Well everyone, July 10th is my pig hunt with Tom Willoughby out of King City. I am so excited!!! This is the first paid hunt I have gone on, and the first time where I have been resonably certain that I will have an opportunity to take a shot. The deer and bears have outwitted me thus far, hopefully the pigs don't do the same!! But Tom says he puts you on them, but you have to be able to take the shot.

so in that light, I think I have a couple of rifles ready. My gunsmith suggested I not shoot my 7mm anymore until I have a chance to have him look at it and see if it was reheatreated (it is built on an 09). I don't want to have headspace problems develop etc. But that's ok, plenty of other rifles.

So what I have going on is: my 35 whelen ackley improved is pretty much sighted in (final tweaking and grouping to go) and with 54g of 4064 is doing 2600fps. I know I can run it up to 2800fps, I think that the load my stepfather used for that was 56g. So the next two weekends I will test that out and practice practice practice. I use a 225g Sierra Game King in that.

And the backup rifle I think will be my 06. It is sighted in now as well. I need to load up some ammo for it, just going to pick something out of the manual that looks good and try it out. Doesn't need to be ultra fast to get the job done I don't think, ANY BULLET WEIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS?? I was just going to use some 165g. Core-Loks that I have around. Don't have many 180's, just the match kings I think.

What do you all think, will this get it done? 225g at 2600fps enough of a smack to knock 'em down?

Red

Red, congrats on the upcoming hunt...may you lie awake the night before imagining the hunt as I do. I think the 225 gr. Whelen Imp. will do yeoman service, and the 165 grain Core-lokt's are a good steady bullet, I use Core-lokts in my 8x57. If you use good shot placement you should have no trouble. BTW, I use 165gr. in my '06 regularly, and wholeheartedly recommend them.

Good luck and good shooting,
Eterry

Red...

Don't worry about pushing the Whelen up to 2800 fps unless you might face shots of 150 yds. or so. That much oomph with a Game King at close quarters on a hog could lead to bullet failure.

Best of luck for a good hunt.

I also have some 165g Hornady Spire Points, anybody ever use these?

I am almost out of the 225g game kings, might have to go to a 250 Speer that I have. Thoughts on that? (will put an order in to Midway for components in the meantime).

Red

Red,
Killed a pig earlier this year with my '06, worked just fine. Load was 165gr Hornaday spire point over 49.9gr of IMR4064. Good luck and post up a pic or two if ya can.

Dago Red,

Have you been able to find the new pig tags yet? No one I've checked with seems to have em. How are you supposed to hunt if the state doesn't make the tags available yet?

OK, mere seconds after I posted that question the answer occured to me: Call DFG. They were able to tell me where to find the tag not too far away. Wheew! I guess I too am getting excited.

Got the tag at the Big 5 about 2 miles from my house. Some new laces for my boots and I think I'm all set. Better remember to take a camera with me too.

thanks everyone for the advice and words of encouragement.

Red

In spite of all sorts of silly suburban myths and "My uncle knew a guy who . . . " kind of BS, pigs simply aren't that hard to kill. Put any decent bullet as a reasonable velocity into their boiler room and you'll eat pork for a month. I've nailed them in their tracks with a 140 gr. Nosler PT from a 7x57, a 300 gr. Nosler PT from a .375, a 250 gr. Woodleigh from a .318 Westley Richards, a 160 gr. 6.5 Hornady from a Mannlicher and I've forgotten whatall else. My buddy likes a 185 gr. something in his 8x57 and a 165 gr anything in an '06. My dad used a .308 with Speer 165's. They all work.

As to dry-firing, it worked for Karamojo Bell, it's worked for me, it'll work for you. Just do it every day, about 10-25 "rounds" and you'll drop'em into bacon. Mmmmmm . . . piggies! I've got a bushpig on my list in August and any warthog stupid enough to come within 200 yards . . . Buwahahahahahaha!

Sarge,

I agree that the dry firing is a good way to practice. I have spent some time doing it before, but not nearly enough. I think this will work good this weekend, I think out to 200 I am good, have never tried past that so dont' know. some people don't like corlok bullets, but like REmingtons claims, they have taken more game than any other bullet, and I hear that they have not been challenged on that claim.

My gunsmith told me what to look for on my Whelen to fix the problem, I think he is right I just need to do the testing and try the fix.

Will give you all results when I get back from the hunt.

Red