On Christmas day I posted a topic in this section requesting help from experienced hunters on ammo choices for my March wild boar hunt. Several guys replied. By combining their advice with the available factory ammo and also with reloading components I could find, plus advice from the owner/guides of the hunting lodge, earlier this week I was able to get exactly what I had hoped for. I took a boar from about 35 yards, with my S&W .500 mag. One shot in the right shoulder went through the ribs and out the other side. He dropped w/o a sound or even a twich. He weighed a bit less than 250#. My reload was a 350 gr XTP backed with 40 gr of IMR 4227. Thanks again to all who helped me here. Didn't need to touch the 30-06 with factory 180's which was my other option. I can't recommend highly enough Spartan Hunting Preserve in Grandview, Tenn. THAT is the place to go! Bonus was that my wife accompanied me as a non-hunter at no additional cost. Got to go, time to dig into boar meatballs on angel hair pasta with marinara sauce!

Yep, congrats.

Wow, 40 grains? Thats enough to dent a tank.

How's your wrist?

George

My wrists are OK with that load. I usually shoot ten rounds then call it a day. I have a .357 revolver that is more punishing. What I can't handle anymore are the 440 gr hardcast Cor-Bon's that I bought several years ago. They are identical in bullet weight and mv as a 12 gauge slug. They kill ay both ends.

Damn, it’s been probably 25 years ago, but I remember loading some 300’s in my .44, with about 20 grains of 296. That was punishing. Can’t imagine double that.

Yep, that's why I have about 40 rounds of Cor-Bon 440 HC for sale. I originally intended to use them on my boar hunt, but there was no way I could shoot enough of them to get sighted in. One, or maybe two at the most, was my daily max. Like Dirty Harry once said: "a man's got to know his limitations." I always thought that was funny until I found out the truth in it!

A late reply. Seems like this thread is still active. So, what they hey.

This (in your first post) makes me hungry. ....
Got to go, time to dig into boar meatballs on angel hair pasta with marinara sauce!

Heck if you can't handle the 440s with 40 gr.

Cut the powder charge down until you can.

I shoot a 45 Colt and tried 25 or 26 gr H110.
Way too much for me. Mostly because it twists my
wrist. Ended up cutting back to 20 gr. I can shoot
a couple hundred in a session without hurting.

That's a bit over 1200fps in a 7 1/2" Blackhawk.
Both 250's and 330gr cast slugs. More than enough for anything.

I've never tried the 330's, but the 250's SWC will go clear thru a live 10" pine tree. If that's not enough I'd better get a rifle.

George

Georgeld, I can handle my reloads of 40gr IMR 4227 with Hornady 350gr XTP bullets. It's the Cor-Bon factory 440 HC that I can no longer tolerate. Those babies want to corkscrew my wrists and arms.

Congrats, 500. That big Smith X-frame can soak up a lot of recoil, but not all of it. I am done with corkscrew handloads, too.