OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Yes, that doesn't bode well for you.
Not again.......! Feral Hog Control in East Texas
- Thread starter Flintknapper
- Start date
Yes, that doesn't bode well for you.
Armored farmer
Member
No, it doesn't. Turkey, beaver, and otter are plentiful here now. I cant imagine what a bunch of pigs will do.
Fyi, I will be traveling to your state in March to help you guys with your overpopulation of pigs and Lone Star. Mrs and I can be found every night at the end of the table at the Gruene dance hall.
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
We DO appreciate the help. Hope you are successful.
Haven't been to the Gruene Dance Hall since sometime in the mid 1980's but doubt it has changed much. Oldest Dance Hall in Texas. Been there many times from the late 60's through the mid 80's. If you ever get to Austin...go to the 'Broken Spoke'. Historical dance hall also (just really small). All of the other Old Dance Halls in Austin are long gone, but it was a good place to grow up (Austin) when I was there. It has become the San Franscisco of Texas now...sadly.
Armored farmer
Member
I'm not going out on a limb when I say that I doubt it has changed ANY. It still has the giant porcelain urinal in the restroom, with the beer bottle shelf above. Lol
Prince Franz Albrecht Von Spielberg rules! Take a look at the field hog damage at 2:32.
Armored farmer
Member
I booked a hog hunt near New Braunfels on st Patrick's day. I believe I will take my 7.62x39 RAR pictured above with the beaver tree. The guide says shooting will be within 200yds.
I did tell the guide that I was willing to pay extra if he could convince mrs Farmer that I should get a new rifle.
I did tell the guide that I was willing to pay extra if he could convince mrs Farmer that I should get a new rifle.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
Way back when this thread was still young, long about posts 722 and 723, Flintnapper posted some pictures based on his experience of what can happen if a bullet hits a hog skull at a shallow enough angle for it to deflect. I know folks like to use the bullet deflection with a certain level of frequency to explain why their hogs got away. From that seems to come claims of hog skulls being ballistic barriers. As Flintknapper explained/showed/intimated with numerous images, getting a bullet to ricochet off of a hog skull is going to be as a result of a specific set of circumstances and that hog skulls are readily penetrable if shot correctly. In my years of hog hunting and having made countless head shots on hogs and having been with others who have made head shots on hogs, I had yet to see or experience the dreaded ricochet, until now. It can happen, as he said.
I am testing out some new bullets, Barnes LRX 127 gr in my Grendel. This was my first time getting on hogs. Other than the hogs showing up, little else went well. The weather was crappy, the hogs came from down wind, I got busted and while I managed to shoot the first hog, it made it into the rough and was unrecovered despite two separate sessions of looking for it. I found the hogs again 2 hours later while looking for the first hog and again they were down wind in the partially flooded bottom, and most too far to try to approach without moving through the swampy area first, so I took a loner that was closer and off to the side, in a thicket of saplings. The hog seemed to alert on my presence and because I had what I thought was a decent shot on it, I made the shot, which impacted the skull, skittered off under the skin, eventually exited several inches farther back on the neck. I necropsied all of this. There is a nice depression fracture with additional radiating fractures at the point of impact, but because of the angle of impact, the bullet did not penetrate the skull. Maybe the only good thing to happen is that the hog had its bell rung hard enough that it didn't run away, but didn't ever stop moving, either. You can skip the first to 1:15 in the video if you want and see the shot and resultant issues of trying to finish off the hog, followed by the anatomical breakdown of the bullets' paths through the hog.
I am testing out some new bullets, Barnes LRX 127 gr in my Grendel. This was my first time getting on hogs. Other than the hogs showing up, little else went well. The weather was crappy, the hogs came from down wind, I got busted and while I managed to shoot the first hog, it made it into the rough and was unrecovered despite two separate sessions of looking for it. I found the hogs again 2 hours later while looking for the first hog and again they were down wind in the partially flooded bottom, and most too far to try to approach without moving through the swampy area first, so I took a loner that was closer and off to the side, in a thicket of saplings. The hog seemed to alert on my presence and because I had what I thought was a decent shot on it, I made the shot, which impacted the skull, skittered off under the skin, eventually exited several inches farther back on the neck. I necropsied all of this. There is a nice depression fracture with additional radiating fractures at the point of impact, but because of the angle of impact, the bullet did not penetrate the skull. Maybe the only good thing to happen is that the hog had its bell rung hard enough that it didn't run away, but didn't ever stop moving, either. You can skip the first to 1:15 in the video if you want and see the shot and resultant issues of trying to finish off the hog, followed by the anatomical breakdown of the bullets' paths through the hog.
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Very interesting. Bullets can do some odd things at times.
It wasn't the case in your video...but a bullet that strikes at a shallow angle..could easily deflect. I know of quite a few documented cases involving human shootings where bullets have taken incredible paths off the direction of impact.
High probability of penetration:
Good chance of penetration:
Questionable chance of penetration:
Last edited:
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Looks like I need to get busy myself.
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Haha.....almost went hog hunting this morning. It was quite cold and frosty, no wind, figured the hogs would be moving once it warmed up a bit. But I needed to go and get new tires for my Land Cruiser...so I did that instead. Checked my game cameras this afternoon AND...................
Should have gone with my instincts.
Should have gone with my instincts.
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Is your 'Cruiser a 'pig'?
^^^^
Hah....no, that would be the FJ55....mine is an 80 series. Well... I have a 100 series also...but neither are the infamous 'Iron Pig'.
You know your Land Cruisers, not many folks do.
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Well....IF it ever STOPS raining here, I've got my work cut out. Hogs are making 'new' ones at record pace.
Armored farmer
Member
Hey guys,
I'm shooting cheap wolf brand 122gr HP in my 7.62x39 RAR. They shoot good through my rifle. Do I need to find a more premium alternative? I dont want to blow a chance on a hog.
I have been confident with the wolf ammo, but my time is running out if I am going to change ammo.
Shots are expected to be within 200yds. I am hoping to be within 150yds.
I'm shooting cheap wolf brand 122gr HP in my 7.62x39 RAR. They shoot good through my rifle. Do I need to find a more premium alternative? I dont want to blow a chance on a hog.
I have been confident with the wolf ammo, but my time is running out if I am going to change ammo.
Shots are expected to be within 200yds. I am hoping to be within 150yds.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
You don't have to have premium ammunition to have good hunting ammunition. You just need ammo (bullets) that get the job done as you need it. I like trying different types of bullets to see what they will do and have found that for my caliber, that bang for your buck varies considerably and some of the cheapest bullets are among some of the best performers. However, bullet performance can vary between calibers and between lengths of barrels (the disparity in velocity between full length barrels, carbines, and pistols). You are shooting a rifle so I assume you are not getting any sort of significant reduction in velocity due to shortened barrel length. That is important as how the bullets perform inside a carcass will vary depending on velocity.
Based on the gel test done here with your ammo, it would appear that the bullet is apt to enter, penetrate a few inches, open quickly and partially fragment, and the rest continuing to penetrate. You may have jacket/core separation. You may have something of a lopsided expanded bullet that is recovered, if it stays inside the critter. Note that they are shooting out of a short barrel, 10.5" and that their result is going to more closely mimic an impact at 80-100 yards, assuming you are getting more like the expected ~2460 fps from your rifle. Now, if you are only getting 2331 from your rifle as the guy did below, then this would simulate a 40-50 distance impact
At 2331 fps impact velocity (given that the gel is in front of the muzzle by just a few feet), it looks like you are going to get some fragmentation and still get some good penetration..
If you are cool with the bullet coming apart into a bunch of pieces, creating multiple wound channels, getting lead into the meat, then this looks like a decent performer. If you are going for meat hunting, then this may not be the best choice for you, or you just need to realize that you may be sacrificing more meat than if you used a bullet that simple expanded and held together better.
What the gel tests don't tell you is what happens when hitting bone, particularly heavy bone such as the humerus.
Would there be better ammo? Sure. There is a lot of stuff that would be worse as well. I know folks who really like Hornady SST out of their 7.62x39s. It will cost you more.
Armored farmer
Member
Wow.
An excellent reply to my question. I like the way the wolf ammo shoots in my gun , and I have a good supply stashed away. I think I will go ahead with them. I have had a baaaad experience swapping out ammo right before a hunt.
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Got 'most' of my chores that needed doing...done this week, so I suppose I'll need to go pig hunting tonight. See what shows up.
Armored farmer
Member
Ole Joe Clark
Member
I hope you have several targets, and shoot straight. From your past hunting stories, I don't think the shooting will be a problem. I will look for the update in the morning.
Have a blessed day,
Leon
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Now THAT is one sweet project. You do good work!
No reason why guys our age can't hunt in comfort....right?
I want to see that when it's finished (or before, in stages).
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Well...Leon, it wasn't all that eventful. There has been a group of 5-6 hogs of about the same size (150-175 lbs) coming into the feeder between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. each evening. Plenty of daylight left to shoot. Stand is 100 yds. away and the wind was blowing right from the feeder to the stand this evening. Couldn't be better.
I decided I'd better go a bit early and be ON the stand by 4:30 just in case they showed up sooner than before. Also, while I don't relish waiting on hogs to show...I DO like being out in the woods, far from the house, far from those things that worry a man, alone with my thoughts.
The feeder went off at 5:30 as programmed and I chuckled as a dozen or so Mourning Doves feeding below it... were put to flight. It startled them but good. I love the sound they make when they suddenly flush like that. I don't know what syllables to write here that would imitate it, but those that have heard it...know what I am talking about.
The hogs were running late this evening for some reason, 6 O'Clock, then 6:30, then 7:00 O'Clock came and went. I was beginning to wonder if they would even show. Of course it was well dark by then and the feeder was being illuminated by the red LED lights. I could see a cottontail under the feeder and I watched it for a few minutes through my binoculars. As I was watching .... it suddenly stopped eating and alerted to its right...then quickly disappeared, a sure sign something was coming. Hopefully my hogs.
Sure enough ....a single black hog popped out of the brush nearby and started feeding. But nothing else! Hmmmmm...could this be a lone hog and perhaps the only thing I'm going to see? I watched for a full five minutes and nothing else appeared. Thinking this was going to be it for the night, I committed to shooting the 'bird in hand' but had to wait as it had turned directly away from me.
That crazy hog fed (showing me only it's South End) for another 5 minutes...never once offering to turn. While I waited...the 'group' finally showed up and started jockeying around for the corn (of which there was plenty), but pigs being pigs...they are going to fight.
Once they settled down I picked out a sort of Blonde colored hog (I will get better pics in the morning) and placed the cross-hairs high on the shoulder. The pigs were not bunching up at all...so no chance for a 'two for one shot' this time. The shot broke and as I recovered from the recoil I could see the remaining pigs scattering in all directions. They were gone in a flash, good cover is only yards away.
But the other thing I noticed was the pig I had shot was doing that wild 'kicking' thing they often do when sustaining a CNS (Central Nervous System) shot. I am used to seeing this...but this pig managed to kick itself about 3 feet forward and right INTO the only mud hole at that bait site. What a mess retrieving it. I had to wash it off in order to halfway show its color.
I would not be surprised if the remaining group returns in a few days. They seemed especially greedy on the corn and I waited a good, long while before getting down...to let them move off. We will see. But for tonight, one less hog.
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Boar from last night looks more 'Strawberry Blonde' in the daylight than it did last night under the LED lights. Still... a unique color pattern accentuated by the black belly.
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Nearly all of the hogs killed on my property end up being 'recycled' (Buzzards,Coyotes,Other) consume them...but I am always open to someone coming to get them. On occasion I'll have someone ask to be notified when I trap a hog or shoot one. This is more viable in cooler months when the need to immediately field dress and cool the carcass is not as critical.
OP
OP
Flintknapper
Member
Well....looks like I've got more work to do. No rest for the weary, right?
Same feeder (bait site) but different group of hogs than were there a couple of nights ago. Also a lone boar has shown up. Sigh...........
Maybe go this evening for awhile, I've got a lot pasture that needs mowing today...so we will see how much energy I've got left. But if I go...I'll post back later with any results.
Same feeder (bait site) but different group of hogs than were there a couple of nights ago. Also a lone boar has shown up. Sigh...........
Maybe go this evening for awhile, I've got a lot pasture that needs mowing today...so we will see how much energy I've got left. But if I go...I'll post back later with any results.
