Hog Hunting with a Handgun

[kobudo]

I've heard recommended recently that hog hunting with a handgun, in particular your carry pistol, was a great way to get better at shooting while under stress. Does anyone here do this and if so what hunting methods do you use and if there's any seasoned hog hunters here do you feel it's something you got better at with experience?

[texasaggie2005]

I've heard recommended recently that hog hunting with a handgun, in particular your carry pistol, was a great way to get better at shooting while under stress. Does anyone here do this and if so what hunting methods do you use and if there's any seasoned hog hunters here do you feel it's something you got better at with experience?

Eh. I'm sure the act of hunting hogs with a handgun will cause some elevates stress levels. (I've hunted hogs with pitbulls and Bowie knives, carried a pistol as backup) But frankly, this is only being propagated because most people don't care if you wound a bunch of hogs.

[okie john]

http://www.texasboars.com/hunting/huntingtips.html

Lots of good info here.


Okie John

[John Hearne]

Foot stalk to your reliable pistol shot range. FWIW, when placed properly, 45 ACP works just fine. I've used standard pressure and +P Ranger Bonded with good results.

[Dave Williams]

There is a great Viking Tactics video on YouTube of Kyle Lamb shooting a wild boar with a pistol.

[Frank R]

I hunted boar for many years in N.C., TN. & GA.. I used a .44 Mag. and dogs, not the type of dogs that attack the boar.

I would not recommend using the typical carry guns in 9mm and .45 acp. Could they do the job? Yes, if the shot placement is spot-on but in the heat of the moment that's not usually the case. Boars are tough animals and don't have a very good sense of humor when wounded. Best to use enough gun.

[czech6]

The term "hog" covers a pretty wide range of animals. I've used a 9mm on smaller feral pigs, the sub 100lb pigs that are abundant, without an issue and I don't think that I'm at much risk of being gored by a shot pig. I don't think I would try that on the Eurasian and hybrid hogs, in any size, that are becoming more common around here.

[dbateman]

When I was growing up in the Northern Territory hand gun hunting was legal.

I used to walk creeks flushing pigs out as I went, my favourite two guns for hunting pigs were a 1911 chambered in 38Super and S&W 38spl shooting 158gr +p.
I had access to 45acp and 44mag but seemed to like the super the most.

It can be a very exciting way to hunt. I recommend it.

[Hambo]

I've killed feral hogs from 35-250 pounds, mostly at night. Head shots: a friend took a head shot with a muzzleloader and apparently it didn't penetrate the skull because it became a major problem. Another acquaintance took an initial head shot with a .40 on a big hog (over 300#) in daylight. It took two more, one at about six feet to put it down for the count. That hog had just killed a pit bull. Head shots with a rifle are DRT. Body shots: aim over the front leg as the heart is farther forward than you think and you need a bullet that can get to the heart.

Because there's a lot of hunting pressure here, stalking is not easy. I've gotten to within 30 yards or so with the wind right. Over bait we've hunted as close as 25 yards, but usually about 30-35 yards minimum. At those ranges I wouldn't count on a service pistol. White light at night send them running, and green light is pretty tough to shoot by.

[Wayne Dobbs]

If a service pistol won't reliably work on a hog, it won't work worth crap on a bad guy. Just sayin'.

And if you look at some data regarding mid-range performance of the popular service pistol ammo, it doesn't give up much velocity (especially if it starts at a subsonic velocity) at the mid ranges (50-75 yards). Feral hogs are not that hard to kill, unless you're telling sea stories about them. Make sure your gun is zeroed and that you are too and get out there and get some field experience.