Under 200lb-250lb, they're not that hard to kill. Once they get over a certain size, tho, the gristle plate on the outside of their ribcage gets very thick and tough. The 500lb boar I dropped last spring had an armor plate around its vitals that was easily 3/4" thick.With some of the big calibers some of you guys are using killing a hog must be like killing a hippo.
This brings up a really good point - it would be interesting to note both the caliber/chambering used AND the means of hunting (e.g. stand, on foot, in bruch, in the open, distance to boar). I am of the opinion that smaller rifle chamberings and pistols are OK when you're in an elevated stand, but I sure wouldn't want to try, say, a 223 on foot within spitting distance at a hog that knows I'm there.....Hunting a calm hog from a stand or after a perfect stalk is another story. If you've got time to pick your shot and place it perfectly you can use just about any rifle or pistol caliber out there.
Hunting a calm hog from a stand or after a perfect stalk is another story. If you've got time to pick your shot and place it perfectly you can use just about any rifle or pistol caliber out there. As you can see the two are apples and oranges as far as equipment needs are concerned.
Probably 75% of the hogs I shoot are moving. Every hog I shoot is spot and stalked or jumped up. The biggest hog this summer was upwards of 250, and he was running. All died instantly. You just have to put the bullet where it counts.
range 3-4 inches, caliber 22lr from a high standard revolver, kills over 50 in last 25 years or so all in the pen shot in the ear all dead instantly. Average weight is app 285 pounds. Yum!!!!
Isn't 285 a bit high for an agricultural hog? I thought market weight was 250. Are you buying them off market for a discount?
North Texan,
That sounds like some pretty fancy shooting. What weapon are you using?
Maybe I'm missing something but when a hog is running sraight away where is the place to shoot it "where it counts" so that it dies instantly?
I've killed mucho hog on the run but being a generally inferior shot to many sportsmen on the net I usually have to stick "em" once or twice to get them stopped before I can instantly kill them.