Well, after a long drought, I finally pulled the trigger tonight -- and actually did so twice.

About half-past midnight, I stepped outside and picked up three heat sources in my thermal monocular that turned out to be hogs. There wasn't quite enough twilight to be certain of an ethical shot, so I flipped on my shooting light, picked the hog with the best shot presentation and sent a 110 grain Hornady GMX from my 24" 30-30 downrange.

The audio feedback sounded good. I quickly loaded another round and was able to pick up the other two hogs near the edge of a brushline -- and at the very edge of my light's effective range. I hesitated for a couple seconds to see if they'd line up, but when it looked like they'd melt into the thick stuff, I put the red dot of the Docter 2.5-10x50 scope on the largest hog's shoulder and touched off a second round.

Reloading again, I picked up the hog in the same spot he last stood -- on his side and unmoving. A quick scan dhowed no more opportunities for me, so I turned off the light and went inside for my able-bodied assistants who are having an extended spring break.

The first hog -- a small 89 pounder -- was taken at approximately 130 yards. The bullet entered on the edge of the shoulder, broke three ribs on entry, ravaged the heart and left a wicked exit through the opposite shoulder in its wake. The lungs also suffered signigicant damage. It dropped in its tracks.

The second hog was taken at an estimated 205 yards -- truly stretching the range of my little shooting light. The 109 pound boar was quartering away slightly, absorbed the impact 1/3rd way up on the shoulder and had its lungs largely blended by the bullet and secondary bone fragments. Blood was in abundance, and much of the chest cavity simply poured out through the entry and exit wounds. The exit was wicked and large and showed a number of splintered bones and bone fragments.

Granted, the targets were small, but the amount of tissue destruction wrought by the 110 grain GMX -- the only bullet in the Hornady line they recommend for hunting with the Blackout -- was exceptional. While the Barnes 120 grain Tac-Tx AAC bullet at 2630 fps created impressive wound channels, the two tonight from the 110 grain GMX at 2805 fps MV were even moreso and likely the most damage I've seen done by a monometal in a medium-capacity cartridge.

Here is the heavily-damaged heart and the exit from the first hog.






Here is the ribcage exit from the larger hog:




Here are bullets recovered from test medium at 100 (on left) and 200 yards. MV was 2805 fps.

You should be a field sports writer, Bobby!

Good going Bobby! My spots have dried up! I have not had a picture of a pig at my place in over two months! They are coming to the others but not very regularly. So much for being over run with pigs!

Talk about performance!

Hey bobby: About damned time pard!

Sure tore 'em up huh?

Never used such bullets. Used to shoot lots
of the RN 110's in hot '06 on p/dogs. They'd
leave a red misted triangle til the mist ran
out. On coyotes they'd just about blow one
in half.

Here's a funny story. Cousin Bill and I were
out calling coyotes. Saw one cross the weeds
about 400yds off then went into the thick stuff.
We were side by side with those '06 loads standing behind an arm pit high flat rock ready
for a shot. Never came. We were getting itchy.

All at once it jumped up on the rock about 2 feet from our muzzles. Dog exploded all over us.
We spent half hour picking fur and splatters off
each others faces.

Glad you got some hog killin done finally.

George
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