Reading all these great posts has me eager to try it real soon.
Have admired a good many pictures of you fellows mounted heads.

Would some of you mind posting your pictures and listing the price and who did the work for some of us to start considering?

Sure would appreciate it.

Has anyone shot these things with say a .223 in the lungs from a distance?
Do they all take off at the shot, or is it quiet enough they might not hear it and hang around so you can shoot more?

Thanks much, good huntin,

George

Hello George!

I had this head mounted for $400.00 a couple of years ago. Not sure what it would cost now. The taxidermist is:

Jackie Niccum
Crossed Arrows Taxidermy Studio
324 <mineral Lane
Milan, MO 63556

phone: 660/445-2166

I'm really pleased with how it turnied out. It also took a third place in a taxidermy show last year......

Here's a head that one of my clients got back from a local taxidermist.



I would guess the average price around here is about $600. I've heard everything from $375 to $750, but frankly some of the cheaper ones end up looking and smelling like road kill.

As to the long range .223 use, it's been done but it's probably not the right way. If you're hunting wild pigs they will run at the shot almost all of the time.

Pigs move a lot while they feed which doesn't help for long range shooting.

In general you're not going to get sufficient penetration to consistently make clean kills with most of the bullets available for the .223. Especially if you're looking for a trophy head, that pig should have a thick gristle shield on it's shoulders.

If recoil is a problem try to bump up to at least a 6mm or .25 cal with quality bullets.

Hope that helps.

Kyler

Average price around my parts is $500-$575 with a year wait.

Lots of hogs killed with a .223. It happens that the couple or so that I've shot with a .223 fell right there, while I've had many shot with larger calibers run quite a ways. That's not to say that the .223 is a better hog gun than a .308 or .375 H&H or whatever, simply that a lung shot with a .223 is about as effective as a lung shot with any other caliber.

Thanks guys.
Nice looking heads. First one's kinda scruffy looking but, that's the way they are, right?

stonecreek:
What I had in mind and was thinking without ever being around wild hogs. Just guessing. They make so much noise that maybe a longer shot to the ribs/lungs they might just run around some and keep right on feeding etc til they fall over dead.
Tell me some details of the one's you dropped with it, bullets , range etc.

Only thing bigger than coyotes Ive shot with one was an antelope some yrs ago. Tried a brain shot @ 100yds on full alert watching me. Just didn't allow quite enough for the scope height. The herd took off at the shot and never let up or looked back. This one ran about 50 feet, stopped and broadside looked back. I put one in the lung. Hit a rib, glanced back thru the liver and exited the far short ribs. Staggered about 50yds, backed up, sat down and tipped over.
Upon looking him over, found a groove cut all the hair off to within a 1/16" of the skin centered between his ears. Another 1/4" and would have done what I was trying.

I was coyote hunting during season and had full camo on when this herd of a dozen came into the valley about half a mile. Decided to give stalking a try. Crawled and belly crawled half of it with very little mighty small sage bush's. Just wasnt much cover. Had face camo, cap etc. big private ranch and no one else on it. They were laying scattered out facing every direction. Decided to try for the first one that spotted me or 100yds what ever happened first. Only decent bush on the whole deal I'd crawled up behind, peeked out on my hands n knee's and he was standing facing me straight on. Assume I made a little noise to alert him. the rest were still laying down but, watching him to see what was going on. I just real easy leg the legs down on the bipod and laid down and took my shot.

Sure never would have believed a 55gr CoreLokt would exit at 100yds with a body hit.

George

George, in cold regions, boars get wooly in the winter. I shot that one late fall in Missouri and he looked like a scaled down wolly mammoth! So yes, I guess you could say he is ËscruffyË.

Here are some of mine. Cost of taxidermy is from $350-$450. The warthogs were $600.

Man that's a fine display!

some great ivories too.

You have dogs? I'd prefer to have them higheron the wall, unless of course the rest of the place is covered the same way.

That's some great looking mounts. I'm happy for you.
Go get some more now!! hehe

Thanks for sharing and the info,

George