With another scorcher predicted today, the She-Wolf and I were out just after sun-up debating the clearing of more brush east of the house when my gal spotted movement a couple hundred yards to the south. Sure enough, a handful of hogs were moving west to east just the other side of the house pasture fence.

Handing Jane my coffee cup, I hopped the fence into the yard and went inside to grab my old Sako AI Varmint in .223 from the rack. It stays loaded for the occasional coyote sighting but would do well for this 200ish yard shot. Stepping back outside by the pool, I stepped around Jane's tomatoes and peppers and took a rest over a big ceramic planter. When one of the hogs gave me a clear shot, I sent a 50 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip downrange. The crack of the little rifle was followed by the satisfying "whump" of the bullet and I watched the hog drop to the shot.

Nothing huge; a 1/2 grown boar with a tiny hole centered in his left shoulder. So no matter how the rest of the day goes, it started out in the plus column!

Mark

That's the way to start the day for sure!

Yep...that is a GREAT way to start the day! Congrats on a nice shot. The hogs here have been extremely sporadic and are refusing to be anything but nocturnal. With all the corn and protein they guzzle, I'd say they were being ungracious dinner guests ha ha.

Forgot to say: that's a beautiful rifle and some nice-looking terrain for your back yard, so to speak.

Nice shot. Wish I was there. Hunting that is.

Thanks Bobby!

Yeah, if I wanted I guess I could do decently just sitting on the porch and hunting from the house!

I picked up that Sako last year and quickly found a load it liked. If I messed with it some more it might do better...providing of course that I could! I'm pretty sure I'm the weak link in this equation...

What a great backyard activity! Nice shootin’ too!

I wouldn't tinker with that load at all. That's outstanding accuracy.

IF you'll settle on a load, then
sort thru all the bullets you can
find. You should be able to really
tighten that group up to a one holer.

Those lil Sako's are real shooters.
I got a new one back in Germany '73.
222mag. Wore it out on pr dogs. Never
made a group bigger than a dime til the
last of the barrel. Hard to find brass
for that one.

Rebarreled it in fur season to .223.
Two of us came up with 19 bullets: 40, & 55gr.
Had my load: 25gr 4895. 40gr V'max put ten thru
one hole of .230" time after time. Best I could
find was cheap C/L's about 7/16"-1/2" in 55gr.
Plenty good enough for pr/dogs.

Funny thing was Noslers 40 gr and 55's both never would make better than 1 1/4".

Hang onto that lil rifle, they're dandy!

George