"Their vitals are much further forward..."

by Jared, Tuesday, May 16, 2017, 08:23 (2686 days ago) @ Hoot

That is about the only way to really learn. I have seen some hogs take an amazing amount of punishment and keep right on going. There just isn't much quit in them.

There was one a neighbor trapped that I went to dispatch for him. His trap was made of gravel screen so the holes were not very big. I ha de been hunting so all I had with me was a rifle and my .500 Linebaugh. As we approached the trap the 200# boar went nuts, so getting a easy hit though the small holes with a boar running around was difficult at best.

I hit him through the top of the head a little forward of the ear from above, the bullet exited his neck and broke his lower front leg. Remember this is a 450gr LFN at 1100 or so through the brain. He dropped at the shot. We gave him a minute and went into the trap to drag him out. As soon as the other guy with me touched the hogs back leg he started kicking and trying to get up. We drug the hog out and cut his throat. He payed there and flopped a minute and stopped moving. So we looped a chain around his back leg and we drug him the 25 or so yards to the truck.

We unhooked the chain and the hog stood up swaying like he was on a 3 day drunk, looked a the us and then started swaggering slowly to the woods. All this probably 5 minutes after being shot through the top of his head, and 2-3 minutes after having his throats cut. He was dead on his feet but determined to keep going. I put another round through his shoulder and that did it. I know Kathryn had a new found respect for their toughness after that, she was a little freaked out when he stood up that last time.

Another was a 150# sow that I shot with a .35 Remington contender. I hit her in the neck just a hair high. It broke the top part of the spine and dropped her, it just didn't break the spinal chord. She layed there until I ha de time to walk up and then she got up very slowly and with much trouble. A 260 keith out of a USFA put her back down.

I have shot hogs with everything from .22LR to .45-70 and .500 Linebaugh. They can be tough to kill or just drop dead. The bigger calibers have a little extra slap and seem to anchor them in their tracks better. Even if it doesn't kill them they tend to stun better allowing more time for a second shot.