m lucky to be in a hunting reservee where its not about the highest dollar who is invited but about your reputation of being reasonable .

All in all i personally prefer individual hunting .