Finally got the sow

Spurchaser

Spurchaser

Well-known member
Posted a video of shooting a big boar and 4 shoats several weeks back. I picked the boar based on the potential of other shots.
The sow and two shoats survived and I had them on camera a couple of weeks ago with another boar that showed up. The two were equal in size and I ended up taking the boar instead of the intended sow.
I haven’t seen the pigs since that time, yet I kept my spot baited up. Last night they showed!
By the time I got there they’d moved off the bait site but could still be seen in the woods. I snuck in close, almost too close.
I was positioned for an opening in the woods and I could definitely tell the sow based on size. What I didn’t expect was right before she gets to the opening, she turns and starts straight towards me.
Now I like getting close, but sometimes they can get too close. I ended up shooting her at about 15yds.

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Now I like getting close, but sometimes they can get too close. I ended up shooting her at about 15yds.
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Good job! (y)(y)
Sure don't take them long to cover lots of ground, do it, Mark?
One night we were passing a small trap pasture/holding pen arrangement near our camp. Barely enough light to see the crosshairs in my scope when I saw a large boar in one of the holding pens eating out of the cattle trough. There were a few head of cattle in the pen and the boar either had not seen the jeep or he figured we couldn't see him, so I slipped up in the adjoining trap pasture (separating trap/holding pen), poked my rifle through the hog wire fence a the hog, no more than 20 ft away and was waiting for a couple of cows that were directly downrange to move when something spooked the boar.
I wasn't too concerned due to the hog wire fence between us until I realized that I was standing right next to an open gate for which he was headed! Managed to withdraw rifle from the fence and snapped a shot off as he ran through the gate past me. Would like to claim it was excellent marksmanship, but must admit there was possibly a certain amount of luck involved. Black crosshairs on black hog + poor light; you decide.;) 55 gr Nosler BT. Who sez the .223 isn't sufficient for hogs.

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I got a pig thumper to try out but alas, no pigs in southern Nevada. I've had invited from yellow hammer but haven't been able to make the trip. Y'all think 450bm would work?
 
HM1996, back before thermal, I had a Wicked Light on an AR15 shooting 55gr bullets. But I would sneak in under the cover of darkness until I could smell or see them and flip the red or green light on. That was pretty hairy as well cause sometimes I’d end up way too close as well. All the hogs dropped on the spot, but all shots were similar to yours, except mine weren’t running, lol.
 
Spurchaser said:
Haha, my dedicated hog thumper is the Ruger SFAR .308 shooting Nosler Varmageddons 110gr.
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That would make a great platform for getting in amongst them. Guessing you probably wound up using the Varmageddons kinda like I did the .223? Have you had any problems w/the VG breaking up and not putting the hog down?
I picked the .223 as a very good predator rifle, but would not have thought of it, especially with the 55 gr. bullets, to be a great combination for hogs. Often ran across hogs when coyote hunting and one thing led to another after dropping a number of them with the rifle I had in my hand at the moment. I suspect the .223 would be OK for shots behind the shoulder, but pretty sure a direct shoulder shot would not be good, so always passed anything other than head shots.
I did have one 55gr NBT splash on a frontal head shot. A large boar came trotting straight toward me, over a 4 or 5' rise. He was maybe 30 yards away. I saw the bullet hit right between his eyes, dropping him like a pole axe, only to jump right back up and disappear quickly back over the rise before I could get off a followup. Tracked him to some super thick brush and never saw hide nor hair of him again. Thinking back, I believe it was a combination of the light bullet, thick skull and extreme slope of the hog's nose, but I'll never do that again.:sick:
 
No sir, those 110’s have put every one of them down no matter where hit. Or let me say, dropped them enough for a second shot. We had to take a Texas heart shot on one big ole boar before he exited and it had him spinning in place but a quick second shot put him down permanently. Shot quite a few behind the shoulder and dead on the shoulder with no issues. Now what’s crazy is I’ve shot a couple coyotes with them and couldn’t even find the entrance without hanging them upside down and looking for blood to start flowing.
I’ve yet to shoot a coyote with my new rifle, .243, but the 87gr VMax have taken a few hogs and dropped everything so far as well. I haven’t gotten a passthrough with either bullet yet, but so far it hasn’t mattered.
 
Spurchaser said:
I’ve yet to shoot a coyote with my new rifle, .243, but the 87gr VMax have taken a few hogs and dropped everything so far as well. I haven’t gotten a passthrough with either bullet yet, but so far it hasn’t mattered.
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No passthrough even on coyotes?
 
No sir. You’d think 110gr screaming at a thin skinned coyote would have me being creative with the poses for pics, but surprisingly no.
 
That's been my experience with the few coyotes I've shot with the VG in .308. Apparently the Vmax are pretty light jackets, as well.
 
That is interesting, Spurchaser about the 110 Varmageddons. I would never have considered that bullet for hogs. Like you, I have taken a few coyotes from a .308 with those bullets and no exit. I have been actually considering using it again this fall for coyotes.

So, the Varmageddon penetrates well on hogs? Head shots? I generally head or neck shoot them which drops them on the spot. What about hitting dead on the shoulder? I have not taken any shoulder shots so far since they will most likely get away if I don’t drop them since the area is so thick and swampy.

My wife and I are leaving Thursday to Georgia for a hog hunt. I am taking the .308 Bergara, Infiray Bolt and 130 gr. Barnes TTSX. Also taking a 6mm Remington with 4K Pro digital and 85 gr TSX. Hoping to help my wife get her first ever animal with a rifle, so just curious about shoulder shots and how well it drops them.
 
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Haven’t had anything run yet. Actually shot this one purposely back a little hoping it would run off the bait site so I wouldn’t have to drag it off, dropped on the spot.

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I take that back, I did shoot a boar way back on a going away shot and he made it 50yds or so, but that was by design as well. I wanted him to squeal and run to give me other opportunities.

I was a little nervous about these bullets as well, it was someone on here that recommended them for coyotes and after shooting a couple hogs with the bolt gun I resighted the SFAR in for them and they’ve functioned flawlessly.
 
Next opportunity I get I’ll try a dead on the shoulder shot and see what they do. CJ shot a hog that was a tad bit on the front of the shoulder and it dropped on the spot, but nothing dead center yet.
 
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