Just got back from the lease and attempting to reduce the feral hog population, with limited success. Shot two small BBQ candidates with the M70 FW using 55 gr Ballistic Tips. Head shots both, with the ground leaping up to hit the falling pigs. Picture of the resulting exit (?) wound is posted here:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a276/dustoffer/PA250251.jpg

More proof that it's all about shot placement.

If you don't mind me asking what exact load did you use?


Glad to hear you had a good hunt!

Not at all--

35.6 gr H380
W-W case, partial neck-sizing only
Win Lge Rifle Primer
Nosler 55 gr Ballistic Tip
Bullets are seated .055" off the lands. This results in only having a "two shooter" as the rounds are too long for the magazine in my rifle and only able to load one plus the one in the chamber.

The rifle is a Model 70 Featherweight which replaced a Winchester M 70 Coyote. Got tired of carrying the heavy gun. The load shoots under .8" for me all day long for 3-shot groups. Chrono is around 3400 if I remember correctly, so it isn't a "burn up your barrel load" but every pig it has been introduced to ended up in someone's freezer or bbq.

That head shot pic is positively gruesome. This is what a 458 win mag does to a boar....

For what it's worth.....I would switch to 55 gr. softpoints or 60 gr. partitions in your 22-250 for hogs. They are deadly with head shots. BT's will eventually give you some problems.

Congrats!!

Good Hunting,

Bob

Bob-I agree with your thoughts about BTs and eventual problems, but not with head shots. I've shot a bunch of hogs with them, from 20 yds to 150 yds, and all have dropped on the spot. Body shots--I'll save them for the .25-06 or 7 Mag.

Bob-forgot to mention the wound on the pic you posted. Is that an example of the surface blowup of a ballistic tip? Sometimes the hogs are so coated with dried mud that it is like they have armor on--

I am not a fan of the 22/250 for pigs and like a bigger gun but each to there own. Heaps of Aussies use it and I have come across 2 pigs that where hit in the sout end with small caliber guns and they just had shallow craters blown in them and the wounds had healed over.

And, after recovering from my brain cramp, I noted you comment about the .458 Win Mag damage.

What did that hog weigh? Good cover of fat on him for sure.

As for the head shot pic I had posted, would make a great Halloween Mask, right?

My pig gun is a Ruger M77 in 7x57 using 160 grain Speer HotCores.

The BT kill pretty good on head shots. I think they do it by just droping all the energy at once like a sledge hammer. I would use the partitions myself because it penetrates better going into the skull rupturing the brain.

quote:

Originally posted by dustoffer:
And, after recovering from my brain cramp, I noted you comment about the .458 Win Mag damage.

What did that hog weigh? Good cover of fat on him for sure.

As for the head shot pic I had posted, would make a great Halloween Mask, right?

About 200 lbs. I didn't intend to get off topic, though. Sorry.