Well, it's been a while since I pulled the trigger on a hog, but that changed tonight. I was outside comparing scopes and about to go back in as the available light was all but gone. The deer out in the pasture were just ghostly figures and blended into the terrain, and my distant optical charts had faded away. But it was then that numerous flashes of white tails caught my attention -- and also when I saw a dark figure darting in and out of the cedar and huisache. Within seconds I confirmed it was indeed a hog.

I knew I had to act quickly, so when the first good opportunity presented itself and he slowed to a walk, I led with the illuminated dot of the #60 reticle and sent a 123 grain Hornady SST across 170 yards of space. The shot felt good, and I was reassured by the solid sound of the bullet's impact. But the soft recoil nudging me off target and the prevailing darkness meant I could not see if the hog ran or went down, etc. Nonetheless, I again looked through the Zeiss Victory HT 3-12x56 but could discern no movement and could see no body. At that point, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket, and it said 8:58, so we'll call the shot at 8:57 -- a full 41 minutes after legal sundown if my solunar chart is correct.

When I took the shot, the hog had just cleared a known landmark: a small cedar that I've often used as a yardage marker. So I drove down to it with the intention of looking for blood, but there was no need. The boar had whirled to run, swapping ends and dropping right behind the cedar -- just 5-6 feet from where he took the bullet but completely out of sight from my shooting rest.

The 123 grain Hornady, launched at 2603 fps from the 24" barrel, centered the onside shoulder, pulverized the uppermost edge of the heart, damaged the lungs and left a small, dime-sized exit through the opposite shoulder. The chest cavity was filled with blood and gushed when the hog was opened up. If you look closely, you can see the dark spot in the photo where the Hornady left the scene.

Good on ya!

The Whack-master stacks again!



ya!


GWB

Good to hear you're still among us.
Just for the sake of comparison.
What's your rifles measure ovl?
Thanks,

George

That rifle is in the safe right now, but considering the length of the barrel (24), the length of the stock (right around 14") and the fact that the Contender frame adds virtually no length, I'd guess it's approaching 39" overall -- give or take a half-inch either way.

I do know the weight of the hog if anyone wants to take a guess.

Great shooting! Well that hog is a bit on the skinny side so my guess is around 140 pounds. On another note I decided long ago to use my Contender frames as pistols and the one Encore frame I have as a rifle. I have even gone the sensible route and only have two barrels for the Encore, a 308 and a 223 both tackdrivers. However every time you post a picture of one of your Contenders set up as a rifle I think about ordering a stock and a barrel in one or the other of your favorite cartridges!

Nice! You had put one to sleep on Friday night as well

quote:

Originally posted by Gunsmoker:
Great shooting! Well that hog is a bit on the skinny side so my guess is around 140 pounds. On another note I decided long ago to use my Contender frames as pistols and the one Encore frame I have as a rifle. I have even gone the sensible route and only have two barrels for the Encore, a 308 and a 223 both tackdrivers. However every time you post a picture of one of your Contenders set up as a rifle I think about ordering a stock and a barrel in one or the other of your favorite cartridges!

Thanks! You should definitely order the stock set and get those Contender frames rigged out as rifles. You'll never regret it.

As to the weight of the hog, I know it's hard to judge from a single photo, but you did well are quite close in your estimate. He went 151.

Glad to read that you are still able to get out and hunt. You always post some really great reports on your hunts.

Thanks, CHC. I can't call it hunting, though. I was a bit over 20 yards from the front door.

I had gone out there to do a bit more scope comparisons, but the hog decided to make things a tad more interesting for me.

Yep already looked at some of Boyds offerings and have been thinking about a 6.5 Grendel barrel from MGM. However I am presently building a Grendel on an AR15 specifically to run a thermal night vision scope on.

I have used the Boyds stocks quite a bit but have to admit the newer Revolution sets from Marty at www.hausofarms.com are superior in terms of cheek height/proper eye alignment when using scopes, especially those with 40mm or larger objectives.

The stock set in the photo at the beginning of this thread is a Revolution.

Congrats on the new build. Be sure and post a photo or two when you get it all rigged out!

Most of the AR parts are in the mail and I am still trying to figure out which thermal scope to order. At the same time the small fields of view this type of sight has caused me to think short range might be a real problem. It seems to me I could use a good thermal scanner to find the hogs and then sneak up on them just like I have for years hitting them with the redlight just before I pull the trigger. But the scanners cost just as much as the scopes. It looks like the thermal night vision sights are designed to be useful from 75 yards out to possibly 200 yards. Most of my hogs have been shot at less than 100 yards,many at less than 50 yards. I did check out your link, good prices. Why is it that I really like the early Contender far more than the current Encore ProHunter or G2 Contenders? Similar but just not the same.

I prefer the original Contenders as well. There always seems to be one or two available on the Specialty Pistols forums.

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x

My situation is different in that most of my shots are 150-170 in moonlight and 150-275 in daylight. I am mobility-challenged and can't stalk closer. Those ranges are why typical low-end night vision does not work for me, but with the newer and improved thermal offerings, it may be something I look into later on. Sure wish they weren't so expensive, though!

I am looking at buying a high end thermal from Pulsar, around $4000. After pouring over their specifications I am beginning to question if this type of sight is what I need. But I can afford it so why not at least run a test. I did find another early Contender on a message board forum for a really good price and will pick it up tomorow.